iMovie: Branwell Brontë in Broughton-In-Furness, The Lake District, Cumbria

Branwell Brontë (1818 - 1848) was the brother of the famous Victorian literary sisters - Charlotte, Emily and Anne. He appeared just as talented a writer and artist as his better known sisters, but sadly he squandered his talents through becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs, which resulted in his untimely demise at the age of 31. 

There are a few Brontë connections in the Lake District, the most significant probably being the one of Broughton-In-Furness, a small historic town on the Duddon estuary in the southern part of the Lake district. Branwell Brontë lived and worked here in the first half of 1840. This is what Branwell said about Broughton in a letter to a friend, John Brown: "I am fixed in a little retired town by the sea-shore, among woody hills that rise round me - huge, rocky and capped with clouds". 

Branwell worked as a tutor to two small boys for the Postlethwaite family who lived in Broughton House, a large, impressive building which is used as offices today. In the letter to John Brown he says about his employer: "a large landowner, and of a right, hearty and generous disposition"; his wife "a quiet, silent and amiable woman", and the two boys, aged 10 and 12, "fine, spirited lads". Branwell did not live in, but he took up lodgings at High Syke House located on a hill above the village. His landlord was Dr. Edward Fish, one of local surgeons. After just six months of service, Branwell was dismissed from his post in the summer of 1840, the reasons being unconfirmed, but likely to be excessive drinking and negligence to his charges. 

Whilst at Broughton Branwell had met with the poet Hartley Coleridge, the son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who invited him to Nab Cottage, his home on the shore of Rydal Water. The meeting and interaction is certain to have boosted Branwell's poetry writing and given it a new vigour.

The drawing of Brouhgton Church by Branwell Brontë shows a view of the east end of the church which has been altered greatly since Branwell's drawing.

There is a speculation that while in this post, Branwell may have fathered a child with a servant girl and that the child died at a young age.



















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Villages of Laycock and Goose Eye, West Yorkshire

Image
Two miles west of town of Keighley, on the border with Brontë Country lie two old, small and peaceful villages: Laycock and Goose Eye. I love exploring and photographing picturesque villages and was very pleased to discover these two which are only a slight detour on my way to Haworth. Wandering around Laycock, I was immediately drawn to the sense of slow pace of life and living in harmony with countryside and nature. The villagers were friendly and took the time to chat to us: there was an owner of a beautiful and unusual, very old house doing some work outside, and further up a group of ladies came out of another house after getting together for a morning coffee. There were some gorgeous gardens teeming with colourful summer blooms and attractive tables with chairs thoughtfully placed to enjoy soothing, far reaching views. We passed through Goose Eye on our way out of Laycock, but I came back to take photos a few days later. Goose ...
Read more

Gawthorpe Hall and Charlotte Bronte

Image
As a big Bronte Sisters fan I am on a mission to gradually visit and photograph all the places of connection with the sisters, both with their life and their work. Living in West Yorkshire where the sisters lived and wrote, I consider myself very lucky to be in a position to do so. It also makes for a special pleasure of marrying two loves of mine - the one for photography and the one for the great literary sisters. The weekend of 8th and 9th October was reserved for a trip to Gawthorpe Hall in Lancashire. The Kay-Shuttleworth family who lived at the Hall in the 19th century came to hear about Charlotte Bronte, who was becoming a well known author, and invited her to stay, which she did on a couple of occasions. Gawthorpe Hall is a beautiful, early 17th century Elizabethan mansion, and is the last stop on the Bronte Way - a 43 mile long footpath that starts at Oakwell Hall near Birstall. Charlotte described Gawthorpe as "grey, stately and picturesque, a model of old Englis...
Read more

Ponden Hall to Ponden Kirk, Bronte Country

Image
The other weekend I returned to the wonderful Ponden Hall , my favourite place to stay in the Bronte Country. This time my intention was to explore the dramatic countryside around Ponden and locations linked to Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights". I was particularly keen on seeing Ponden Kirk, a large rock high up on Stanbury Moor, the place Emily chose for Cathy and Heathcliff to meet in the novel. It was a mainly cloudy, but dry day with the sun only very occasionally trying to break through the rather thick clouds. After a hearty English breakfast cooked by lovely Julie, the landlady at Ponden Hall, I set off by myself on the long planned 4.5 mile walk. I felt pure excitement and just a little bit of trepidation at the prospect of being alone on the top of wild and windswept moorland area as yet unknown to me. I headed north-west of Ponden, along a rural track flanked with one or two farms. The sun was trying to push through some menacing clouds creati...
Read more