good part ofhis fortune in the collapse oftwo Indian banks Forced to consider a profession to support himself,he turned first to art,which he studied in Paris,but did not pursue it except in later years as the illustrator ofsome ofhis own novels and other writings. His health worsened duringthe 1850s and he was plagued by a 10 recurring stricture ofthe urethra that laid him up for days at a time.He also felt he had lost much ofhis creative impetus.He worsened matters by over-eatingand drinking and avoiding exercise,though he enjoyed horseback riding(he kept a horse). He could not break his addictionto spicy peppers,further ruininghis digestion.On23 December 1863,after returning from dining out and before dressing for bed,Thackeray suffered a strokeand was found dead on his bed in the morning.His death at the age of fifty-two was entirely unexpected,and shocked his family,friends,and reading public.An estimated 7000people attended his funeral at Kensington Gardens.He was buried on 29 December at Kensal Green Cemetery,and a memorial bust sculpted by Marochetti can be found in Westminster Abbeygood part of his fortune in the collapse of two Indian banks. Forced to consider a profession to support himself, he turned first to art, which he studied in Paris, but did not pursue it except in later years as the illustrator of some of his own novels and other writings. His health worsened during the 1850s and he was plagued by a recurring stricture of the urethra that laid him up for days at a time. He also felt he had lost much of his creative impetus. He worsened matters by over-eating and drinking and avoiding exercise, though he enjoyed horseback riding (he kept a horse). He could not break his addiction to spicy peppers, further ruining his digestion. On 23 December 1863, after returning from dining out and before dressing for bed, Thackeray suffered a stroke and was found dead on his bed in the morning. His death at the age of fifty-two was entirely unexpected, and shocked his family, friends, and reading public. An estimated 7000 people attended his funeral at Kensington Gardens. He was buried on 29 December at Kensal Green Cemetery, and a memorial bust sculpted by Marochetti can be found in Westminster Abbey. 10’