Brontë Group in Offaly hosted number of events for Heritage Week

BANAGHER Brontë Group organised a number of events for this year's Heritage Week over the weekend of August 15th-August 18th.

The Sunday began with 11am Mass in St. Rynagh’s Church and 12 noon Service in St Paul’s Church. Michael Mulqueen, standing in for the vicar, gave a lovely humane sermon.

James Scully informed us that the stained glass window by A.L. More at the altar in St Paul's had the names of the Rev. Arthur Bell's family inscribed. He also showed us the graves of the Bell Nicholls family and hoped that the stonework can be restored as it needs very specialist attention.

After lunch we gathered in Crank House for the showing of the world premiere of Maebh O’Regan's film Prenuptual Politics at the Bronte Parsonage regarding the marriage settlement and Arthur Bell Nicholls, featuring an interview with Ann Dinsdale, principal curator of the Bronte Museum in Haworth.

We learned that once married, a woman had no right to property or money!!! Charlotte was worried about this and whether the marriage would work. They married, fell in love and she trusted Arthur to look after her father Patrick Bronte, a very bright man from a poor Co. Down family. He went to Cambridge on a scholarship. He ensured that the family were well educated so they could survive in employment. Their church school was horrid!

In her early life Charlotte was a governess to two young children for £20 a year, less £4 for laundry. Her father Patrick married a well to do lady, Maria Branwell from Cornwall in 1854. They had six children, four survived; the mortality rate in the Victorian era was very high for children, no sophisticated medicines like today. Maria died in 1821. Patrick was a jobbing vicar in St Peter's Church, Hartshead, Yorkshire. He couldn’t raise the money to buy a church from charities. Rich vicars could afford to buy a church! Patrick was a writer of poetry named “Cottage Poems”. Emily, Patrick and Branwell were known for their poetry.

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Nigel West gave a very important speech. He’s a founding member of the Bronte Birthplace Thornton group and a descendant of the former occupants of Hill House, now known as Charlotte’s Way. The doctor in Banagher was Robert Tearns. He practised in the building beside Brosna Lodge. Walter West, Nigel’s grandfather, crashed his motorcycle outside the clinic. Dr Robert treated him for his injuries over a period of weeks. Meanwhile the Doctor's daughter and Walter were quickly getting on famously. They got married in St Paul’s Church. Walter later bought Hill House and they lived with her great aunt and Florrie. Their son was Nigel’s father, who inherited Hill House. He lived there and in 1959 he donated Hill House to St Paul's Church.

Nigel was a very important figure leading the restoration of the Bronte family’s birthplace of Thornton. He oversaw with the Thornton group fundraising, grants from Bradford City of Culture 2025 and the Community Ownership Fund. The house is now under the care of Bronte Birthplace Ltd., a community benefit society. The building is restored as a heritage destination.

Thornton was the birthplace of the Brontes and is celebrated for that. Nigel presented Nicola Daly with the first copy of a limited print of 100, in recognition of her generosity in providing the venue, garden party and wonderful cuisine on a memorable day.

Finally Nigel invited James and Nicola to meet Queen Camilla in Thornton earlier this year. He presented the queen with a copy of the limited print. James presented her with a bog oak sculpture. Her Majesty enquired about the history of the project, cue the inimitable James Scully to inform and entertain her with his encyclopaedic knowledge.

Monday August 18th opened in the Offaly History Centre, Tullamore. At 11am the Banagher Bronte Ensemble musicians from Tullamore, Aidan Barry on guitar, Siobhan Butler on vocals and keyboard, Siobhan Godley on flute and Frank Kelly of Lusmagh, gave a recital of the music the Bronte family knew and loved.

At 12pm James Scully provided a second launch of 'Let Me In: The Brontes in Bricks and Mortar' by Anne Dinsdale and Sharon White. This very fine tome can be purchased for €25. Sharon then gave an illustrated talk on Balloonamania Girls and Daredevil Divas, an entertaining history of early female balloonists and parachutists, recognising the great balloon fire in Tullamore in 1785.

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Finally Dr Meabh O’Regan's enlightening and excellent film, Prenuptial Politics at the Bronte Parsonage was shown.

Great credit must go to all the Bronte Societies for their sterling work and intellectual engagement with this famous literary family.

Website: www.banagherbrontegroup.com . Email: banagherbrontegroup@gmail.com .