An Inspiration for Dickens' OS' Betsy Trotwood? 13d ----------------------------- Peter Burville------------------------------ n her most interesting article about spoken of old Mother Burvill, who was ICharles Dickens' Dover connections quite a character in Dover, but she has Lorraine Sencicle expressed her strong not mentioned that her dress at all view regarding the origins of the times was most remarkable. On week­ character Betsey Trotwood in David days she looked rather like a great bee­ Copperfield (re f l). Lorraine offers Sarah hive, as she wore very ample skirts and Rice as the model that Dickens used. In a double-caped frill cloak, making her my recently published one-name study look as broad as she was high. On An East Kent Family: the Burvilles (ref Sundays she was gorgeously arrayed in 2), I offer an alternative Dovorian a flowery chintz gown, which she inspiration for Betsey as recorded bought second-hand at Mr Long's in below. Many fictional characters are an Walton Lane. She was very particular amalgam of characteristics borrowed about the patterns, preferring one from several people whom the author which she called the 'Weeping Willow has met in the flesh plus a few dashes of pattern'. She always attended Pentside imagination. There may be several Chapel, much to the alarm of any potential sources for the character children who went there with their Betsey Trotwood. Below are some parents. It was commonly reported that extracts from the "Folk Stories" section she and her donkey slept in the same of the one-name study which records room, but whether this was so or not family tales that have been passed down has never been settled; but, any way, the generations. they were much attached to each other, and on one occasion their affection Another family story is that some showed itself in a very amusing way. aspects of the characters in Charles Grimaldi, a famous London clown, was Dickens' David Copperfield, of 1849, to perform in the Dover Theatre, and were based on Burvilles. In her 1895 required a donkey to appear on the book (re f 3) Mary Horsley tells us stage with him. Mother Burvill lent hers regarding Pilot's Field on the cliff slopes for the occasion, and was allowed a free behind Snargate Street: “When Charles admission to the pit in consequence. Dickens stayed in Dover this field was When her donkey appeared on the stage his favourite haunt. He would lie on his she became much excited, clapped her back basking in the sun, and think out hands and called out to him, the details of his last story, and in whereupon the animal, recognising his 'David Copperfield' he describes 'Betsey mistress's voice, set up an unmusical Trotwood's Cottage' as being in this braying and steadily refused to do Pilot's Field, or thereabouts." anything he was required to do, and, at last, had to be forcibly ejected amid the M ary Horsley also wrote: "Mrs N.B. has roars of the audience. Poor old Betty 43 Burvill, it seems rather hard that she the boys were her sworn enemies, and should always have been chosen as the one of my brothers remembers boring a person on whom to play pranks. It is hole with gimlet, in her rain water butt, said that even a Royal Duke, who had that she might find it empty in the been spending the evening at Sir morning!" Thomas Mantel's, on his way back to the Castle, could not resist the fun of The Esplanade area development letting her rain water run to waste. We project started in 1834. The Pentside children would go a long way round Chapel that Mother Burvill attended rather than pass her cottage, we had operated from 1823 tol903. In 1838 such fear of her, especially when she Joseph Long, Mother Burvill's source of made ugly faces at us. She was a sort of clothes, was recorded as a "Pawnbroker 'bogey man' to the children of that and Linendraper" in Waltons Lane. generation." Clearly Betsey Trotwood's and Betty Burvill's cottages were in the same area, A date has not been established for the the Esplanade being across the theatrical event but clowns Grimaldi, Granville Dock from Pilot Field. Sir father Joseph and son Joseph Samuel Thomas Mantell's house, from where William, made provincial tours during the Royal Duke set out to have a prank the period from at least 1812 to the with old Mother Burvill's water butt, 1830s. The donkey provider was the was on Commercial Quay which is Mother Burvill who had an interest in below Pilot Field and opposite the the scavenging business, as recorded by Esplanade. Mary Horsley (re f 4): "The sweeping of the streets was done by old paupers Another similarity was their attitude to from the Workhouse and it was not very children with Betsey's Trotwood's "Go thoroughly or satisfactorily done. What along! No boys here!" when they came they swept up was carried to a farm in near her cottage. Donkeys were also a Ladywell, called Bull-Cow Yard or else major feature of their lives. Dickens' to Buckland Farm and there deposited Betsey chased them away from her to enrich the land. There was one dirt cottage whilst Betty owned one as a cart drawn by a donkey, and owned by source of income. So, there is some a certain 'Mother Burvill', who lived possibility of an element of truth in the where the Esplanade now is and who family story of a member of the Burville went about collecting the ashes which Bailiwick providing an input to the were afterwards sold to the brickmakers character of Betsey Trotwood. From the at the rate of 2d. or 3d. a bushel. This evidence above, the reports of Betty old woman was a terror to us children, Burvill's activities seem to centre on the it being popularly supposed that she ate 1830s. At this time there were several naughty children, and the horrid old possible Elizabeths in Dover who are woman encouraged the idea. Naturally candidates for "old M other Burvill". References: 1, The Dover Society Newsletter, No. 73, March 2012, pages 20-22. 2, The Dover Society Newsletter, No. 73, March 2012, pages 26-28. 3, Horsley, M., Some More Memories of Old Dover, Goulden, 176 Snargate Street, Dover (1895) 4, Horsley, M., Some Memories of Old Dover, Goulden, 176 Snargate Street, Dover (1892).