Background
Anne Brontë was the youngest of the six Brontë siblings and she was only one year old when her mother died. Anne’s two novels, Agnes Grey, based on her experiences as a governess, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which is considered to be one of the first sustained feminist novels, are both classics along with the works of her two sisters, Charlotte and Emily.
Following the death of her sister, Emily, in December 1848, Anne, who was particularly close to Emily, was grief stricken. This is believed to have undermined her health to such an extent that when she caught influenza over Christmas, she just didn’t rally. In early January, a doctor diagnosed her condition as consumption or tuberculosis and gave her a poor prospect of recovery. Anne expressed frustration at her diagnosis to her friend Ellen Nussey by saying:
“I have no horror of death: if I thought it inevitable I think I could quietly resign myself to the prospect … But I wish it would please God to spare me not only for Papa’s and Charlotte’s sakes but because I long to do some good in the world before I leave it. I have many schemes in my head for future practice –humble and limited indeed – but still I should not like them all to come to nothing, and myself to have lived to so little purpose. But God’s will be done.”
It was during her last days that she wrote the poem, A dreadful darkness closes in, the first three stanzas of which are as follows:
A dreadful darkness closes in
On my bewildered mind;
O let me suffer and not sin,
Be tortured yet resigned.
Through all this world of whelming mist
Still let me look to Thee,
And give me courage to resist
The Tempter till he flee.
Weary I am — O give me strength
And leave me not to faint;
Say Thou wilt comfort me at length
And pity my complaint.
Anne was the only one of the siblings who did not die at the Parsonage and was not buried in Haworth. A few months before she died, she decided to make a return visit to Scarborough in the hope that the sea air and change of location would benefit her health. Anne died on the 28th of May 1849 at the age of twenty-nine.

Hair jewellery
Hair jewelry, made, as the name implies, from human hair, was very popular during the Victorian era. This hair jewelry was sometimes fashioned from the hair as is the case with the amethyst bracelet made from the entwined hair of Emily and Anne which Charlotte had made.


About Robbie Cheadle

South African author, photographer, and artist, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated seventeen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, written and illustrated four poetry books and written and illustrated one celebration of cake and fondant art book with recipes. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Social Media Links
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
TSL Publications: https://tslbooks.uk/product-tag/robbie-cheadle/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robbie-Cheadle/author/B01N9J62GQ
Unsplash profile: https://unsplash.com/@r_cheadle

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