Anne Brontë
Anne Brontë (/ˈbrɒnti/, commonly /-teɪ/; 17 January 1820 – 28 May 1849) was an English novelist and poet, the youngest member of the Brontë literary family.
Anne Brontë | |
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A sketch of Anne by her sister Charlotte, c. 1845 | |
| Born | 17 January 1820 Thornton, West Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 28 May 1849 (aged 29) Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Resting place | St. Mary's Churchyard, Scarborough |
| Pen name | Acton Bell |
| Occupation | Poet, novelist, governess |
| Language | English |
| Period | 1836–1849 |
| Genre | Fiction, poetry |
| Literary movement | Realism |
| Notable works | The Tenant of Wildfell Hall |
| Parents | Patrick Brontë Maria Branwell |
| Relatives | Brontë family |
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Anne Brontë was the daughter of Maria (née Branwell) and Patrick Brontë, a poor Irish clergyman in the Church of England. Anne lived most of her life with her family at the parish of Haworth on the Yorkshire moors. Otherwise, she attended a boarding school in Mirfield between 1836 and 1837, and between 1839 and 1845 lived elsewhere working as a governess. In 1846 she published a book of poems with her sisters and later two novels, initially under the pen name Acton Bell. Her first novel, Agnes Grey, was published in 1847 at the same time as Wuthering Heights by her sister Emily Brontë. Anne’s second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, was published in 1848. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is often considered one of the first feminist novels.
Anne died at 29, most likely of pulmonary tuberculosis. After her death, her sister Charlotte edited Agnes Grey to fix issues with its first edition, but prevented republication of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. As a result, Anne is not as well known as her sisters. Nonetheless, both of her novels are considered classics of English literature.