Charles Dickens was born in Landport, Hampshire in 1812, but by the age of four or five he and his family had moved to Chatham, Kent where Dickens spent the formative years of his childhood. Kent is a county in South East England that borders Greater London to the northwest, and also shares a border with Essex along an estuary of the River Thames. Within the county of Kent, the District of Dover and the City of Canterbury can be found, two important locations within Dickens’ own David Copperfield. David, upon leaving his forced occupation in London, walks all the way to Dover, where his Aunt Betsey Trotwood is said to live. As we know from reading the novel he’s accepted by his Aunt and is cared for by her. When she sets him up to be schooled it is in Canterbury that his education is seen to and where he makes the acquaintance of Mr. and Agnes Wickfield.

            Dover as a district is probably most famous for being the location of The White Cliffs of Dover, one of the most iconic and distinct English landmarks. Because of its position, where one can see France from the cliffs, Dover throughout history has been an area of military engagement. Julius Caesar tried to land in Dover during the Roman Invasion of 55 BC, and beyond that Dover was the prime objective of invasion plans of everyone from Napoleon to Hitler. Dover was a place of particular interest for the royalty of the Tudor and Stuart dynasties, with both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I recognizing the potential value of the harbor. Henry put a lot of money into the development of Dover, building castles and defenses, but the harbor didn’t truly become valuable in the way many thought it would become until the 19^th century. Between the invention and implementation of railways and trams and the massive rebuilding of the harbor (in 1793 war with France confirmed to the English government the true importance and strategic value of the Dover Harbor and thus massive plans to improve the harbor were submitted by the military engineer Thomas Hyde Page, and improvements began) Dover became an incredibly lucrative and fast growing town. Between 1801 and 1901 the population of Dover increased by six hundred percent.

            Canterbury is, similarly, home to important landmarks of England and the site of major historical moments. The Canterbury Cathedral is the primary ecclesiastical center of England since the seventh century. The town grew in importance in 1170 when the Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered within the church. Becket was made Archbishop in 1162 and found himself in conflict with King Henry II over the rights and privileges of the church. Tensions came to a head when three lower ranking Bishops confirmed Henry the Young, the heir apparent to the throne, which was a breach of power and Becket excommunicated all three Bishops, angering King Henry. The King’s words on the matter are unclear, but what’s been passed down through the oral tradition is that Henry said, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” At the King’s behest Becket was then assassinated within the Cathedral. Becket because of this was seen as a Christian martyr and was canonized as a Saint by Pope Alexander III. Henry II’s penance was held in the Canterbury Cathedral in 1174. Another event that brought importance to Canterbury was the town offering its name up to Geoffery Chaucer, who famous wrote The Canterbury Tales. The town, somewhat recently, suffered during World War 2 when it was bombed during the air raids. To this day, like Dover, it remains a spot that attracts many tourists, mainly for the Cathedral.

Pictures:

An Illustration of 19th Century Dover: https://doverhistorian.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/th-folkestone-mid-19t...

The Canterbury Cathedral: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canterbury_Cathedral_Gate.JPG 

Shakespeare Beach railway viaduct and Shakespeare Cliff by J Shury 23.02.1844: https://doverhistorian.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/th-shakespeare-beach-...

Sources:

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Canterbury/

https://www.britannica.com/place/Canterbury-England

https://www.dovermuseum.co.uk/Dover-History/19th-Century-Dover/Dover-Har...

https://www.dovermuseum.co.uk/Dover-History/19th-Century-Dover/19th-Cent...