Darlington musicians draw inspiration from Charles Dickens' lesser known brother

Once the famed writer’s favoured sibling, Frederick Dickens died a poverty-stricken alcoholic after living alone and penniless in Darlington.

Believed to be the inspiration for Little Nell’s dissolute brother in Dickens’ classic The Old Curiosity Shop, Frederick lived a life marred by debt and alcoholism and became estranged from his family in later life.

When he died aged 48, Charles Dickens helped to pay the cost of his funeral but did not attend, sending his son in his place.

Frederick Dickens’ modest grave lies almost forgotten in the town’s West Cemetery, belying nothing of his poignant connection to one of Britain’s best-loved authors.

The unsung story of the lesser-known Dickens has proved inspiration to Darlington musicians David Saunders and Rob Irish.

In a bid to shine a light on one of Darlington’s most intriguing historical figures, the pair now perform as The Black Sheep Frederick Dickens.

Using Dickens’ tragic life as inspiration, the musicians have created a project that combines sounds from around Darlington with vocals to “conceptualise the life and legacy of Charles Dickens’ wastrel brother.”

The act is currently attracting attention across the region, having hit the airwaves on several radio stations and been reviewed by a number of critics.

Mr Saunders said: “When I first found Frederick Dickens’ grave, it was overgrown and covered with beer bottles on it.

“For someone who was related to Charles Dickens, one of the most famous authors in history, to be forgotten and abandoned is a tragedy.

“We’re using his story to relate to what we go through today and taking a tragic story filled with darkness and despair, using it as a metaphor for the modern day.”

The Black Sheep Frederick Dickens will release their self-titled EP on vinyl this Saturday, November 5.

It will be launched at Sound it Out Records in Stockton, where the act will perform in-store from 4pm.

The Dickensian duo will perform a number a gigs around the region in support of the release.

• For more information, search for The Black Sheep Frederick Dickens on Facebook or listen to the band by searching tbs-frederick-dickens on soundcloud.com.