The Pickwick Papers was completed in 1837, and a dinner was given to celebrate the event, at which Dickens himself presided and his friend, Serjeant T. N. Talfourd, to whom the book was dedicated, acted as vice-chairman.  Ainsworth, Forster, Lover, Macready, Jerdan and other close friends were invited, and the dinner took place at The Prince of Wales Coffee House and Hotel in Leicester Place, Leicester Square.

It is very curious that no extended account of this historic event exists.  Forster, in his biography of the novelist, beyond saying that “everybody in hearty good-humour with every other body,” and that “our friend Ainsworth was of the company,” is otherwise silent over the event.  There is certainly a reference to the dinner in a letter from Dickens to Macready, dated from “48 Doughty Street, Wednesday Evening,” with no date to it, in which he says: 

“There is a semi-business, semi-pleasure little dinner which I intend to give at the ‘Prince of Wales,’ in Leicester Place, Leicester Square, on Saturday, at five for half-past precisely, at which Talfourd, Forster, Ainsworth, Jerdan, and the publishers will be present.  It is to celebrate (that is too great a word, but I can think of no better) the conclusion of my Pickwick labours; and so I intend, before you take that roll upon the grass you spoke of, to beg your acceptance of one of the first complete copies of the work.  I shall be much delighted if you will join us.”

[illustration:  The Prince of Wales Hotel, where the Pickwick dinner was held.  Drawn by Arch.  Webb]

We have seen a similarly worded letter written to Samuel Lover, and no doubt each guest received such an invitation from the novelist.

The only real account of the function is contained in a letter from Ainsworth to his friend, James Crossley, which is as follows: 

“On Saturday last we celebrated the completion of The Pickwick Papers.  We had a capital dinner, with capital wine and capital speeches.  Dickens, of course, was in the chair.  Talfourd was the Vice, and an excellent Vice he made. . . .  Just before he was about to propose the toast of the evening the headwaiter—­for it was at a tavern that the carouse took place—­entered, and placed a glittering temple of confectionery on the table, beneath the canopy of which stood a little figure of the illustrious Mr. Pickwick.  This was the work of the landlord.  As you may suppose, it was received with great applause.  Dickens made a feeling speech in reply to the Serjeant’s eulogy. . . .  Just before dinner Dickens received a cheque for L750 from his publishers.”

Although this hotel cannot rightly be termed a Pickwick inn in the same sense that the others in this book can, it certainly has a claim to honourable mention.

In 1823 the building in which this notable historic dinner took place was known as The Prince of Wales Coffee House and Hotel.  When it ceased to be an hotel we are unable to state, but in 1890 it was a French Hospital and Dispensary, ten years later it was let out as offices, and in 1913 it was a foreign club; but the building is practically the same as it was in 1837.