The Brontë memorial is a rectangular tablet of Huddlestone stone, measuring 600mm x 600mm, in Poets’ Corner near other famous writers, including Jane Austen, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. It was installed on 8th October 1939, soon after the outbreak of the Second World War, having been sponsored by the Brontë Society, one of the oldest literary societies in the world, which was founded in 1893 to champion the Brontë sisters and their legacy.
A letter to The Times about the memorial from Paul de Labilliere, then Dean of Westminster, dated 2nd November 1939, records
‘I should greatly wish that its completion should be marked by a ceremonial unveiling but in these times anything of that sort is out of the question’.
By the time there was a formal ceremony with the Brontë Society, on 19th July 1947, the nation was re-building itself after the war, and the missing diaereses appear not to have been mentioned.
The two dots, which are fairly rare in English, have a fascinating role in the evolution of the famous name and indicate the division of a word into two syllables. The world-famous Brontë name evolved from their father Patrick’s Irish surname of Prunty or Brunty when he entered St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1802.
A letter in the Abbey archive from Donald Hopewell, President of the Brontë Society, to the Dean of Westminster, dated 1st May 1939, clearly gives instructions for the wording of the memorial, which includes the diaereses.But the puzzle of the misspelled Brontë tablet remains.
Sharon Wright said:
“As a journalist, I always ask questions. As soon as I saw the tablet I wanted to know why the famous name was spelled incorrectly. Also, why no-one had ever pointed this out before. I am immensely proud that the correct, unique and immortal name of Charlotte, Emily and Anne is finally complete in Poets’ Corner. It is a Brontë story with a happy and timely ending.”
The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, The Dean of Westminster said:
“I am grateful to have this omission pointed out and now put right. Memory is not a locked cupboard, but an active thing and the Brontë Society have given us a glimpse of their commitment to a lively remembering.”
Rebecca Yorke, Director of the Brontë Society, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled with this outcome and are very grateful to the Dean of Westminster and his colleagues at the Abbey for their positive response to Sharon’s enquiries. As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial. I’m sure that everyone at the Brontë Society and the Brontë Parsonage Museum, as well as Brontë enthusiasts across the world, will be very excited to learn about this new episode in the enduring story of Charlotte, Emily and Anne.”
Find out more about Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë
Photos: David Jacobson
