Part of a literary family, Emily Brontë is frequently discussed alongside her sisters. It is believed that her poetry inspired Charlotte Brontë to pursue publication for herself and her siblings. Despite this, Emily Brontë is often portrayed as somewhat reclusive compared to her sister.
Early Years: Birth, Loss, & Cowan Bridge
Emily Jane Brontë was born in Haworth, West Yorkshire on July 30, 1818. She was the fifth child of the Reverend Patrick Brontë and Maria Brontë (née Branwell). Her siblings included older sisters Maria (born late 1813/early 1814) and Elizabeth (born 1815), an older brother Branwell (born 1817), and younger sister Anne (born 1820). In April 1820, the family moved to the Haworth parsonage.
Maria Brontë was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Elizabeth Branwell, her sister, came to the parsonage to assist in her care but Maria died on September 15, 1821. Elizabeth remained to care for the children.
In November 1824, Emily, along with older sisters Maria, Elizabeth and Charlotte, enrolled at the Clergy Daughters’ School at Cowan Bridge. During 1824-25, the school experienced a typhoid epidemic.
Maria and Elizabeth Brontë contracted tuberculosis. Maria died on May 6, 1825, and Elizabeth followed on June 15, 1825. Charlotte and Emily Brontë were removed from Cowan Bridge shortly after Elizabeth’s return to Haworth.
Education and Influences
Charlotte and Emily Brontë, after their time at Cowan Bridge, continued their education at home in Haworth with their siblings. Their studies were primarily directed by their father, who provided oral lessons on history and religion. In 1829, an artist named John Bradley gave the children art instruction.
The surrounding moors were a significant part of the children’s lives. Accompanied by servants, Emily, Branwell, and Anne witnessed a startling natural event in September of 1824 when a bog erupted violently at Crow Hill.
These Yorkshire moors remained a profound source of inspiration throughout the children’s lives, particularly for Emily.
On June 5, 1826, Patrick Brontë brought home gifts for his children. Branwell received a box of toy soldiers, which fascinated all the siblings. Three years later, Charlotte documented their reaction in a diary paper. The children each claimed a soldier as their own, naming them after historical or imagined figures such as the Duke of Wellington. These games likely influenced their later literary creations.
Anne Brontë’s toy soldier was named Ross, inspired by Arctic explorer John. Emily Brontë’s soldier was dubbed Parry, a tribute to Arctic explorer Sir William Edward Parry. Parry became the ruler of the fictional Parry’s Land, one of four islands within Glass Town, the capital city of Angria. Glass Town was a world the Brontë siblings collectively imagined.
As the eldest Brontë children, Charlotte and Branwell often led the narratives developed within their shared world. In 1831, seeking a degree of independence, Emily and Anne established their own fictional kingdom named Gondal.
Charlotte attended Roe Head School beginning in 1831, returning again in 1835 as a teacher. She brought Emily as a student, subsidized by Charlotte’s wages. Emily ultimately left Roe Head after three months, returning to Haworth. Anne then attended Roe Head in Emily’s place. It’s been speculated that Emily’s departure was due to a combination of shyness, homesickness, or finding the educational level unsuitable.
The World of Work
After returning home, Emily Brontë sought to establish a means of financial independence. She took a teaching position at Law Hill School in Halifax in September of 1838. Emily had forty pupils but commented that her bond was stronger with the school dog. (It is worth noting that Emily Brontë was known to be an animal lover, particularly of her own dogs.) She left this teaching post in March of 1839, citing health concerns. Back at the parsonage, she continued her academic pursuits including study of the Four Gospels and Latin.
As was typical for daughters of clergymen with limited financial means, the Brontë sisters were educated to become teachers or governesses. Charlotte Brontë led the initiative to open their own school. To achieve this goal, the sisters requested financial support from their Aunt Branwell to further their education and language skills in Brussels. Their aunt agreed, and Emily and Charlotte arrived at the Pensionnat Héger in Brussels in February 1842.
During her time in Brussels, Emily Brontë left a strong impression on the school’s master, M. Constantin Héger. Héger later described her as having a “stubborn tenacity of will” and being very direct in her disapproval of his teaching methods. Despite this, he acknowledged Emily’s intellectual abilities.
The sisters had to cut their time in Brussels short upon receiving news of their Aunt Branwell’s illness. They arrived home in early November to the news that their aunt had passed away. Each sister received an inheritance from their aunt, which eased Emily’s immediate financial concerns, allowing her to remain at the parsonage and manage the household duties for her father.
Emily Brontë’s Early Works
After returning home [reference needed for context], Emily Brontë studied German. In 1844, she started organizing her poetry into two notebooks. One was titled “Gondal Poems,” while the other remained untitled (it is now referred to as the “Honresfeld manuscript”).
A year later, Charlotte Brontë discovered one of Emily’s notebooks while searching through her sister’s writing desk. Charlotte was deeply impressed by the poems, recognizing their unique style and power. She believed they deserved to be published.
Emily was initially resistant to the idea, feeling that her privacy had been violated. However, Charlotte was persistent, and Anne Brontë also contributed her own poems for a potential joint publication. Emily eventually agreed.
From September 1845 to January 1846, Emily carefully selected and edited her poems for the planned publication. In 1846, under the pen names Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, the sisters released a collection of their poetry at their own cost. It included 21 poems each by Emily and Anne, and 19 by Charlotte. The collection received a few positive reviews but sold poorly in its first year.
Following this, Charlotte suggested the sisters focus on writing novels, a potentially more profitable venture. In December 1847, Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne Brontë’s “Agnes Grey” were published together by Thomas Cautley Newby. “Wuthering Heights” proved controversial due to its depictions of intense emotions and complex relationships. Some critics were highly critical, while others noted its unique power and compared it favorably to older works.
Illness and Death
In September 1848, a year following the release of “Wuthering Heights”, Emily Brontë’s brother, Branwell, passed away. He had struggled with alcoholism and opium addiction. The official cause of death was documented as chronic bronchitis and marasmus; however, tuberculosis is a likely underlying cause. Shortly after Branwell’s funeral, Emily contracted an illness initially believed to be a cold.
Emily Brontë’s health rapidly declined as tuberculosis progressed. Despite her family’s urging, she persisted in her daily responsibilities. On December 19th, 1848, she finally agreed to medical attention. Sadly, she died later that day at the age of 30. Her loyal dog, Keeper, remained at her side.
