Master Humphrey's Clock was a weekly periodical edited and written entirely by Charles Dickens and published from 4 April 1840 to 4 December 1841. He was a social activist who wrote plays and novels during the Victorian period. His best known novels include Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and others. . Master Humphrey's Clock was a weekly periodical edited and written entirely by Charles Dickens from April 4, 1840-December 4, 1841. It began with a frame story in which Master Humphrey tells about himself and his small circle of friends. Master Humphrey was a lonely man who lived in London.