Generous Keighley people and members of the Bront Society have exceeded expectations in supporting an appeal to bring home a 150-year-old letter written by Charlotte Bront.

They have raised £6,000 - £1,000 more than the target - towards the £50,000 which needs to be raised before the end of June to buy the letter from an American family.

Since April, when the appeal was launched by Mike Hill, director of the Bront Parsonage Museum in Haworth, 350 people have made donations, ranging from £5 to £1,000. "I'm delighted with the response," says Mr Hill. "It demonstrates the support of the local people which is a great asset in our bid for help from the heritage lottery fund. Every-thing hinges on the lottery. I'm waiting in trepidation for news."

He is seeking £30,000 and hopes also to get a grant from the London-based Museums and Galleries Commission.

Deadline for news from the lottery is next Friday, June 4, and Mr Hill hopes to be making a positive announcement to Bront Society members at the annual meeting the following day in Haworth. "I believe we have done everything right to win the lottery money," he says.

especially by demonstrating how popular the appeal to buy the letter is locally. That is so important.''

The letter, written on March 5 1849, was originally priced at £85,000, but Mr Hill managed to get £35,000 discount. It is not being sold at auction but has been offered to the Bronte Society.

It is one of the most moving letters written by the great author and expresses her feelings at the deaths of her brother Branwell and sister Emily and the onset of her other sister Anne's fatal illness.

*The Bronte Parsonage Museum holds the largest collection of Bronte manuscripts in the world.

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