Brontës

by Juliet Barker

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: TOMKINS TRIUMPHANT

  Title: referring to Charlotte: ‘she wants some Tomkins or another to love her and be in love with. But you see she is a little bit of a creature without a penny worth of good looks, thirty years old I should think, buried in the country, and eating up her own heart there, and no Tomkins will come’: W.M. Thackeray to Lucy Baxter, 11 Mar 1853 [Allott, 97–8].

  1. CB to EN, 15 Feb 1853: MS HM 26003 p.2, Huntington [LCB, iii, 123].

  2. PB to GS, 7Feb 1853: MS File 10 no.2, JMA [LCB, iii, 120–1]; PB to Edward Baines, 7Feb 1853: MS in private hands [LCB, iii, 121]; CB to GS 16 Feb 1853: MS SG 80 pp.3–4, BPM [LCB, iii, 124]; LI, 19 Feb 1853 p.3.

  3. PB to Hugh Brontè, 20 Jan 1853, inscription in Jane Eyre: HAOBP:bb236, BPM [LRPB, 214]. The difference in accents on the Brontë name suggests that the Irish Brontës had not yet adopted the diaeresis which the Haworth Brontës had used for many years. Patrick himself only used the diaeresis after Charlotte became famous and when he remembered to do so: the distinction in usage here is therefore particularly significant. It is not noticed in LRPB, 214.

  4. CB to EN, 10 Mar 1853: MS p.1, Law, photograph in MCP [LCB, iii, 134]; CB to [?WSW], 29 Mar 1853: MS BS 87 pp.3–4, BPM [LCB, iii, 146].

  5. CB to GS, 16 Feb 1853: MS SG 80 p.2, BPM [LCB, iii, 142].

  6. CB to GS, 26 Feb 1853: MS SG 17b p.1, BPM [LCB, iii, 128]. The portrait [HAOBP:P45, BPM] joined Smith’s other gifts, the portraits of Wellington and Charlotte herself (see above, p.766) in the parsonage dining-room, where it still hangs today. Charlotte’s first reaction on seeing Thackeray’s portrait was to stand silently for a few minutes then say ‘There came a Lion out of Judah’: Smith, A Memoir, 100–1. The quote is from Revelations ch.5 v.5and fore-tells the coming of Christ.

  7. CB to GS, 26 Mar 1853: MS SG 81 p.4, BPM [LCB, iii, 142].

  8. CB to WSW, 23 Mar 1853: MS pp.2–3, Texas [LCB, iii, 138].

  9. ECG, Life, 414; CB to WSW, 23 Mar 1853: MS p.3, Texas [LCB, iii, 139].

  10. CB to WSW, 9Mar 1853: MS HM 26009, Huntington [LCB, iii, 132–3]; CB to WSW, 23 Mar 1853: MS pp.1–2, Texas [LCB, iii, 139], which has two pages concerning Williams’s son Frank who had emigrated to Australia: Charlotte had not taken such an interest in a member of Williams’ family since procuring Frank’s introduction to Mrs Gaskell when he was an aspirant artist: see CB to WSW, 6 Nov 1851: MS HM 24400, Huntington, and CB to ECG, 6Nov 1851: MS EL fB91, Rylands [LCB, ii, 709–11].

  11. CB to EN, 4 Mar 1853: MS Gr. E23 pp.1–2, BPM [LCB, iii, 129].

  12. ECG, Life, 429; Charles Longley to his wife, 2 Mar 1853: MS Lambeth [Brian Wilks, ‘A Bishop, Bed and Breakfast, a Mystery Dessert and a Poignant Letter: Material Found Among the Papers of Dr Charles Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury’, BST:32:2:91]. Longley has a different slant on ‘his’ intervention. ‘We had a young clergyman to supper here who would talk about her books, but she soon gave him to understand that she did not like the subject’: ibid, 92. Wilks says that the ‘young clergyman’ must have been Nicholls, but this would have been totally out of character and Gaskell’s account suggests it was more likely to have been Grant.

  13. CB to EN, 4Mar 1853: MS Gr. E23 pp.4–5, BPM [LCB, iii, 129–30].

  14. CB to MW, 12 Apr 1854: MS FM 26 pp.4–5, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 243]; CB to EN, 4Mar 1853: MS Gr. E23 pp.2, 3, BPM [LCB, iii, 129].

  15. BO, 17 Mar 1853 p.5; CB to EN, 6Apr 1853: MS Gr. E24 pp.2–3, BPM [LCB, iii, 148]; CB to EN, 18 Apr 1853: MS pp.3–4, Law, photograph in MCP [LCB, iii, 157].

  16. CB to WSW, 23 Mar 1853: MS p.3, Texas [LCB, iii, 139].

  17. Ibid.; CB to EN, [22 Mar 1853]: MS p.4, Law, photograph in MCP [LCB, iii, 137]; LI, 2Apr 1853 p.7. The collections after the sermons were for the church organist: the paper notes the efficiency of the choir and that ‘Haworth has been celebrated for vocalists and music, and musical composers for upwards of a century.’

  18. ABN to the Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 1 Apr 1853: MS pp.1–2, USPG. He had already put off a proffered interview in London in February ‘owing to the solicitation of friends’ who had led him to doubt the ‘desirableness of leaving the Country at present –’: ABN to the Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 26 Feb 1853: MS pp.1–2, USPG. Charlotte reported rumours that Nicholls had found another curacy in CB to EN, 6Apr 1853: MS Gr. E24 p.3, BPM [LCB, iii, 148].

  19. Ibid., pp.3–6[LCB, iii, 148–9].

  20. CB to ECG, 24 Feb 1853: MS EL fB91 p.4, Rylands [LCB, iii, 127]; CB to ECG, 14 Apr 1853: MS BS 89 p.1, BPM [LCB, iii, 156].

  21. CB to ECG, 22 May 1852: MS EL fB91 pp.3–4, Rylands [LCB, iii, 48].

  22. ECG, Life, 431, 432. Gaskell does not name the Yorkshire friend who sent the letter but CB to EN, [?22 Apr 1853]: MS n.l. [LCB, iii, 158] makes it clear it was Ellen. She was about to stay with the Upjohns at Gorleston where Charlotte expected she would be comfortable ‘unless the house be really haunted as Mr Clapham supposed’: CB to EN, 19 May 1853: MS p.2, Berg [LCB, iii, 166].

  23. ECG, Life, 431.

  24. ECG to [?John Forster], [?late Apr 1853] [C&P, 231]; ECG, Life, 431–2.

  25. Ibid., 432–3; ECG to John Forster, 3 May 1853 [LCB, iii, 160]; CB to GS, 26 Mar 1853: MS SG 81 p.6, BPM [LCB, iii, 143], which Gaskell quotes to illustrate Charlotte’s argument.

  26. Brian Kay and James Knowles, ‘The “Twelfth Night” Charlotte Saw’, BST:15:78:242–3.

  27. ECG to John Forster, 3May 1853 [LCB, iii, 159]. Gaskell goes on to say ‘I was so sorry for her! She has had so little kindness & affection shown to her. She said that she was afraid of loving me as much as she could, because she had never been able to inspire the kind of love she felt.’ This was an odd remark, particularly in the light of Nicholls’s sufferings at this time, but Charlotte had similarly told Ellen ‘I am afraid of caring for you too much’: CB to EN, [?26 Oct 1852]: MS n.l. [LCB, iii, 73].

  28. CB to ECG, Apr 1853: MS n.l. [LCB, iii, 159]; CB to ECG, 9July 1853: MS EL fB91 p.4, Rylands [LCB, iii, 183]; ECG to John Forster, 3May 1853 [LCB, iii, 160].

  29. CB to EN, 31 Oct 1852: MS HM 24500 pp.1, 2, Huntington [LCB, iii, 76]; CB to EN, [c.5 Nov 1852]: MS at Wellesley [LCB, iii, 79].

  30. MT to EN, May–21 July 1853: MS pp.1–2, Berg [LCB, iii, 163]. Stevens, 110–17 gives the best account of the whole Upjohn saga.

  31. CB to EN, [?13 June 1853]: MS n.l. [LCB, iii, 175].

  32. CB to EN, 16 May 1853: MS pp.2–5, Brotherton [LCB, iii, 165–6].

  33. CB to EN, 19 May 1853: MS pp.2–3, Berg [LCB, iii, 167].

  34. ABN to C.K. Shorter, 18 June 1895: MS in Brotherton.

  35. CB to EN, 19 May 1853: MS p.3, Berg [LCB, iii, 167].

  36. LI, 28 May 1853 p.8. The paper reported that Merrall’s speech was ‘kind and feeling’ and that during Nicholls’ 8 years ‘his zeal and energy in behalf of the church and schools, as well as his kind and judicious conduct to all, have won him the respect and esteem of the parishioners: so it is with sincere regret that they are parting with him’. The gold watch, inscribed inside its case, ‘Presented to the Revd A.B. Nicholls B.A. by the teachers scholars and congregation of St Michael’s Haworth Yorkshire May 25th 1853’ is now HAOBP:J1, BPM.

  37. CB to EN, 27 May 1853: MS Gr. E25 pp.3–5, BPM [JB ST, no.3; LCB, iii, 168–9].

  38. Nicholls performed his first duty, a burial, on 11 August but he may have been there earlier as the previous curate took his last duty on 24 June. The duties were very light – Nicholls performed only 6baptisms and 7 burials in the 9 months he was at Kirk Smeaton – so an exact date of arrival cannot be ascertained: Register of Baptisms, 1813–74, Register of Burials, 1813–38, St Peter’s Church, Kirk Smeaton: MSS D69/6, D69/10, WYAS, Wakefield. WG CB, p.524 suggests Nicholls’ departure was delayed because Patrick had to find a new curate and Nicholls a new post but it is clear from Nicholls’ missionary application that he was contracted to remain at Haworth until the end of May: ABN to the Secretary of the Society for t
he Propagation of the Gospel, 28 Jan 1853: MS in USPG. I have been unable to discover what he did between leaving Haworth and taking up his Kirk Smeaton posting: he may have visited relatives in Ireland.

  39. CB to EN, 27 May 1853: MS Gr. E25 p.3, BPM [JB ST, no.3; LCB, iii, 168]; Register of Burials, Haworth; Register of Baptisms, Haworth.

  40. ECG to John Forster, 3 May 1853 [LCB, iii, 160]; CB, ‘I will not deny that I took pleasure’ [Willie Ellin], May 1853: MS Eng 35.4, Harvard [BST:9:46:4–5]. Villette had completed Charlotte’s contractual obligation to Smith, Elder & Co. so she was not required to write another book. I suspect, however, she deliberately gave the impression that she would not write for some time to avoid the pressure and weight of expectation which would inevitably surround her next work.

  41. CB to WSW, 28 May 1853: MS HM 24402 p.1, Huntington [LCB, iii, 170]; CB to Mrs Holland, 28 May 1853: MS BS 89.2, BPM [LCB, iii, 171].

  42. CB to ECG, 1 June 1853: MS n.l. [LCB, iii, 172]. Ellen was still at Oundle on 20 June though planning an imminent return home via Haworth: CB to EN, 20 June 1853: MS BS 90 pp.1–3, BPM [LCB, iii, 178].

  43. CB to ECG, 1June 1853: MS n.l. [LCB, iii, 172]; PB to ECG, [?5or 6June 1853]: MS EL B121, Rylands [LCB, iii, 173–4]; CB to GS, 12 June 1853: MS SG 83 p.1, BPM [LCB, iii, 174]. See also CB to EN, [?13 June 1853]: MS n.l. [LCB, iii, 175].

  44. CB to GS, 14 July 1853: MS SG 85 pp.3–4, BPM [LCB, iii, 184]. Apart from temporary attacks, before his cataracts were operated upon and when he had his stroke, Patrick was never actually blind, retaining enough vision to be able to write occasional letters till his death.

  45. Ibid., p.3[LCB, iii, 184]. Patrick’s declared intention had been to stay in private lodg-ings in London: CB to GS, 3July 1853: MS SG 84 pp4–5, BPM [LCB, iii, 181].

  46. Ibid., pp.2–3[LCB, iii, 167].

  47. [Anne Mozley], Christian Remembrancer, Apr 1853 pp.401–43 [Allott, 203]. Mozley could have guessed something of the trauma Charlotte had gone through if she had read the Biographical Notice prefixed to the 1850 edition of Wuthering Heights & Agnes Grey.

  48. [Elizabeth Rigby], Quarterly Review, Dec 1848 pp.153–85 [Allott, 111]. See above, pp.715–8.

  49. CB to the Editor of the Christian Remembrancer, 18 July 1853: MS n.l. [LCB, iii, 186–7]. This letter was published in full in the October 1857 issue in a review of ECG, Life.

  50. Christian Remembrancer, Oct 1853 [W. Robertson Nicoll, ‘Charlotte Brontë and one of her Critics’, The Bookman, Nov 1899].

  51. CB, ‘In other countries and in distant times’ [Willie Ellin], 22 June 1853: MS Eng 35. 4, Harvard [BST:9:46:5–19]; CB, ‘“Stop” – said the expectant victim earnestly’ [Willie Ellin], [?June 1853]: MS Bon 111, BPM [BST:9:46:19–23].

  52. LI, 30 July 1853 p.8; Haworth Church Hymnsheets, 24 July 1853: MS BS, x, H, BPM.

  53. Charlotte fixed 30 June as the date for Ellen’s arrival in CB to EN, 23 June [1853]: MS Beinecke [LCB, iii, 180] but it is not clear whether Ellen came or not. The like-lihood is that she did, thus enabling her to discover that Charlotte was favourably inclined towards Nicholls’ suit: Ellen’s dis-approval caused a long estrangement between the two friends which lasted until February 1854: see below, pp.867–9, 881–2.

  54. Catherine Winkworth to Emma Shaen, 8 May 1854 [Shaen (ed.), Memorials of Two Sisters, 115]. CB to EN, 11 April 1854: MS p.1, Pforzheimer [LCB, iii, 239], where Charlotte states ‘Matters have progressed thus since last July. He renewed his visit in Septr –’. This implies a previous visit before September 1853, possibly in July while Ellen was staying at Haworth, which might have been the catalyst for their estrangement since then.

  55. MT to EN, 24 Feb 1854: MS Ashley 5768 p.2, BL [LCB, iii, 228], mentioning that Ellen’s letter was written on 12 August.

  56. CB to EN, 23 June [1853]: MS Beinecke [LCB, iii, 180]; CB to EN, 1 Mar [1854]: MS Montague [LCB, iii, 230–1]. A lost letter from Charlotte to Ellen, ending the quarrel, is referred to in Mary Hewitt to EN, 21 Feb 1854: see below n.58. A letter dated only ‘Thursday Morning’ by Charlotte was wrongly attributed to 6 October 1853 by Ellen: MS Bon 248, BPM [L&L, iv, 97–8].

  57. CB to MW, 12 Dec 1853: MS FM 25 p.2, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 214]. Significantly, this letter is incomplete, ending with the words ‘My heart …’ immediately after the sentence quoted in my text. This seems to me further evidence of a comprehensive attempt to destroy all references to the estrangement in Charlotte’s correspondence. Miss Wooler would have willingly acquiesced to such a request from Ellen, just as she did for Nicholls with regard to references to James Taylor: see below, p.919.

  58. Mary Hewitt to EN, 21 Feb 1854: MS in Brotherton [LCB, iii, 226–7].

  59. CB to EN, 11 April 1854: MS p.1, Pforzheimer [LCB, iii, 239].

  60. CB to MW, 30 Aug 1853: MS FM 22 pp.2–4, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 189].

  61. Ibid., pp.3–6[LCB, iii, 189].

  62. Ibid., p.1[LCB, iii, 188]; CB to MW, 8Sept 1853: MS FM 23 pp.1–2, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 192].

  63. CB to ECG, 31 Aug 1853: MS BS 90.5, BPM [LCB, iii, 191]; CB to MW, 8Sept 1853: MS FM 23 pp.1–2, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 192]; CB to EN, 11 April 1854: MS p.1, Pforzheimer [LCB, iii, 239].

  64. CB to MW, 30 Aug 1853: MS FM 22 p.4, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 189]; CB to ECG, 16 [Sept 1853]: MS Rylands [LCB, iii, 193].

  65. See, for example, CB to MW, 12 Dec 1853: MS FM 25, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 213–4].

  66. PB to ECG, 15 Sept 1853: MS EL B121 pp.2–3, Rylands [LCB, iii, 192–3]. See also CB to ECG, 1June 1853, quoted above, p.862.

  67. CB to ECG, 16 [Sept 1853]: MS Rylands [LCB, iii, 193].

  68. Ibid.; ECG to unidentified, [end Sept 1853] [C&P, 247–8]. This letter is quoted in ECG, Life, 438–40 where it appears as ‘part of a letter I wrote at the time’. It may in fact be an edited, reordered and polished version of her extant letter to someone, possibly John Forster, which was actually written at the time: ECG to [?John Forster], [after 29 Sept 1853]: MS in Brotherton [LCB, iii, 196–200].

  69. ECG, Life, 438–9; ECG to [?John Forster], [after 29 Sept 1853]: MS pp., 3–5, Brotherton [LCB, iii, 196–7].

  70. Ibid., pp.2–3 [LCB, iii, 196–7].

  71. Ibid., pp.3, 5–8, 11 [LCB, iii, 197–9].

  72. Ibid, pp.12–14 [LCB, iii, 199–200].

  73. ECG, Life, 442.

  74. Ibid., 440; ECG to [?John Forster], [after 29 Sept 1853]: MS p. 9, Brotherton [LCB, iii, 199]. Gaskell’s remarks on Patrick’s dining alone and coming in for tea ‘an honour to me I believe’, for example, gave the false impression that he normally took all his meals alone: ibid., p.3[LCB, iii, 197].

  75. ECG to Richard Monckton Milnes, 29 Oct [1853] [C&P, 252–3]. According to this letter, Gaskell (a Unitarian) had also tried to find Nicholls a place as curate to Dr Hook, the widely respected Anglican bishop of Leeds, but he had no vacancies available.

  76. CB to ECG, 25 Sept 1853: MS n.l. [LCB, iii, 194].

  77. CB to Francis Bennoch, 29 Sept 1853: MS BS 91 p.3, BPM [LCB, iii, 195]; BO, 6Oct 1852 p.5. Both sermons were in aid of Stanbury Sunday schools and between them raised £7.

  78. CB to MW, 18 Oct 1853: MS FM 24 pp.2, 3–4, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 202].

  79. See, for example, Revd William Fawcett (not J.T.C. Fawcett, vicar of Kildwick, as in L&L, iv, 98, 350), who stayed 15–18 October, preaching on the Sunday and baptizing 4 infants during the service: ibid., p.1[LCB, iii, 202]; Baptisms, Haworth.

  80. CB to ECG, 15 Nov 1853: MS BS 91.5, BPM [LCB, iii, 206]. This letter proves that Charlotte planned the visit prior to learning of George Smith’s engagement and not as a response to it as is suggested by Fraser, Charlotte Brontë, 451–2.

  81. CB to MW, 7 Dec 1852: MS FM 18 pp.1–2, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 89], where she says the payment for Villette ‘perhaps is not quite equitable’. For the power of attorney see CB to GS, 27 July 1850: MS SG 38 p.2, BPM [LCB, ii, 430].

  82. CB to GS, 6 Dec 1852: MS SG 78 p.1, BPM [LCB, iii, 88].

  83. CB to Emily Shaen, 21 Nov 1853:
MS in Brotherton [LCB, iii, 208].

  84. CB to Mrs Smith, 21 Nov 1853: MS SG 86 p.2, BPM [LCB, iii, 209].

  85. Mrs Smith, draft letter to CB, [?22 Nov 1853]: MS SG 87 p.1, BPM [LCB, iii, 209–10]. For Smith’s own account of meeting and falling in love with Elizabeth Blakeway at a ball on 5 April 1853 and his proposal and acceptance the following November see Glynn, Prince of Publishers, 77–9.

  86. CB to Emily Shaen, Thursday morning [24 Nov 1853]: MS in Brotherton [LCB, iii, 211]. It is clear from this letter that Charlotte received Mrs Smith’s letter that morning – the day she was due to go to London – and cancelled her trip immediately. Gaskell was intrigued both by the purpose of the visit and the reasons for its cancellation, obliging Charlotte to fend her off with the vague explanation that it ‘was regulated only by commonplace causes’: CB to ECG, 27 Dec 1853: MS EL fB91 p.4, Rylands [LCB, iii, 215].

  87. CB to WSW, 6Dec 1853: MS Gr. F12 p.1, BPM [LCB, iii, 212].

  88. CB to GS, 10 Dec 1853: MS SG 88 p.1, BPM [LCB, iii, 213].

  89. CB to MW, 12 Dec 1853: MS FM 25 p.1, Fitzwilliam [LCB, iii, 213]; CB to ECG, 27 Dec 1853: MS EL fB91 p.2, Rylands [LCB, iii, 214].

  90. CB to EN, 11 Apr 1854: MS pp.1–2, Pforzheimer [LCB, iii, 239].

  91. Ibid., p.2 [LCB, iii, 239–40]; CB to EN, [28 Mar 1854]: MS p.3, Princeton [LCB, iii, 237].

  92. LI, 7Jan 1854 p.8. The severe weather prompted William Cartman to give Patrick a pair of heel spikes to buckle under his shoes and prevent him slipping on the ice: writing to thank him, Patrick declared the device ‘another prop to Old-Age –’: PB to Revd William Cartman, 27 Jan 1854: MS BS 197 pp.1–2, BPM [LRPB, 220], The heel spikes are now HAOBP:H61, BPM.

  93. Richard Monckton Milnes to ECG, 30 Jan 1854: MS fms Am 1943.1 (131) pp.1–3, Harvard [LCB, iii, 223]. Milnes may have succeeded in securing some augmentation of income for Nicholls as Gaskell later wrote ‘thanking you most truly about Mr Nicholls. I am sure you will keep the secret; and if you want a steam-engine or 1000 yards of calico pray employ me in Manchester’: ECG to Richard Monckton Milnes, [?early June 1854] [C&P, 299]: but see also below, p.1119 n.15.