Chapter I: Preface

It has long seemed to me that the history of the Bronte family is incomplete, and, in some senses, not well understood. Those who have written upon it--as I shall have occasion to point out in these pages--have had certain objects in view, which have, perhaps necessarily, led them to give undue weight to special points and to overlook others. Thus it happens that, though there are in the hands of the public several able works on the Brontes, there are many circumstances relating to them that are yet in comparative obscurity. Especially has injustice been done to one member of the family--Patrick Branwell Bronte--whose life has several times been treated by those who have had some other object in view; and, through a misunderstanding of the character of the brother, the sisters, Anne in particular, have been put, in some respects, in a false light also. This circumstance, coupled with the fact that I am in possession of much new information, and am able to print here a considerable quantity of unknown poetry from Branwell's hand, has induced me to write this work. Those of his poems which are included in these volumes are placed in dealing with the periods of his life in which they were written, for I felt that, however great might be the advantages of putting them together in a complete form, much more would be lost both to the interest of the poems and the life of their author in doing so. Branwell's poems, more, perhaps, than those of any other writer, are so clearly expressive of his feelings at the time of their writing, that a correct view of his character is only to be obtained by looking upon them as parts of his life-history, which indeed they are. And, moreover, when we consider the circumstances under which any of these were written, our understanding and appreciation of the subject must necessarily be much fuller and truer. It has not escaped the attention of writers on the Bronte story that Branwell had an important influence on his sisters; and, though I maintain it to have been essentially different from what others allege, it would not be possible to do justice either to him or to them without saying a good deal about his character.

I have felt it right, in these pages, to some extent also, to re-consider the character of the Rev. Patrick Bronte, which has, along with that of his son, suffered unfair treatment in the biographies of his daughters. I have likewise entered upon some account of the local circumstances of art and literature which surrounded the Brontes, an element in their history which has hitherto been unknown, but is especially necessary to a right understanding of the life and work of Branwell Bronte and his sisters. These circumstances, and the altered view I have taken of the tone of the lives of Mr. Bronte and his son, have obliged me to deal more fully than would otherwise have been necessary with the early years of the Brontes, but I venture to hope that this may be atoned for by the new light I have thus been enabled to throw on some important points. There are published here, for the first time, a series of letters which Branwell Bronte addressed to an intimate friend, J. B. Leyland, sculptor, who died in 1851, and it is with these that a fresh insight is obtained into an interesting period of Branwell's life.

I am largely indebted in some parts of my work, especially those which deal with the lives of the sisters, to Mrs. Gaskell's fascinating 'Life of Charlotte Bronte'; and it is a source of sincere regret to me that I am compelled to differ from that writer on many points. I am likewise indebted in parts to Mr. T. Wemyss Reid's admirable 'Charlotte Bronte: a Monograph,' a work which has corrected several errors and misconceptions into which Mrs. Gaskell had fallen. The reader will perceive that I am obliged in several places to combat the theories and question the statements of Miss A. Mary F. Robinson in her 'Emily Bronte,' a book which, nevertheless, so far as its special subject is concerned, is a worthy contribution to the history of the Brontes.

I have also found of much use, in writing this work, an article entitled 'Branwell Bronte,' which Mr. George Searle Phillips--'January Searle'--published in the 'Mirror' in 1872. The chapter in Mr. Francis H. Grundy's 'Pictures of the Past' on Branwell Bronte, has likewise been of the greatest service to me. Both these gentlemen were Branwell's personal friends, and to them I gladly acknowledge my indebtedness.

Among many other sources of information respecting the Brontes, of which I have availed myself in writing these pages, I may mention _Hours at Home_, 'Unpublished Letters of Charlotte Bronte'; _Scribner_, 'Reminiscences of Charlotte Bronte'; the _Athenaeum_, 'Notices and Letters,' by Mr. A. C. Swinburne, and 'One of the Survivors of the Bronte-Branwell Family.' To this lady I must also express my obligation for her very kind letter to me.

In the preparation of my work I have been greatly assisted by the information, and encouraged by the sympathy, of several who had personal knowledge of Patrick Branwell Bronte, and who have supported the view I have taken of his life and character, and also who had like knowledge of the other members of the Bronte family. Among these, I have to express my sincere thanks to Mr. H. Merrall and to Mr. William Wood, who were early acquaintances of Branwell; also to Mr. William Dearden. To Mr. J. H. Thompson and Mrs. Thornton I am greatly indebted for information respecting Branwell's sojourn in Bradford. I have likewise derived much information from the family of the Browns, now all deceased, except Mrs. Brown, to whom I have to express my obligation. I have also gained much reliable information from Nancy Garrs, now Mrs. Wainwright, the nurse of the Brontes, and to her I must especially express my thanks. To these, I must not omit to add my deep and sincere thanks to those who will not permit me to mention them by name, for the unwearied assistance, counsel, and literary judgment which they have as cheerfully, as they have ably, rendered.

F. A. L.

OAKWOOD, SKIRCOAT, HALIFAX, October, 1885.

CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.

Bronte Genius--Patrick Bronte--His Birthplace--His early Endeavours--Ordained--Presented to Hartshead--High Town--His Courtship and Marriage--Removes to Thornton--His House--Thornton Chapel--Mrs. Bronte's failing Health--Mr. Bronte Accepts the Living of Haworth--Rudeness of the Inhabitants--Local Fights between Haworth and Heptonstall--Description of Haworth--Mrs. Bronte dies 1

CHAPTER II.

The Mother of the Brontes--Her Character and Personal Appearance --Her Literary Taste--Penzance, her Native Place--Description of Penzance--The Branwell Family--Personal Traits of Maria Branwell--Her Virtues--Her Letters to Mr. Bronte--Her Domestic Experiences 33

CHAPTER III.

Character of the Rev. P. Bronte--Charges against Him--Serious Allegations of Biographers--Injustice of the Charges--Mr. Bronte's indignant Denial of the Imputations--Testimony of Nancy Garrs--Mrs. Bronte and the Silk-Dress Episode--Mr. Bronte, the supposed Prototype of Mr. Helstone--The Pistol-shots Theory--Mr. Bronte on Science Knowledge--Miss Branwell 41

CHAPTER IV.

Girlhood--Gravity of Character--Charlotte's Description of the Elf-land of Childhood--The Still and Solemn Moors of Haworth influence their Writings--The Present of Toys--The Plays which they Acted--Mr. Bronte on a Supposed Earthquake--The Evidence of his Care for his Children--Grammar School at Haworth--His Children under the Tuition of the Master--The Character of the School--Cowan Bridge School--Charlotte's View of Mr. Carus Wilson's Management--Deaths of Maria and Elizabeth 57

CHAPTER V.

Reunion of the Bronte Family--Branwell is the supposed Prototype of Victor Crimsworth--That Character not a complete Portrait of Branwell--His Friendships--His Visit to the Keighley Feast--Its Effect on Branwell's Nerves--The Wrestle--The Lost Spectacles--Fear of his Father's Displeasure--Mrs. Gaskell's Story of the 'Black Bull' Incident Questioned--Miss Branwell and her Nephew 81

CHAPTER VI.

The youthful Compositions of the Brontes--Their Character-- Branwell's Share in them--'The Secret,' a Fragment--The Reading of the Bronte Children--Branwell's Character at this Period 93

CHAPTER VII.

Charlotte goes to Roe Head--Return Home--Branwell at the Time--The Companion of his Sisters--Escorts Charlotte on a Visit--He becomes Interested in Pugilism--His Education--His Love for Music--His Retentive Memory--His Personal Appearance--His Spirit 109

CHAPTER VIII.

Love of Art in the Youthful Brontes--Their elaborate Drawings-- J. B. Leyland, Sculptor--Spartacus--Mr. George Hogarth's Opinion--Art Exhibition at Leeds--Mr. William Robinson, their Drawing-Master--Branwell aims at Portrait-Painting--J. B. Leyland in London--Branwell and the Royal Academy--He visits London 123

CHAPTER IX.

Charlotte returns as a Teacher, with Emily as a Pupil, to Roe Head--Their Determination to Maintain themselves--Charlotte's Fears respecting Emily--Charlotte's religious Melancholy--Accuses herself of Flippancy--She is on the Borders of Despair--Anxiety to Know more of the World--Emily at Law Hill, Halifax, as a Teacher--Charlotte's Excitability--She returns Home out of Health 147

CHAPTER X.

The Light in which Biographers have regarded Branwell-- Bibliography--Mrs. Gaskell--The Causes which led her into Error--Resentment of Branwell's Friends--Mr. George Searle Phillips--Branwell as Depicted by Mr. T. Wemyss Reid--Mr. F. H. Grundy's Notice of Branwell--Miss A. Mary F. Robinson's Portrait of Branwell 159

CHAPTER XI.

Branwell becomes a Freemason--His love of Art undiminished--Has Instruction in Oil-Painting--Commences Portrait-Painting at Bradford--His Commissions--His Letter to Mr. Thompson, the Artist--Miss Robinson's Charges of Misconduct--Her Erroneous Statements--Branwell's true Character and Conduct at Bradford --Remarks on his alleged Opium-eating there 172

CHAPTER XII.

New Inspiration of Poetry--Wordsworth--Southey, Scott, and Byron--Southey to Charlotte Bronte--Hartley Coleridge--His Worthies of Yorkshire--Poets of the West-Riding--Alaric A. Watts--Branwell's Literary Abilities 184

CHAPTER XIII.

Branwell's Letter to Wordsworth, with Stanzas--Remarks upon it--No Reply--He Tries Again--His Interest in the Manchester and Leeds Railway--Branwell's Literary and Artistic Friends at Bradford and Halifax--Leyland's Works there--Branwell's great Interest in them--Early Verses--Mrs. Gaskell's Judgment on his Literary Abilities 193

CHAPTER XIV.

The Poetical bent of Branwell's Genius--'Caroline's Prayer'--'On Caroline'--'Caroline'--Spirit of these Early Effusions 210

CHAPTER XV.

Charlotte's first Offer of Marriage--Her Remarks concerning it --A second Offer Declined--Anne a Governess--She Moralizes upon it--Charlotte obtains a Situation--Unsuited to Her--She Leaves it--Branwell takes Pleasure in Scenery--He Visits Liverpool with his Friends--Charlotte goes to Easton--Curates at Haworth--Their Visits to the Parsonage--Public Meetings on Church Rates-- Charlotte's Attempt at a Richardsonian Novel--She sends the Commencement of it to Wordsworth for his Opinion--Branwell receives an Appointment as Private Tutor 228

CHAPTER XVI.

The District of Black Comb--Branwell's Sonnet--Wordsworth and Hartley Coleridge--Branwell's Letter to the 'Old Knave of Trumps'--Its Publication by Miss Robinson in her 'Emily Bronte'--Branwell's familiar Acquaintance with the People of Haworth--He could Paint their Characters with Accuracy--His Knowledge of the Human Passions--Emily's Isolation 249

CHAPTER XVII.

Branwell's Appointment at Ulverston ends--He gets a Situation on the Railroad at Sowerby Bridge--Branwell at Luddenden Foot-- His Friends' Reminiscences of him--Charlotte and Emily reading French Novels--Charlotte obtains a Situation--Anxious about Anne--School Project of the Sisters--Charlotte's keen Desire to visit Brussels--Her Letter to her Aunt Branwell 264

CHAPTER XVIII.

Situation of Luddenden Foot--Branwell visits Manchester--The Sultry Summer--He visits the Picturesque Places adjacent--His impromptu Verses to Mr. Grundy--He leaves the Railway Company --Miss Robinson's unjust Comments--His three Sonnets--His poem, 'The Afghan War'--Branwell's letter to Mr. Grundy--His Self-depreciation 287

THE BRONTE FAMILY.