The Bront Sisters' Family Tree Explained

Publish date: 2024-03-15

Brontë was not Patrick's true family name. Many believe the original might be Brunty or Prunty. Some also think the Brontës' lineage traces back to the Irish clan Ó Pronntaigh, quite apropos since the group was known as scribes and scholars, reported The Genealogy Show

His father, Hugh, settled in County Down, became a farmer, and married Eleanor (or Alice) McClory. They had 10 children, including the eldest, Patrick, born in 1777. As a teen, he apprenticed with a blacksmith and a weaver. Patrick leaned toward learning, though, and by 16 he oversaw the local school. Although poor, Patrick earned a spot in at St. John's College in Cambridge. He returned home, just once, after graduating in 1806. Ordained in 1807, he served several curacies before moving to Haworth Parsonage in 1820. He married Maria Branwell (1812), and they had six children: Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Patrick Branwell, Emily Jane and Anne (from Brontë Parsonage Museum). 

After Maria's death, her sister, Elizabeth, moved in to help with the children. An overwhelmed Patrick sent four of his daughters to the Clergy Daughters' School, said Haworth Village.  The institution provided harsh conditions, offering poor food and little heat and the girls returned home. Patrick fought for reform, campaigning for improved education in 1847 and a better water supply in 1849. He gave his last sermon on October 30, 1859 — he had preached in the local church for 41 years. He died on June 7, 1861.

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