BRONTE, CHARLOTTE (181G-55). An Eng lish novelist, horn at Thornton. in the West Rid ing of Yorkshire, April 21, 1816. Her father, Patrick Bronte, a clergyman of Irish descent ( the name is said to have been originally Prunty), re moved, with five young ehildren and an invalid wife, from Thornton to Haworth, in the same county, in 1820. Anne. the sixth and last child. was born the same year. Soon after the arrival Mrs. Bronte died; so that Charlotte. trying hard in after-life, could but dimly recall the remem brance of her mother. Her father, eccentric and solitary in his habits, was ill fitted to replace a mother's love; and though their mother's elder sister, iiss Branwell, and later the faithful ser vant "Tabby.' entered the household, the children were left much to themselves. \\lien Charlotte was eight years old she was sent with three of her sisters to Cowan's Bridge School. between Leeds and Kendal, which. whether deservedly or not. had an unfortunate notoriety conferred upon it 25 years later in the pages of Jane Eyre. The two elder sisters—Maria and Elisa beth—falling dangerously ill and dying a few (lays after their removal thence. Charlotte and Emily were taken out of the school. In 1831 Charlotte was sent to Miss Wooler's school at Roehead, between Leeds and Huddersfield, where her remarkable talents were duly op preeiated by her kind instructress, and a friend ship was formed with some of her fellow pupils that lasted throughout life. A few years later she returned to Miss Wooler's school as teacher there, and she had, soon after this, some sorrowful experiences as governess in one of the two fainilies where she found employment. It was with a view of better qualifying themselves for the task of teaching that Charlotte and Emily went to Brussels in lS-12 and took up their abode in a pensionnat. \\lien Charlotte returned home for good in 1844. a new shadow darkened the gloomy Yorkshire parsonage—her father's sight was declining fast. and her only brother was becoming an inebriate.
it now seemed plain that school-keeping could never be a resource, and the sisters—Charlotte, Emily. and Anne—turned their thoughts to lit erature. Their volume of poems was published in 1846, their names being veiled under those of Carrel.. Ellis. and Acton I tell: but it met with little or no attention. Charlotte's next venture was a prose tale, The Professor, and while it was passing slowly and heavily from publisher to publisher, Jane Eyre was making progress. Jane Eyre appeared in 1847, and took the public by storm. It was felt that a fresh
hand. making new harmonies, was thrown over the old instrument. Henceforward Charlotte Bronte had a 'twofold life, as author and wo man.' Over the latter the clouds closed thicker and thicker. Mr. Bronte had indeed recovered his sight ; but Emily, the sister Charlotte so in tensely loved, died in 1848. Her only brother, Branwell, also died in the same year; and Anne, the youngest of the family, following in 1849. Charlotte was left alone with her aged father, in a dreary home among the graves. Neverthe her energy never (lagged. Shirley. begun soon after the appearance of .Jane Eyre. was published in 1S49; and illette, written under the frequent pressure of had health and low spirits. came out in 1853. In the spring of I354 Charlotte Bronte was married to her father's curate, the Rev. A. Nicholls. who had long known and loved her. It is a relief to find that a little sunshine was permitted to the close of a hitherto clouded life. It was, however, but brief. She died March 31, 1855.
All the 13rontes possessed ability akin to gen ins.—BRANNVELL (1817-48 ), weakened by dissipa tion, left a few poems. among which are occa sional lines showing the Bronte spirit.—AxxE (1820-49) died too young to achieve fame, hut there is nothing conunonplace about her two nov els, Agnes Urcy and llildfe1r Hall.—The portrait of EMILY (1818-48) is drawn by her si.der in Shirley. Having in mind. doubtless, her iruther ing Heights (1847) and her poems, Matthew Arnold declared that for passion. vehemence, and grief, Emily Bronte had had no equal since Byron. Charlotte was, perhaps. less vehe ment. but her novels come from an aching heart. And having seen more of the world, she possessed the greater insight into character. In execution the work of all the sisters is faulty: but Charlotte's is less so than that of the others. The standard Life of Charlotte Hronte (London, 1557), by Elizabeth Gas kell. has been supplemented by C. K. Shorter's charlotte !Ironic': aild Her Circles (London, lstlfil. Consult. also: Life and Works of the Sisters Brunk', with preface by Mrs. H.' Ward and an introduction and notes to the life by shorter (7 vols., London and New York.- 1900) ; Reid. Charlotte Drank' (London. 1877) ; L. Stephen, "Essay," in Hours in a Library. 3d series (London, lS79): A. Itirrell, Life, with bibliography (London. 1887) Robinson. Emily Brooti: (Boston, 1533) ; Leyland, The Brontii Family. with special reference to Branwell (Lon don. 1(;) : and the Bronte Society,