Mary Scott Hogarth

Mary Scott Hogarth (26 October 1819 – 7 May 1837) was the sister of Catherine Dickens ( Hogarth) and the sister-in-law of Charles Dickens. Hogarth first met Charles Dickens at age 14, and after Dickens married Hogarth's sister Catherine, Mary lived with the couple for a year. Hogarth died suddenly in 1837, which caused Dickens to miss the publication dates for two novels: The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist. Hogarth later became the inspiration for a number of characters in Dickens novels, including Rose Maylie in Oliver Twist and Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop. Charles and Catherine Dickens' first daughter was named Mary in her memory.

Life

Hogarth was the daughter of George Hogarth (1783–1870), a music critic, cellist and composer, and Georgina Hogarth Thompson (1793–1863). She was born in Edinburgh, where her father was a legal advisor to Walter Scott, whom the young Charles Dickens greatly admired. She was the fourth of ten children, and the third daughter. Hogarth was named after her paternal grandmother. The name Mary Scott had previously been given to George and Georgina's third child, born 1817 or 1818, who was an infant when she died. Whilst Dickens and Catherine were courting, Mary was a constant companion and chaperone to both of them.

Hogarth was described by those who knew her as "sweet, beautiful and light-hearted". It is believed that Hogarth was the first person to read The Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist, as Dickens valued Hogarth's input and feedback more than his wife's. She died at around 15:00 local time later that day at the Dickens family home. Hogarth was 17 years old. The cause of death is believed to have been either heart failure or a stroke. Dickens wrote the epitaph on her tombstone, which says "Young, beautiful, and good, God numbered her among his angels at the early age of seventeen". The tombstone now includes epitaphs to her brother George, and their parents Georgina, who died in 1863, and George, who died in 1870.

Eight months after Hogarth's death, Charles and Catherine Dickens' second child and first daughter was born. Charles insisted that the child be named Mary, in memory of Hogarth. and Nell also dies suddenly in the book.