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Who was Anne Bronte? Novelist and poet. Date and Place of Birth: 17th January 1820, The Vicarage, Thornton, Yorkshire, England. Family Background: Daughter of a Cleric, Patrick Bronte and sister to Branwell, Charlotte and Emily Bronte. Education: Miss Wooler's School at Dewsbury Moor. Chronology: 1820: (March 25th ) Baptised in the "Old Bell Chapel at Thornton. (April) Bronte family move to Parsonage at Haworth 1821 (May) Elizabeth Branwell, her aunt and sister to her mother Maria, arrives to care for her sister who is dying of cancer and look after the children. (September 15th) Death of her mother, aged 38. She is buried inside the church at Haworth. 1825: (May 6th) Death of her sisters Maria (aged 11) and (June 15th) Elizabeth (aged 10) from consumption. 1828: Anne's earliest surviving drawing is made of a church surrounded by some trees. 1829: All the Bronte children receive art lessons from John Bradley of Keighley. 1831: Anne and Emily break away from Charlotte and brother Branwell's world of Angria and form their own fantasy world of Gondal. 1834: Throughout the year Anne, Emily and Branwell have piano lessons from Abraham Sunderland the parish organist. 1836: She is awarded a good conduct prize at Roe Head School. Anne writes her earliest surviving poem about the Gondal world during her Christmas holidays, "Verses by Lady Geralda". 1837: During the summer holidays Anne and Emily keep a diary. (November) Suffers a life threatening illness. and is visited by Moravian Minister James la Trobe. (December) Is forced to leave the school because of her illness. 1838: Branwell sets up his own portrait studio in Bradford. 1839: (April) Moves into Blake Hall, Mirfield to become a governess to the Ingham family. (May) Branwell returns to Haworth after running into debt in Bradford (August) William Weightman arrives at Haworth and becomes an assistant curate to Patrick Bronte. (December) Anne laves her post with the Inghams as she has had great difficulty controlling the unruly children. Branwell takes up a post as a tutor to the Postlethwaite family. 1840: Anne has much contact with William Weightman and falls in love with him. (May 8th) Anne goes as governess to the Robinson family at Thorp Green Hall, Little Ouseburn, near York. (June) Branwell is dismissed by the Postlethwaites. (July) Anne accompanies the Robinsons on their annual holiday to Scarborough. They stay at Wood's Lodgings on St. Nicholas Cliff in the middle of the bay. A drawing called "What you Please" is made at this time. (August) Branwell is employed as a clerk at Sowerby Bridge railway station. 1841: Branwell transferred to Luddenden Foot as Clerk in charge of the station. (June) Branwell has some of his poems published in the Halifax Guardian. Charlotte Emily and Anne discuss plans of opening their own school. Anne spends five weeks at Scarborough with the Robinsons. 1842: Anne asks to leave the employ of the Robinsons as she wants to stay at Haworth whilst Charlotte and Emily leave for Brussels though the family beg her to return. (March) Branwell is dismissed from the railways as one of his staff is caught "fiddling the books". (July) Anne spends six weeks at Scarborough with the Robinsons (September) William Weightman dies of cholera aged 28. (October) Aunt Elizabeth dies of an obstruction of the bowel, aged 66. (November) Anne returns to Thorp Hall after the funeral. 1843: Branwell also goes to Thorp Hall to teach the Robinson's son Edmund. (June) Anne is given a spaniel by the Robinson girls. (July) spends four weeks at Scarborough. 1844: (July) Spends five weeks at Scarborough. Writes a poem "Fluctuations" whilst there. The sister's plan to open a school at Haworth fails as they get no takers due to the remoteness of the location. 1845: (May) Arthur Bell Nicholls arrives in Haworth to take on the post as Curate to her father. (June) Anne resigns her post at Thorp Hall. (July) Branwell is dismissed from Thorp Hall for having an affair with Mrs Robinson. 1846: Charlotte sends manuscripts of the sisters poems to the publisher Aylott and Jones of London. (May) "Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell" (The sister's pseudonyms) published with the family paying the costs. Anne completes "Agnes Grey". 1847: "Agnes Grey" and Emily's "Wuthering Heights" are accepted for publication by Thomas Cautley Newby in London. Charlotte's "The Professor" is rejected. Anne begins writing "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall". 1848: (June ) "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" is published. (24th September) Death of brother Branwell from consumption. (19th December) Death of sister Emily from consumption. Anne has poems published in the Leeds Intelligencer and Fraser's Magazine. 1849: (January) Anne is examined at Haworth by Doctor Teale and found to have consumption. (May 25th) Goes with her friend Ellen Nussey and Charlotte to Scarborough. (May 26th ) Anne goes swimming alone but collapses later. In the afternoon she drives herself on South Sands in a donkey cart. (May 27th) Walks along the Spa Bridge with Charlotte and Ellen but has to sit down exhausted and realises she has not long to live. Discusses with Charlotte about returning to Haworth but it is too late. (1893): The Bronte Society Established. Written Works: 1846: “Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell”. 1847: “Agnes Grey” (Acton Bell). 1848: “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall”. Marriage: Never married. Places of Interest: YORKSHIRE: Brontë Parsnage Museum Haworth, Keighley West Yorkshire BD22 8DR. www.bronte.info/ York Minster. Scarborough. Date and Place of Death: 28th May 1849, Woods Lodgings, Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, of consumption. Age at Death: 29. Site of Grave: St. Mary’s Churchyard, Castle Road, Scarborough, Yorkshire, England.