The letters of Branwell Brontë

The letters of Branwell Brontë

Explore the Brotherton Collection of letters written by Branwell Brontë.

Branwell Brontë’s Life and Letters: 1842-1848

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Page 3, Branwell Brontë, Letter addressed from 'Haworth, Bradford, Yorks'; with pen and ink sketch entitled 'Our Lady of Grief'

Artwork of Branwell Brontë’s letters: 'Resurgam'

Short biographies of Branwell Bronte's correspondents. Part of the Brontë collection at the University of Leeds Special Collections.

Artwork of Branwell Brontë’s letters: 'Alas! poor Caunt!'

Short biography of Branwell's life over the period of Letters from 1842-1848. Part of the Brontë collection at the University of Leeds Special Collections.

Artwork of Branwell Brontë’s letters: 'Our Lady of Grief'

Description of Branwell's Artwork in his letters from 1842-1848. Part of the Brontë collection at the University of Leeds Special Collections.

Branwell Bronte - Paradise and Purgatory drawing

Artwork of Branwell Brontë’s letters: 'Paradise and Purgatory'

Description of Branwell's Artwork in his letters from 1842-1848. Part of the Brontë collection at the University of Leeds Special Collections.

Page 2, Branwell Brontë, letter to Joseph Bentley Leyland

Artwork of Branwell Brontë’s letters: 'Patrick Reid "turned off"' and 'The Rescue of the Punchbowl'

Description of Branwell's Artwork in his letters from 1842-1848. Part of the Brontë collection at the University of Leeds Special Collections.

Correspondents in the letters of Branwell Brontë: Leyland

Description of Branwell's Artwork in his letters from 1842-1848. Part of the Brontë collection at the University of Leeds Special Collections.

Correspondents in the letters of Branwell Brontë: Grundy and Brown

Description of Branwell's Artwork in his letters from 1842-1848. Part of the Brontë collection at the University of Leeds Special Collections.

Letter accompanied by a pen and ink sketch of a grave stone inscribed with the word 'Resurgam'; addressed from 'Haworth nr Bradford'.

Letter 1: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 15 May 1842 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/01)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter addressed from 'Haworth nr Bradford'; letter bearing broken seal, Bradford and Halifax post marks and penny postage stamp

Letter 2: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 29 June 1842 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/02)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 3: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 12 July 1842 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/03)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 4: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 10 August 1842 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/04)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 5: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 22 July 1843 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/05)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 6: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 4 August 1845 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/06)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter addressed from 'Haworth, Bradford, Yorks'; letter bearing remains of seal, Bradford and Halifax post marks and penny postage stamp

Letter 7: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 19 August 1845 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/07)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 8: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 10 September 1845 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/08)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 9: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 25 November 1845 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/09)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 10: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 28 April 1846 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/10)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 11: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, June 1846 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/11)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 12: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, c. June - July 1846 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/12)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 13: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 2 July 1846 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/13)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 14: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, October 1846 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/14)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 15: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, c.1847 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/15)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 16: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, c. January 1847 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/16)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

'Northangerland' pen and ink sketch (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/17)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 18: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 24 January 1847 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/18)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 19: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, 16 July 1847 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/19)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 20: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, c.1848 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/20)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 21: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Joseph Bentley Leyland, January 1848 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/21)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 22: Letter from Branwell Brontë to an unknown correspondent, 22 May 1846 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/22)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 23: Letter from Branwell Brontë to Francis Henry Grundy, c. 1848 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/23)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Letter 24: Letter from Branwell Brontë to John Brown, c. 1848 (BC MS 19c Brontë/02/01/24)

University of Leeds Library Special Collections, Letters from Branwell Brontë

Bibliography and relevant literature

Bibiography and relevant literature for the Bronte and Leyland Manuscripts. Part of the Brontë collection at the University of Leeds Special Collections.

This resource provides searchable transcriptions of 24 letters of Branwell Brontë (1817-1848) kept in Special Collections at the University of Leeds Library.

Patrick Branwell Brontë was the brother of the Brontë sisters: Charlotte, Emily and Anne.

In stark contrast to his sisters, Branwell has been associated with alcoholism, debt and an alleged affair with a married woman.

Much of the evidence of his infamous life comes from these letters written by Branwell himself, as well as from other correspondence by him and members of his family.

Transcriptions were made by volunteers working on a crowd-sourced project in 2015.