Charles Dickens's unhappy marriage among 18 million parish records put online

Charles Dickens' unhappy marriage to Catherine Hogarth, who he blamed for burdening him with 10 children, is included among 18 million parish records published online for the first time today.
By Matthew Moore
16 Sep 2009

Britain's most esteemed novelist married the attractive young Catherine in St Luke's Church in Chelsea, west London on April 2, 1836, while he was forging a career as a journalist.

But he became frustrated with her listless nature as his own reputation grew, and they separated in 1858.

Dickens is just one of the historical figures including the playwright Oscar Wide and the diarist Samuel Pepys whose defining moments are now easily accessible to the public.

The births, deaths and marriages of millions of Londoners spanning nearly half a millennium have been posted on the internet by Ancestry.co.uk, the genealogy website. the rest image