Thorpe Green
I sit, this evening, far away
From all I used to know,
And nought reminds my soul today
Of happy long ago.
Unwelcome cares, unthought-of fears
Around my room arise;
I seek for suns of former years,
But clouds o’ercast my skies.
Yes–Memory, wherefore does thy voice
Bring back old times to view,
As thou would bid me not rejoice
In thoughts and prospects new?
I’ll thank thee, Memory, in the hour
When troubled thoughts are mine—
For thou, like sun’s in April’s shower,
On shadowy scenes will shine.
I’ll thank thee when approaching death
Would quench life’s feeble ember,
For thou wouldst even renew my breath
With thy sweet word “Remember!”
Patrick Branwell Brontë
Patrick Branwell Brontë
March 30th 1843, Thorpe Green
Substantial manor house near Little Ouseburn, six miles from Boroughbridge, where Anne went as governess to the Robinson family in 1840, and Branwell followed her as tutor to Edmund, the one son, in 1843. The family had lived there for nearly 50 years, and the Rev. Edmund Robinson seems to have been a country gentleman in his tastes and pursuits. The estate was large and beautiful, and the possibilities for field sports were abundant. The house burnt down early in the twentieth century, but the rooms and their proportions can be found in the advertisements when the house was let after the departure of the Robinsons ( Leeds Intelligencer , 21 Aug 1847 and 8 Dec 1855). Also part of the estate was the Monks’ House, where Branwell apparently lodged. This building still stands. blackwell reference
Like his sisters, Branwell Brontë was tutored at home at Haworth Parsonage. The only brother in a family of sisters, he was the indulged, spoiled darling of the family. But he was also, like his sisters, highly talented. A willing scholar with a ‘precocious intellect’, he translated Horace to critical acclaim, played the organ in his father’s church, and aspired to being a professional portrait painter.
Physically small, he had flaming red hair, was impulsive and quick-witted, and had a “penchant for showing off in company”, according to the Brontë Society’s biography. He also had an erratic and emotional nature that stopped him making the most of his talents, however. York press
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