Charles Dickens was born in 1812. Having spent the
first three years of his life in Portsmouth, Hampshire,
the family moved to London in 1815. His early years
seem to have been idyllic. He spent time outdoors, but
also read voraciously, especially the icaresque novels
of Tobias Smollett and Henry Fielding.
The Wikipedia entry for Charles Dickens
He spoke, later in life, of his poignant memories of
childhood, and of his near-photographic memory of the
people and events, which he used in his writing. His
father's brief period as a clerk in the Navy Pay Office
afforded Charles a few years of private education at
William Giles's School, in Chatham.