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Kensal Green Cemetery. Charles Dickens. John Forster. Tightrope Walker Blondin.
THE TOUR OF KENSAL GREEN CEMETERY CONTINUES TO THE GRAVE OF CHARLES DICKENS GREAT FRIEND, JOHN FORSTER. DIRECTIONS
Continue along the grass track and go left when it intersects with the loose-stone pathway. Just before it changes to asphalt and climbs towards the Anglican Chapel, go right down the grass path where the third grave on the left is that of:-
 JOHN FORSTER (1812-1876). Born in Newcastle in 1812, Forster first trained as a lawyer, before in 1833 he began writing articles for The Examiner. He became friendly with Dickens, whom he first met in 1836, as after 1837 proofread the manuscripts of virtually everything that Dickens produced. Dickens modelled the character of Mr Podsnap on the personality of John Forster, whose personality could most certainly be pompous, snobbish, rude, loud and overbearing. He was, however, a loyal friend to Dickens and following the authors death, in 1870, it was Forster who became his primary biographer with his masterful tome The Life of Charles Dickens.
Backtrack and go right towards the Anglican Chapel beneath which, in the catacombs that can only be visited on the first Sunday of each month, lie the remains of the great 19th century actor manager William Mac ready (1793 -1873), and surgeon, medical reformer and founder of The Lancet Thomas Wakley (1795-1862). Just before the chapel - just before the men’s toilet - go left and walk past the cloisters.
Go down the steps, and turn left. On the right you will find the grave of George Charles Todd Nailer. Just behind it, the inscription virtually obscured by the drooping branches of a large tree, is the grey, granite headstone of
ALFRED WIGAN (1814-78)
In August 1857 Charles Dickens was causing a sensation on the London stage with his performance as Captain Richard Wardour in Wilkie Collins’s play The Frozen Deep. The production was about to transfer to Manchester’s Free Trade Hall, and Dickens was worried that his daughters and sister-in-law, Georgina, who had been playing the female roles on the smaller London stages, would be unable to cope in the larger arena. Thus he approached actor and playwright, Alfred Wigan, and asked if he would suggest suitable actresses. Wigan introduced him to the actress Mrs Ellen Ternan, the matriarch of a veritable acting dynasty that included her daughters Fanny, Maria and Ellen. Dickens became smitten with the youngest daughter, Ellen, and it was meeting her that led to the breakdown of marriage. It is highly likely that the two became lovers and she remained his close confidante until his death in 1870.
 DIRECTIONS 
Go back to the main path and turn left (the cloisters and chapel will be to your right). Turn left along West Centre Avenue to alive on the left at the red, granite, monument to Blondin.. Blondin’s real name was Jean François Gravelet (1824-97), he took the name Blondin from the owner of the circus in which he first worked. Blondin was probably the best known tight rope walker of all time. He especially owed his celebrity and fortune to his idea of crossing Niagara Falls on a tight-rope, 1100 ft. long, 160 ft. above the water. This he accomplished, first in 1859, a number of times, always with different theatrical variations: blindfold, in a sack, trundling a wheelbarrow, on stilts, carrying a man on his back, or even sitting down midway to make and eat an omelette!
Blondin first appeared in England in 1862 at the Crystal Palace, where he walked across a tightrope 180 feet above a concrete floor, whilst pushing a wheelbarrow in which sat his five year old daughter, who scattered rose petals over the crowd below,. The press and audience were aghast at such obvious danger to a child and the Home Secretary intervened to stop him repeating the performance. Blondin altered his act to cook an omelette, turn somersaults and stilt walk across the rope instead.
Blondin continued to amaze audiences until he was in his 70’s, later developing a cycling act on the tightrope! He died at his home at Northfields, in nearby Ealing in 1897, at the age of 75.
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