Amy was the daughter and youngest sibling of brothers Bertram and Adrian, children of Augustus Newnham Dickens and Bertha Phillips. Augustus was the youngest sibling of British novelist Charles Dickens, and Bertha was the daughter of James and Mary (Roberts) Phillips. Bertha was the next to youngest of nine siblings who included James Percy, Mary Harriet, Edwy Stanley, Caroline, George Meriscoe, Henry Druit, Helen Maria, Isabella Lydia and Marian Phillips. James was a Solicitor and Attorney for the All Superior Court. A fable popular in many of the newspapers of the day (and later too) was that Bertha was the daughter of Lord Charles Phillips; she was not.
Bertha Phillips and Augustus N. Dickens, who were never officially married, sailed to America and purchased land in the small mid-western town of Amboy, Lee, IL about 1855. What made Amboy attractive was its proximity to the Illinois Central Railroad (RR) line under construction at the time. The town became the Headquarters of the Northern Division of the Illinois Central RR. After several failed ventures in Amboy that left him penniless, Augustus left Bertha and son Bertram in Amboy and set off for Chicago. In July 1860, Richard Cobden, a British statesman with a large stock interest in the Illinois Central RR, helped Augustus secure a clerk position in the land department of the Illinois Central that paid $1200.00 per year.
Augustus sent for his family in Amboy, and built a home on leased land at 568 North Clark St., Chicago. Frederick Barnard was a neighbor of the Dickenses. He remembered that the Dickens's house "was the frequent gathering place of a coterie of people of refinement and culture and of musicians…of great ability. Mrs. Dickens' playing of classical music on the piano was grand…She was familiar with the music of all the great composers, and to hear her play at evening receptions and parties at her home was a great treat for her guests. She would often sing as she played, and I can remember clearly the rich, mellow sweetness of her voice. Mrs. Dickens was an exemplary wife, a woman of gentle breeding and fine education," he said.
During the six years working at the land office, Augustus developed a close friendship with a co-worker, Joseph Linton Waters. J. Linton Waters, as he was also known, was born in Salem, Massachusetts on 04 Oct 1826. His father, Joseph Gilbert, was a presiding judge at the police court in Salem. Between 1843-1849, J. Linton became a close associate of Nathaniel Hawthorne. J. Linton's interest in writing poetry is mentioned by Hawthorne in the preface of the "Scarlet Letter." Augustus died on 4 Oct 1866 after a severe illness of nearly four weeks, said his obituary in the Chicago Tribune of 6 Oct 1866. When he died he left his family little to nothing beside the house in which they lived in. Augustus' close friend, J. Linton Waters, was named Administrator of the personal estate of Augustus Dickens.
Following the death of Augustus, Bertha took in boarders who were Mr and Mrs Lawrence. Mrs Lawrence was, according to newspapers, a cousin of Charles Dickens (Other papers say Mr Lawrence was Bertha's brother-in-law). Newspapers speculated that Charles Dickens sent money to Bertha to help support her and the three children. However, there is no truth to the assertion. The money received came from a small inheritance left by her father, James Phillips, after his death on 06 Feb 1867. According to probate information from English records, James' will was proved on 16 March 1867 by the oaths of his sons James Percy Phillips, Solicitor; Henry Druit Phillips, Solicitor; and Edwy Stanley Phillips, Insurance Broker, all Executors of James' estate which was appraised at £6000 (In 2019 US $, the estate would be worth over $700,000.00.).
Bertha's health began to deteriorate such that in March, 1868, according to the newspapers she was mostly bedridden. Some speculated the illness stemmed from a broken heart and some from the stress of her circumstances. She was found deceased Christmas Eve day with an empty bottle of morphine by her bedside. Toxicology was unknown at the time, so her death was deemed a suicide by the attending physician and the press.
After Bertha's death, her will went to probate court in Cook county, IL where a discovery was made. The property on North Clark St., was not in the name of either Augustus Dickens or his wife, but in the name of Bertha Phillips. Friends of Bertha hushed up the matter at once. However, Bertha's letters to her family confirmed that Augustus N. Dickens had neglected to get a divorce from his wife before taking-up with Bertha.
The Chicago Evening Post on 30 Dec 1868 reported the estate of the late Mrs. Bertha P. Dickens (the paper didn't know they weren't legally married.) as appears by the petition of her administrator, Joseph L. Waters, is valued at not more than $3800, and consists of a frame house on leased land worth $3000, and furniture, clothing, etc., valued at $800. Mr Waters was also appointed guardian of the Dickens children, Bertram, Adrian, and Amy Dickens, upon filing bonds in the sum of $7600. Before the probate details were finalized, the Great Chicago Fire of Oct 1871 destroyed the Probate Court and its records.The Dickens's home was destroyed as well. In England on 21 Jan 1870, a Letter of Administration for Bertha's personal estate and effects was granted to Isabel Lydia Harris the wife of Edward Harris and Bertha's sister and one of the next of kin.The record called her Bertha Phillips (not Dickens), spinster, late of Chicago in the State of Illinois in the United States of America who died 24 Dec 1868. The details of her will are unknown.
Amy, Adrian and Bertram Dickens had four siblings, three of whom were triplets who died at birth or shortly after thereafter, and a male who died before them (according to newspaper articles). The three living children survived into adulthood. After the death of their parents, the children faced difficult times. They were near the poor house door according to the Chicago Tribune in 1876.
Adrian, Bertram and Amy lived with the Lawrence family at the Dickens home on North Clark St in Chicago until 1869. The whereabouts of Bertram between 1870 - 1879 was thought to be in northern Illinois, but by June 1880, he had completed college, became a Methodist minister, and lived in Shabbona, DeKalb, IL with his new wife, Sarah Jane Skinner. They married 12 Nov 1879 in Leland, La Salle, IL. It is not known whether or not Bertram received any support or inheritance from family.
Why Amy and Adrian Dickens were taken from Chicago to Amboy about 1870 is not known. However, Adrian boarded briefly with the Dr Edmund Travers family in 1870 in Amboy, IL. Amy boarded in 1870 with Henry Keeling, 61, a retired merchant born in Vermont, his wife Sarah, 58, and four children; Mary Ann, 33, George, 25, Carrie, 24, and Henry, 21. All of their children were born in New Orleans. Henry's real estate was valued at $26,700.00 and his personal estate at $5500.00. Henry was not poor by any means and as a merchant, Henry was very acquainted with accounting and money management, a skill set that he would put to good use. His neighbors included Dr. Albion Chase and his wife, Deborah Howland Chase who lived a few houses away from the Keelings. Oliver Wattimer, a Justice of the Peace, also lived a few doors from Keeling. In June 1880, Henry was enumerated as a widower (Sarah died in 1877) with two daughters, Mary A (38) and Carrie (32) at home with Amy (18).
On 8 July 1872, Henry Keeling petitioned the Probate Court in Lee County, IL to assume the duties and responsibilities as guardian of Amy and Adrian Dickens from the current guardian, Joseph Linton Waters, who wished to resign as guardian. Each of the children had a personal estate that required administration. The total of the two estates was approximately $3600.00. The court appointed Henry Keeling guardian of Amy and Adrian and administrator of their estates on 11 July 1872. Amy received $1717.76 and Adrian received $1903.24 for a total of $3621.00. The monies to be used to provide for all their expenses. Henry reported monthly to the probate court all income and expenses from and to their individual estates. The accounting included all receipts. In addition, he was to provide to the court a yearly recapitulation of their estates status. J.L. Waters, per his request, was discharged by the court from his duties as guardian and administrator of the children's estates on 12 Aug 1872.
The Lee county, IL probate files contain one hundred eighty five pages of records for Adrian and Amy's personal estates as administered first by J. Linton Waters and then by Henry Keeling. It is those very detailed administrative and financial records that dispel the claims the children were half-fed, not decently clothed and were close to being in the poor house. I cannot speak for the temperament of the Keeling family toward Amy and Adrian, but I can speak to their physical needs and education. The town merchants and Henry kept detailed records of purchases of all kinds of personal items such as underwear, other clothing articles, footwear, school supplies and items as small as postage stamps. In addition Adrian and Amy were sent to private schools for some of their primary education. Adrian went to college. All the tuition, room and board and educational supplies were paid from the personal estate funds.
The receipts for their support are numerous and this biography is not the venue in which to go into detail about them. Suffice it to say, Amy and Adrian were well cared for by Mr Keeling, their guardian and administer, and any newspaper reports to the contrary are, in my opinion, untrue.
Shortly after Keeling became the children's guardian he made arrangements for their education. On 18 Sept 1872, Amy's tuition was sent to the Sisters of Mercy School in Ottawa, IL. Amy's expenses were $75.00 tuition, room and board, $4.50 for a trunk to carry her personal belongings, new clothing cost $25.68, one blue and white dress to comply with the school's dress code at $5.00, books cost $5.00 and cash to Amy for incidentals was $7.00. This accounting is an example of the detail that Henry Keeling would maintain for the next 9 years. Amy attended classes until 29 Jun 1873. She attended public school thereafter.
Adrian was enrolled in the Christian Bros. School called St. Patrick's Academy in La Salle, IL. His tuition, room and board was $50 for the quarter. He began classes in Sept 1872 and continued to attend St. Patrick's until June 1874 when he returned home. On 31 Aug 1874, Adrian bought himself a birthday present for $1.00 that was deducted from his estate funds. It was his 14th birthday. Adrian was enrolled in the public school until Sept 1877. On 24 Aug 1877, Henry disbursed tuition to H.B. Brown, principal of N.I.N. (Northern Indiana Normal) school in Valparaiso, IN for Adrian to enroll. The Civil War took its toll on one of the first coeducational colleges in the nation. The school closed in 1871. In 1873, Henry Baker Brown reopened the school as Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute. The college would later be known as Valparaiso University.
Keeling requested the court allow him to resign his duties as guardian of Adrian on 31 May 1878. On 24 Jun 1878, Adrian, who was 17 years old on 31 Oct 1877, requested that the court reappoint Henry Keeling as his guardian. Adrian's signature is affixed to the court document. The court reappointed Keeling guardian of Adrian on 26 Jun 1878, and he remained Adrian's guardian and estate administrator until he asked to be discharged from those duties on 03 Nov 1881. His request was approved.
Adrian continued throughout 1878 to1880 at Indiana Normal while his estate paid for his tuition (includes room, board). He remained enrolled until May 1880 when the receipts cease. It is not known if he completed his fourth year at college. In June 1880, Adrian was a clerk in a store and was a boarder with the George Wood family in Amboy, IL. He lived two houses away from his sister, Amy, who still boarded with the Keeling family,
Amy, or Emma, as she was referred to beginning in 1876 on some receipts, was enumerated as Emma a student in June 1880. She may have been about to finish her Junior year of high school. Unfortunately, far in the future, the 1940 census missed counting Amy and her daughter, Deborah Tripp. That census was the only one to date that asked about the amount of education a person had completed.
The Ottawa Free Trader reported in a lengthy article published on 04 April 1876 that "The children did chores and "took care" of the Keelings." Referencing the situation of the Dickens children, the article further eluded, inter alia, that the children were half fed, not decently clothed and, according to the kind-hearted people of Amboy, had nothing between them and starvation but the poor house, if old man Keeling died. This article must have been quite an embarrassment to Keeling, the children, the Lee county Probate Court who exercised over-site on the children and their estate, and the town. There appears that the only truth to the story was that Keeling was an old man (stated in the article). Unfortunately, the story was picked up in newspapers across the United States and Europe.
On 01 Oct 1880, Henry Keeling asked the court to be discharged from all further service and liability as guardian of Amy B. Dickens now that she had reached the age of 18 years. At the time, Amy had $18.72 left in her trust. Apparently, the court disapproved Henry's request for discharge although I haven't found the official document that eludes to it. However, he did continue in his role as Amy's guardian until Oct 1881 when he submitted the required yearly recapitulation of her estate. In it, Henry asked again to be discharged from his duties and responsibilities as guardian, and Amy agreed with his recapitulation and his request.
A vexing mystery surrounded Miss Amy. How and why did she travel over 1,100 miles east and then met and later married Charles W. Howland? The answer can be found in a 14 Jan 1939 letter to the editor printed in the Chicago Tribune. According to the published letter written by Mariesta Howland Bloom, a grand daughter of Charles W. Howland and his first wife. A kindly physician (Dr Albion Pierce Chase) whose wife was from New England lived in Amboy, IL. Her name was Deborah Cushing (Howland) Chase, a close Amboy neighbor who was an elder sister of Charles W. Howland who was a legislator and civil engineer of southeastern, MA. In May 1879, Dr. Chase died. Soon after, Mrs Chase decided to take a trip east to visit her brother and relatives in southeastern MA. She invited Amy to come with her as a traveling companion. Amy made the long trip east and was introduced to Charles William Howland, Deborah's brother and Amy's future husband.
Amy married Charles on Christmas Day 1891 in Amboy, Lee, IL. Their children were Helen Dickens McLeavy Briard, Debra Cushing Tripp, Amy Dickens Burpee Lindholm and Miriam Davison. Each Christmas Tide the Dickens relations gathered at Amy's home to hear her read the famous and beloved story written by her uncle, "A Christmas Carol."
The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) - 4 Sep 1943, Sat - p.5
Amy Dickens Howland
Bryantville, 3 Sept. -- Mrs Amy Dickens Howland, 81, niece of Charles Dickens, died at her home here today. Funeral services at the home of her daughter, Mrs Willard A. Burpee in West Hanover. Burial in Hanson.
Mrs Howland also leaves three other daughters, Mrs Harold G. Briard, Nantucket; Mrs Frederic G. Tripp, Bryantville, and Mrs. Arthur Davison, Whitman; seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Mrs. Howland came to Rockland as a bride of the late Charles Howland, civil engineer and former state representative. She was the daughter of the late Augustus and Bertha Dickens. Her father was the youngest brother of the Victorian novelist, and her mother was the daughter of Lord Charles Phillips. Her parents came to this country and settled in Illinois, where Mrs. Howland was born.
[bio composed by Gerry Lawton (G47)]
Many thanks to super sleuth Pamela R (48319470) for her tenacious efforts in locating and photographing Mrs Amy Dickens Howland's grave marker. It was simply inscribed "Mother."
---------------------------
Amy and Adrian Dickens estate records online at Ancestry.com
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2372148:9048?tid=&pid=&queryId=a8e47e11ca7ca4c3e928d33249d1b4f1&_phsrc=aKQ8554&_phstart=successSource
---------------------------
Source of bio of Joseph Linton Waters, Peabody Essex Museum, Phillips Library – Joseph Linton Waters (1826-1891) Papers. Clipped online 19 Mar 2021.
https://pem.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/resources/426
Bertha Phillips and Augustus N. Dickens, who were never officially married, sailed to America and purchased land in the small mid-western town of Amboy, Lee, IL about 1855. What made Amboy attractive was its proximity to the Illinois Central Railroad (RR) line under construction at the time. The town became the Headquarters of the Northern Division of the Illinois Central RR. After several failed ventures in Amboy that left him penniless, Augustus left Bertha and son Bertram in Amboy and set off for Chicago. In July 1860, Richard Cobden, a British statesman with a large stock interest in the Illinois Central RR, helped Augustus secure a clerk position in the land department of the Illinois Central that paid $1200.00 per year.
Augustus sent for his family in Amboy, and built a home on leased land at 568 North Clark St., Chicago. Frederick Barnard was a neighbor of the Dickenses. He remembered that the Dickens's house "was the frequent gathering place of a coterie of people of refinement and culture and of musicians…of great ability. Mrs. Dickens' playing of classical music on the piano was grand…She was familiar with the music of all the great composers, and to hear her play at evening receptions and parties at her home was a great treat for her guests. She would often sing as she played, and I can remember clearly the rich, mellow sweetness of her voice. Mrs. Dickens was an exemplary wife, a woman of gentle breeding and fine education," he said.
During the six years working at the land office, Augustus developed a close friendship with a co-worker, Joseph Linton Waters. J. Linton Waters, as he was also known, was born in Salem, Massachusetts on 04 Oct 1826. His father, Joseph Gilbert, was a presiding judge at the police court in Salem. Between 1843-1849, J. Linton became a close associate of Nathaniel Hawthorne. J. Linton's interest in writing poetry is mentioned by Hawthorne in the preface of the "Scarlet Letter." Augustus died on 4 Oct 1866 after a severe illness of nearly four weeks, said his obituary in the Chicago Tribune of 6 Oct 1866. When he died he left his family little to nothing beside the house in which they lived in. Augustus' close friend, J. Linton Waters, was named Administrator of the personal estate of Augustus Dickens.
Following the death of Augustus, Bertha took in boarders who were Mr and Mrs Lawrence. Mrs Lawrence was, according to newspapers, a cousin of Charles Dickens (Other papers say Mr Lawrence was Bertha's brother-in-law). Newspapers speculated that Charles Dickens sent money to Bertha to help support her and the three children. However, there is no truth to the assertion. The money received came from a small inheritance left by her father, James Phillips, after his death on 06 Feb 1867. According to probate information from English records, James' will was proved on 16 March 1867 by the oaths of his sons James Percy Phillips, Solicitor; Henry Druit Phillips, Solicitor; and Edwy Stanley Phillips, Insurance Broker, all Executors of James' estate which was appraised at £6000 (In 2019 US $, the estate would be worth over $700,000.00.).
Bertha's health began to deteriorate such that in March, 1868, according to the newspapers she was mostly bedridden. Some speculated the illness stemmed from a broken heart and some from the stress of her circumstances. She was found deceased Christmas Eve day with an empty bottle of morphine by her bedside. Toxicology was unknown at the time, so her death was deemed a suicide by the attending physician and the press.
After Bertha's death, her will went to probate court in Cook county, IL where a discovery was made. The property on North Clark St., was not in the name of either Augustus Dickens or his wife, but in the name of Bertha Phillips. Friends of Bertha hushed up the matter at once. However, Bertha's letters to her family confirmed that Augustus N. Dickens had neglected to get a divorce from his wife before taking-up with Bertha.
The Chicago Evening Post on 30 Dec 1868 reported the estate of the late Mrs. Bertha P. Dickens (the paper didn't know they weren't legally married.) as appears by the petition of her administrator, Joseph L. Waters, is valued at not more than $3800, and consists of a frame house on leased land worth $3000, and furniture, clothing, etc., valued at $800. Mr Waters was also appointed guardian of the Dickens children, Bertram, Adrian, and Amy Dickens, upon filing bonds in the sum of $7600. Before the probate details were finalized, the Great Chicago Fire of Oct 1871 destroyed the Probate Court and its records.The Dickens's home was destroyed as well. In England on 21 Jan 1870, a Letter of Administration for Bertha's personal estate and effects was granted to Isabel Lydia Harris the wife of Edward Harris and Bertha's sister and one of the next of kin.The record called her Bertha Phillips (not Dickens), spinster, late of Chicago in the State of Illinois in the United States of America who died 24 Dec 1868. The details of her will are unknown.
Amy, Adrian and Bertram Dickens had four siblings, three of whom were triplets who died at birth or shortly after thereafter, and a male who died before them (according to newspaper articles). The three living children survived into adulthood. After the death of their parents, the children faced difficult times. They were near the poor house door according to the Chicago Tribune in 1876.
Adrian, Bertram and Amy lived with the Lawrence family at the Dickens home on North Clark St in Chicago until 1869. The whereabouts of Bertram between 1870 - 1879 was thought to be in northern Illinois, but by June 1880, he had completed college, became a Methodist minister, and lived in Shabbona, DeKalb, IL with his new wife, Sarah Jane Skinner. They married 12 Nov 1879 in Leland, La Salle, IL. It is not known whether or not Bertram received any support or inheritance from family.
Why Amy and Adrian Dickens were taken from Chicago to Amboy about 1870 is not known. However, Adrian boarded briefly with the Dr Edmund Travers family in 1870 in Amboy, IL. Amy boarded in 1870 with Henry Keeling, 61, a retired merchant born in Vermont, his wife Sarah, 58, and four children; Mary Ann, 33, George, 25, Carrie, 24, and Henry, 21. All of their children were born in New Orleans. Henry's real estate was valued at $26,700.00 and his personal estate at $5500.00. Henry was not poor by any means and as a merchant, Henry was very acquainted with accounting and money management, a skill set that he would put to good use. His neighbors included Dr. Albion Chase and his wife, Deborah Howland Chase who lived a few houses away from the Keelings. Oliver Wattimer, a Justice of the Peace, also lived a few doors from Keeling. In June 1880, Henry was enumerated as a widower (Sarah died in 1877) with two daughters, Mary A (38) and Carrie (32) at home with Amy (18).
On 8 July 1872, Henry Keeling petitioned the Probate Court in Lee County, IL to assume the duties and responsibilities as guardian of Amy and Adrian Dickens from the current guardian, Joseph Linton Waters, who wished to resign as guardian. Each of the children had a personal estate that required administration. The total of the two estates was approximately $3600.00. The court appointed Henry Keeling guardian of Amy and Adrian and administrator of their estates on 11 July 1872. Amy received $1717.76 and Adrian received $1903.24 for a total of $3621.00. The monies to be used to provide for all their expenses. Henry reported monthly to the probate court all income and expenses from and to their individual estates. The accounting included all receipts. In addition, he was to provide to the court a yearly recapitulation of their estates status. J.L. Waters, per his request, was discharged by the court from his duties as guardian and administrator of the children's estates on 12 Aug 1872.
The Lee county, IL probate files contain one hundred eighty five pages of records for Adrian and Amy's personal estates as administered first by J. Linton Waters and then by Henry Keeling. It is those very detailed administrative and financial records that dispel the claims the children were half-fed, not decently clothed and were close to being in the poor house. I cannot speak for the temperament of the Keeling family toward Amy and Adrian, but I can speak to their physical needs and education. The town merchants and Henry kept detailed records of purchases of all kinds of personal items such as underwear, other clothing articles, footwear, school supplies and items as small as postage stamps. In addition Adrian and Amy were sent to private schools for some of their primary education. Adrian went to college. All the tuition, room and board and educational supplies were paid from the personal estate funds.
The receipts for their support are numerous and this biography is not the venue in which to go into detail about them. Suffice it to say, Amy and Adrian were well cared for by Mr Keeling, their guardian and administer, and any newspaper reports to the contrary are, in my opinion, untrue.
Shortly after Keeling became the children's guardian he made arrangements for their education. On 18 Sept 1872, Amy's tuition was sent to the Sisters of Mercy School in Ottawa, IL. Amy's expenses were $75.00 tuition, room and board, $4.50 for a trunk to carry her personal belongings, new clothing cost $25.68, one blue and white dress to comply with the school's dress code at $5.00, books cost $5.00 and cash to Amy for incidentals was $7.00. This accounting is an example of the detail that Henry Keeling would maintain for the next 9 years. Amy attended classes until 29 Jun 1873. She attended public school thereafter.
Adrian was enrolled in the Christian Bros. School called St. Patrick's Academy in La Salle, IL. His tuition, room and board was $50 for the quarter. He began classes in Sept 1872 and continued to attend St. Patrick's until June 1874 when he returned home. On 31 Aug 1874, Adrian bought himself a birthday present for $1.00 that was deducted from his estate funds. It was his 14th birthday. Adrian was enrolled in the public school until Sept 1877. On 24 Aug 1877, Henry disbursed tuition to H.B. Brown, principal of N.I.N. (Northern Indiana Normal) school in Valparaiso, IN for Adrian to enroll. The Civil War took its toll on one of the first coeducational colleges in the nation. The school closed in 1871. In 1873, Henry Baker Brown reopened the school as Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute. The college would later be known as Valparaiso University.
Keeling requested the court allow him to resign his duties as guardian of Adrian on 31 May 1878. On 24 Jun 1878, Adrian, who was 17 years old on 31 Oct 1877, requested that the court reappoint Henry Keeling as his guardian. Adrian's signature is affixed to the court document. The court reappointed Keeling guardian of Adrian on 26 Jun 1878, and he remained Adrian's guardian and estate administrator until he asked to be discharged from those duties on 03 Nov 1881. His request was approved.
Adrian continued throughout 1878 to1880 at Indiana Normal while his estate paid for his tuition (includes room, board). He remained enrolled until May 1880 when the receipts cease. It is not known if he completed his fourth year at college. In June 1880, Adrian was a clerk in a store and was a boarder with the George Wood family in Amboy, IL. He lived two houses away from his sister, Amy, who still boarded with the Keeling family,
Amy, or Emma, as she was referred to beginning in 1876 on some receipts, was enumerated as Emma a student in June 1880. She may have been about to finish her Junior year of high school. Unfortunately, far in the future, the 1940 census missed counting Amy and her daughter, Deborah Tripp. That census was the only one to date that asked about the amount of education a person had completed.
The Ottawa Free Trader reported in a lengthy article published on 04 April 1876 that "The children did chores and "took care" of the Keelings." Referencing the situation of the Dickens children, the article further eluded, inter alia, that the children were half fed, not decently clothed and, according to the kind-hearted people of Amboy, had nothing between them and starvation but the poor house, if old man Keeling died. This article must have been quite an embarrassment to Keeling, the children, the Lee county Probate Court who exercised over-site on the children and their estate, and the town. There appears that the only truth to the story was that Keeling was an old man (stated in the article). Unfortunately, the story was picked up in newspapers across the United States and Europe.
On 01 Oct 1880, Henry Keeling asked the court to be discharged from all further service and liability as guardian of Amy B. Dickens now that she had reached the age of 18 years. At the time, Amy had $18.72 left in her trust. Apparently, the court disapproved Henry's request for discharge although I haven't found the official document that eludes to it. However, he did continue in his role as Amy's guardian until Oct 1881 when he submitted the required yearly recapitulation of her estate. In it, Henry asked again to be discharged from his duties and responsibilities as guardian, and Amy agreed with his recapitulation and his request.
A vexing mystery surrounded Miss Amy. How and why did she travel over 1,100 miles east and then met and later married Charles W. Howland? The answer can be found in a 14 Jan 1939 letter to the editor printed in the Chicago Tribune. According to the published letter written by Mariesta Howland Bloom, a grand daughter of Charles W. Howland and his first wife. A kindly physician (Dr Albion Pierce Chase) whose wife was from New England lived in Amboy, IL. Her name was Deborah Cushing (Howland) Chase, a close Amboy neighbor who was an elder sister of Charles W. Howland who was a legislator and civil engineer of southeastern, MA. In May 1879, Dr. Chase died. Soon after, Mrs Chase decided to take a trip east to visit her brother and relatives in southeastern MA. She invited Amy to come with her as a traveling companion. Amy made the long trip east and was introduced to Charles William Howland, Deborah's brother and Amy's future husband.
Amy married Charles on Christmas Day 1891 in Amboy, Lee, IL. Their children were Helen Dickens McLeavy Briard, Debra Cushing Tripp, Amy Dickens Burpee Lindholm and Miriam Davison. Each Christmas Tide the Dickens relations gathered at Amy's home to hear her read the famous and beloved story written by her uncle, "A Christmas Carol."
The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) - 4 Sep 1943, Sat - p.5
Amy Dickens Howland
Bryantville, 3 Sept. -- Mrs Amy Dickens Howland, 81, niece of Charles Dickens, died at her home here today. Funeral services at the home of her daughter, Mrs Willard A. Burpee in West Hanover. Burial in Hanson.
Mrs Howland also leaves three other daughters, Mrs Harold G. Briard, Nantucket; Mrs Frederic G. Tripp, Bryantville, and Mrs. Arthur Davison, Whitman; seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Mrs. Howland came to Rockland as a bride of the late Charles Howland, civil engineer and former state representative. She was the daughter of the late Augustus and Bertha Dickens. Her father was the youngest brother of the Victorian novelist, and her mother was the daughter of Lord Charles Phillips. Her parents came to this country and settled in Illinois, where Mrs. Howland was born.
[bio composed by Gerry Lawton (G47)]
Many thanks to super sleuth Pamela R (48319470) for her tenacious efforts in locating and photographing Mrs Amy Dickens Howland's grave marker. It was simply inscribed "Mother."
---------------------------
Amy and Adrian Dickens estate records online at Ancestry.com
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2372148:9048?tid=&pid=&queryId=a8e47e11ca7ca4c3e928d33249d1b4f1&_phsrc=aKQ8554&_phstart=successSource
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Source of bio of Joseph Linton Waters, Peabody Essex Museum, Phillips Library – Joseph Linton Waters (1826-1891) Papers. Clipped online 19 Mar 2021.
https://pem.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/resources/426
Amy was the daughter and youngest sibling of brothers Bertram and Adrian, children of Augustus Newnham Dickens and Bertha Phillips. Augustus was the youngest sibling of British novelist Charles Dickens, and Bertha was the daughter of James and Mary (Roberts) Phillips. Bertha was the next to youngest of nine siblings who included James Percy, Mary Harriet, Edwy Stanley, Caroline, George Meriscoe, Henry Druit, Helen Maria, Isabella Lydia and Marian Phillips. James was a Solicitor and Attorney for the All Superior Court. A fable popular in many of the newspapers of the day (and later too) was that Bertha was the daughter of Lord Charles Phillips; she was not.
Bertha Phillips and Augustus N. Dickens, who were never officially married, sailed to America and purchased land in the small mid-western town of Amboy, Lee, IL about 1855. What made Amboy attractive was its proximity to the Illinois Central Railroad (RR) line under construction at the time. The town became the Headquarters of the Northern Division of the Illinois Central RR. After several failed ventures in Amboy that left him penniless, Augustus left Bertha and son Bertram in Amboy and set off for Chicago. In July 1860, Richard Cobden, a British statesman with a large stock interest in the Illinois Central RR, helped Augustus secure a clerk position in the land department of the Illinois Central that paid $1200.00 per year.
Augustus sent for his family in Amboy, and built a home on leased land at 568 North Clark St., Chicago. Frederick Barnard was a neighbor of the Dickenses. He remembered that the Dickens's house "was the frequent gathering place of a coterie of people of refinement and culture and of musicians…of great ability. Mrs. Dickens' playing of classical music on the piano was grand…She was familiar with the music of all the great composers, and to hear her play at evening receptions and parties at her home was a great treat for her guests. She would often sing as she played, and I can remember clearly the rich, mellow sweetness of her voice. Mrs. Dickens was an exemplary wife, a woman of gentle breeding and fine education," he said.
During the six years working at the land office, Augustus developed a close friendship with a co-worker, Joseph Linton Waters. J. Linton Waters, as he was also known, was born in Salem, Massachusetts on 04 Oct 1826. His father, Joseph Gilbert, was a presiding judge at the police court in Salem. Between 1843-1849, J. Linton became a close associate of Nathaniel Hawthorne. J. Linton's interest in writing poetry is mentioned by Hawthorne in the preface of the "Scarlet Letter." Augustus died on 4 Oct 1866 after a severe illness of nearly four weeks, said his obituary in the Chicago Tribune of 6 Oct 1866. When he died he left his family little to nothing beside the house in which they lived in. Augustus' close friend, J. Linton Waters, was named Administrator of the personal estate of Augustus Dickens.
Following the death of Augustus, Bertha took in boarders who were Mr and Mrs Lawrence. Mrs Lawrence was, according to newspapers, a cousin of Charles Dickens (Other papers say Mr Lawrence was Bertha's brother-in-law). Newspapers speculated that Charles Dickens sent money to Bertha to help support her and the three children. However, there is no truth to the assertion. The money received came from a small inheritance left by her father, James Phillips, after his death on 06 Feb 1867. According to probate information from English records, James' will was proved on 16 March 1867 by the oaths of his sons James Percy Phillips, Solicitor; Henry Druit Phillips, Solicitor; and Edwy Stanley Phillips, Insurance Broker, all Executors of James' estate which was appraised at £6000 (In 2019 US $, the estate would be worth over $700,000.00.).
Bertha's health began to deteriorate such that in March, 1868, according to the newspapers she was mostly bedridden. Some speculated the illness stemmed from a broken heart and some from the stress of her circumstances. She was found deceased Christmas Eve day with an empty bottle of morphine by her bedside. Toxicology was unknown at the time, so her death was deemed a suicide by the attending physician and the press.
After Bertha's death, her will went to probate court in Cook county, IL where a discovery was made. The property on North Clark St., was not in the name of either Augustus Dickens or his wife, but in the name of Bertha Phillips. Friends of Bertha hushed up the matter at once. However, Bertha's letters to her family confirmed that Augustus N. Dickens had neglected to get a divorce from his wife before taking-up with Bertha.
The Chicago Evening Post on 30 Dec 1868 reported the estate of the late Mrs. Bertha P. Dickens (the paper didn't know they weren't legally married.) as appears by the petition of her administrator, Joseph L. Waters, is valued at not more than $3800, and consists of a frame house on leased land worth $3000, and furniture, clothing, etc., valued at $800. Mr Waters was also appointed guardian of the Dickens children, Bertram, Adrian, and Amy Dickens, upon filing bonds in the sum of $7600. Before the probate details were finalized, the Great Chicago Fire of Oct 1871 destroyed the Probate Court and its records.The Dickens's home was destroyed as well. In England on 21 Jan 1870, a Letter of Administration for Bertha's personal estate and effects was granted to Isabel Lydia Harris the wife of Edward Harris and Bertha's sister and one of the next of kin.The record called her Bertha Phillips (not Dickens), spinster, late of Chicago in the State of Illinois in the United States of America who died 24 Dec 1868. The details of her will are unknown.
Amy, Adrian and Bertram Dickens had four siblings, three of whom were triplets who died at birth or shortly after thereafter, and a male who died before them (according to newspaper articles). The three living children survived into adulthood. After the death of their parents, the children faced difficult times. They were near the poor house door according to the Chicago Tribune in 1876.
Adrian, Bertram and Amy lived with the Lawrence family at the Dickens home on North Clark St in Chicago until 1869. The whereabouts of Bertram between 1870 - 1879 was thought to be in northern Illinois, but by June 1880, he had completed college, became a Methodist minister, and lived in Shabbona, DeKalb, IL with his new wife, Sarah Jane Skinner. They married 12 Nov 1879 in Leland, La Salle, IL. It is not known whether or not Bertram received any support or inheritance from family.
Why Amy and Adrian Dickens were taken from Chicago to Amboy about 1870 is not known. However, Adrian boarded briefly with the Dr Edmund Travers family in 1870 in Amboy, IL. Amy boarded in 1870 with Henry Keeling, 61, a retired merchant born in Vermont, his wife Sarah, 58, and four children; Mary Ann, 33, George, 25, Carrie, 24, and Henry, 21. All of their children were born in New Orleans. Henry's real estate was valued at $26,700.00 and his personal estate at $5500.00. Henry was not poor by any means and as a merchant, Henry was very acquainted with accounting and money management, a skill set that he would put to good use. His neighbors included Dr. Albion Chase and his wife, Deborah Howland Chase who lived a few houses away from the Keelings. Oliver Wattimer, a Justice of the Peace, also lived a few doors from Keeling. In June 1880, Henry was enumerated as a widower (Sarah died in 1877) with two daughters, Mary A (38) and Carrie (32) at home with Amy (18).
On 8 July 1872, Henry Keeling petitioned the Probate Court in Lee County, IL to assume the duties and responsibilities as guardian of Amy and Adrian Dickens from the current guardian, Joseph Linton Waters, who wished to resign as guardian. Each of the children had a personal estate that required administration. The total of the two estates was approximately $3600.00. The court appointed Henry Keeling guardian of Amy and Adrian and administrator of their estates on 11 July 1872. Amy received $1717.76 and Adrian received $1903.24 for a total of $3621.00. The monies to be used to provide for all their expenses. Henry reported monthly to the probate court all income and expenses from and to their individual estates. The accounting included all receipts. In addition, he was to provide to the court a yearly recapitulation of their estates status. J.L. Waters, per his request, was discharged by the court from his duties as guardian and administrator of the children's estates on 12 Aug 1872.
The Lee county, IL probate files contain one hundred eighty five pages of records for Adrian and Amy's personal estates as administered first by J. Linton Waters and then by Henry Keeling. It is those very detailed administrative and financial records that dispel the claims the children were half-fed, not decently clothed and were close to being in the poor house. I cannot speak for the temperament of the Keeling family toward Amy and Adrian, but I can speak to their physical needs and education. The town merchants and Henry kept detailed records of purchases of all kinds of personal items such as underwear, other clothing articles, footwear, school supplies and items as small as postage stamps. In addition Adrian and Amy were sent to private schools for some of their primary education. Adrian went to college. All the tuition, room and board and educational supplies were paid from the personal estate funds.
The receipts for their support are numerous and this biography is not the venue in which to go into detail about them. Suffice it to say, Amy and Adrian were well cared for by Mr Keeling, their guardian and administer, and any newspaper reports to the contrary are, in my opinion, untrue.
Shortly after Keeling became the children's guardian he made arrangements for their education. On 18 Sept 1872, Amy's tuition was sent to the Sisters of Mercy School in Ottawa, IL. Amy's expenses were $75.00 tuition, room and board, $4.50 for a trunk to carry her personal belongings, new clothing cost $25.68, one blue and white dress to comply with the school's dress code at $5.00, books cost $5.00 and cash to Amy for incidentals was $7.00. This accounting is an example of the detail that Henry Keeling would maintain for the next 9 years. Amy attended classes until 29 Jun 1873. She attended public school thereafter.
Adrian was enrolled in the Christian Bros. School called St. Patrick's Academy in La Salle, IL. His tuition, room and board was $50 for the quarter. He began classes in Sept 1872 and continued to attend St. Patrick's until June 1874 when he returned home. On 31 Aug 1874, Adrian bought himself a birthday present for $1.00 that was deducted from his estate funds. It was his 14th birthday. Adrian was enrolled in the public school until Sept 1877. On 24 Aug 1877, Henry disbursed tuition to H.B. Brown, principal of N.I.N. (Northern Indiana Normal) school in Valparaiso, IN for Adrian to enroll. The Civil War took its toll on one of the first coeducational colleges in the nation. The school closed in 1871. In 1873, Henry Baker Brown reopened the school as Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute. The college would later be known as Valparaiso University.
Keeling requested the court allow him to resign his duties as guardian of Adrian on 31 May 1878. On 24 Jun 1878, Adrian, who was 17 years old on 31 Oct 1877, requested that the court reappoint Henry Keeling as his guardian. Adrian's signature is affixed to the court document. The court reappointed Keeling guardian of Adrian on 26 Jun 1878, and he remained Adrian's guardian and estate administrator until he asked to be discharged from those duties on 03 Nov 1881. His request was approved.
Adrian continued throughout 1878 to1880 at Indiana Normal while his estate paid for his tuition (includes room, board). He remained enrolled until May 1880 when the receipts cease. It is not known if he completed his fourth year at college. In June 1880, Adrian was a clerk in a store and was a boarder with the George Wood family in Amboy, IL. He lived two houses away from his sister, Amy, who still boarded with the Keeling family,
Amy, or Emma, as she was referred to beginning in 1876 on some receipts, was enumerated as Emma a student in June 1880. She may have been about to finish her Junior year of high school. Unfortunately, far in the future, the 1940 census missed counting Amy and her daughter, Deborah Tripp. That census was the only one to date that asked about the amount of education a person had completed.
The Ottawa Free Trader reported in a lengthy article published on 04 April 1876 that "The children did chores and "took care" of the Keelings." Referencing the situation of the Dickens children, the article further eluded, inter alia, that the children were half fed, not decently clothed and, according to the kind-hearted people of Amboy, had nothing between them and starvation but the poor house, if old man Keeling died. This article must have been quite an embarrassment to Keeling, the children, the Lee county Probate Court who exercised over-site on the children and their estate, and the town. There appears that the only truth to the story was that Keeling was an old man (stated in the article). Unfortunately, the story was picked up in newspapers across the United States and Europe.
On 01 Oct 1880, Henry Keeling asked the court to be discharged from all further service and liability as guardian of Amy B. Dickens now that she had reached the age of 18 years. At the time, Amy had $18.72 left in her trust. Apparently, the court disapproved Henry's request for discharge although I haven't found the official document that eludes to it. However, he did continue in his role as Amy's guardian until Oct 1881 when he submitted the required yearly recapitulation of her estate. In it, Henry asked again to be discharged from his duties and responsibilities as guardian, and Amy agreed with his recapitulation and his request.
A vexing mystery surrounded Miss Amy. How and why did she travel over 1,100 miles east and then met and later married Charles W. Howland? The answer can be found in a 14 Jan 1939 letter to the editor printed in the Chicago Tribune. According to the published letter written by Mariesta Howland Bloom, a grand daughter of Charles W. Howland and his first wife. A kindly physician (Dr Albion Pierce Chase) whose wife was from New England lived in Amboy, IL. Her name was Deborah Cushing (Howland) Chase, a close Amboy neighbor who was an elder sister of Charles W. Howland who was a legislator and civil engineer of southeastern, MA. In May 1879, Dr. Chase died. Soon after, Mrs Chase decided to take a trip east to visit her brother and relatives in southeastern MA. She invited Amy to come with her as a traveling companion. Amy made the long trip east and was introduced to Charles William Howland, Deborah's brother and Amy's future husband.
Amy married Charles on Christmas Day 1891 in Amboy, Lee, IL. Their children were Helen Dickens McLeavy Briard, Debra Cushing Tripp, Amy Dickens Burpee Lindholm and Miriam Davison. Each Christmas Tide the Dickens relations gathered at Amy's home to hear her read the famous and beloved story written by her uncle, "A Christmas Carol."
The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) - 4 Sep 1943, Sat - p.5
Amy Dickens Howland
Bryantville, 3 Sept. -- Mrs Amy Dickens Howland, 81, niece of Charles Dickens, died at her home here today. Funeral services at the home of her daughter, Mrs Willard A. Burpee in West Hanover. Burial in Hanson.
Mrs Howland also leaves three other daughters, Mrs Harold G. Briard, Nantucket; Mrs Frederic G. Tripp, Bryantville, and Mrs. Arthur Davison, Whitman; seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Mrs. Howland came to Rockland as a bride of the late Charles Howland, civil engineer and former state representative. She was the daughter of the late Augustus and Bertha Dickens. Her father was the youngest brother of the Victorian novelist, and her mother was the daughter of Lord Charles Phillips. Her parents came to this country and settled in Illinois, where Mrs. Howland was born.
[bio composed by Gerry Lawton (G47)]
Many thanks to super sleuth Pamela R (48319470) for her tenacious efforts in locating and photographing Mrs Amy Dickens Howland's grave marker. It was simply inscribed "Mother."
---------------------------
Amy and Adrian Dickens estate records online at Ancestry.com
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2372148:9048?tid=&pid=&queryId=a8e47e11ca7ca4c3e928d33249d1b4f1&_phsrc=aKQ8554&_phstart=successSource
---------------------------
Source of bio of Joseph Linton Waters, Peabody Essex Museum, Phillips Library – Joseph Linton Waters (1826-1891) Papers. Clipped online 19 Mar 2021.
https://pem.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/resources/426
Bertha Phillips and Augustus N. Dickens, who were never officially married, sailed to America and purchased land in the small mid-western town of Amboy, Lee, IL about 1855. What made Amboy attractive was its proximity to the Illinois Central Railroad (RR) line under construction at the time. The town became the Headquarters of the Northern Division of the Illinois Central RR. After several failed ventures in Amboy that left him penniless, Augustus left Bertha and son Bertram in Amboy and set off for Chicago. In July 1860, Richard Cobden, a British statesman with a large stock interest in the Illinois Central RR, helped Augustus secure a clerk position in the land department of the Illinois Central that paid $1200.00 per year.
Augustus sent for his family in Amboy, and built a home on leased land at 568 North Clark St., Chicago. Frederick Barnard was a neighbor of the Dickenses. He remembered that the Dickens's house "was the frequent gathering place of a coterie of people of refinement and culture and of musicians…of great ability. Mrs. Dickens' playing of classical music on the piano was grand…She was familiar with the music of all the great composers, and to hear her play at evening receptions and parties at her home was a great treat for her guests. She would often sing as she played, and I can remember clearly the rich, mellow sweetness of her voice. Mrs. Dickens was an exemplary wife, a woman of gentle breeding and fine education," he said.
During the six years working at the land office, Augustus developed a close friendship with a co-worker, Joseph Linton Waters. J. Linton Waters, as he was also known, was born in Salem, Massachusetts on 04 Oct 1826. His father, Joseph Gilbert, was a presiding judge at the police court in Salem. Between 1843-1849, J. Linton became a close associate of Nathaniel Hawthorne. J. Linton's interest in writing poetry is mentioned by Hawthorne in the preface of the "Scarlet Letter." Augustus died on 4 Oct 1866 after a severe illness of nearly four weeks, said his obituary in the Chicago Tribune of 6 Oct 1866. When he died he left his family little to nothing beside the house in which they lived in. Augustus' close friend, J. Linton Waters, was named Administrator of the personal estate of Augustus Dickens.
Following the death of Augustus, Bertha took in boarders who were Mr and Mrs Lawrence. Mrs Lawrence was, according to newspapers, a cousin of Charles Dickens (Other papers say Mr Lawrence was Bertha's brother-in-law). Newspapers speculated that Charles Dickens sent money to Bertha to help support her and the three children. However, there is no truth to the assertion. The money received came from a small inheritance left by her father, James Phillips, after his death on 06 Feb 1867. According to probate information from English records, James' will was proved on 16 March 1867 by the oaths of his sons James Percy Phillips, Solicitor; Henry Druit Phillips, Solicitor; and Edwy Stanley Phillips, Insurance Broker, all Executors of James' estate which was appraised at £6000 (In 2019 US $, the estate would be worth over $700,000.00.).
Bertha's health began to deteriorate such that in March, 1868, according to the newspapers she was mostly bedridden. Some speculated the illness stemmed from a broken heart and some from the stress of her circumstances. She was found deceased Christmas Eve day with an empty bottle of morphine by her bedside. Toxicology was unknown at the time, so her death was deemed a suicide by the attending physician and the press.
After Bertha's death, her will went to probate court in Cook county, IL where a discovery was made. The property on North Clark St., was not in the name of either Augustus Dickens or his wife, but in the name of Bertha Phillips. Friends of Bertha hushed up the matter at once. However, Bertha's letters to her family confirmed that Augustus N. Dickens had neglected to get a divorce from his wife before taking-up with Bertha.
The Chicago Evening Post on 30 Dec 1868 reported the estate of the late Mrs. Bertha P. Dickens (the paper didn't know they weren't legally married.) as appears by the petition of her administrator, Joseph L. Waters, is valued at not more than $3800, and consists of a frame house on leased land worth $3000, and furniture, clothing, etc., valued at $800. Mr Waters was also appointed guardian of the Dickens children, Bertram, Adrian, and Amy Dickens, upon filing bonds in the sum of $7600. Before the probate details were finalized, the Great Chicago Fire of Oct 1871 destroyed the Probate Court and its records.The Dickens's home was destroyed as well. In England on 21 Jan 1870, a Letter of Administration for Bertha's personal estate and effects was granted to Isabel Lydia Harris the wife of Edward Harris and Bertha's sister and one of the next of kin.The record called her Bertha Phillips (not Dickens), spinster, late of Chicago in the State of Illinois in the United States of America who died 24 Dec 1868. The details of her will are unknown.
Amy, Adrian and Bertram Dickens had four siblings, three of whom were triplets who died at birth or shortly after thereafter, and a male who died before them (according to newspaper articles). The three living children survived into adulthood. After the death of their parents, the children faced difficult times. They were near the poor house door according to the Chicago Tribune in 1876.
Adrian, Bertram and Amy lived with the Lawrence family at the Dickens home on North Clark St in Chicago until 1869. The whereabouts of Bertram between 1870 - 1879 was thought to be in northern Illinois, but by June 1880, he had completed college, became a Methodist minister, and lived in Shabbona, DeKalb, IL with his new wife, Sarah Jane Skinner. They married 12 Nov 1879 in Leland, La Salle, IL. It is not known whether or not Bertram received any support or inheritance from family.
Why Amy and Adrian Dickens were taken from Chicago to Amboy about 1870 is not known. However, Adrian boarded briefly with the Dr Edmund Travers family in 1870 in Amboy, IL. Amy boarded in 1870 with Henry Keeling, 61, a retired merchant born in Vermont, his wife Sarah, 58, and four children; Mary Ann, 33, George, 25, Carrie, 24, and Henry, 21. All of their children were born in New Orleans. Henry's real estate was valued at $26,700.00 and his personal estate at $5500.00. Henry was not poor by any means and as a merchant, Henry was very acquainted with accounting and money management, a skill set that he would put to good use. His neighbors included Dr. Albion Chase and his wife, Deborah Howland Chase who lived a few houses away from the Keelings. Oliver Wattimer, a Justice of the Peace, also lived a few doors from Keeling. In June 1880, Henry was enumerated as a widower (Sarah died in 1877) with two daughters, Mary A (38) and Carrie (32) at home with Amy (18).
On 8 July 1872, Henry Keeling petitioned the Probate Court in Lee County, IL to assume the duties and responsibilities as guardian of Amy and Adrian Dickens from the current guardian, Joseph Linton Waters, who wished to resign as guardian. Each of the children had a personal estate that required administration. The total of the two estates was approximately $3600.00. The court appointed Henry Keeling guardian of Amy and Adrian and administrator of their estates on 11 July 1872. Amy received $1717.76 and Adrian received $1903.24 for a total of $3621.00. The monies to be used to provide for all their expenses. Henry reported monthly to the probate court all income and expenses from and to their individual estates. The accounting included all receipts. In addition, he was to provide to the court a yearly recapitulation of their estates status. J.L. Waters, per his request, was discharged by the court from his duties as guardian and administrator of the children's estates on 12 Aug 1872.
The Lee county, IL probate files contain one hundred eighty five pages of records for Adrian and Amy's personal estates as administered first by J. Linton Waters and then by Henry Keeling. It is those very detailed administrative and financial records that dispel the claims the children were half-fed, not decently clothed and were close to being in the poor house. I cannot speak for the temperament of the Keeling family toward Amy and Adrian, but I can speak to their physical needs and education. The town merchants and Henry kept detailed records of purchases of all kinds of personal items such as underwear, other clothing articles, footwear, school supplies and items as small as postage stamps. In addition Adrian and Amy were sent to private schools for some of their primary education. Adrian went to college. All the tuition, room and board and educational supplies were paid from the personal estate funds.
The receipts for their support are numerous and this biography is not the venue in which to go into detail about them. Suffice it to say, Amy and Adrian were well cared for by Mr Keeling, their guardian and administer, and any newspaper reports to the contrary are, in my opinion, untrue.
Shortly after Keeling became the children's guardian he made arrangements for their education. On 18 Sept 1872, Amy's tuition was sent to the Sisters of Mercy School in Ottawa, IL. Amy's expenses were $75.00 tuition, room and board, $4.50 for a trunk to carry her personal belongings, new clothing cost $25.68, one blue and white dress to comply with the school's dress code at $5.00, books cost $5.00 and cash to Amy for incidentals was $7.00. This accounting is an example of the detail that Henry Keeling would maintain for the next 9 years. Amy attended classes until 29 Jun 1873. She attended public school thereafter.
Adrian was enrolled in the Christian Bros. School called St. Patrick's Academy in La Salle, IL. His tuition, room and board was $50 for the quarter. He began classes in Sept 1872 and continued to attend St. Patrick's until June 1874 when he returned home. On 31 Aug 1874, Adrian bought himself a birthday present for $1.00 that was deducted from his estate funds. It was his 14th birthday. Adrian was enrolled in the public school until Sept 1877. On 24 Aug 1877, Henry disbursed tuition to H.B. Brown, principal of N.I.N. (Northern Indiana Normal) school in Valparaiso, IN for Adrian to enroll. The Civil War took its toll on one of the first coeducational colleges in the nation. The school closed in 1871. In 1873, Henry Baker Brown reopened the school as Northern Indiana Normal School and Business Institute. The college would later be known as Valparaiso University.
Keeling requested the court allow him to resign his duties as guardian of Adrian on 31 May 1878. On 24 Jun 1878, Adrian, who was 17 years old on 31 Oct 1877, requested that the court reappoint Henry Keeling as his guardian. Adrian's signature is affixed to the court document. The court reappointed Keeling guardian of Adrian on 26 Jun 1878, and he remained Adrian's guardian and estate administrator until he asked to be discharged from those duties on 03 Nov 1881. His request was approved.
Adrian continued throughout 1878 to1880 at Indiana Normal while his estate paid for his tuition (includes room, board). He remained enrolled until May 1880 when the receipts cease. It is not known if he completed his fourth year at college. In June 1880, Adrian was a clerk in a store and was a boarder with the George Wood family in Amboy, IL. He lived two houses away from his sister, Amy, who still boarded with the Keeling family,
Amy, or Emma, as she was referred to beginning in 1876 on some receipts, was enumerated as Emma a student in June 1880. She may have been about to finish her Junior year of high school. Unfortunately, far in the future, the 1940 census missed counting Amy and her daughter, Deborah Tripp. That census was the only one to date that asked about the amount of education a person had completed.
The Ottawa Free Trader reported in a lengthy article published on 04 April 1876 that "The children did chores and "took care" of the Keelings." Referencing the situation of the Dickens children, the article further eluded, inter alia, that the children were half fed, not decently clothed and, according to the kind-hearted people of Amboy, had nothing between them and starvation but the poor house, if old man Keeling died. This article must have been quite an embarrassment to Keeling, the children, the Lee county Probate Court who exercised over-site on the children and their estate, and the town. There appears that the only truth to the story was that Keeling was an old man (stated in the article). Unfortunately, the story was picked up in newspapers across the United States and Europe.
On 01 Oct 1880, Henry Keeling asked the court to be discharged from all further service and liability as guardian of Amy B. Dickens now that she had reached the age of 18 years. At the time, Amy had $18.72 left in her trust. Apparently, the court disapproved Henry's request for discharge although I haven't found the official document that eludes to it. However, he did continue in his role as Amy's guardian until Oct 1881 when he submitted the required yearly recapitulation of her estate. In it, Henry asked again to be discharged from his duties and responsibilities as guardian, and Amy agreed with his recapitulation and his request.
A vexing mystery surrounded Miss Amy. How and why did she travel over 1,100 miles east and then met and later married Charles W. Howland? The answer can be found in a 14 Jan 1939 letter to the editor printed in the Chicago Tribune. According to the published letter written by Mariesta Howland Bloom, a grand daughter of Charles W. Howland and his first wife. A kindly physician (Dr Albion Pierce Chase) whose wife was from New England lived in Amboy, IL. Her name was Deborah Cushing (Howland) Chase, a close Amboy neighbor who was an elder sister of Charles W. Howland who was a legislator and civil engineer of southeastern, MA. In May 1879, Dr. Chase died. Soon after, Mrs Chase decided to take a trip east to visit her brother and relatives in southeastern MA. She invited Amy to come with her as a traveling companion. Amy made the long trip east and was introduced to Charles William Howland, Deborah's brother and Amy's future husband.
Amy married Charles on Christmas Day 1891 in Amboy, Lee, IL. Their children were Helen Dickens McLeavy Briard, Debra Cushing Tripp, Amy Dickens Burpee Lindholm and Miriam Davison. Each Christmas Tide the Dickens relations gathered at Amy's home to hear her read the famous and beloved story written by her uncle, "A Christmas Carol."
The Boston Globe (Boston, MA) - 4 Sep 1943, Sat - p.5
Amy Dickens Howland
Bryantville, 3 Sept. -- Mrs Amy Dickens Howland, 81, niece of Charles Dickens, died at her home here today. Funeral services at the home of her daughter, Mrs Willard A. Burpee in West Hanover. Burial in Hanson.
Mrs Howland also leaves three other daughters, Mrs Harold G. Briard, Nantucket; Mrs Frederic G. Tripp, Bryantville, and Mrs. Arthur Davison, Whitman; seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Mrs. Howland came to Rockland as a bride of the late Charles Howland, civil engineer and former state representative. She was the daughter of the late Augustus and Bertha Dickens. Her father was the youngest brother of the Victorian novelist, and her mother was the daughter of Lord Charles Phillips. Her parents came to this country and settled in Illinois, where Mrs. Howland was born.
[bio composed by Gerry Lawton (G47)]
Many thanks to super sleuth Pamela R (48319470) for her tenacious efforts in locating and photographing Mrs Amy Dickens Howland's grave marker. It was simply inscribed "Mother."
---------------------------
Amy and Adrian Dickens estate records online at Ancestry.com
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2372148:9048?tid=&pid=&queryId=a8e47e11ca7ca4c3e928d33249d1b4f1&_phsrc=aKQ8554&_phstart=successSource
---------------------------
Source of bio of Joseph Linton Waters, Peabody Essex Museum, Phillips Library – Joseph Linton Waters (1826-1891) Papers. Clipped online 19 Mar 2021.
https://pem.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/resources/426
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