“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger”- Wuthering Heights.

As March arrives and hopefully some much needed sun and spring warmth, I felt it would be good to write this month’s blog on the Brontë family. The new film of Wuthering Heights came out in February, and it has given people a fresh chance to think about the literary legacies of this great and tragic family.

I want to start by listing how long each member of the family lived for and two-family friends, plus Charlotte’s husband Arthur. Sadly, there were no direct children to keep the linage going.

Patrick- Father- 84- outlived his children by six years

Maria- Mother- 38

Maria- Eldest- 11

Elizabeth- 10

Charlotte- 38

Patrick Branwell- 31- went by Branwell

Emily- 30

Anne- 29

Ellen Nussy- 80- Charlotte’s childhood friend

Arthur Bell Nicholls- 87- Charlotte’s husband

Margaret Wooler- 93- Headmistress of Roe school where Charlotte studied and later taught.

As you can see, it might surprise you to know just how young the sisters were and how much longer other people connected to them lived. I was amazed when I read in Juliet Barker’s authoritative version of the Brontë story, how Margaret Wooler lived such a long life, the longest of any of the people in the story. Even by Victorian standards it was a very long life. Patrick was able to secure his daughter’s legacy by working with Elizabeth Gaskell who was friends with Charlotte, to write their life story. However, I contend that, because Elizabeth only liked Charlotte and was less keen on Arthur, Emily and Anne, they have become steeped in the myth of not being as outgoing as Charlotte was. It was an early attempt by Gaskell to frame the narrative and even though Emily and Anne were more private, I feel it is an unfortunate view we are given from Gaskell.

The photo I have chosen is a famous one of the sisters that Bramwell painted and painted himself too, but scrubbed himself out. It is a sad reminder that while his father had high hopes for him, Bramwell took rejection harshly and turned to drink before his death. It is extraordinary by today’s standard of living, how much each of the sisters did before their young deaths.

I chose a quote which is apt because of the Wuthering Heights film. It is a novel of intense passion and loss. Catherine says of Heathcliff that she could “continue to be” if only he stayed in the world, but that “the universe would turn to a mighty stranger” if he was to be taken away. It is powerful writing by Emily and captures the tragic element of the love these characters felt.

I liked how Margot Robbie, who plays Catherine in the new film, wore a bracelet loaned from the Brontë Parsonage Museum, at the film premiere. It contains locks of Emily and Anne’s hair and is a direct link back to the author of the novel. It is highly recommended to visit, at Haworth, in Yorkshire.  I hope you have found out something new about the Brontë family in this month’s blog. Next month will see the next Thursday Murder Club review.

Work Cited-

Gracious Quotes. “Gracious Quotes”. Gracious Quotes. Date last updated: December 1^st 2023. URL: graciousquotes.com/emily-bronte/.

History Extra. “History Extra”. History Extra. Date last updated: July 28^th 2020. URL: historyextra.com/period/victorian/bronte-sisters-anne-charlotte-emily-who-were-they-house-famous-write-books/