17/03/2024
The Black Bull can be found in the village of Haworth, West Yorkshire. The village is well known as the home of the Bronte’s.
In 1820, Patrick Bronte was appointed as the clergyman and moved into the Parsonage, situated behind the current church and graveyard, with his wife Maria and their six children. Maria passed away soon after in 1821 and sadly two of the children would die within four years – Maria in May 1825, aged 11 and her sister Elizabeth, a month later, aged 10. Both passed away at the Parsonage.
The remaining sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, and their brother Branwell, spent the next few years at the Parsonage and it was during this time that the classic novels Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tennant of Wildfell Hall were written. Branwell did not share the success of his sisters and failed at several jobs. He attended the Royal Academy in London, but nothing came of it. He tried his hand at being a portrait painter, a clerk at Sowerby Bridge railway station and a tutor. However, in 1836 he became a Freemason and joined the Lodge of the Three Graces Haworth 408 and became secretary in 1837 until 1842. Due to his lack of success he turned to alcohol and o***m and spent most of his days drinking at The Black Bull, only leaving occasionally to pop over to the Apothecary across the road to acquire o***m. He became increasingly unwell and in September 1848, aged 31, he died of tuberculosis. Charlotte realised at this time that her sisters were also ill with tuberculosis and Emily died three months later, aged 30, in December 1841. Charlotte decided to take her remaining sister Anne to Scarborough to live out her final days as it was one of her favourite places. Anne passed away there in May 1849, aged 29.
Charlotte turned to her writing to cope with the grief and eventually fell in love and married Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls in June 1854 in the church in Haworth. Sadly, their marriage was short-lived as Charlotte died in the early stages of pregnancy in March 1855, aged 39. This left no direct descendants to the Bronte’s in Haworth and the father, Patrick, lived in the Parsonage until his death in June 1861, aged 84. All the Bronte’s, except for Anne, are buried in the family plot in the graveyard in Haworth.
The Black Bull can trace its history back to the 16th Century when it was a coaching inn. The pub is situated next to the Anglican Church of Haworth. In September 1792 it became the seat of the Lodge of the Three Graces Haworth 408 and the Freemasons met there up until July 1806 before moving to Lodge Street. The original Masonic seat used by Branwell Bronte is still in The Black Bull.
The spirits of Branwell and his sisters are said wander the streets of Haworth and many people claimed to have witnessed ghostly figures. Shadowy figures have been reported in the graveyard, only to suddenly disappear. The disembodied voice of a female is heard crying in the corner of the carpark next to the graveyard.
The epicentre of the paranormal phenomena seems to be focused within The Black Bull. The apparitions of two men, always sitting at the same table arguing, are often seen by guests and staff. One of them is wearing casual clothes and the other is dressed in finery, including a jacket and top hat.
Another figure is often spotted at the end of the bar and some think this could be one of the previous gentlemen. He appears, takes a drink and then just vanishes. Glasses and ashtrays are thrown around the bar area and it is believed that this is the spirit of Branwell Bronte, as he was well known for his violent drunken outbursts. Footsteps have often been heard stomping towards Branwell’s chair followed by the creaking sound of someone sitting in the seat. It was also said that a mysterious figure appeared at Charlotte’s funeral and stood with the mourners, but nobody knew who it was.
A male figure in a top hat has been seen near the fireplace and it is believed that he is Dan Sugden, a former Landlord from the mid 1800’s. Mist has been seen and cigar smoke is often around even though there is no smoking in the pub. Various lights move and the bell over the fireplace often rings in the middle of the night. Guests who have stayed in the rooms have woken in the night to see a dark figure standing at the end of the bed. A maid was murdered in Room 3, she is often seen and there are reports of things moving around in the room. Several guests have left early due to events that they encountered in the guest rooms.
Another notable account which was witnessed by many people involves a young girl. It was a sunny afternoon, and she was sitting with a bag of sweets near to the table where the two men have been spotted arguing. After sitting quietly for a while, she turned and offered her sweets to the thin air. People in the bar asked who she was talking to and she said a very smart man had been pulling faces at her and playing peek-a-boo with his large hat. Is it possible that the girl saw the spirit of Branwell Bronte, or was it another ghostly figure that haunts this old building?
Are Branwell, Charlotte and their other sisters still haunting Haworth over 150 years after their deaths?
