Abbotsford House and Melrose Abbey with Charlotte Brontë and her publisher George Smith in 1850.

Abbotsford House, home to the Brontes' literary hero Sir Walter Scott, located on the banks of the River Tweed in the magnificent Scottish Borders.

At the end of November 2018, my Bronte travelling companion Alison and I went to the other end of the country from our visit to Wethersfield in Essex, to visit the home of Sir Walter Scott. We were following in the footsteps of Charlotte Bronte who visited Abbotsford on 7th July 1850 with her publisher George Smith. Charlotte had gone up to Edinburgh to meet both George and his sister Eliza who had gone to collect their younger brother from school. Being so close to Edinburgh, George Smith organised a trip so that Charlotte could visit the home of her and her family's literary hero - Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832).

You can also read of Helen McEwan's visit to Abbotsford House, four years before we visited, in 2014 here. Helen is the founder of the Brussels Bronte group, the Belgian branch of the Bronte Society, and the author of three excellent books: 'The Brontes in Brussels' (2014) about Charlotte and Emily Bronte's time at the Pensionnat Heger, 'Down the Belliard Steps: Discovering the Brontes in Brussels' (2012), an account of her  experiences setting up the Brussels Bronte Group to promote interest in the Brontes stay in the city and 'Through Belgian Eyes: Charlotte Bronte's Troubled Brussels Legacy' (2017) provides a fresh perspective on Charlotte Bronte and explores the background to her two novels set in Belgium, 'The Professor' and 'Villette'. 

Helen was lucky to be given access to view the visitor book at Abbotsford House which shows both Charlotte Bronte's and George Smith's signatures.

 Abbotsford visitor book showing Charlotte's and George's signatures.

Abbotsford House which Scott bought in 1811. As he added to what was originally a farmhouse, he described the house, at different times, as picturesque, rambling and whimsical.

On the deeds the house was called Newarthaugh but the locals called it Cartleyhole. Scott renamed it Abbotsford after the ford that crossed the River Tweed below the house used by the monks of Melrose Abbey in times gone by.

The walled kitchen garden with the breath taking house as a backdrop. Scott loved his gardens being involved in all of their designs.

Abbotsford House set in the rolling green hills of the Scottish Borders.

The entrance.

Sir Walter Scott

Scott created his library. Thanks to his international popularity, many famous people sent him books from all over the world, including the Brothers Grimm who sent him their first book of fairy tales from Germany and books were  also sent from America by Washington Irving who had visited Scott at Abbotsford.

My Bronte travelling companion Alison enjoying the views.

The views from the house.

                                                               

The Chinese Drawing Room where Scott's eldest daughter Sophia would play the harp. Dora Wordsworth (William Wordsworth's daughter) was one of many visitors to enjoy this room.

The wallpaper was hand-painted in China and a gift from Scott's cousin Hugh. The painting above the fireplace is of Scott with his two dogs Percy and Camp.

A green and pleasant landscape surrounds Abbotsford House.

We then went on to visit Dryburgh Abbey where Sir Walter Scott is buried. Charlotte did not visit Dryburgh Abbey although she did go to Melrose Abbey.

The ruins of atmospheric Dryburgh Abbey

Sir Walter Scott's grave within the arch at Dryburgh Abbey.

Sir Walter Scott's grave with history board.

Sir Walter Scott's final resting place. Rather a nice spot at Dryburgh Abbey.

Charlotte Bronte, together with her publisher George Smith, did visit Melrose Abbey, which Sir Walter Scott, in his role as Sheriff-Depute of Roxburgshire, and with the financial assistance of the Duke of Buccleuch, supervised the repair work that was necessary to preserve the ruins of the abbey in 1822.

Melrose Abbey which Charlotte Bronte visited with her publisher George Smith.

Ellen Nussey, Charlotte's friend, was alarmed to hear that Charlotte was going to go to Scotland with her publisher George Smith. Initially the plan was that Charlotte would meet up with George Smith and his sister Eliza in Glasgow and then travel with them on a tour that would take in some of Scotland's great highlights: from Tarbert on Loch Lomond to the lovely coastal town of Oban at the mouth of Loch Linnhe and then on through the Highlands to Edinburgh. But Ellen, who suspected that there was more to Charlotte's and George's relationship than Charlotte admitted to, was shocked that Charlotte would consider offending the rules of propriety and go travelling with her handsome and eligible young publisher and his sister. Mrs Smith, George's mother, had also noticed this excess of friendliness and discouraged this intimacy. In the end, Charlotte decided, probably under pressure from Ellen, to simply join the Smiths for two days in Edinburgh and forego the tour. 

Charlotte, no doubt enjoyed her visit to Abbotsford House and to Melrose Abbey, as we did one hundred and sixty eight years later. if you are ever in Edinburgh, or touring the Scottish Borders, it is worth a visit to the house and to both abbeys.

 
 

Arthur Bell Nicholls goes to Lichfield Cathedral and Ripon Cathedral

 

Charlotte Bronte's true love - the Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls - whom she described in a letter to her friend Ellen Nussey on Boxing Day 1854 as 'my dear boy'.

Lichfield is in Staffordshire.

On Trinity Sunday, 17th May, 1845, Arthur Bell Nicholls was ordained Deacon at the magnificent twin-spired Lichfield Cathedral, by the Bishop of Lichfield, The Right Reverend John Lonsdale .

The magnificent twin spires of Lichfield Cathedral from my visit in April 2018.

Interior of Lichfield Cathedral.

                                                    

                                                   

   

The Bishop of Lichfield The Right Reverend John Lonsdale who admitted Arthur Bell Nicholls into holy orders on Sunday, 17th May 1845

                                                   

From the Church and State Gazette - London - 23rd May 1845 

Below are some more photos of Lichfield Cathedral and the lovely city of Lichfield which is well worth a visit.
                                              

                                                      

                                                      

                                                       

                                                        

                                          

                                          





                                                     

         

                                            

      

                                        

                                                   

                                           

Following his ordination as deacon, Arthur sought a 'Title for Orders' in England, probably through answering an advertisement placed in the Ecclesiastical Gazette by Patrick Bronte who was seeking a curate. Arthur officially took up his first post as Curate to the Reverend Patrick Bronte at St Michael's and All Angels church in Haworth on 5th June 1845. Aged just twenty-six, Arthur arrived in Haworth, a place which would change his life forever. He would get to know the Bronte family and would eventually fall head-over-heels in love with his future wife Charlotte Bronte, three years his senior.

 Only one week after his ordination at Lichfield Cathedral, Arthur took his first service in Haworth on Sunday 25th May 1845, then he officiated at his first marriage on 28th May and took his first funeral on 29th May even though he officially only started at Haworth on 5th June!

Charlotte's first impressions of her dear papa's new curate were favourable...which for Charlotte was quite unusual!

  "he appears a respectable young man, reads well, and I hope will give satisfaction." 

                                      

                

The Liverpool Standard, 27 May 1845

University and Clerical News in the Liverpool Standard of 27 May 1845 announcing Arthur's posting to the curacy of Haworth.

Here we see Arthur's posting to the curacy of Haworth announced in the Liverpool Standard of 27 May 1845.

And so next to Ripon in North Yorkshire.

Ripon in North Yorkshire.

On 20th September 1846, Arthur was ordained priest by the first Bishop of Ripon Charles Thomas Longley at Ripon Cathedral . Ripon is a small cathedral city in North Yorkshire.

The Right Reverend Charles Thomas Longley, first Bishop of Ripon who ordained Arthur Bell Nicholls and his friend George Sowden as priests.


Ripon Cathedral.

Ripon Cathedral interior.

Ripon Cathedral from the attractive cobbled streets of Ripon.

                                       

Ripon Cathedral as night falls.

                                         

Ripon market square from my visit in October 2021.

The Leeds Intelligencer and Yorkshire General Advertiser-
26 September 1846 listing the ordination as priests of both Arthur Bell Nicholls and his friend George Sowden, the brother of Sutcliffe Sowden who would officiate at Charlotte and Arthur's 1854 wedding, then again at Charlotte's funeral in 1855 and finally at Patrick Bronte's funeral in 1861.

The Dublin Evening Packet and Correspondent - 26 September 1846 - announcing the ordination as priest of Arthur Bell Nichols by the Bishop of Ripon on 20 September 1846.

In 1894 Arthur's friend Reverend George Sowden wrote a short pamphlet called 'Recollections of the Brontës'. In it he recalls meeting for the first time with Arthur Bell Nicholls as they both went to Ripon Cathedral to be ordained priests.

                                               

He wrote: 

"In September 1846, I travelled to Ripon for the purpose of receiving priests' orders on the top of a coach, for there was no rail to Ripon in those day. As we were nearing the cathedral city, a young gentleman, clerically attired, hailed the coach and, when he had mounted, he sat down at my side. It was natural for me to ask if he was bound on the same errand as myself and he said he was. We soon wormed it out who each of us was and found that repute we were perfectly well known to each other. So a friendship at once struck up between us. We stayed in the same lodgings whilst at Ripon and walked continually together and then we were ordained priests leading side by side. I soon found him the gentlest and most affectionate of men. He was a genuine Irishman, and when you came to know him, with much Irish humour, although with strangers, he could be reserved, and, he was the connecting link between us: my brother, myself and all that we ever knew of the Brontes.

Both Lichfield and Ripon are grand places to visit. A true delight! Do go if you are ever in either of the areas.