The portrait of Maria Taylor by Branwell Brontë. Courtesy the Brontë Parsonage Museum

A host of new acquisitions will go on show at the Brontë Parsonage Museum in West Yorkshire next year after a slew of successful auction bids for Bronte-related items.

Most recently, the museum has acquired a further portrait by the black sheep of the family, Branwell Brontë.

“There was an auction last month at Bonham’s in London,” explained Collections Manager at the museum, Ann Dinsdale, “and we acquired this portrait by Branwell of Maria Taylor, and a letter to her from Charlotte.”

“The Taylor Family lived nearby at Stanley Manor – they were quite an important family, quite influential. The father was instrumental in getting Patrick Bronte his position at the church, of which they were trustees.”

The oval portrait depicting the young lady with dark hair and porcelain skin will join another work by Branwell of her brother, Robert, which the museum previously acquired from the same source. Branwell had a studio in Bradford from which he attempted to make a living as a portrait painter before becoming an alcoholic and dying aged just 31 in 1848.

The letter from Charlotte Brontë to Maria is brief, changing arrangements for an outing.

The literary family lived in this parsonage. © Brontý Parsonage Museum

“It’s very interesting,” said Ann of the acquisitions, “because the Brontës were believed to be quite isolated at the Parsonage – the fact that this exists suggests there was more socialising going on between the two families than we thought.”

The painting is in good condition, while the letter needs some conservation work. They were acquired with generous funding from the V&A Purchase Fund and the Art Fund, plus a donation from a member of the Brontë Society.

The items will go on display in 2008 along with more acquisitions made in November – three envelopes containing locks of hair from Charlotte and Anne Bronte, and a ring that belonged to Charlotte. They were given to Ellen Nussey, a good friend of Charlotte’s.

“It’s been quite a good year for acquisitions,” commented Ann.