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December 24, 2008

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The tune was used by Frank Bridge in 1922 as the basis of a work for strings titled Sir Roger de Coverly(A Christmas Dance). H. E. Bates used the name Sir Roger to refer to a real hunted fox in the novel Love for Lydia.

Who's the author of this page? I would like to cite this article for a project I am doing.
Thanks!

Caris: Susan de Guardiola (me).

Ok thank you so much!!!

Chronology of Scrooge in Christmas Carol: he must have been about 60 in 1843, which would be seen as elderly at that period.
Evidence: description of him in Stave I as 'old sinner', with 'old features' including white hair.
More specifically, working back from other clues, I propose that the action of the novel is about 1840, deduced as follows:
Scrooge born in 1783 if not earlier.
1804, after coming of age at 21, is the youngest he could have entered into partnership with Marley. (I believe 25 was in fact minimum age for this -- haven't found source yet.)
1813, 'in the prime of life' (Stave II), which I take to be about age 30, he is courting Belle. This fits if she is in her early twenties, marries a year or two after spurning Scrooge, and has a daughter. The daughter is described in Scrooge's vision, about 1833 (when Marley dies), as 'so like [her mother was]' and 'a springtime in the haggard winter of his life' -- so around 17.
Haven't spotted any more clues to Scrooge's dates, except that the probable ages of his late sister and her son Fred tally with my chronology.
Scrooge twice speaks of 'old Jacob', suggesting his partner is considerably the elder -- hence the 18thC pigtail and coat.
If Scrooge was born by 1783 then his apprenticeship could have been roughly 1799-1804, though I suggest earlier -- how could he go from apprentice at 21 straight into a financial partnership? If partnership at 25+ is correct, he must have been born by 1779, or earlier; his apprenticeship would be approx 1795-1800, and he'd have 4-5 years' experience before Marley took him on. I don't think he'd be much older, since this birth date makes him about 35 while courting Belle, and over 60 by the time of the novel.
If Fezziwig's Ball was between 1795 and 1804, does the Sir Roger de C fit? I am sure the illustration does, as artist John Leech worked closely with Dickens. Dickens himself, though occasionally flexible (e.g. making Scrooge misquote Carlyle), is generally careful with chronology including events before he was born.
Hope this long comment isn't tedious. Thank you for sharing your research and insight so generously on this website.

PS Reading over the figures above (not dance figures -- I mean dates!) I think the apprenticeship would more likely be from 1792 earliest to 1802 latest. Apprentices started at about 13, not 16. Sorry.

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