The Brontë Family
Patrick Brontë, father of Charlotte, Emily and Anne, was a man driven by ambition. Born in County Down in 1777, he quickly left his humble origins far behind, becoming an undergraduate at St John's College, Cambridge. He also left his humble surname of Brunty behind too, changing it to the more impressive sounding 'Brontë'.
He married in 1812 but all of his six children died young: Emily died at just 30 years old, Branwell at 31 and Anne at 29, all of tuberculosis. Charlotte died just shorth of her 39th birthday. Two older sisters had died as children. Patrick's wife Maira also died in her thirties.
But Patrick and Maria brought into the world three girls whose prodigious talent would ensure that the Brontë name is known worldwide. Charlotte's novel Jane Eyre, Emily's Wuthering Heights and Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, together with their other writings, are outstanding contributions to English literature, enjoyed as much today as they were when first written.
From 1820 to 1861 the Brontë family lived in the village of Haworth and they lived in the Parsonage. The Parsonage is now the Brontë Parsonage Museum, full of their personal possessions as well as a fascinating exhibition about their lives and work.
Download the Experience the Brontës in Pennine Yorkshire, a brochure detailing the Brontë connections throughout Pennine Yorkshire, including Haworth, Shirley Country, Hebden Bridge and Halifax.
