[22] Mrs. Gaskell had described Charlotte Brontë’s features as ‘plain, large, and ill-set,’ and had written of her ‘crooked mouth and large nose’—while acknowledging the beauty of hair and eyes.
[25] Mrs. Lawry of Muswell Hill, to whose courtesy in placing these and other papers at my disposal I am greatly indebted.
[28] ‘Patrick Branty’ is written in another handwriting in the list of admissions at St. John’s College, Cambridge. Dr. J. A. Erskine Stuart, who has a valuable note on the subject in an article on ‘The Brontë Nomenclature’ (Brontë Society’s Publications, Pt. III.), has found the name as Brunty, Bruntee, Bronty, and Branty—but never in Patrick Brontë’s handwriting. There is, however, no signature of Mr. Brontë’s extant prior to 1799.
[29] ‘I translated this’ (i.e. an Irish romance) ‘from a manuscript in my possession made by one Patrick O’Prunty, an ancestor probably of Charlotte Brontë, in 1763.’ The Story of Early Gaelic Literature, p. 49. By Douglas Hyde, LL.D. T. Fisher Uwin, 1895.
[33] Mrs. Gaskell says ‘Dec. 29th’; but Miss Charlotte Branwell of Penzance writes to me as follows:—’My Aunt Maria Branwell, after the death of her parents, went to Yorkshire on a visit to her relatives, where she met the Rev. Patrick Brontë. They soon became engaged to be married. Jane Fennell was previously engaged to the Rev. William Morgan. And when the time arrived for their marriage, Mr. Fennell said he should have to give his daughter and niece away, and if so, he could not marry them; so it was arranged that Mr. Morgan should marry Mr. Brontë and Maria Branwell, and afterwards Mr. Brontë should perform the same kindly office towards Mr. Morgan and Jane Fennell. So the bridegrooms married each other and the brides acted as bridesmaids to each other. My father and mother, Joseph and Charlotte Branwell, were married at Madron, which was then the parish church of Penzance, on the same day and hour. Perhaps a similar case never happened before or since: two sisters and four first cousins being united in holy matrimony at one and the same time. And they were all happy marriages. Mr. Brontë was perhaps peculiar, but I have always heard my own dear mother say that he was devotedly fond of his wife, and she of him. These marriages were solemnised on the 18th of December 1812.’
[39] The passage in brackets is quoted by Mrs. Gaskell.
[49] The passage in brackets is quoted, not quite accurately, by Mrs. Gaskell.
[53] The following letter indicates Mr. Brontë’s independence of spirit. It was written after Charlotte’s death:
‘Haworth, nr. Keighley, January 16th, 1858.
‘Sir,—Your letter which I have received this morning gives both to Mr. Nicholls and me great uneasiness. It would seem that application has been made to the Duke of Devonshire for money to aid the subscription in reference to the expense of apparatus for heating our church and schools. This has been done without our knowledge, and most assuredly, had we known it, would have met with our strongest opposition. We have no claim on the Duke. His Grace honour’d us with a visit, in token of his respect for the memory of the dead, and his liberality and munificence are well and widely known; and the mercenary, taking an unfair advantage of these circumstances, have taken a step which both Mr. Nicholls and I utterly regret and condemn. In answer to your query, I may state that the whole expense for both the schools and church is about one hundred pounds; and that after what has been and may be subscribed, there may fifty pounds remain as a debt. But this may, and ought, to be raised by the inhabitants, in the next year after the depression of trade shall, it is hoped, have passed away. I have written to His Grace on the subject—I remain, sir, your obedient servant,
‘P. Brontë.
‘Sir Joseph Paxton, Bart.,
‘Hardwick Hall,
‘Chesterfield.’
[56a] The vicar, the Rev. J. Jolly, assures me, as these pages are passing through the press, that he is now moving it into the new church.