Charles Dickens' Secret Lovechild

For nearly a century, the relationship between Charles Dickens and Ellen Ternan has been viewed through the lens of scandal, defined by rumours of a hidden love affair.

Brian Ruck was born and raised in rural East Kent and attended Faversham Grammar School through the 1950s. At school, he abandoned classical literature studies to concentrate on science subjects, and went on to a very successful career in virological research, both in England and in Australia. In retirement at the turn of the 21st century, he returned to the abandoned classical studies but in so doing, approached it more from the perspective of his scientific research experience, always seeking real evidence rather than anecdote and hearsay. His research training had taught him to always look for, and investigate, any alternative explanations that could account for what was observed, and he quite naturally applied those principles to his studies of the relationship between Dickens and Ellen. He lives in Melbourne, Australia, and has served several terms as President of the Melbourne Branch of the Charles Dickens Fellowship.