Monday 28th September 2020

 I Went up parents for dinner and watched an black and white version of Oliver Twist, it was made in 1947 or 48, it was different I suppose.  I have read the book and this has got me thinking, even more after watching the drama Dickensian.  Dickensian tell you about the characters backgrounds including how miss Havisham got to be like she was, why the noble lady in Bleak House was so sad; and about Oliver Twist and his parents background.

Oliver twist was written about 1838 and set in the 1820's, so his mother (Agnus Fleming) would have been pregnant about the regency period, she would have been 19 years old.  His father (Edwin Leeford) who was also a friend of Agnuse's father, went off to Rome in the pursuit of economic wealth leaving his mistress behind. A relative had died leaving him quite a lot of money,  so he had to go to Rome to settle the will etc.  But sadly the day after he arrived, he contracted an illness from which killed him.

They must have been very in love and for this tragedy to happen must have been awful, this was Agnuse's first love. He keeps saying that he can’t get married, but is mysterious as to the reason why.  Eventually, they have sex and she gets pregnant (major whoopsie).  Unwed motherhood was scandalous at the worst of times where there was no welfare system in place for women of the period; the stigma went up right to the 1960's.  So she runs away from home to avoid shaming her father by having a child out of wedlock, where she arrives at the workhouse; has the child and dies.  

Oliver's father had a son with his first partner called Monks, before he was engaged to Oliver's mother.  The money went instead to Monks and his mother who was ten at the time his mother separated from his mother.

It is said of Oliver twists mother that though she was a fine woman, and beautiful, Agnes was "weak and erring," because of her dalliance with Edwin before their marriage.  

I like other books by Charle's Dickens, but this is the conditions he wrote of at the time; and they were harsh.  Oliver Twist is given his name by Mr Bumble, the prosaic beadle at the workhouse according to an alphabetical system.

Upon entering the workhouse, the poor were stripped and bathed (under supervision). The food was tasteless and was the same day after day. The young and old as well as men and women were made to work hard, often doing unpleasant jobs. Children could also find themselves 'hired out' (sold) to work in factories or mines, some went to the front during WW1.