164 years ago today, lying on the dining-room sofa (still there today at the Parsonage), the astonishing Emily Bronte died, aged just 30.

 

 

"Dec. 21st, 1848.
 

"Emily suffers no more from pain or weakness now. She never will suffer more in this world. She is gone, after a hard short conflict. She died on Tuesday, the very day I wrote to you. I thought it very possible she might be with us still for weeks; and a few hours afterwards, she was in eternity. Yes; there is no Emily in time or on earth now. Yesterday we put her poor, wasted, mortal frame quietly under the church pavement. We are very calm at present. Why should we be otherwise? The anguish of seeing her suffer is over; the spectacle of the pains of death is gone by; the funeral day is past. We feel she is at peace. No need now to tremble for the hard frost and the keen wind. Emily does not feel them. She died in a time of promise. We saw her taken from life in its prime. But it is God's will, and the place where she is gone is better than that she has left.

Read also: kleurrijkbrontesisters

The Bronte Parsonage museum in Haworth will be celebrating a unique event, a 200th weddding anniversary.

From Hathaways of Haworth:

 Maria Branwell met, fell in love with and married Patrick within a few months and hurriedly sent to Cornwall for her possessions and more of her clothing to be “sent around by sea” as that was the quickest way to transport things from Cornwall to Yorkshire at that time. Her possesions were almost all lost at sea in a storm which would suspect leave a big gap in her trousseau and replacing the lost essentials would make a huge gap in the cash available for buying new silks etc. The news of the shipwreck reached Maria sometime just before or around the 18th of November so she would have some time to make new items but having read her letters I imagine she would be more concerned with preparing for her married life and her new home than in making a trousseau. Though I should like to have created something new for the oocasion.

I was thrilled to be asked to be “Mrs Bronte” though finding a dress at short notice has been a challenge as I have a fairly limited regency wardrobe of day gowns and ball gowns. The ball gowns were made from expensive silks and far to lavishly trimmed but even for a regency wedding the brown day dresses seemed a bit gloomy.Very rarely did anyone except the rich have specially made wedding dresses they usually wore their sunday best. When they were well enough off to have a new dress made it was always one that could be reworn for everyday use later. Brown was in fact a popular colour because of its usefulness but to modern eyes a bit dreary.

The Bronte Parsonage museum in Haworth will be celebrating a unique event, a 200th weddding anniversary. On Dec 29th 2012 it will be the 200 anniversary of the Marriage in Guisley church of Maria Branwell and the Rev Patrick Bronte.The eventual Parents of the Bronte sisters and their brother Branwell.
Heres the museums information on the day of special events http://www.bronte.org.uk/
To mark the occasion the Brontë Parsonage Museum is offering a day of free activities – and a piece of wedding cake! – to all visitors.

• Meet ‘Mrs Brontë’ as she tours the Museum in her wedding dress
• Listen to a short talk about Maria and Patrick’s courtship and wedding at intervals throughout the day
• Handle real period costume items
• Enjoy children’s activities in the foyer
• And partake of a free slice of commemorative wedding cake!

Bronte Society appointment

Professor Ann Sumner has been appointed executive director of the Bronte Society.
She will take over day-to-day management of the Bronte Parsonage Museum at Haworth.
And she will also lead the world-renowned international literary society and promote its contemporary arts programme.
Professor Sumner, currently director of the Birmingham Museums Trust, spent many years working in Yorkshire.
She held curatorial posts at various organisations, including the Harewood House Trust.
She will take up the new role in February.
“As a lifelong Bronte enthusiast, I could not be starting at a better time, with refurbishment of the Parsonage Museum coming up in early 2013 and planning for the bicentenary celebrations of Charlotte Bronte’s birth in 2016,” she said.
“I feel honoured and excited to be taking up my new role and returning to work in the beautiful county of West Yorkshire. I’m hugely looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
Bronte Society president, Bonnie Greer, said the appointment would be a huge boost. She added: “The wealth of Ann’s curatorial experience is a great resource for us to draw upon, and her national high standing as an art historian and museums director will certainly boost our profile, both within the UK and internationally.” keighleynews

Charlotte Bronte’s parasol

My parents were born in Oxenhope, a village connecting to Haworth. My grandparents and aunts lived there. Auntie Eleanor (b. 1899-d. 2001) had the Bronte parasol given to her by the Bronte housekeeper. I don’t know when that was but Eleanor was quite young. In the mid 20th century she gave it to my sister Anne who lived in R.I. U.S.A. After Anne died in 2004 I inherited it.

Julie Akhurst says she’ll keep me posted on the museum’s progress. She thanked me for my helpful post and added that, without it, the parasol would have been forgotten.
I expect the parasol would have made it to the museum eventually, but I’m glad to be part of the story. Read the complete article: charlotte-brontes-parasol

Christmas in Haworth

 

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