Anne Bronte, Grand Hotel, St Nicholas Cliff, Scarborough, Yorks, UK
Posted by: 
bill&ben
N 54° 16.839 W 000° 23.925
30U E 669343 N 6017869
A plaque commemorating the death of Anne Bronte at a house on the site of the Grand Hotel
Waymark Code: WMM1KV
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/03/2014
Views: 4
Anne Bronte was the youngest of the Bronte family, having
been born on 17th
January 1820 in Thornton. Her father, Patrick, had the curacy of Howarth, the
family living in the parsonage. Her mother, Maria, died when Anne was a year
old.
Anne and her sisters were educated at home, after her elder
sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died of consumption whilst at boarding school.
The parsonage had a well stocked library and music and art lessons were found
locally. Charlotte eventually went to Roe Head school,
where she later became a teacher. Anne followed Charlotte to Roe Head.
After leaving school, in April 1839 Anne became a governess
for the Ingham family at Blake Hall near Mirfield. Her position as governess was not tenable and she
returned home by Christmas. However, her second position as governess to the
Robinson family was more successful, lasting five years. Bramwell
Bronte also had a position as governor with the Robinson family. Bramwell’s relationship with Mrs Robinson caused Anne
to leave the household.
Back at the Parsonage the three sisters published a book of
poems under assumed names. Sales were slow, however Anne, under the name Acton
Bell, did find a market for her poems in the Leeds Intelligencer and Fraser’s
Magazine. By 1846 the sisters were writing novels for publication. Anne wrote
Agnes Grey and it was accepted for publication. 1848 saw the publication of The Tenant of Wildfell
Hall, which became an instant success for Anne.
Tragedy struck the Bronte family when Bramwell
died in September 1848, followed in December by Emily. Anne was deeply affected
by the deaths and became ill with influenza. In January she was diagnosed with
consumption and decided in the February to make a visit to Scarborough, in
order to take advantage of the sea air. On the 28 May 1849 Anne Bronte died in
Scarborough. She was laid to rest in St Mary’s churchyard in Scarborough.
The plaque, sponsored by the Scarborough & District
Civic Society, reads
SCARBOROUGH &
DISTRIC CIVIC SOCIETY
ANNE
BRONTE
1820-1849
WRITER
died
in a house
on
this site
on
MAY 28th
1849