Cowan Bridge

Cowan Bridge

Cowan Bridge is a village in the English county of Lancashire.

It is south-east of the town of Kirkby Lonsdale where the main A65 road crosses the Leck Beck. It forms part of the civil parish with the unusual name of Burrow-with-Burrow.

Cowan Bridge was the site of the Clergy Daughters' School attended by Charlotte and Emily Brontë, the notable 19th century writers, and their older sisters Maria and Elizabeth, who died after experiencing harsh privations at the school. There is a plaque commemorating this association. Charlotte described the abuses, the typhus epidemic in which seven students died, the scandal which followed, and subsequent reform of the school in Jane Eyre. The character of Helen Burns is based closely on Maria. Reverend Brocklehurst is a portrait of William Carus Wilson, who managed the school in the Brontës' time. Women readers who had attended the school confirmed Charlotte's account.

In a letter to her publisher W.S. Williams, Charlotte describes overhearing an elderly clergyman talk about reading Jane Eyre and saying "Why, they have got Cowan Bridge School, and Mr. Wilson here, I declare! and Miss Evans." She says, "He had known them all. I wondered whether he would recognise the portraits, and was gratified to find that he did, and that, moreover, he pronounced them faithful and just. He said, too, that Mr. Wilson 'deserved the chastisement he had got.'"[1]

The Clergy Daughters' School still exists. It was moved to Casterton shortly after the scandal. In 1840 another typhus epidemic struck 70 of the students, claiming the lives of three. By 1857 Dorothea Beale was teaching there. It was apparent to her that while some of the physical circumstances had improved since Charlotte's time, the spiritual aspects had not changed. When the Life of Charlotte Brontë by Elizabeth Gaskell came out, Beale began to write her own unfavorable impressions of the religious education handed out there.[2]

External links

Photos of the original Clergy Daughters' School building taken May 3, 1985.

Coordinates: 54°10′59″N 2°33′39″W / 54.18297°N 2.56077°W / 54.18297; -2.56077

References

  1. ^ Letter from Charlotte Brontë to W.S. Williams, dated 1848-01-04 in Charlotte Brontë and Her Circle, by Clement K. Shorter, entire text online at gutenberg.org, page found 2010-08-30.
  2. ^ Entries on Dorothea Beale and on the Clergy Daughters' School in A Brontë Encyclopedia by Robert and Louise Barnard. ISBN 9781405151191.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cowan Bridge School — The severity of punishment meted on pupils during the 19th century was not limited to England (German engraving from 1849). Cowan Bridge School refers to the Clergy Daughters School, a school mainly for the daughters of middle class clergy… …   Wikipedia

  • Cowan — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Le patronyme Cowan est porté par les personnes suivantes : Bernard Cowan (1922 1990), un acteur, producteur et scénariste canadien Clyde Cowan (1919… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cowan, New South Wales — Cowan Sydney, New South Wales Postcode: 2081 Area: 8.7 km² (3.4 sq mi) Location: 38 km (24 m …   Wikipedia

  • Cowan Lake State Park — For the Pennsylvania State Park, see Cowans Gap State Park. Cowan Lake State Park Ohio State Park Natural Monument (IUCN III) …   Wikipedia

  • Cowan Bank — Contents 1 Overview 2 Line History 2.1 Construction 2.2 Loading Gauge 2.3 Accidents …   Wikipedia

  • Cowan Dobson — David Cowan Dobson (1894 – 1980), referred to as Cowan Dobson ARBA (1919), RBA (1922), was a leading Scottish portrait artist who mainly worked in London. He was born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1894, as son of the Scottish and rather unsuccessful… …   Wikipedia

  • Runcorn Railway Bridge — Infobox Bridge bridge name=Runcorn Railway Bridge caption=Runcorn Railway Bridge official name= carries=Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line crosses=River Mersey locale=Runcorn, Cheshire maint= id= design= designer= William Baker mainspan …   Wikipedia

  • Mooney Mooney Bridge — Official name Mooney Mooney Creek Bridge Carries Road Traffic Crosses …   Wikipedia

  • David Tennant Cowan — This article is about a British Indian Army soldier. For other people of the same name, see David Cowan. David Tennant Cowan Nickname Punch Born 1896 Died 1983 (aged 86 or 87) …   Wikipedia

  • David Tennent Cowan — Major General David Tennent Cowan CB CBE DSO Bar MC (1896 1983), also known as Punch Cowan, was an officer in the British Army and British Indian Army in World War I and World War II. He was distinguished for leading the Indian 17th Infantry… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”