William Callaghan writes:
As a member of the Brontë Society, I wish to do my utmost to convince the Brontë Society members that it is time to bring Anne Brontë's remains to the vault in Haworth. At this moment she has no protection whatsoever. She lies in what is now unconsecrated ground, and this is a disgrace.
The Council of the Society must not be afraid of asking the membership to vote on the exhuming of Anne's remains and the remains of her original coffin to be placed in a new coffin and returned to Haworth, the family vault opened and Anne placed there.
A regular photocopied newsletter would keep members informed; a direct contact which is necessary. Are the council in contact with Dr Sentamu? I do not believe that we can ever do anything to guarantee her grave from very serious damage at any time in the future. Obviously it is a pay-and-display car park, so there is no one there to oversee car placing.
160 years later Anne's words from Self Communion still apply and they still hurt:
"And sometimes it was grief to know
My fondness was but half returned "
To move Anne's body is the right thing to do, and we must not be afraid to do it.
7 comments:
I didn't know she was buried apart from her family. How sad.
Anne WANTED to be in Scarborough. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - you don't notice the cars if you go to look at the grave. Leave her where she wanted to go.
I think you'll find Jude, that Anne went to Scarborough to try and get better. It was Charlotte who decided to have her buried there as to not upset her Father.
A decision, I think, she later regretted.
As for the cars, I do not believe that that any graveyard should be used as a Car Park. Especially ones with our National heritage in.
Her grave shouldn't need to be re-located in order to be looked after. The authorities should pay the respect that is her due as a worldwide famous author and a pride to english literature by preserving her grave at all costs.
As a clergyman, I know that it is very difficult to gain permission to remove remains. Even if the use of a burial has changed it remains consecrated ground. It might be worth writing to the Chancellor of the Diocese of York to ask for their opinion on the matter.
Best to apply for lottery funds to secure the grave yard and collect funds to build a car park nearby. We have become too-much car-loving country, and for us heritage is only a lip service to be paid.
It would be impossible and immoral to remove her remains now, never mind digging up tonnes of concrete at Haworth church where the family vault lies. Leave Anne be.
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