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Patrick Bronte was born in County Down in Ireland in 1777, the first of ten children whose father farmed a very small acreage there. He had no advantages in life but his own remarkable physical strength and his character. He worked in the weaving trade while educating himself to the point where he became a teacher in a Protestant parish school until he was 25.
With his meagre savings and with limited financial support from two benefactors who recognised his promise, he went to Cambridge University and, by his own efforts in coaching students and winning two Exhibitions, gained a degree and was ordained into the Church of England. After serving as a curate in two or three parishes, during which time he married, Patrick was appointed to Haworth in Yorkshire where he remained until his death in 1861. The story of his six children has been told in many biographies and there would be few people in the English-speaking world who have not read the works of Charlotte, Emily or Anne. The two eldest Bronte sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died while still of school age. Patrick's only son, Branwell, showed great promise, too, but this was not fulfilled because of addiction to alcohol and opium. Patrick's true nature is something of a mystery. He has been portrayed by some biographers as a stern and unbending father. Others speak of one who ensured that his children were well educated and who was protective of their well-being. There can be little doubt that his mental powers were passed on to his family. His physical genes sadly were not — Patrick outlived his wife and all six of his children. |