The Brontë Society has acquired a book that originally belonged to the famous Brontë sisters' mother, for £200,000 (US$264,000) and will put this cherished family tome on public display in 2017.
One of the few surviving possessions of Maria Brontë following a shipwreck, the book has now been returned to its original home in Haworth, West Yorkshire, northern England.
A precious family heirloom
Maria Brontë passed away in 1821, when her children were still very young. Following the shipwreck that had caused her to lose most of her family possessions, her copy of Robert Southey's edition of "The Remains of Henry Kirke White" (which survived the wreck) became a very important sentimental object for the Brontë family.
Unpublished writing
The book contains annotations by Maria, as well as a Latin inscription from her husband Patrick, written after her death: "the book of my dearest wife and it was saved from the waves. So then it will always be preserved."
Maria's annotated book also contains drawings, letters and writings from members of the Brontë family, including a poem and a piece of prose by her daughter and famous writer Charlotte Brontë ("Jane Eyre"). The poem is thought to have been written by a young Charlotte, while the prose piece contains elements from Charlotte and her brother Branwell's fantasy world of Angria. Both are written in Charlotte's signature miniature writing.
Sold at auction
Following Patrick's death in 1861, the book was sold to a collector in the US, and in 2015 was tracked down by the Brontë Society to a rare book dealer in California, buying it back for £200,000. The Brontë Society was helped by funding from the National Heritage Memorial, the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, and the Friends of the National Libraries.
The book will go on public display at the Parsonage Museum, Haworth, in 2017. It is currently available to view only as part of the Treasures Tours organized by the museum.
