Beautiful picture from the Bronte E-newsletter

With Bewick on my knee, I was happy’

 

The manuscript of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, who wrote the novel under the pseudonym Currer Bell – now believed to be after local patron Frances Currer. Photograph: Hulton Archive

 

A rare first edition of Thomas Bewick’s History of British Birds belonging to Frances Currer, the woman believed to have inspired Charlotte Brontë’s pseudonym of Currer Bell, has come to light.
Dubbed “England’s earliest female bibliophile” in Seymour de Ricci’s history of collectors, Frances Mary Richardson Currer’s library in her family home of Eshton Hall, Yorkshire, ran to 15,000 to 20,000 volumes. Among them lay Bewick’s classic of British ornithology - the work Jane Eyre is reading as Charlotte Brontë’s novel opens, and whose “enchanted page[s]” the author also celebrated in poetry.

With Bewick on my knee, I was happy’ … Charlotte Brontë and pages from British Birds. Photograph: Getty/Bernard Quaritch

Currer herself would have been known to the Brontës, said the antiquarian bookseller Bernard Quaritch in its catalogue for the edition: she was the patron of the Cowan Bridge School, attended by Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte and Emily, and was known locally as a generous patron.
“It is thought that she was the ‘benevolent individual, a wealthy lady, in the West Riding of Yorkshire’ who gave £50 in 1821 to a fund to aid the impoverished and recently widowed curate of Howarth – Patrick Brontë,” said the bookseller.

Read all: theguardian/book-inspired-charlotte-bronte-bewick-history-british-bird

The Bronte Society

The Bronte Society

The Bronte Society would like to say a very big thank you for the wonderful response to our appeal for second-hand Bronte novels to send to pupils at Khemisti Middle School in Algeria. Such was the generosity of our members that we were able to send several copies of each of the seven novels, together with an edition of Emily's poetry and a copy of Gaskell's biography of Charlotte.

Brontë Country . Bradford.

The Telegraph and Argus reports that Brontë Country is one of the destinations selected as part of a new national tourism campaign. Brontë Country is among destinations across the district being promoted as part of a new initiative. Visit Bradford is taking part in a national campaign showcasing the region’s heritage. The venture is part of a VisitEngland project, which will include a series of national radio adverts. Several itineraries in the district will be spotlighted, including a visit to Haworth and the chance to experience life as a Bronte sister. Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council’s executive member for employment, skills and culture, said: “We are delighted to be working with VisitEngland on this campaign to promote our heritage to visitors from near and far.
“Bradford has a rich and fascinating history and this is highlighted by the variety of experiences people can enjoy across the district this spring. "There’s something for everyone, from the great Victorian grandeur to the beauty of the moors. “People who wouldn’t normally consider visiting the Bradford district are going to find out about all the wonderful experiences we have to offer.”
If you'd like to see how much tourism has changed in the area, do take a walk down memory lane with Keighley News and reminisce about the local Brontë bus firm.

Samantha Ellis, doing research for her forthcoming book about Anne Bronte.

Bronte Parsonage Museum

Samantha Ellis, author of 'How to be a Heroine', has been in our Library this week, doing research for her forthcoming book about Anne Bronte.

 

Haworth History Tour

Amberley Publishing has just published a new book about Haworth:
Haworth History Tour
Steven Wood, Ian Palmer
Amberley Publishing
ISBN: 9781445646275
168 x 124 mm | Paperback | 96 pages | 120 illustrations | February 2015

Haworth is a picturesque Pennine village that is now famed for the Brontë family and the steam railway. Behind the tourist village of today lies a long history of people making a living from the uncompromising moorland of this area. Haworth History Tour takes the reader on a journey through the many changes the village has undergone in its long history. While some areas will seem relatively unchanged, many are now unrecognisable. The curious and nostalgic alike will delight in uncovering or rediscovering the roots of Haworth with the help of this wonderfully illustrated guide.

The Brontës, War and Waterloo.

THE TITLE of the new exhibition at the Brontë Parsonage Museum is The Brontës, War and Waterloo.

At first the connection between these may not be immediately apparent, however with the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo upon us this exhibition intends to bring to light the importance of war and the Battle of Waterloo on the Brontë family.

The eldest Brontë children, Maria and Elizabeth, had been born in 1814 and 1815 which was during the Napoleonic Wars. Though Haworth may seem now to be a quiet place, certainly far away from these battles on the European continent, it was not completely isolated as it was near the industrial Bradford. Despite the end of the Napoleonic wars, conflict and warfare were a part of society and Wellington was a family hero for the Brontës.

It is with this information that the new exhibition has been shaped, recognising the role of their heroes in their Juvenilia and later writings, and the role of war in life of the Brontës.

Usually this is a job that would be completed by the Collections team at the museum but this exhibition had a unique opportunity to work in conjunction with an academic studying the Brontës and their writing.

Once the panel copy has been collated, the text has to be edited and transferred to the text panels. These panels will have images and currently we are investigating options for these. At the same time objects are being picked, making sure each one fits in with the case and text panel theme. It is from there that the object labels will be written and printed, the Brontës and Animals exhibition will be removed and The Brontës, War and Waterloo will take its place on March 16. Read all: keighleynews

'Fair Ellen, Fair Ellen', 'Away fond Love' and 'Soul divine'

In Feb 1840, about six months after his arrival, Ellen Nussey came to the Parsonage for a three weeks stay. Neither she, nor the Brontë girls had ever received a Valentine card; so it caused quite a stir on the morning of February 14th. when they each received one. Of course, the culprit was the scheming Weightman. In his usual mode of conduct, he had made a bold attempt to add a little sparkle to the girls' lives, and in a vain attempt to disguise his handiwork, had walked the ten miles to Bradford to post them. He had written verses in each of the Valentines; however, only the titles of three of them are known, but these give a general idea of their content: 'Fair Ellen, Fair Ellen', 'Away fond Love' and 'Soul divine'. The girls were not to be fooled by the Bradford post-mark, and soon realised that the chirpy curate was the guilty party. However, being so delighted with that morning's events, the four conspired to write a poem which they promptly returned to Weightman



A Rowland for your Oliver
We think you've justly earned;
You sent us each a valentine,
Your gift is now returned.

We cannot write or talk like you;
We're plain folks every one;
You've played a clever trick on us,
We thank you for the fun.

Believe us when we frankly say
(Our words, though blunt are true),
At home, abroad, by night or day,
We all wish well to you.

And never may a cloud come o'er
The sunshine of your mind;
Kind friends, warm hearts, and happy hours,
Through life we trust you'll find.

Where'er you go, however far
In future years you stray,
There shall not want our earnest prayer
To speed you on your way. .

From Henry Rider Haggard to Anne Rice

Brontë-related theses and essays recently published:

Domestic imperialism in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Henry Rider Haggard’s She, a history of adventure Ataya, Nabila Adel, American University of Beirut, Department of English, 2013

Influence and Legacy: The Brontë Sisters and Anne Rice Alexandru-Ionuţ Micu, PhD Student, ”Al. Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi

Read more on:

From Henry Rider Haggard to Anne Rice

Wintertime

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Absolutely stunning

The Telegraph and Argus has an article on the original Brontë table being on show now that the Brontë Parsonage Museum has reopened as well as looking at what the new season holds.
A mahogany drop-leaf table where the Bronte sisters sat to write some of their greatest works is back home in Haworth.   Visitors to the Bronte Parsonage were able to see it back in its original setting today when the museum re-opened to the public after a short winter break with its collections refreshed. The artefact, where classics such as Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and Emily’s Wuthering Heights were written, returned to the parsonage on Thursday after leaving the Bronte's home in a sale that took place when Patrick Bronte died in 1861. It did return to the Parsonage on loan in 1997 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Jane Eyre, but thanks to a £580,000 grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) - secured by the Bronte Society - the table has finally been returned permanently. Rebecca Yorke at the Bronte Parsonage Museum said: "It's return is really significant. it's one of the most important literary artefacts of the 19th century. "We know from diary papers the sisters would walk round the table when their father had gone to bed to read each other what they had written every day. When Emily died Ann and Charlotte continued the tradition and then when Anne died, Charlotte did it by herself. It was a very particular part of their routine.
"When it arrived last week it was a beautiful table but now it has been dressed with the sisters' writing things and cups and saucers in the dining room where it would have originally been, it looks absolutely stunning."

Today's first visitor through the doors was greeted with a free guide to the Museum in celebration of the table's homecoming.  As well as the simple wooden table, visitors will also be able to explore other permanent collections - a current exhibition The Brontes and Animals and a new one called Heathcliff Adrift, which was specially commissioned and is part of the Museum's Contemporary Arts Programme this year. It is a collection of poetry by award-winning writer Benjamin Myers and follows the missing three years of Emily Bronte’s hero from Wuthering Heights, accompanied by a series of landscape photographs by Yorkshire photographer Nick Small. It looks at what could have happened to Heathcliff at that time when the industrial revolution was in its earliest days and the ragged landscape was under threat from the arrival of mechanisation. The exhibition opens on Saturday, February 7 and will run until June. The Brontes and Animals exhibition in the Bonnell Room will stay until March when it makes way for a brand new one giving a nod to the Bronte family's fascination with war and acknowledging the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Its curator will be Bronte scholar Emma Butcher. (Kathie Griffiths)

And there the table stands.

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Efforts of the Brontë Society president to improve links with Haworth community

Keighley News reports the efforts of the Brontë Society president to improve links with Haworth community:

Brontë Society president Bonnie Greer’s latest efforts to improve links with the Haworth community have been welcomed by the parish council chairman.  Cllr John Huxley said he hoped the moves would benefit both the Brontë Parsonage Museum – which the society runs – and other organisations in the village.  He welcomed Ms Greer’s call for Haworth residents who were members of the Brontë Society to stand for voluntary posts on its ruling council. He said: “I applaud the society for opening doors to that sort of opportunity. I know there are people in the village who are interested in the Brontës.”
Ms Greer had invited nominations for council vacancies from people with skills in tourism/visitor attractions, press/journalism/marketing, IT/digital technology, and publishing.  Cllr Huxley said: “There are people in the village who possess those skills. There’s no reason why they can’t join. “I welcome that the Brontë Society recognises the local community has a part to play in maintaining the Brontë heritage.” Cllr Huxley was delighted that museum’s new operations manager was actively recruiting local people for a committee which would organise events to celebrate the 200th anniversaries of the Brontë sisters’ births.  He was also pleased that museum representatives were again attending tourism group Brontë Partnership. He said their expertise would be invaluable on other committees discussing Haworth issues.  He added: “That’s the sort of thing we want – to see the Brontë Society branching out.” Ms Greer made her rallying call to Haworth residents in a New Year address to members following a difficult year for the society, which saw wrangles over the organisation’s future direction and departures of leading figures.  She told members: “We must bring our membership age down in order to ensure that our beloved Society and Museum continue into the 21st century.” (David Knights)

Brontë table is now back at the Parsonage. “It was one of the most significant occasions during all my time at the parsonage.”

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The Yorkshire Post reports that the Brontë table is now back at the Parsonage.

The dining table where the Brontë sisters sat to write some of their greatest works has returned to its Yorkshire home to stay. Staff at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth were on hand yesterday (Thurs) to welcome the artefact which arrived unscathed and on time - despite the extreme weather conditions sweeping the north of England.  Ann Dinsdale, collections manager at the Brontë Parsonage, who has been at the museum for 26 years, said: “It was one of the most significant occasions during all my time at the parsonage.” The table left the parsonage in the sale that took place when Patrick Brontë died in 1861 and returned on loan in 1997 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Jayne Eyre. Thanks to a £580,000 grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), the table where classics such as Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Emily’s Wuthering Heights were written, has been secured by the Brontë Society for future generations to enjoy in its original setting.  Visitors can see the mahogany drop-leaf table from Sunday when the museum reopens.  Brontë Society & Brontë Parsonage Museum spokeswoman, Rebecca Yorke, said: “It arrived amid much excitement and anticipation. Because of the weather we were worried there might be hold ups on its journey. In 2016 we start celebrating the bicentenaries of the birth of the Brontë siblings. This is a really great start to the bicentenary celebrations.”

Documentary showing the 'real' locations of Brontë novels

Further news on the documentary showing the 'real' locations of Brontë novels, as reported by The Telegraph and Argus:
The team behind a documentary revealing the real locations which inspired the Bronteë sisters has offered walking tours to people who are willing to be filmed for the production.
The documentary is being made by Oxenhope resident Oliver Chapman and will present the outcome of research carried out by Ian Howard and Josh Chapman, who is Oliver’s brother.  Mr Howard, who is also from Oxenhope, said that a local theatre group and a school had come forward to take part in the Haworth tour and ultimately be featured in the documentary itself. “The tour will be filmed as part of the documentary we’re making, so everyone should be prepared for the footage to be used on television,” he said.  He said that he did not require very many more people for the tour, though he added that a small number of additional individuals who were willing to participate could still be accommodate.  He said the recent snow had not discouraged him from visiting the remote locations on the moors being filmed as part of the documentary. “No one else goes up there when the weather is like this, so it’s nice to have that solitude,” he said. bronteblog