How many bronte siblings were there

Refusing to admit she was ill, she dragged herself out of bed every morning and continued to carry out her share of the household chores.

Her death came at the age of 30, three months after her brother's, on December 19, All Charlotte's concern was now directed towards her last surviving sister, who seemed unable to shake off her cold.

A lung specialist called in to examine Anne shortly after Emily's death confirmed Charlotte's worst fear, that she was likely to lose this last, much-loved sister. Anne submitted to all the futile treatments then available, but any benefit proved temporary.

In January Charlotte wrote: 'Anne cannot study now, she can scarcely read; she occupies Emily's chair - she does not get well. It was in Scarborough that Anne died, just four days later, on May 28, , aged To spare her father the anguish of yet another family funeral, Charlotte took the decision to bury her sister in Scarborough, where she was laid to rest in the churchyard of St Mary's, high above the town.

Stunned by the tragedies of the previous nine months, Charlotte wrote: 'A year ago - had a prophet warned me how I should stand in June - how stripped and bereaved I should have thought - this can never be endured'. Charlotte turned to writing to sustain her through the dark days ahead.

Her novel Shirley , begun before Branwell's death, was taken up once more. The novel was published in October , and as winter approached, Charlotte fled Haworth to stay with George Smith and his mother in London. Her fame had provided her with a means of entering London's literary society, but by this time, Charlotte found that her sense of loss and the seclusion of her life at Haworth had left her unfitted to enjoy it. During her London visit Charlotte was introduced to her literary idol, the novelist W.

Thackeray, but the experience proved more of an ordeal than a pleasure. Over the next few years there were more visits to London, during one of which she sat for her portrait to the society artist George Richmond.

As Charlotte's true identity gradually became known her fame brought her a great deal of attention, and in August she was invited to the summer residence of Sir James and Lady Kay-Shuttleworth above Lake Windermere, where she met the novelist Elizabeth Gaskell.

Charlotte agreed to edit the work, correcting many errors which had appeared in the first edition, and also making changes of her own. She undertook the melancholy task of sorting through her dead sisters' papers to provide a selection of their poetry, and also wrote an emotional biographical notice of the two authors. Charlotte's last novel Villette was published in At this time the atmosphere at the Parsonage was emotionally charged: Charlotte had rejected a marriage proposal from her father's curate, the Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls, and Patrick was incensed by the mere thought of the poor Irishman pursuing his famous daughter.

What Charlotte saw as her father's unjust treatment worked in Nicholls' favour, and the couple were eventually married in Haworth Church on June 29, Though Charlotte had entered the married state with misgivings she found unexpected happiness with Arthur.

By , the family were back together at Haworth. By this stage, Branwell was addicted to drink and drugs. In May , the sisters published at their own expense a volume of poetry. They all went on to publish novels, with differing levels of success. Branwell died of tuberculosis in September Emily died of the same disease on 19 December and Anne on 28 May Left alone with her father, Charlotte continued to write.

She was by now a well-known author and visited London a number of times. In , Charlotte married her father's curate, Arthur Nicholls. He was seen as the gifted one in the family. His father had hired a painting master to teach his only son, and it was also thought that Branwell could possibly turn out to be a poet or a journalist. Unfortunately, Fate dictated otherwise. Branwell was to go to London to attend the Royal Academy Schools, but he did not present himself as planned.

Instead, he roamed the streets of London, wasting his money on alcohol. Later on, when he had failed at portrait painting and working on railroads, he tried his hand at tutoring the Robinson family hired him. Branwell was dismissed because of "irregularities," as it was termed.

He had been having an affair with Mrs. Finally, at age 31, Charlotte's only brother died. Meanwhile, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne had begun publishing their poetry and novels. Charlotte had written Jane Eyre , Shirley , and Villette It was not until after her death that The Professor was published in Charlotte had begun several novels, but she never finished them. Emily's novel Wuthering Heights was published in All of the Bronte sisters had contributed poems to a collection of poetry, entitled Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell The sisters lived in such times that women were not always given a fair chance in the business world.

Therefore, they assumed masculine names, so that their books would have a better chance of being published.

Disaster struck in October of , when Emily fell sick with tuberculosis. In December of , Emily's coffin was laid in the same vault as that of her mother and brother.

Anne soon followed her sister to the grave, after she was consumed by the same relentless disease that had deprived her mother, brother, and three sisters of their lives.

The only remaining members of the Bronte family were Patrick and Charlotte.