Comprises a substantial collection of original and transcribed material by, or relating to, different members of the Bronté family, as follows: (A) by Anne Bronté, an autograph manuscript discussing the truth of the Bible; (B) by Branwell Bronté, 'Letters from an Englishman', stories (some in miniature format), and poems, all autograph, and autograph and transcribed letters; (C) by Charlotte Bronté, poems transcribed by her husband, A.B. Nicholls, two autograph manuscripts in French, and numerous autograph letters; together with Elizabeth Gaskell's autograph manuscript describing a visit to Charlotte Bronté, letters from A.B. Nicholls relating to Charlotte Bronté, letters and manuscripts by Ellen Nussey, and transcripts of letters written to her, concerning members of the Bronté family, and letters written by the publishing firm Smith, Elder and Co. to C.K. Shorter and T.J. Wise; (F) by Maria Bronté, an autograph manuscript of 'The advantages of poverty in religious concerns', and an autograph letter to her husband, the Rev. Patrick Bronté and an autograph letter from the latter.
Correspondence and literary manuscripts of, or relating to, members of the Bronté family
This material is held atUniversity of Leeds Special Collections
- Reference
- GB 206 Brotherton Collection MS 19c Bront
- Dates of Creation
- 1812-1925
- Name of Creator
- Language of Material
- English French
- Physical Description
- ca. 20 vols, 12 folders, and 1 box; manuscript and typescript. Many of the volumes are bound in fine, mainly black, leather and are gilt-embossed on their spines with bibliographical details.
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
The Bronté family of Haworth, the subject of numerous biographies.
Access Information
Access is unrestricted.
Acquisition Information
Principally from the library of Lord Brotherton with some later additions.
Note
In English, but with a little French.
Other Finding Aids
The Brontés' own manuscripts are fully described in Handlist 145, and the associated collection of 'Brontana' in Handlist 155. The letters are listed in the Library's Letters database http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/spcoll/letters/letlink.htm#bronte
Alternative Form Available
The great bulk of the collection is available on microfilm from Adam Matthew Publications as part of their microfilm set Gaskell and the Brontés (2003), which is provided with its own descriptive guide.
Additional Information
An extensive collection of books and periodicals devoted to Bront scholarship, including many of the Bront family's works published in various editions and works about either the whole family or individual members of it, is shelved adjacent to the manuscripts. A collection of pamphlets and offprints on Bront subjects ('Brontana') is also shelved with the archive.