AncientFaces Your browser does not support JavaScript!
Please enable JavaScript to view the entire contents of this page.

Monica Dickens 1915 - 1992

Monica Enid (Dickens) of Brightwalton, Berkshire County, England United Kingdom was born on May 10, 1915, and died at age 77 years old on December 25, 1992 at Brightwalton, Berkshire, U.K. Brightwalton, Berkshire, U.K., in Brightwalton, Berkshire, U.K..

Monica Enid (Dickens)

Monica Stratton (Dickens), Monica Stratton

Brightwalton, Berkshire County, England RG20 7BP, United Kingdom

May 10, 1915

England, United Kingdom

December 25, 1992

Brightwalton, Berkshire, U.K. Brightwalton, Berkshire, U.K., in Brightwalton, Berkshire, U.K., England, United Kingdom

Female

Looking for another Monica Dickens?

Monica (Dickens) Monica (1915 - 1992)

ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM

This page exists for YOU
and everyone who remembers Monica.

Share what you know,
even ask what you wish you knew.

Invite others to do the same,
but don't worry if you can't...

Someone, somewhere will find this page,
and we'll notify you when they do.

Monica Enid (Dickens)'s History: 1915 - 1992

Uncover new discoveries and connections today by sharing about people & moments from yesterday.

- Discover how AncientFaces works.

Introduction

Obituary: Monica Dickens CHARLES PICK Thursday 31 December 1992 Monica Enid Dickens, writer, born 10 May 1915, founder of the Samaritans in the US 1974, MBE 1981, married Roy Stratton died 1985; two adopted daughters Pamela Dickens-Swift and Prudence Stratton), died Reading, U.K. 25 December 1992. Monica Dickens was one of the two or three best-selling woman's novelists of her generation. A great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, she was the daughter of Henry Dickens, barrister-at-law, and Fanny Runge. She was educated at St Paul's Girls' School, but was expelled after throwing her school uniform over Hammersmith Bridge. She joined a drama school before being presented at Court in 1935. With no career training, she took jobs as cook-general in a variety of houses. Then at a chance meeting with a young publisher in 1937 she was encouraged to write a book about her experiences below stairs. Within six weeks she completed her first book, One Pair of Hands, which has never been out of print since publication in 1939. Compton Mackenzie recognised her talent and wrote a foreword, and the book was widely reviewed - Malcolm Muggeridge among others praised it highly. Read Ebooks? Here's The Worst Kept Secret Among Book Lovers Her first novel, Mariana, followed in 1940, and then in 1942, after she had taken up hospital nursing as her war work, One Pair of Feet, based on her experiences at the hospital in Windsor. Before this was published, Dickens moved to a factory as a fitter making spare parts for Spitfires. Her novels The Fancy (1943) and Thursday Afternoons (1945) increased her reputation. Praise came with every book: JB Priestley wrote 'Monica Dickens gets better and better', Rebecca West said 'It is life itself that is caught up in the pages of her books' and later, in a long article on her works, AS Byatt argued that she was much underestimated. John Betjeman declared that she was a novelist 'who has all the airs and graces a reader could wish for'. Monica Dickens's novels appeared regularly and included The Happy Prisoner (1946: a Book Society Choice), Joy and Josephine (1948) and Flowers on the Grass (1949). In 1951 she married Commander Roy Stratton, US Navy, and went to live in Washington, before settling in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, until Roy's death in 1985. Monica created a wonderful family life with two adopted daughters, Prudence and Pamela. Her house always seemed to be full of guests. She was very close to her parents and her sister, Doady, and they all came to stay regularly. For 20 years Monica Dickens wrote a weekly column in Woman's Own and this brought her in touch with a large readership. Her articles were noted for their originality and her common-sense approach earned the respect of her readers. She read widely and during the 1940s she regularly reviewed fiction for the Sunday Chronicle. She loved the ballet and was friends with many dancers. Her books continued with My Turn To Make the Tea (1951), based on her experiences as a junior reporter on a local newspaper, No More Meadows (1953), The Winds of Heaven (1955), The Angel in the Corner (1956), Man Overboard (1958), The Heart of London (1961), Cobbler's Dream (1963; bought by Yorkshire Television, resulting in a 30-part serial, Follyfoot), Kate and Emma (1964) - arguably her most accomplished novel - and The Room Upstairs (1966). Her popular success was explained not so much by her skills as a story-teller as by her ability to sketch characters that were convincing and immediately recognisable to the reader, and showed her humour and deep understanding of human behaviour. Monica Dickens felt the challenge to write for children. This interest resulted in The House at World's End, Summer at World's End, World's End in Winter and Spring Comes to World's End (1970-73). She also wrote three novels based on the Follyfoot films, all of then immensely successful. In 1978 her autobiography, An Open Book, was published. Other works were Last Year When I Was Young (1974) and four more books for children - The Messenger (1985), The Ballad of Favour (1985), Miracles of Courage (1985) and The Haunting of Bellamy 4 (1986). Her last novels were Dear Doctor Lily (1988), Enchantment (1989), Closed at Dusk (1990) and Scarred (1991). Her final novel, One of the Family, will be published next spring. Her humour and her keen sense of observation, together with her understanding of other people's problems, led her eventually to become a Samaritan. She had a close friendship with an admiration for the Samaritans' founder, Dr Chad Varah. Her commitment to them led her to open a branch in Boston in 1974 and after considerable local opposition she persisted to make the Samaritans a thriving organisation throughout the United States. Her novel The Listeners (1970) was based on her knowledge of the Samaritans. Monica Dickens loved riding and she kept horses until she came back to a small cottage in Berkshire, but she always had cats and dogs around her. Her many acts of loyalty and kindness will remain unrecorded, but there are many who were helped by Monica through difficult times of their lives.
05/10

1915

Birthday

May 10, 1915

Birthdate

England United Kingdom

Birthplace

ADVERTISEMENT BY
Ethnicity & Family History

English
Nationality & Locations

ENGLISH and Amjerican. Selected works: One Pair of Hands, 1939 Mariana, 1940 One Pair Of Feet, 1942 - film: The Lamp Still Burns, 1943, prod. by Two Cities Films, dir. Maurice Elvey, starring Rosamund John, Stewart Granger, Godfrey Tearle, Sophie Stewart The Fancy, 1943 Thursday Afternoons, 1945 The Happy Prisoner, 1946 - Onnellinen vanki (suom. Kyllikki Hämäläinen, 1959) Yours Sincerely, 1947 (with Beverley Nichols; selection from articles published in “Woman's Own) Joy and Josephine, 1948 Flowers on the Grass, 1948 (story, with Martin Lane, Arthur Reid) - film prod. Highbury Productions, Production Facilities, dir. by Douglas Peirce, starring David Tomlinson, Andrew Crawford, Peggy Evans Flowers on the Grass, 1949 My Turn To Make The Tea, 1951 Life in Her Hands, 1951 (script, with Anthony Stevens) - film prod. by Crown Film Unit, dir. by Philip Leacock, starring Kathleen Byron, Bernadette O'Farrell, Jacqueline Charles No More Meadows, 1953 The Winds of Heaven, 1955 The Angel in the Corner, 1956 Man Overboard, 1958 The Heart of London, 1961 - Lontoon sydän (suom. Erkki Haglund, 1962) Cobbler's Dream, 1961 Kate and Emma, 1965 The Room Upstairs, 1966 - Yläkerran huone (suom. Helvi Vasara, 1967) The Landlord's Daughter, 1968 The House at World's End, 1970 - Meidän joukon majatalo (suom. Pirkko Talvio-Jaatinen, 1972) The Listeners, 1970 (US title: The End of the Line, 1970) - Kuuntelijat (suom. Anja Haglund, 1971) Follyfoot, 1971 - Hevoshoitola Varsajalka (suom. Maini Palosuo, 1972) - Follyfoot: TV series 1971-73, prod. by Yorkshire Television (YTV), starring Gillian Blake, Steve Hodson, Arthur English, Christian Rodska, Desmond Llewelyn Summer at World's End, 1971 - Meidän joukon kesä (suom. Pirkko Talvio-Jaatinen, 1973) World's End in Winter, 1972 - Meidän joukon talvi (suom. Pirkko Talvio-Jaatinen, 1975) Dora at Follyfoot, 1972 - Varsanjalan Dora (suom. Maini Palosuo, 1973) Follyfoot Farm, 1973 (containing Follyfoot and Dora at Follyfoot) Talking of Horses, 1973 Spring Comes to World's End, 1973 Last Year When I Was Young, 1974 The Horses of Follyfoot, 1975 - Varsanjalan hevoset (suom. Pirkko Talvio, 1976) Stranger at Follyfoot, 1976 - Varsanjalka vaarassa (suom. Pirkko Talvio-Jaatinen, 1978) An Open Book, 1978 A Celebration, 1984 The Ballad of Favour, 1985 The Messenger, 1985 A View From The Seesaw, 1986 Cry of a Seagull, 1986 The Haunting of Bellamy 4, 1986 Dear Doctor Lily, 1988 Enchantment, 1989 Closed at Dusk, 1990 Scarred, 1991 One of the Family, 1993 Befriending: The American Samaritans, 1996 (edited by Carlton Jackson)
Early Life & Education

She was expelled from school for tossing her uniform into a river!
Religious Beliefs

Church of England
Military Service

During World War II Monica Dickens worked in an aircraft factory repairing Spitfire fighters. One Pair of Feet (1942) was an account of her learning to be a hospital nurse during the war. The book concludes with Dickens's announcement that she will leave nursing to go and make tanks. The Happy Prisoner (1946), which was made into a play by John McNair, dealt with the relationship between a nurse, Elizabeth, and Oliver, a former officer who lost his leg in Arnheim in a battle and has a serious heart trouble. Oliver lives with his mother. Other members of the family include his sisters Violet and Heather with her son David. From the small details of their everyday life Dickens draws an optimistic picture of post-war England. Her experiences as a reporter on a local newspaper were recorded in the novel My Turn to Make the Tea (1951).
Professional Career

Writer and Author and Radio Personality.
Personal Life & Family

NewsPeople Obituary: Monica Dickens Charles Pick Thursday 31 December 1992 00:02 Monica Enid Dickens, writer, born 10 May 1915, founder of the Samaritans in the US 1974, MBE 1981, married Roy Stratton (died 1985; two adopted daughters), died Reading 25 December 1992. Monica Dickens was one of the two or three best-selling woman's novelists of her generation. A great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, she was the daughter of Henry Dickens, barrister-at-law, and Fanny Runge. She was educated at St Paul's Girls' School, but was expelled after throwing her school uniform over Hammersmith Bridge. She joined a drama school before being presented at Court in 1935. With no career training, she took jobs as cook-general in a variety of houses. Then at a chance meeting with a young publisher in 1937 she was encouraged to write a book about her experiences below stairs. Within six weeks she completed her first book, One Pair of Hands, which has never been out of print since publication in 1939. Compton Mackenzie recognised her talent and wrote a foreword, and the book was widely reviewed - Malcolm Muggeridge among others praised it highly. Her first novel, Mariana, followed in 1940, and then in 1942, after she had taken up hospital nursing as her war work, One Pair of Feet, based on her experiences at the hospital in Windsor. Before this was published, Dickens moved to a factory as a fitter making spare parts for Spitfires. Her novels The Fancy (1943) and Thursday Afternoons (1945) increased her reputation. Praise came with every book: JB Priestley wrote 'Monica Dickens gets better and better', Rebecca West said 'It is life itself that is caught up in the pages of her books' and later, in a long article on her works, AS Byatt argued that she was much underestimated. John Betjeman declared that she was a novelist 'who has all the airs and graces a reader could wish for'. Monica Dickens's novels appeared regularly and included The Happy Prisoner (1946: a Book Society Choice), Joy and Josephine (1948) and Flowers on the Grass (1949). In 1951 she married Commander Roy Stratton, US Navy, and went to live in Washington, before settling in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, until Roy's death in 1985. Monica created a wonderful family life with two adopted daughters, Prudence and Pamela. Her house always seemed to be full of guests. She was very close to her parents and her sister, Doady, and they all came to stay regularly. For 20 years Monica Dickens wrote a weekly column in Woman's Own and this brought her in touch with a large readership. Her articles were noted for their originality and her common-sense approach earned the respect of her readers. She read widely and during the 1940s she regularly reviewed fiction for the Sunday Chronicle. She loved the ballet and was friends with many dancers. Her books continued with My Turn To Make the Tea (1951), based on her experiences as a junior reporter on a local newspaper, No More Meadows (1953), The Winds of Heaven (1955), The Angel in the Corner (1956), Man Overboard (1958), The Heart of London (1961), Cobbler's Dream (1963; bought by Yorkshire Television, resulting in a 30-part serial, Follyfoot), Kate and Emma (1964) - arguably her most accomplished novel - and The Room Upstairs (1966). Her popular success was explained not so much by her skills as a story-teller as by her ability to sketch characters that were convincing and immediately recognisable to the reader, and showed her humour and deep understanding of human behaviour. Monica Dickens felt the challenge to write for children. This interest resulted in The House at World's End, Summer at World's End, World's End in Winter and Spring Comes to World's End (1970-73). She also wrote three novels based on the Follyfoot films, all of then immensely successful. In 1978 her autobiography, An Open Book, was published. Other works were Last Year When I Was Young (1974) and four more books for children - The Messenger (1985), The Ballad of Favour (1985), Miracles of Courage (1985) and The Haunting of Bellamy 4 (1986). Her last novels were Dear Doctor Lily (1988), Enchantment (1989), Closed at Dusk (1990) and Scarred (1991). Her final novel, One of the Family, will be published next spring. Her humour and her keen sense of observation, together with her understanding of other people's problems, led her eventually to become a Samaritan. She had a close friendship with an admiration for the Samaritans' founder, Dr Chad Varah. Her commitment to them led her to open a branch in Boston in 1974 and after considerable local opposition she persisted to make the Samaritans a thriving organisation throughout the United States. Her novel The Listeners (1970) was based on her knowledge of the Samaritans. Monica Dickens loved riding and she kept horses until she came back to a small cottage in Berkshire, but she always had cats and dogs around her. Her many acts of loyalty and kindness will remain unrecorded, but there are many who were helped by Monica through difficult times of their lives.
12/25

1992

Death

December 25, 1992

Death date

Cancer

Cause of death

Brightwalton, Berkshire, U.K. Brightwalton, Berkshire, U.K., in Brightwalton, Berkshire, U.K., England United Kingdom
Death location

ADVERTISEMENT BY
Obituary

Monica Dickens, Prolific Author And Social Worker, Is Dead at 77 By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DEC. 27, 1992 New York Times Monica Dickens, the author of more than 50 books and an organizer of a counseling group for depressed people, died on Friday at a hospital in Reading, England. She was 77. Clare Harrington, a spokeswoman for Miss Dickens's publisher, Viking, said the author, who was a great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, had had cancer and had entered the hospital in Reading, 36 miles west of London, for an operation. Further details on the cause of death were not immediately available. Miss Dickens lived in the United States for 35 years and opened the first American branch of The Samaritans, a worldwide volunteer organization that counsels the depressed and suicidal. She was born in London on May 10, 1915. Her father, Henry Charles Dickens, was a barrister and alderman, and her mother wanted her to enter society although she had been expelled from a private girls' school in London because she wouldn't wear the school uniform. The Debutante Char Although Miss Dickens was presented as a debutante at the court of George V, she rebelled against society and took a series of domestic jobs, working below stairs, which inspired her first book. She was later employed as a nurse and newspaper reporter. "I hated that life," Miss Dickens said in a 1977 interview about her coming out in London society in the middle of the Great Depression. "So I left home and moved into other people's basements as a char and a cook. I'd had a few cooking lessons in Paris, but mainly I learned as I went along." "It was an escape route for me," she said. Her two years as a live-in servant provided the material for her first book, "One Pair Of Hands," which was published in 1939. She later recounted that she met a publisher at a dance and after talking about her experiences as a domestic, he thought there might be a book in them. The publisher suggested, however, that her literary ancestry notwithstanding, Miss Dickens might have to find someone else do the actual writing. Miss Dickens said the publisher's suggestion presented her with an irresistible challenge. She wrote the book herself; it became a best seller and established her as a writer. In World War II, Miss Dickens worked in a hospital and related those experiences in her novel, "A Pair of Feet." In 1950, she married Roy Olin Stratton, a commander in the United States . Navy who wrote detective novels, and the couple moved to Cape Cod, where they lived until Mr. Stratton's death in 1985. Miss Dickens then returned to Britain and lived in a secluded cottage in Brightwalton, Berkshire, about 20 miles from Reading. In the late 1960's, Miss Dickens became involved in the Samaritans' 24-hour telephone service to people in need of a sympathetic listener. In a 1970 novel, "The End of the Line," a character named Billie makes daily telephone calls to a volunteer at such a center in England. In 1974, Miss Dickens opened the first United States branch of the Samaritans in Boston and later established a second center in Falmouth on Cape Cod. Miss Dickens continued to produce a book a year until her death. Her latest book, "One of The Family," is scheduled for publication in May. Miss Dickens is survived by two daughters Pamela and Prudence.

ADVERTISEMENT BY
Looking for more information?
share

Memories

below

Join one other
who remembers Monica

Select options below to share special moments.

Baptism Gravesite & Burial Add Memory Add Photo Ask others to share How this works

Share what you remember.
Ask what you wish to know.
Connect to discover more.
Advertisement
Did you know?

ADVERTISEMENT BY
Looking for more information?
share

Memories

below