Background
Charlotte was the third and middle daughter born to Patrick and Maria Branwell Brontë. She had two older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, who both died as children from tuberculosis, and two younger sisters, Emily and Anne. She also had a younger brother, Branwell. Subsequent to their mother’s death from uterine cancer, Charlotte and her young siblings were brought up in Haworth, Yorkshire, by their father, Patrick, and their aunt, Elizabeth Branwell.
Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte and Emily all attended Clergy Daughters’ School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire during 1824. The fees were low, the food of a poor quality and the discipline harsh and often unfair. It was reported that the food provided by the school was generally poorly cooked and unhealthy, and the cook was “careless, dirty, and wasteful”.
Lowood Institution, the school which features in Charlotte’s famous novel, Jane Eyre, is said to have been based on Charlotte’s recollections of Cowan Bridge School.
Maria and Elizabeth both sickened during their time spent at this school and were effectively sent home to die in June 1825. They died within six weeks of each other at the ages of eleven and ten years old, respectively. After the deaths of his two oldest children, Patrick removed Charlotte and Emily from the school and the remaining four siblings were all home schooled for five years.
In 1831, Charlotte attended Roe Head School in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and this is where she met her lifelong friends, Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor. Charlotte returned home a year later to teach her sisters, but she returned to the school as a teacher in 1835. Charlotte did not enjoy teaching and her health declined and she succumbed to depression during her time at Roe Head School. She eventually left her position at the school in 1838 and returned home.
During the period 1839 to 1841, Charlotte worked as a governess to families in Yorkshire. She did not enjoy this work either, claiming that her employers treated her as a slave and constantly humiliated her.
In February 1842, Charlotte and Emily attended a finishing school in Brussels in order to improve their qualifications in French and learn some German. Their goal, together with Anne, was to open their own boarding school. It was at this school that Charlotte met Constantin Héger, an unusually devoted teacher with a brilliant and unusual mind. Charlotte and Emily returned to Haworth after the death of their Aunt Branwell in October 1842, but Charlotte returned to Brussels on her own, in January 1843, to take up a teaching post at the school. Charlotte was homesick and became overly devoted to Constantin Héger, who is believed to have been the subject of her first book, The Professor, which was rejected by publishers and only published after her death. Constantin’s wife is said to have become jealous of her and Charlotte decided to return home to Haworth in January 1844.
During the course of 1844, the three Bronte sisters attempted to open a boarding school in their home. Their efforts did not attract any pupils and the project was abandoned in October.
In May 1846, Charlotte, Emily and Anne self-financed the publication of a joint collection of poems under the assumed names of Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. They used these pseudonyms to veil their sex as female writers were regarded with disdain by Victorian society at that time. This book was not a success and they only sold two copies.
Despite the rejection by publishers of her book, The Professor, and the failure of the poetry book, Charlotte went on to write, and successfully publish, Jane Eyre in September 1847. In 1848, Charlotte started writing her second novel, Shirley. It was during the writing of this novel that she suffered the losses of her brother, Branwell, and both her sisters, Emily and Anne, all from respiratory diseases. Shirley was published in October 1849.
Charlotte’s last novel, Villette, was published in 1853, soon after her marriage to Arthur Bell Nicholls, her father’s curate. Charlotte became pregnant soon after her wedding and died, together with her unborn child, on 31 March 1855, at the age of thirty-nine. She is believed to have died from dehydration and malnourishment due to vomiting caused by severe morning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum.
Interesting information about Charlotte and her siblings
Tiny books
The Bronte siblings used to produce tiny books which were no bigger than matchboxes and were packed with stories and advertisements written in tiny writing. They stitched the books together using printed scrap paper and leaves. These tiny manuscripts were produced through their teenage years and into their twenties. They found miniaturization to be amusing and suggestive and like the idea of being giants carrying around these tiny pieces of literature.
One of the surviving tiny books created by Charlotte Brontë
Tiny person
Charlotte was a very tiny person. Her estimated height was approximately four foot seven and her clothes that are displayed at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, including shoes, corsets, gloves and dresses, would fit a modern child. She was self-conscious about her height and her looks in general, thinking of herself as being very plain. Charlotte also rarely smiled because her teeth were bad and many of them were missing.
A dress Charlotte bought for her honeymoon
Charlotte wrote to her friend Ellen Nussey in October 1849, two years after Jane Eyre was published, saying: “I find I really must go to Mr Atkinson the dentist [in Leeds] and ask him if he can do anything for my teeth.”
Her bad teeth were one of the first things Elizabeth Gaskell noticed about Charlotte. In a letter after they first met, Gaskell gave a less than flattering description of her friend: “a reddish face, large mouth and many teeth gone; altogether plain.”
Charlotte’s boots
To find out more about the Brontë family, click HERE to read a review by Olga Nunez Miret of The Mother of the Brontës: When Maria Met Patrick by Sharon Wright (@penswordbooks) Highly recommended to Brontës fans and to early XIX century historians.
“They were from different lands, different classes, different worlds almost.
The chances of Cornish gentlewoman Maria Branwell even meeting the poor Irish curate Patrick Brontë in Regency England, let alone falling passionately in love, were remote.
Yet Maria and Patrick did meet, making a life together as devoted lovers and doting parents in the heartland of the industrial revolution.”
About the author
Robbie, short for Roberta, is an author with five published children’s picture books in the Sir Chocolate books series for children aged 2 to 9 years old (co-authored with her son, Michael Cheadle), one published middle grade book in the Silly Willy series and one published preteen/young adult fictionalised biography about her mother’s life as a young girl growing up in an English town in Suffolk during World War II called While the Bombs Fell (co-authored with her mother, Elsie Hancy Eaton).
All of Robbie’s children’s book are written under Robbie Cheadle and are published by TSL Publications. Robbie has recently branched into adult horror and supernatural writing and, in order to clearly differentiate her children’s books from her adult writing, these will be published under Roberta Eaton Cheadle. Robbie has two short stories in the horror/supernatural genre included in Dark Visions, a collection of 34 short stories by 27 different authors and edited by award winning author, Dan Alatorre. These short stories are published under Robbie Cheadle.
Find and follow Roberta Eaton Cheadle
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Books by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Through the Nethergate
Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Margaret, a girl born with second sight, has the unique ability to bring ghosts trapped between Heaven and Hell back to life. When her parents die suddenly, she goes to live with her beloved grandfather, but the cellar of her grandfather’s ancient inn is haunted by an evil spirit of its own. In the town of Bungay, a black dog wanders the streets, enslaving the ghosts of those who have died unnatural deaths. When Margaret arrives, these phantoms congregate at the inn, hoping she can free them from the clutches of Hugh Bigod, the 12th century ghost who has drawn them away from Heaven’s White Light in his canine guise. With the help of her grandfather and the spirits she has befriended, Margaret sets out to defeat Hugh Bigod, only to discover he wants to use her for his own ends – to take over Hell itself.
Purchase links
It is available from Lulu.com here: Lulu.com
It is also available from TSL Publications as a soft copy book here: TSL Publications
While the Bombs Fell
What was it like for children growing up in rural Suffolk during World War 2?
Elsie and her family live in a small double-storey cottage in Bungay, Suffolk. Every night she lies awake listening anxiously for the sound of the German bomber planes. Often they come and the air raid siren sounds signalling that the family must leave their beds and venture out to the air raid shelter in the garden.
Despite the war raging across the English channel, daily life continues with its highlights, such as Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day fox hunt, and its wary moments when Elsie learns the stories of Jack Frost and the ghostly and terrifying Black Shuck that haunts the coastline and countryside of East Anglia.
Includes some authentic World War 2 recipes.
Robbie also writes as Robbie Cheadle
Robbie’s Inspiration Blog Goodreads Facebook YouTube
Amazon author page Twitter: @bakeandwrite
Books by Robbie and Michael Cheadle
The Sir Chocolate books are a delightful marriage of story, verse and cookery
… a perfect recipe for sharing with children. Silly Willy goes to Cape Town tells the adventures of two very different brothers…and includes five party cake ideas.
You can purchase the Sir Chocolate books from:
or you can buy them in South Africa directly from the authors by emailing Robbie Cheadle at sirchoc@outlook.com.
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Thank you for featuring this post about Charlotte Bronte today, Sue.
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As always, Robbie, it is lovely to have you over.
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A great article on Charlotte. It is so sad that they all died so young. But we continue ti enjoy their books to this day.
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Thank you, Darlene, it is amazing how popular and well know the Bronte’s still are. The museum an village of Haworth are wonderful.
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A great article from Robbie. I rather like that their poetry collection only sold two copies – doesn’t that give us all hope? 🙂 I also read Olga’s recent review of The Mother of the Brontes and Annika Perry has just blogged about the tiny books – seems we’re having a Bronte blogging festival 🙂
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It is surprising how many great authors sold very little to begin with… and yes, that gives us all hope 🙂
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Hi Mary, I saw both those posts and was thinking the same thing. It is amazing how the Bronte’s are still so well read and so fascinating to writers and readers.
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Thanks, Sue. “Jane Eyre” is my all-tIme favourite read. What a multi-faceted writer Robbie is!! xx
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I always loved that one too x
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Hi Joy, Jane Eyre is one of my all time favourite books. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Hi Robbie, Congratulations, well done you! When we visited her home, I couldn’t get over how tiny Charlotte was, Those little boots and gloves… I read JE for the first time, age 13 and had just met my ‘best friend’ at college. When Jane’s friend at school died, I had a nightmare that MY friend had died and recall waking up sobbing,It was SO REALISTIC. (Although that BF now lives in Wales and I live in Spain, I still look on her as my best, early friend,) What next, eh, Robbie? I’m still struggling with my ‘Jewish’ story. Hopefully, I’ll remain on my perch long enough to finish it! Take care. Hugs xx
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Hi Robbie, Congratulations, well done you! When we visited her home, I couldn’t get over how tiny Charlotte was, Those little boots and gloves… I read JE for the first time, age 13 and had just met my ‘best friend’ at college. When Jane’s friend at school died, I had a nightmare that MY friend had died and recall waking up sobbing,It was SO REALISTIC. (Although that BF now lives in Wales and I live in Spain, I still look on her as my best, early friend,) What next, eh, Robbie? I’m still struggling with my ‘Jewish’ story. Hopefully, I’ll remain on my perch long enough to finish it! Take care. Hugs xx
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I have your WWII story coming up on my TBR, Joy. I have been looking forward to reading it. I am not sure if I could write anything Jewish if it relates to WWII. Just reading books about tears my heart out.
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Mine too… xx
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This is the second post tonight I’ve read about the Bronte little books! Thanks for sharing this history of Charlotte and her family. I knew some of it, but I also learned a few things!
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I know, I saw a post earlier about the tiny books by Annika Perry. So coincidental.
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Life was harsh in that time and place. (K)
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It did seem to be particularly harsh time in the Victorian era.
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Pingback: Guest author: Robbie Cheadle – Charlotte Brontë – Roberta Writes
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine and commented:
For all Bronte sisters lovers, a special post by Robbie Cheadle on Sue Vincent’s blog. Charlotte Bronte authored the wonderful Jane Eyre, but the story of this author and her sister’s is far more tragic and compelling.. a wonderful insight into the lives of these amazing sisters and also of the times. #recommended
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Thanks for sharing, Sally. I appreciate your support. Charlotte’s books are my favourite of the three sisters.
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Delighted to share Robbie..hugs
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Aren’t we marvelous, as writers. It is as though regardless of life’s other happenings, we are compelled to write. Brava on this series of posts. I am thoroughly enchanted.
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Thank you, Annette. The Bronte family is really amazing. I don’t know any other where three siblings have written so many classic books. Jane Eyre is one of my all time favourite books.
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I will always think of her teeth now when my mind wanders to Charlotte Bronte. Very interesting.
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I was rather a sad thing, Jacqui. I have read a few autobiographies about Charlotte Bronte and she was most embarrassed about her teeth.
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What a revealing article! It helps one to understand the passion in Charlotte’s work because so much of it was based on personal experience. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
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My pleasure. I have always thought the passion in these three ladies novels was rather extraordinary, especially considering none of them were married at the time their books were published. Charlotte only married later. They were all very romantic and attributed almost supernatural abilities to their heroines.
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Pingback: Guest author: Robbie Cheadle ~ Charlotte Brontë — Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo – Sarah's Attic Of Treasures
This was a fantastic glimpse into Charlotte’s life Robbie. I have similar booties I wear at home to keep my feet warm LOL 🙂 ❤
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My mom has similar booties too, Debby. I don’t as my feet get to hot.
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Lol they wouldn’t if you lived in Canada! 🙂
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That is for sure, but it is so hot here today, I don’t know what to do with myself.
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So jealous! Lol 🙂
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What an interesting post Robbie. Life sure was tough for Charlotte and her family. It is a wonder that she managed to carry on writing.
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I think people at this time in history lived in close proximity to death. It wasn’t as separated from their lives as it is for us, they lived it all the time. It is very sad but they did seem to be able to move on from it. Patrick lived to 84 years old, so for quite a long time after Charlotte’s death.
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This was both fascinating and depressing. We forget that disease took far too many lives in those days. Loosing all your brothers and sisters, and dying when pregnant is tragic. Thank you, Robbie.
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Yes, this was a pointed reminder that we shouldn’t take the quality of our medical and dental care for granted.
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Absolutely!
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It is terrible that Charlotte died while pregnant. Apparently, no-one realised it was to do with the pregnancy in her village. She could only have been saved by a termination but they did have the ability to cause a miscarriage at that time. I don’t know if she would have agreed to it or not though.
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It is hard to speculate what she may have done. I wonder. Of course it was not uncommon to die in pregnancy back then. So sad!
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I thoroughly enjoyed this article about Charlotte Bronte’s life and how it inspired and informed her work.
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Thank you, LIz. I have a huge interest in the Bronte family and am enjoying writing this series.
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A fabulous post, Robbie, and thanks so much for mentioning my review. I know you had told me you were working on this post as well, and it’s very informative. Having visited the Parsonage a few times, I always loved the tiny books, and yes, her clothes are very tiny. I think they change them regularly, so the experience is different every time one visits. Their mother also lost several of her siblings as a child, even though Penzance had more facilities and was a much bigger place than Haworth, but infant death was very common at the time.
A fantastic guest post. Thanks Robbie and Sue.
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I have received my copy of The Mother of the Brontes and am looking forward to reading it and finding out about her. Her tragic death from uterine cancer was very sad and a catastrophe for her children. Our trip to York was planned entirely around our visit to this museum as I have always wanted to visit it.
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