Anne Brontë
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Anne Brontë (, commonly ; 17 January 1820 – 28 May 1849) was an English novelist and poet, and the youngest member of the Brontë literary family. Anne Brontë was the daughter of Maria (born Branwell) and
Patrick Brontë Patrick Brontë (, commonly ; born Patrick Brunty; 17 March 1777 – 7 June 1861) was an Irish Anglican priest and author who spent most of his adult life in England. He was the father of the writers Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, and of ...
, a poor Irish clergyman in the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
. Anne lived most of her life with her family at the parish of
Haworth Haworth () is a village in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, in the Pennines, south-west of Keighley, west of Bradford and east of Colne in Lancashire. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope. Nearby villages inc ...
on the Yorkshire moors. Otherwise, she attended a boarding school in
Mirfield Mirfield () is a town and civil parish in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury. At the 2011 census it had a population of 19,563. Mirfield ...
between 1836 and 1837, and between 1839 and 1845 lived elsewhere working as a governess. In 1846 she published a book of poems with her sisters and later two novels, initially under the pen name Acton Bell. Her first novel, ''
Agnes Grey ''Agnes Grey, A Novel'' is the debut novel of English author Anne Brontë (writing under the pen name of "Acton Bell"), first published in December 1847, and republished in a second edition in 1850. The novel follows Agnes Grey, a governess, as ...
'', was published in 1847 with ''
Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent re ...
''. Her second novel, '' The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'', was published in 1848. ''The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'' is thought to be one of the first feminist novels. Anne died at 29, most likely of
pulmonary tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
. After her death, her sister Charlotte edited ''Agnes Grey'' to fix issues with its first edition, but prevented republication of ''The Tenant of Wildfell Hall''. As a result, Anne is not as well known as her sisters. Nonetheless, both of her novels are considered classics of English literature.


Family background

Anne's father was
Patrick Brontë Patrick Brontë (, commonly ; born Patrick Brunty; 17 March 1777 – 7 June 1861) was an Irish Anglican priest and author who spent most of his adult life in England. He was the father of the writers Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, and of ...
(1777–1861). Patrick Brontë was born in a two-room cottage in Emdale, Loughbrickland, County Down, Ireland.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 4Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 3 He was the oldest of ten children born to Hugh Brunty and Eleanor McCrory, poor Irish peasant farmers.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 2 The family surname, ''mac Aedh Ó Proinntigh'', was Anglicised as Prunty or Brunty. Struggling against poverty, Patrick learned to read and write, and from 1798 taught others. In 1802, at 25, he won a place to study theology at
St. John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corporation established by a charter dated 9 April 1511. The ...
. Here he changed his name, Brunty, to the more distinguished sounding Brontë. In 1807, he was ordained in the priesthood in the Church of England.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 14 He served as a curate in Essex and then in Wellington, Shropshire. In 1810, he published his first poem, ''Winter Evening Thoughts'', in a local newspaper.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 41 In 1811, he published a collection of moral verse, ''Cottage Poems''.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 43 Also in 1811, he became vicar of St. Peter's Church in Hartshead, Yorkshire.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 36 In 1812, he was appointed an examiner in Classics at
Woodhouse Grove School Woodhouse Grove School ('The Grove') is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding public school and Sixth Form. it is located to the north of Apperley Bridge, West Yorkshire, England (Apperley Bridge is located in the City of Bradfor ...
, near Bradford. This was a
Wesleyan Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charle ...
academy where, at 35, he met his future wife, the headmaster's niece, Maria Branwell. Maria Branwell (1783–1821), Anne's mother, was the daughter of Anne Carne, the daughter of a silversmith, and Thomas Branwell, a successful and property-owning grocer and tea merchant in Penzance.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', pp. 12–13 Maria was the eleventh of twelve children and enjoyed the benefits of a prosperous family in a small town. After the death of her parents, Maria went to help her aunt with housekeeping functions at the school. Maria was intelligent and well read,Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 15 and her strong
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
faith attracted Patrick Brontë, whose own leanings were similar.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 48 Within three months, on 29 December 1812, though from considerably different backgrounds, Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell were married.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 16 Their first child, Maria (1814–1825), was born after they moved to Hartshead. In 1815, Patrick was appointed curate of the chapel in Market Street Thornton, near Bradford. A second daughter, Elizabeth (1815–1825), was born shortly after.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 61 Four more children followed: Charlotte (1816–1855), Patrick Branwell (1817–1848), Emily (1818–1848), and Anne (1820–1849).


Early life

Anne was the youngest of the Brontë children. She was born on 17 January 1820 on the outskirts of Bradford.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 86 Her father, Patrick, was curate there. Anne was baptised there on 25 March 1820. Later Patrick was appointed to the perpetual curacy in Haworth, a small town away. In April 1820 the family moved into the five-roomed Haworth Parsonage. When Anne was barely a year old her mother, Maria, became ill, probably with
uterine cancer Uterine cancer, also known as womb cancer, includes two types of cancer that develop from the tissues of the uterus. Endometrial cancer forms from the lining of the uterus, and uterine sarcoma forms from the muscles or support tissue of the ut ...
.Barker, ''The Brontës'', pp. 102–104 Maria Branwell died on 15 September 1821.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 28 Patrick tried to remarry, without success.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 30 Maria's sister, Elizabeth Branwell (1776–1842), had moved to the parsonage initially for Maria, but spent the rest of her life there raising Maria's children. She did it from a sense of duty. She was stern and expected respect, not love.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 29 There was little affection between her and the older children. According to tradition Anne was her favourite. In Elizabeth Gaskell's biography of Charlotte, Patrick remembered Anne as precocious. Patrick said that when Anne was four years old he had asked her what a child most wanted and that she had said: "age and experience".Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 31 In summer 1824 Patrick sent daughters Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Emily to Crofton Hall in
Crofton, West Yorkshire Crofton is a village in West Yorkshire, England, about south-east of Wakefield, some to the west of the town of Pontefract, and from the town of Featherstone. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 5,781. History Crofton ...
, and subsequently to the Clergy Daughter's School at
Cowan Bridge Cowan Bridge is a village in the English county of Lancashire. It is south-east of the town of Kirkby Lonsdale where the main A65 road crosses the Leck Beck. It forms part of the civil parish of Burrow-with-Burrow. Clergy Daughters' School C ...
in Lancashire.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 35 Maria and Elizabeth Brontë died of consumption on 6 May and 15 June 1825 respectively, and Charlotte and Emily were brought home. The unexpected deaths distressed the family so much that Patrick could not face sending them away again. They were educated at home for the next five years, largely by Elizabeth Branwell and Patrick.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', pp. 44–45 The children made little attempt to mix with others outside the parsonage and relied on each other for company. The bleak moors surrounding Haworth became their playground. Anne shared a room with her aunt, Elizabeth. They were close, and she may have influenced Anne's personality and religious beliefs.Gérin, ''Anne Brontë'', p. 35


Education

Anne's studies at home included music and drawing. The Keighley church organist gave piano lessons to Anne and Emily and Branwell, and John Bradley of Keighley gave them art lessons. Each drew with some skill.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 150 Their aunt tried to teach the girls how to run a household, but they inclined more to literature.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 45 They read much from their father's well-stocked library. Their reading included the Bible,
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
,
Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...
,
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
, Milton,
Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...
, Scott, articles from Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine and
Fraser's Magazine ''Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country'' was a general and literary journal published in London from 1830 to 1882, which initially took a strong Tory line in politics. It was founded by Hugh Fraser and William Maginn in 1830 and loosely directe ...
and The Edinburgh Review, and miscellaneous books of history and geography and biography.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', pp. 45–48 Their reading fed their imaginations, and their creativity soared after their father gave Branwell a set of toy soldiers in June 1826. They gave names to the soldiers, or the "Twelves", and developed their characters. This led to the creation of an imaginary world: the African kingdom of " Angria", which was illustrated with maps and watercolour renderings. The children devised plots about the inhabitants of Angria and its capital city, "Glass Town", later called Verreopolis or Verdopolis.Barker, ''The Brontës'', pp. 154–155 Their fantastical worlds and kingdoms gradually acquired characteristics from their historical world, drawing from its sovereigns, armies, heroes, outlaws, fugitives, inns, schools, and publishers. The characters and lands created by the children were given newspapers and magazines and chronicles written in tiny books with writing so small that it was difficult to read without a magnifying glass. These creations and writings were an apprenticeship for their later literary talents.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', pp. 48–58


Juvenilia

Around 1831, when Anne was eleven, she and Emily broke away from Charlotte and Branwell to create and develop their own fantasy world, " Gondal". Anne and Emily were particularly close, especially after Charlotte left for Roe Head School in January 1831.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', pp. 52–53 Charlotte's friend Ellen Nussey visited Haworth in 1833 and reported that Emily and Anne were "like twins" and "inseparable companions". She described Anne so: Anne took lessons from Charlotte after Charlotte had returned from Roe Head. Charlotte returned to Roe Head as a teacher on 29 July 1835, accompanied by Emily as a pupil. Emily's tuition was largely financed by Charlotte's teaching. Emily was unable to adapt to life at school and was physically ill from homesickness within a few months. She was withdrawn from school by October and replaced by Anne. Anne was 15 and it was her first time away from home. She made few friends at Roe Head. She was quiet and hardworking and determined to stay to acquire the education which she would need to support herself.Barker, ''The Brontës'', pp. 237–238Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 84 She stayed for two years and returned home only during Christmas and summer holidays. She won a good-conduct medal in December 1836. Charlotte's letters almost never mention Anne while Anne was at Roe Head, which might imply that they were not close, but Charlotte was at least concerned about Anne's health. By December 1837 Anne had become seriously ill with
gastritis Gastritis is inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It may occur as a short episode or may be of a long duration. There may be no symptoms but, when symptoms are present, the most common is upper abdominal pain (see dyspepsia). Other possi ...
and embroiled in religious crisis.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 113 A Moravian minister was called to see her several times during her illness, suggesting her distress was caused, in part, by conflict with the local Anglican clergy. Charlotte wrote to their father and he brought Anne home.


Employment at Blake Hall

A year after leaving the school, and aged 19, Anne was seeking a teaching position. She was the daughter of a poor clergyman and needed to earn money. Her father had no private income and the parsonage would revert to the church on his death. Teaching or working as a governess were among few options for a poor and educated woman. In April 1839 Anne started work as a governess for the Ingham family at Blake Hall, near
Mirfield Mirfield () is a town and civil parish in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury. At the 2011 census it had a population of 19,563. Mirfield ...
.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 307 The children in her charge were spoiled and disobedient.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 308 Anne had great difficulty controlling them and little success in educating them. She was not allowed to punish them, and when she complained about their behaviour she received no support and was criticised for being incapable. The Inghams were dissatisfied with their children's progress and dismissed Anne.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 318 She returned home in 1839 at Christmas. At home also were Charlotte and Emily, who had left their positions, and Branwell. Anne's time at Blake Hall was so traumatic that she reproduced it in almost perfect detail in her novel ''Agnes Grey''.


William Weightman

Anne returned to Haworth and met William Weightman (1814–1842), her father's new curate who had started work in the parish in August 1839.Alexander & Smith, '' The Oxford Companion to the Brontës'', p. 531 Weightman was 25 and had obtained a two-year licentiate in theology from the University of Durham. He was welcome at the parsonage. Anne's acquaintance with him parallels her writing a number of poems, which may suggest she fell in love with himBarker, ''The Brontës'', p. 341Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 407 although there is disagreement over this possibility.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 344 Little evidence exists beyond a small anecdote of Charlotte's to Ellen Nussey in January 1842. In ''Agnes Grey'' Agnes' interest in the curate refreshes her interest in poetry. Outside fiction William Weightman aroused much curiosity. It seems that he was good-looking and engaging, and that his easy humour and kindness towards the sisters made an impression. It is such a character that she portrays in Edward Weston, and that her heroine Agnes Grey finds deeply appealing.Gérin, ''Anne Brontë'', p. 138 Weightman died of cholera in the same year.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 403 Anne expressed her grief for his death in her poem ''I will not mourn thee, lovely one'', in which she called him "our darling".


Governess

From 1840 to 1845 Anne worked at Thorp Green Hall, a comfortable country house near
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
. Here she was governess to the children of the Reverend Edmund Robinson and his wife, Lydia.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 329 The house appeared as Horton Lodge in ''Agnes Grey''. Anne had four pupils: Lydia (15), Elizabeth (13), Mary (12), and Edmund (8).Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 330 She initially had problems similar to those at Blake Hall. Anne missed her home and family. In a diary paper in 1841 she wrote that she did not like her situation and wished to leave it. Her quiet and gentle disposition did not help.Gérin, ''Anne Brontë'', p. 135 But Anne was determined and made a success of her position, becoming well-liked by her employers. Her charges, the Robinson girls, became lifelong friends. Anne spent only five or six weeks a year with her family, during holidays at Christmas and in June. The rest of her time was spent with the Robinsons. She accompanied the Robinsons on annual holidays to Scarborough. Between 1840 and 1844 Anne spent around five weeks each summer at the coastal town and loved it.Barker, ''The Brontës'', pp. 358–359 A number of locations in Scarborough were used for her novels. She had opportunities to collect semi-precious stones, considering an interest in geology, at least in her novels, or from personal experience, as something suitable for men and women to be considered as equals. Anne and her sisters considered setting up a school while she was still working for the Robinsons. Various locations were considered, including the parsonage, but the project never materialised. Anne came home on the death of her aunt in early November 1842 while her sisters were in Brussels.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 404 Elizabeth Branwell left a £350 legacy (equivalent to £ in ) for each of her nieces.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 409 It was at the Long Plantation at Thorp Green in 1842 that Anne wrote her three-verse poem ''Lines Composed in a Wood on a Windy Day'', which was published in 1846 under the name Acton Bell. In January 1843 Anne returned to Thorp Green and secured a position for Branwell. He was to tutor Edmund, who was growing too old to be in Anne's care. Branwell did not live in the house as Anne did. Anne's vaunted calm appears to have been the result of hard-fought battles, balancing deeply felt emotions with careful thought, a sense of responsibility and resolute determination.Gérin, ''Anne Brontë'', p. 134 All three Brontë sisters worked as governesses or teachers, and all experienced problems controlling their charges, gaining support from their employers, and coping with homesickness, but Anne was the only one who persevered and made a success of her work.


Back at the parsonage

Anne and Branwell taught at Thorp Green for the next three years. Branwell entered into a secret relationship with his employer's wife, Lydia Robinson. When Anne and Branwell returned home for the holidays in June 1846 Anne resigned.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 450 Anne gave no reason, but the reason may have been the relationship between her brother and Mrs Robinson. Branwell was dismissed when his employer found out about the relationship. Anne continued to exchange letters with Elizabeth and Mary Robinson. They came to visit Anne in December 1848.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 574 Anne took Emily to visit some of the places which Anne had become fond of. A plan to visit Scarborough fell through, but they went to
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
and saw
York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Arch ...
.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 451


A book of poems

The Brontës were at home with their father during the summer of 1845. None had any immediate prospect of employment. Charlotte found Emily's poems, which had been shared only with Anne. Charlotte said that they should be published. Anne showed her own poems to Charlotte, and Charlotte "thought that these verses too had a sweet sincere pathos of their own". The sisters eventually reached an agreement. They told nobody what they were doing. With the money from Elizabeth Branwell they paid for publication of a collection of poems, 21 from Anne and 21 from Emily and 19 from Charlotte. The book was published under pen names which retained their initials but concealed their sex.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 480 Anne's pseudonym was Acton Bell. '' Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell'' was available for sale in May 1846. The cost of publication was 31 pounds and 10 shillings, about three-quarters of Anne's salary at Thorp Green. On 7 May 1846 the first three copies were delivered to Haworth Parsonage.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 491 The book achieved three somewhat favourable reviews, but was a commercial failure, with only two copies sold in the first year. Anne nonetheless found a market for her later poetry. The ''Leeds Intelligencer'' and ''Fraser's Magazine'' published her poem ''The Narrow Way'' under her pseudonym in December 1848. Four months earlier, Fraser's Magazine had published her poem ''The Three Guides''.


Novels


''Agnes Grey''

By July 1846 a package containing the manuscripts of each sister's first novel was making the rounds of London publishers. Charlotte had written '' The Professor'', Emily had written ''
Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent re ...
'', and Anne had written ''Agnes Grey''. After some rejections ''Wuthering Heights'' and ''Agnes Grey'' were accepted by the publisher Thomas Cautley Newby. ''The Professor'' was rejected.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 525 It was not long before Charlotte had completed her second novel, '' Jane Eyre''. ''Jane Eyre'' was accepted immediately by Smith, Elder & Co. It was the first published of the sisters' novels, and an immediate and resounding success. Meanwhile, Anne and Emily's novels "lingered in the press". Anne and Emily were obliged to pay fifty pounds to help meet their publishing costs. Their publisher was galvanised by the success of ''Jane Eyre'' and published ''Wuthering Heights'' and ''Agnes Grey'' together in December 1847.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 539 They sold well, but ''Agnes Grey'' was outshone by Emily's more dramatic ''Wuthering Heights''.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 540


''The Tenant of Wildfell Hall''

Anne's second novel, '' The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'', was published in the last week of June 1848.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 557 It is easy to underestimate the extent to which the novel challenged the social and legal structures. In 1913 May Sinclair said that the slamming of Helen Huntingdon's bedroom door against her husband reverberated throughout Victorian England. In the book Helen has left her husband to protect their son from his influence. She supports herself and her son in hiding by painting. She has violated social conventions and English law. Until the Married Women's Property Act 1870 was passed, a married woman had no legal existence independent from her husband and could not own property nor sue for
divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
nor control the custody of her children. Helen's husband had a right to reclaim her and charge her with kidnapping. By subsisting on her own income she was stealing her husband's property since this income was legally his. Anne stated her intentions in the second edition, published in August 1848. She presented a forceful rebuttal to critics (among them Charlotte) who considered her portrayal of Huntingdon overly graphic and disturbing. Anne "wished to tell the truth". She explained further that Anne also castigated reviewers who speculated on the sex of authors and the perceived appropriateness of their writing. She was


London visit

In July 1848 Anne and Charlotte went to Charlotte's publisher George Smith in London to dispel the rumour that the "Bell brothers" were one person. Emily refused to go. Anne and Charlotte spent several days with Smith. Many years after Anne's death, he wrote in the ''
Cornhill Magazine ''The Cornhill Magazine'' (1860–1975) was a monthly Victorian magazine and literary journal named after the street address of the founding publisher Smith, Elder & Co. at 65 Cornhill in London.Laurel Brake and Marysa Demoor, ''Dictiona ...
'' his impressions of her: The increasing popularity of the Bells' works led to renewed interest in ''Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell'', originally published by Aylott and Jones. The remaining print run was bought by Smith and Elder, and reissued under new covers in November 1848. It still sold poorly.


Family tragedies

Branwell's persistent drunkenness disguised the decline of his health and he died on 24 September 1848.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 568 His sudden death shocked the family. He was 31. The cause was recorded as chronic bronchitis marasmus, but was probably
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
. The family suffered from coughs and colds during the winter of 1848, and Emily became very ill. She worsened over two months and rejected medical aid until the morning of 19 December. She was very weak and said that "if you will send for a doctor, I will see him now".Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 576 But Emily died at about two o'clock that afternoon, aged 30. Emily's death deeply affected Anne. Her grief undermined her physical health. Over Christmas Anne had influenza. Her symptoms intensified and in early January her father sent for a
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
physician. The doctor diagnosed advanced
consumption Consumption may refer to: *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically * Consumption (ecology), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of newly produced goods for curren ...
with little hope of recovery. Anne met the news with characteristic determination and self-control. However, in her letter to Ellen Nussey she expressed her frustrated ambitions: Unlike Emily, Anne took all the recommended medicines and followed the advice she was given.Alexander & Smith, '' The Oxford Companion to the Brontës'', p. 72 That same month she wrote her last poem, ''A dreadful darkness closes in'', in which she deals with being terminally ill.Alexander & Smith, '' The Oxford Companion to the Brontës'', p. 170 Her health fluctuated for months, but she grew thinner and weaker.


Death

Anne seemed somewhat better in February.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 588 She decided to visit Scarborough to see if the change of location and the fresh sea air might benefit her.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 587 Charlotte was initially against the journey, fearing that it would be too stressful, but changed her mind after the doctor's approval and Anne's assurance that it was her last hope. On 24 May 1849 Anne set off for Scarborough with Charlotte and Ellen Nussey. They spent a day and night in York en route. Here they escorted Anne in a wheelchair and did some shopping and visited York Minster. It was clear that Anne had little strength left. On Sunday 27 May Anne asked Charlotte whether it would be easier to return home and die instead of remaining in Scarborough. A doctor was consulted the next day and said that death was close. Anne received the news quietly. She expressed her love and concern for Ellen and Charlotte, and whispered for Charlotte to "take courage".Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 594 Anne died at about two o'clock in the afternoon on Monday 28 May 1849, aged 29. Charlotte decided to "lay the flower where it had fallen". So Anne was buried in Scarborough. The funeral was held on 30 May. Patrick Brontë could not have made the journey if he had wished to. The former schoolmistress at Roe Head, Miss Wooler, was in Scarborough, and she was the only other mourner at Anne's funeral.Barker, ''The Brontës'', p. 595 Anne was buried in St Mary's churchyard, beneath the castle walls and overlooking the bay. Charlotte commissioned a stone to be placed over her grave with the inscription, When Charlotte visited the grave three years later she discovered multiple errors on the headstone and had it refaced. But this was not free of error. For Anne was 29 when she died, not 28 as written. In 2011 the Brontë Society installed a new plaque at Anne Brontë's grave. The original gravestone had become illegible at places and could not be restored. It was left undisturbed while the new plaque was laid horizontally, interpreting the fading words of the original and correcting its error. In April 2013 the Brontë Society held a dedication and blessing service at the gravesite to mark the installation of the new plaque.


Reputation

After Anne's death Charlotte addressed issues with the first edition of ''Agnes Grey'' for its republication, but she prevented republication of ''The Tenant of Wildfell Hall''.Fraser, ''The Brontës'', p. 387 In 1850 Charlotte wrote that Subsequent critics paid less attention to Anne's work and some dismissed her as "a Brontë without genius". But since the mid-20th century her life and works have been given better attention. Biographies by
Winifred Gérin Winifred Eveleen Gérin , née Bourne, (7 October 1901 – 28 June 1981) was an English biographer born in Hamburg. She is best known as a biographer of the Brontë sisters and their brother Branwell, whose lives she researched extensively. ' ...
(1959) and Elizabeth Langland (1989) and Edward Chitham (1991), as well as Juliet Barker's group biography, ''The Brontës'' (1994; revised edition 2000), and work by critics such as Inga-Stina Ewbank, Marianne Thormählen, Laura C Berry, Jan B Gordon, Mary Summers, and Juliet McMaster has led to acceptance of Anne Brontë as a major literary figure.Harrison and Stanford, ''Anne Brontë — Her Life and Work'', стр. 243—245 Sally McDonald of the Brontë Society said in 2013 that in some ways Anne "is now viewed as the most radical of the sisters, writing about tough subjects such as women's need to maintain independence and how alcoholism can tear a family apart." In 2016
Lucy Mangan Lucy Katherine Mangan''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' (born 1974) is a British journalist and author. She is a columnist, features writer and TV critic for ''The Guardian''. A major part of her writing is related t ...
championed Anne Brontë in the BBC's ''Being the Brontës'', declaring that "her time has come".


See also

* List of feminist literature - 1840s


Notes


References

* Alexander, Christine & Smith, Margaret, ''The Oxford Companion to the Brontës'', Oxford University Press, 2006, * Barker, Juliet, ''The Brontës'', St. Martin's Pr., * Chitham, Edward, ''A Life of Anne Brontë'', Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1991, * Fraser, Rebeca, ''The Brontës: Charlotte Brontë and her family'', Crown Publishers, 1988, * Gérin, Winifred, ''Anne Brontë'', Allen Lane, 1976, * Harrison, Ada and Stanford, Derek, ''Anne Brontë – Her Life and Work'', Archon Books, 1970 (first published 1959).


Further reading

* Allott, Miriam, ''The Brontës: The Critical Heritage'', 1984 * Barker, Juliet, ''The Brontës'', 2000 (revised edition) * Chadwick, Ellis, ''In the Footsteps of the Brontës'', 1982 * Chitham, Edward, ''A Brontë Family Chronology'', 2003 * Chitham, Edward, ''A Life of Anne Brontë'', 1991 * Eagleton, Terry, ''Myths of Power'', 1975 * Ellis, Samantha, ''Take Courage: Anne Brontë and the Art of Life'', 2016 * Gérin, Winifred, ''Anne Brontë: A Biography'', 1959 * Langland, Elizabeth, ''Anne Brontë: The Other One'', 1989 * Miller, Lucasta, ''The Brontë Myth'', 2001 * Scott, P. J. M., ''Anne Brontë: A New Critical Assessment'', 1983 * Summers, Mary, ''Anne Brontë Educating Parents'', 2003 * Wise, T. J. and Symington, J. A. (eds.), ''The Brontës: Their Lives, Friendships and Correspondences'', 1932


External links


Anne Brontë – Her grave in Scarborough
, biographical materials and complete poems of Anne Brontë
Anne Brontë – Writer Of Genius
biographical materials on Anne and her family
Anne Bronte at Northwestern University
information about Anne and Victorian society, critical reception of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall *

a
A Celebration of Women Writers

Poems by Anne Brontë at English Poetry

Website of the Brontë Society and Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth

Anne Brontë papers, circa 1840s-1895
held by the Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, New York Public Library.


Electronic editions


Anne Brontë eText Archive


– Audio Poem * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bronte, Anne 1820 births 1849 deaths 19th-century English women writers 19th-century Christian universalists 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis 19th-century English novelists Anglican universalists
Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
Burials in North Yorkshire Christian writers English Anglicans English Christian universalists English governesses English people of Cornish descent English people of Irish descent English women novelists English women poets Tuberculosis deaths in England People from Thornton and Allerton Pseudonymous women writers Victorian novelists Victorian women writers 19th-century pseudonymous writers