Anne Bronte's gravestone corrected

The BBC reports

 

Anne Bronte, who wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (which was a huge bestseller at the time, but hardly read, these days), died in Scarborough in 1849 after succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 29.

But her headstone in St Mary's Churchyard gave her age as 28.

A new plaque on her grave has been officially unveiled during a service of dedication.

Anne is the only member of the famous literary family who is not buried at their home in Haworth, West Yorkshire.

She travelled to Scarborough because she loved the resort and hoped that the air may improve her condition. But she died just three days after arriving.

Anne Bronte's original gravestone has deteriorated over the years

Her death came during a bleak period for the Bronte family. Brother Branwell had died eight months earlier, followed by Emily, who had written Wuthering Heights.

Anne's original gravestone was refaced three years after her death, when Charlotte returned to discover five errors on it. The other mistakes were corrected but the age was not.

The Bronte Society has installed the new plaque alongside the original, which has deteriorated over the years.