Rare Brontë treasure returns to the Parsonage

The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth is displaying a rare artefact from the Charlotte Brontë.

The famous Charlotte Brontë "Little Book", which was sold at Sotheby's in December 2011 is on loan to the Museum from the Musée des Lettres et Manuscrits in Paris.

The ‘Little Book’ - on display until the end of August . It is one of a series of six Young Mens Magazines_ written by Charlotte Brontë.

Dated August 19, 1830, it is bound in leather by a later collector, and includes the story of a murderer setting light to his bed, prefiguring the scene in Jane Eyre_ where Mr Rochester’s insane wife Bertha sets fire to her husband’s bed-hangings.

Until it was sold 15 months ago its contents were completely unknown, making it highly likely that it will now be the focus of much scholarly research. Visitors will be able to read a couple of pages of this tantalising treasure, which has never before been published or transcribed.