1814-1899
Percy Bronte was born at Hartshead in 1814, the first legitimate son of Patrick and Maria. A sickly child, he nevertheless persevered at his studies, showing great interest in politics and geography. His formative years were chiefly memorable for the way that he managed to set brother against sister in constant squabbles without ever getting involved himself. This led to considerable unrest and bloodshed at the Parsonage in later years.
In 1828 he left Haworth and began studying politics and strategy at Cambridge University. Within two years he had been offered, and accepted, a post with the Diplomatic Service. We have no record of his career, the official documents relating to Percival Bronte still being classified under the Official Secrets Act. What we do have however, is his passport, showing when and where he travelled in his lifetime. All we can do is relate this to world events which, although we can establish no direct link with Percival, seem to be in some way connected with his travels.
Two weeks after he began work at the Foreign Office, he travelled to Brussels and Rotterdam. A week after his return, the union of Belgium and Holland split. In 1839 he went to India, and shortly after his departure for home again the disastrous North-West frontier campaign began, culminating in the retreat from Kabul in which Britain lost an entire army. In 1853 he visited Moscow, Istanbul and Paris, returning to London in 1854, the day before the Crimean War began.
Early in 1857, Percival Bronte was again in India. He travelled extensively, returning to London in May of that year. The day he left his hotel in Meerut to travel home, the Indian Mutiny began in the barracks next door. In 1859 he visited both Berlin and Paris and probably started the Franco-Prussian War. As he was knighted by Queen Victoria that year, it seems likely.
In 1860 he visited America, and travelled throughout the North and South alike on behalf of Her Majesty. As he boarded the steamer for Liverpool in 1861, news came of the outbreak of the Civil War.
Percival Bronte liked to relax at his country home in Skelmersdale in between assignments, spending the time playing his banjo and making models of farm animals out of cotton wool. He used to hold informal soirees at weekends, when all the servants would gather round in the Turquoise Drawing Room and listen enthralled as he told them of sights seen and deeds done in far-off lands.
Possibly because of the limitations of his working garb, i.e. wing collars, frock coats, etc, he was never a snappy dresser whilst on leave, preferring instead to sport a strange assortment of cast-off items purchased from the local workhouse. This could often result in confusion and he was frequently mistaken for a vagrant by the villagers as he strolled around the area strumming his banjo.
Percival Bronte's passport reveals that his next trip abroad was to the Middle East in 1885. He passed through Khartoum, where, just six days after his visit, General Gordon and his army were massacred by the warriors loyal to the Mahdi.
He retired the following year, at the age of 71. In 1899 at the ripe old age of eighty-five, he had a holiday in South Africa, renewing friendships within diplomatic circles at the same time.
He was, tragically, killed as the second Boer War broke out, and his remains still lie in South Africa.
He never married.
Luggage tag belonging, ( allegedly ) to Sir Percival.
An early 'pest' controller of the period.Particularly poignant.
Dentures. A particularly intriguing find.
