Talk:Staplehurst rail crash
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[edit] Claims that Dickens was travelling with his mistress are unsubstantiated.
Dickens was travelling at the time of the crash with Ellen Ternan and her mother, both London actresses. They were returning from France, where the women had been living (possibly at Dickens' expense) for some time. While it is true that Dickens and Ellen had been very close companions, it is very unlikely that they ever physically consummated their relationship.
It is true that Dickens' friendship with Ellen was the final catalyst that destroyed his marriage to Catherine. However, Dickens' life is well documented in numerous letters and notes, still extent, between him and numerous associates. Not a single one of these documents makes the slightest allusion to a physical aspect of Dickens' friendship.
In the context of the Victorian way of life, it's important to understand that women who had physical relationships outside of marriage were regarded as little better than prostitutes. Dickens was acutely aware of this, and so it is most likely that, despite his undoubted love for her, Dickens relationship with Ellen remained platonic.
The suggestion of mistress is an understandable inference drawn by less careful biographers. However, it remains at best conjecture and not fact. HopperStu 09:38, 30 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] This article is about Staplehurst not Dickens
You may be right but I have removed the ref since this is not the place for such a point to be made. t depends what you mean by "mistress". Peterrhyslewis 06:35, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] This article is about Staplehurst not Dickens
No "may be" about it -- you won't find any reliable written proof. I agree that this artical is about a train crash in Staplehurst with a famous victim, though. So, to avoid perpetuating a possibly flawed bit of history, I've changed it to say "companions". Stuart 18:12, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
