Brontës

Brontës refers to the Brontë family, a group of 19th-century English writers from Haworth, Yorkshire. The principal figures were the sisters Charlotte (1816–1855), Emily (1818–1848), and Anne (1820–1849), along with their brother Branwell (1817–1848). Raised at Haworth Parsonage, their father Patrick Brontë was a clergyman; their mother Maria died in 1821. The siblings produced a substantial body of poetry and prose, much of it written in close collaboration during childhood and adolescence.

To publish, the sisters used male pen names: Currer Bell (Charlotte), Ellis Bell (Emily), and Acton Bell (Anne). In 1847 they issued three novels under those names: Jane Eyre by Currer Bell, Wuthering Heights by Ellis Bell, and Agnes Grey by Acton Bell. Charlotte later published Shirley (1849) and Villette (1853); Anne published The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848). Their novels are noted for psychological depth, moral complexity, and vivid depictions of the Yorkshire moors, with Jane Eyre often cited for its voice of individuality and social critique, and Wuthering Heights for its Gothic intensity.

All four siblings died relatively young: Branwell in 1848, Emily in 1848, Anne in 1849, and Charlotte in 1855. The Brontës gained enduring fame in the late 19th and 20th centuries, and Haworth Parsonage is now a museum. Their work remains central to studies of English literature, noted for experimental narrative forms, strong female protagonists, and the interplay of romance, religion, and social issues. The Brontë Society, founded in 1893, preserves their literary legacy.