Two rare letters by the Bront sisters' father, the Rev Patrick Bront, are to be auctioned for the first time. Sotheby's of London expect them to fetch a total of £5,700 when they go under the hammer on February 24.
A Sotheby's spokes-man said: "They are quite rare and will be sought after because of their content." The first letter was written in February 1844, four years before tragedy struck the parsonage in Haworth with the deaths of his son Branwell, 31, and Emily, 30, followed shortly by Anne, 29. The second dates from April 1851, four years before the death of Charlotte at 38.
Rev Bront - then 75 - asks the district secretary of the Church Pastoral Aid Society about the renewal of his grant and his need for a lay reader. He writes: "We live in a strange age....Infidelity and Romanism seem to be gaining ground rapidly."
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article