Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

sisters, trained at the Bradford School of Industry, who became servants to the Brontë family in July 1816 and August 1818 respectively. They were warm-hearted girls, and good nursemaids for the children, participating in their games and walks. After Mrs Gaskell described them as “rough affectionate warm-hearted, wasteful sisters” Patrick wrote them a testimonial (17 Aug 1857) describing them as “kind to my children, and honest, and not wasteful.” It was Sarah who was walking with the younger children at the time of the bursting of the Crow Hill bog, and sought shelter with them in a porch. The sisters kept up their interest in the family, and Nancy attended Patrick’s funeral. Sarah, now married to William Newsome, had settled in America, living in Ohio and Iowa. Both sisters, due to their longevity, became sources for the second generation of Brontë biographers, giving them reminiscences of the famous authors when very young, and information about the household routines at Thornton and Haworth. ... log in or subscribe to read full text