We’ve made it to 2026 so Happy New Year to you and your loved ones, and to all who have done so much to support this blog throughout the years, and to support me! It’s a time of change and a time of opportunity for us all, just as it was for Charlotte Brontë on this day in 1844.
January 1st of that year saw Charlotte Brontë leave Brussels after nearly two years in Belgium (interrupted by a brief return to Haworth after Aunt Branwell’s death). In her hands Charlotte carried a diploma given to her by Constantin Heger certifying that she had completed her studies. It was hoped that she, supported by sisters Emily and Anne Brontë, would now be able to open a school in Haworth or elsewhere, but in fact the lessons learnt in Brussels would lead to a very different future for them all. There can be no doubt that the shadow of Charlotte’s unrequited love for Monsieur Heger influenced much of her writing, and led directly to the great novels of the Brontë sisters we know and love today. The diploma itself is lost, but we still have the envelope it was contained in.
I’m now in the twelfth year of writing this blog, and in that time my posts have received millions of views. It’s such a privilege and honour to share my love of the Brontës with so many people who feel the same about these brilliant writers and brilliant human beings. There’s always something new to write about, and I have big plans for this blog in the coming year – but more on that as January progresses. For now I want to wish you all a very very happy and healthy new year, and I leave you with a copy of Auld Lang Syne transcribed in Anne Brontë’s own handwriting:
