Today’s speaker was Denise Adlard on “The Brontes of Haworth” (replacing Chris Helm who had fallen ill).
Denise had spoken before about the Brontes and today concentrated on Patrick Bronte, the father, and Maria, nee Bramwell, the mother. Theirs was a Mills and Boon love story. Patrick would walk 12 miles over the moors (the setting “Wuthering Heights”) to see Maria then walk 12 miles back. Maria called Patrick “My Saucy Pat”.
Patrick was born on the 17th March 1777 into a poor farming family in Ireland. Maria Bramwell was born into a wealthy family in Penzance, Cornwall. Thomas Tye engaged
Patrick to tutor his son and in exchange gave Patrick a “Classics” education leading Patrick to study Theology at St. John’s College, Cambridge.
Patrick and Maria met when Patrick was tasked with testing the pupils’ knowledge at a boys school, Woodhouse Grove in Apperley Bridge, and Maria had been asked by the headmasters wife, Maria’s cousin, to come to Yorkshire to help look after the boys.
Their first two children, Maria and Elizabeth, were born in Clough House, Hartshead. A move to Thornton and another 4 children outgrew the parsonage there. A move to Haworth, a larger house and an increase in monies of £60 per year followed and there the family stayed. Haworth at that time was described as “cold, wet, miserable, grey and unhygienic”. Although Maria was fit and walked everywhere, she succumbed to abdominal (cervical) cancer and was cared for by Patrick and Maria’s sister, Elizabeth Bramwell, for seven months before dying on 15th September, 1821. It was Elizabeth who raised the children, inspiring them to write on topics she suggested.
Patrick was appalled by the state of Haworth – 41/2 houses to 1 midden, the graveyard was full with coffin stacked upon coffin, during rainstorms debris from the graveyard would wash down the streets and the water pumps were infected. In 1850, he commissioned Benjamin Babbage to produce a report. A report that stated there were 69 toilets for 2,500 people. Only 24 houses had a toilet and 7 had no toilet. There were 11 water pumps, 2 not working and the water was polluted by rotting flesh washed down from the graveyard. The general sanitation situation was not improved until 1856.
The amazing Bronte family have left a great legacy thanks to Patrick and Maria who should be celebrated more.