Cornhill is one of the traditional cities of London. It was part of the city’s “main major east-west thoroughfare that divided the northern half of London from the southern half” (Jenstad). It is believed that Scrooge’s fictional creditor business was in this part of London. Dicken’s hints at this when Bob Cratchit was finally allowed to finish work and he slid up and down Cornhill 20 times in honor of it being Christmas Eve in one of the versions of A Christmas Carol.” Dicken’s is believed to have been basing Ebenezer Scrooge from a man in Cornhill named John Elwes. He was born into a wealthy family and inherited a fortune during his childhood. “Elwes refused to spend a single penny of his wealth and became notorious for the state of abject poverty in which he languished. His clothes were so ragged he’d often be mistaken for a beggar” (Lordan). Elwes also went to bed as soon as he got home to avoid the need for candles. We can see this in the novel by Ebenezer Scrooge being too tight to give to charity, give Mr. Cratchit a raise, or keeping his heat off. Though not as extreme, Scrooge was not going to have special food on Christmas and Elwes thought nothing of eating rotten food or roadkill from the street. Dicken’s also mentions a church that can be seen from Scrooge’s counting house. This could be the St. Michael’s Cornhill Church that is located right across from Newman’s court where the counting house could have been. This can help the audience to understand the novel by setting the scene of the bustle of the city encapsulated in a small business right in the center of it.

Jenstad, Janelle. “Cornhill.” MoEML, The Map of Early Modern London, 1 Jan. 1970, https://mapoflondon.uvic.ca/CORN2.htm. 

Jones, Richard. “Newman's Court - Cornhill.” Newman's Court, Cornhill - Scrooge's Counting House., https://www.london-walking-tours.co.uk/secret-london/newmans-court.htm.

Lordan, Robert. “A Christmas Carol: 10 Locations from Scrooge's London.” Robslondon.com, 22 Dec. 2020, https://robslondon.com/charles-dickens-1843-classic-a-christmas-carol-fe....