Charlotte Brontë in London

Abstract

The author of this Address to the Brontë Society was a close colleague of George Smith, Charlotte Brontë’s publisher. In this mixture of reminiscence and analysis he chronicles Charlotte’s many visits to London. Parallels are drawn between her experiences in London, particularly during her stays at the home of George Smith and his mother, and incidents in Charlotte’s novel, Villette. The characters of Dr Graham Bretton and Mrs Bretton are closely modelled on Smith and his mother.

Charlotte’s meeting with Thackeray is noted, aided by the memories of eyewitnesses, Lady Anne Richie, Thackeray’s daughter, and the artist Sir J. M. Millais. Note: The opening section of this address, which mainly relates to the speaker’s own attachment to the Brontë novels and other personal comments, is omitted here.

Keywords:

• Charlotte Brontë
• George Smith
• John Everett Millais
• London
• Mrs Smith
• Villette
• William Makepeace Thackeray