Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre might never have been published without patriarch’s ‘dirty money’, says new book

The grandfather of the Brontë family has always been portrayed as a gentleman merchant and an upstanding figure of his Cornish community. But new research has revealed that Thomas Branwell was, in fact, involved with murderous smugglers and that without his dirty money his granddaughters Emily, Anne and Charlotte might never have published their famous novels.

Long before the birth of his grandchildren, Branwell was indicted for “obstructing the Customs Officers in searching his dwelling”, according to Custom House records of 1778.

Other documents show he had been in business with men who were wanted for murder and who were described in a 1791 report as “the most notorious smugglers in that part of the kingdom”. Evidence of his illegal business dealings was unearthed by Sharon Wright while researching a forthcoming book on Branwell’s daughter, Maria, who married the poor Irish curate Patrick Brontë. Maria died aged 38, leaving their six children in the charge of her sister, Elizabeth.

Wright told the Observer that Branwell, who died in 1808, has always been seen as a “Penzance bigwig”, an astute businessman who traded in tea, among other goods, and who owned an inn run by his brother.

She was astonished to discover a murkier side to him – yet Branwell’s illegal dealings provided a legacy that enabled his grandchildren to pay for the publication of their writings.

“We wouldn’t have Wuthering Heights or Agnes Grey without their grandfather’s involvement in the well-armed and even murderous smuggling operations running out of Penzance. The family money left to Emily and Anne … paid for these works of genius to appear in print for the first time.

“No-one has ever connected the Brontës to Cornish smuggling before and this part of the family fortune is in startling contrast to the genteel life their mother and aunts lived amid Regency Penzance society.”

Ann Dinsdale, principal curator of the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, described the evidence as “fascinating”, casting light on how Branwell’s legacy enabled his granddaughters to get published: “In effect, their books were vanity published,” she said. “They paid for the publication of their poems in 1846. Then Emily and Anne actually paid for their novels to be published. They couldn’t find a publisher who was willing to take on their publication. So they ended up financing it themselves.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire, was the actual home of the literary family. Photograph: Alamy

She added: “Their mother’s sister, Elizabeth Branwell [who died in 1842], had a family annuity which she saved and left to her nieces, about £300 for each of them. That would have been quite a lot of money. As a governess, they might have earned £25 [a year] … It did enable them to pay for the publication of their works.”

Wright said: “Not all his money came from smuggling. I’m not saying he was Long John Silver. But he was in business with very dodgy people.”

Smugglers of the period traded in everything from alcohol to ostrich feathers. Customs records reveal that, in refusing customs men access to his home, Branwell used a legal loophole to buy time. A Penzance customs officer asked London for clarification and an official warrant, giving Branwell plenty of time to rid his dwelling of any prohibited goods, Wright said.

Contemporary records of the day note that smuggling was “very rife”. Evidence discovered by Wright shows that, 10 years after being charged with refusing the officers entry, Branwell was in business with merchant brothers James and John Dunkin, a pair of ruthless smugglers. In 1791, their ship, Liberty, had a deadly battle with customs officers off the Scilly island of Tresco during which two were killed and others wounded.

A reward was offered for their capture, but they were never arrested. Wright said: “Yet the Penzance shipping register for 1786 to 1791 shows Branwell was in business with James Dunkin when he was wanted for murder.” In 1795, he also appears as a co-owner of the Liberty. Wright said: “I got such a shiver when I read that. He bought the Liberty. If everyone else knew it was used for infamous traffic, then he certainly did.”

The Mother of the Brontës: When Maria Met Patrick, by Sharon Wright, is published by Pen and Sword on 31 July