This day in history

The History Channel reminds us that today in 1839 Charlotte Brontë declined Henry Nussey's offer of marriage.

Charlotte Bronte writes to the Reverend Henry Nussey, declining marriage. The 23-year-old Bronte told him that he would find her "romantic and eccentric" and not practical enough to be a clergyman's wife. Rather than marry, Bronte struggled as a teacher and governess to help support her brother Branwell's literary aspirations. In the end, Branwell's excesses destroyed him; his sisters, though, all became literary figures.

Ahem! Charlotte worked as a governess to support herself, not Branwell's efforts - at least not directly.

Shortly after declining the proposal of Reverend Nussey, Charlotte went to Brussels with her sister Emily to study languages and school administration. Returning to the parsonage at Hawthorne, the sisters attempted to set up their own school, but no pupils registered. Meanwhile, their adored brother Branwell was becoming a heavy drinker and opium user. When Emily got him a job teaching with her at a wealthy manor, he lost both their positions after a tryst with the mother of the house. He eventually died after accidentally setting his bed on fire.

School administration? Doesn't that sound way too modern?

Got to love Hawthorne Parsonage too. We have read Howarth and Howard and Hayworth. Hawthorne is new to us.

And it was Anne who got him into that teaching post, not Emily! And Anne resigned herself, it was Branwell alone who was fired.

By the way they write it it sounds like he burnt himself to death in bed, like Mr Rochester almost did. Well he died in bed, but it was without any fire and with his family around him.

Oh dear - what a day in history indeed! These things make your eyes hurt.

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