Record Number: 1553

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Statement of boy to London society, aim of which to rescue juvenile criminals, demonstrating pernicious influence of penny dreadfuls: Charley reads penny dreadfuls to his brother Bill from the shop window almost every week; one of the serials they read each week is "Tyburn Dick", which gets Bill particularly worked up; They went to the shop, but couldn't find out the conclusion to the serial without purchasing it; therefore they stole the penny number to read at home. Charley concludes to the society: "That was the commencement of it; and so it went on and growed bigger".

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1870 and 31 Dec 1879

Country:

England

Time

daytime: after dinnertime

Place:

city: London
location in dwelling: at home

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Charley ?

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Labourer (non-agricultural)

Occupation:

unknown

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

Brother Bill

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

Title:

Tyburn Dick

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Serial / periodical, penny dreadful

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

stolen

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

1553

Source - Manuscript:

Other

Information:

James Greenwood, "Penny Awfuls", St Paul's Magazine, 12 (1873), pp. 161-168

Additional Information:

n/a

Citation:

James Greenwood, "Penny Awfuls", St Paul's Magazine, 12 (1873), pp. 161-168, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=1553, accessed: 15 January 2025

---

Additional Comments:

Charley said to be about 13 years of age