Patrick Brontë was born Patrick Brunty to a Protestant father and a Roman Catholic mother in 1777. The family was large, poor and viewed with some suspicion by their neighbours, who distrusted mixed marriages. Perhaps the only luxuries in the house were four books, two of which were Bibles. Patrick attempted at least three occupations – working as a blacksmith, linen draper, and weaver – before the sponsorship of local gentry Andrew Harshaw and Thomas Tighe led first to his becoming a teacher aged 16 and then to a scholarship to Cambridge, the Anglican priesthood and the perpetual curacy of Haworth.
Along this journey, Brunty became Brontë, supposedly a transliteration of the Greek for ‘thunder’ or possibly to escape the stigma of his brother William’s entanglement with the revolutionary United Irishmen.
Patrick’s final visit to Ireland was in 1806 and, although he sent his relatives copies of Charlotte’s works, he corresponded with them rarely. He himself published a religious novella in 1818 entitled ‘The Maid of Killarney’ that detailed the deficiencies of Catholicism. He died in 1861 having outlived his wife and all his children and still speaking with a faint Irish accent. Elizabeth Gaskell wrote that “His strong, passionate, Irish nature was, in general, compressed down with resolute stoicism.”
Along this journey, Brunty became Brontë, supposedly a transliteration of the Greek for ‘thunder’ or possibly to escape the stigma of his brother William’s entanglement with the revolutionary United Irishmen.
Patrick’s final visit to Ireland was in 1806 and, although he sent his relatives copies of Charlotte’s works, he corresponded with them rarely. He himself published a religious novella in 1818 entitled ‘The Maid of Killarney’ that detailed the deficiencies of Catholicism. He died in 1861 having outlived his wife and all his children and still speaking with a faint Irish accent. Elizabeth Gaskell wrote that “His strong, passionate, Irish nature was, in general, compressed down with resolute stoicism.”
Charlotte Brontë is said to have lost the Irish accent she picked up from her father after she went to school, although at least one friend noticed it present in later life. Her father’s Irish origins loomed large over the lives of the family. This was the age in which Punch found it amusing to portray Irishmen as chimpanzees. Racist stereotypes afflicted the three sisters and – more specifically – their brother Branwell, who the worthies of Haworth burned in effigy, depicting him carrying a potato, and whose alcoholism confirmed their prejudices.
Irishness plays a small, occasionally important and usually condemnatory part in Charlotte’s work. For example, in Jane Eyre, our heroine is threatened with the dire possibility of a position at Bitternutt Lodge, Connaught, labouring as governess to the daughters of Mrs Dionysius O'Gall. In Villette, Lucy Snowe in Villette looks down on that ‘heroine of the bottle’, the Irishwoman Mrs Sweeny, who she is distraught to discover is passing herself off as English. Eventually, Lucy engineers the dismissal of this unfortunate ‘Hibernice’.
A large number of critics and historians have examined the issue of the Brontës’ Irish influences and connections and their perceived effect on the sisters’ works. Some of this output is readable and the best – the relevant parts of Juliet Barker’s ‘The Brontës’ (2010) and Terry Eagleton’s more widely-ranging ‘Heathcliff and the Great Hunger: Studies in Irish Culture’ (1995) have much to commend them.
Irishness plays a small, occasionally important and usually condemnatory part in Charlotte’s work. For example, in Jane Eyre, our heroine is threatened with the dire possibility of a position at Bitternutt Lodge, Connaught, labouring as governess to the daughters of Mrs Dionysius O'Gall. In Villette, Lucy Snowe in Villette looks down on that ‘heroine of the bottle’, the Irishwoman Mrs Sweeny, who she is distraught to discover is passing herself off as English. Eventually, Lucy engineers the dismissal of this unfortunate ‘Hibernice’.
A large number of critics and historians have examined the issue of the Brontës’ Irish influences and connections and their perceived effect on the sisters’ works. Some of this output is readable and the best – the relevant parts of Juliet Barker’s ‘The Brontës’ (2010) and Terry Eagleton’s more widely-ranging ‘Heathcliff and the Great Hunger: Studies in Irish Culture’ (1995) have much to commend them.
The parents of Arthur Nicholls were from different protestant denominations: Presbyterianism and Anglicanism. His father was a farmer and his uncle a schoolmaster and clergyman, into whose distant care Arthur was entrusted at the age of seven.
After ten years of schooling, Arthur entered Trinity College, Dublin and began his preparations for a life in the Church. In time he migrated to England and became Patrick Brontë’s assistant in 1845. By 1852, Charlotte was famous as the author of Jane Eyre and her father did everything possible to discourage the attentions of the clearly besotted Nicholls.
Nicholls contemplated leaving Haworth for missionary work in Australia, but despite being given a farewell present by his parishioners, only travelled a few miles before again courting Charlotte. Despite her many reservations, they married in 1854. Patrick was too overcome to attend the ceremony and Charlotte was given away by her former schoolmistress.
After ten years of schooling, Arthur entered Trinity College, Dublin and began his preparations for a life in the Church. In time he migrated to England and became Patrick Brontë’s assistant in 1845. By 1852, Charlotte was famous as the author of Jane Eyre and her father did everything possible to discourage the attentions of the clearly besotted Nicholls.
Nicholls contemplated leaving Haworth for missionary work in Australia, but despite being given a farewell present by his parishioners, only travelled a few miles before again courting Charlotte. Despite her many reservations, they married in 1854. Patrick was too overcome to attend the ceremony and Charlotte was given away by her former schoolmistress.
The honeymoon was spent travelling to, within and from Ireland. They visited Dublin, Kilkee, Killarney and Arthur’s late uncle’s house in Bannagher, where his aunt still lived. Charlotte was impressed by her relatives - “highly educated gentlemen” - and the house Cuba Court - “very large, looks like a gentleman’s country seat”. The wild scenery of southern Ireland also caught her imagination: “Such a wild, iron-bound coast – with such an ocean-view as I had not yet seen – and such battling of waves with rocks as I had ever imagined.”
While riding through the Gap of Dunloe in Co Kerry, Charlotte was thrown from her horse when it was frightened by “a sudden glimpse of a very grim phantom.” Fortunately, she was “neither bruised by the fall or touched by the mare’s hooves.”
The couple returned to Haworth and lived with Patrick until Charlotte’s death less than a year later in 1854. Arthur stayed in the house until Patrick died in 1861. Having failed to be appointed to the curacy himself, he then returned to his aged aunt in Ireland, left the active priesthood and married his cousin. He died in 1906, embittered by what he saw as the misrepresentation of his wife in the writings of those who did not know her as well as he.
While riding through the Gap of Dunloe in Co Kerry, Charlotte was thrown from her horse when it was frightened by “a sudden glimpse of a very grim phantom.” Fortunately, she was “neither bruised by the fall or touched by the mare’s hooves.”
The couple returned to Haworth and lived with Patrick until Charlotte’s death less than a year later in 1854. Arthur stayed in the house until Patrick died in 1861. Having failed to be appointed to the curacy himself, he then returned to his aged aunt in Ireland, left the active priesthood and married his cousin. He died in 1906, embittered by what he saw as the misrepresentation of his wife in the writings of those who did not know her as well as he.