I am the Principal Editor of the Dickens Letters Project. I met Nick in 2014, while he was working on his authoritative listing of Dickens's servants. He was the descendant of one of them: John Thompson. Nick and I had lunch at the Princess Louise in London, and we kept in touch over the last few years, about various matters connected with the servants. Nick kindly shared with me his wonderful spreadsheet, listing all the Dickens servants and their vital details. I had the occasion yesterday (7 March 2021) to refer an academic colleague to Nick's work, and asked him to get in touch with Nick. I was shocked when my colleague replied to me, to say that Nick had passed away. Nick's work was so important in uncovering a hitherto unresearched aspect of Dickens's life. Servants were so central to the running of any Victorian household, and they were the guardians of many secrets. I am so sorry for the family: what a terrible loss! He was a kind and generous man, and I will certainly be acknowledging his meticulous research whenever I have occasion to use it. All best wishes from Leon Litvack dickensletters.com