Local people are joining Bronte lovers from all over the world in raising cash to bring a historic letter back to Haworth.

The Bront Society has until June to raise £50,000 to buy Charlotte Bront's moving account of the death of her brother and two sisters.

The 'Dreadful Dream' letter has been offered to the Haworth-based society at a reduced price by its American owner. The Keighley News is supporting the society's bid to buy the 150-year-old letter for the Bront Parsonage Museum, the family's former home at Haworth, which it runs.

Museum director Mike Hill says hundreds of contributions totalling thousands of pounds have been sent in the past fortnight. He says: "Ordinary people have written to to say they want to see the letter return to the Parsonage because that is where it ought to be. They feel a sense that it 'belongs' to the museum, and that the museum belongs to them. This sense of identity is important."

Mr Hill, writing in a letter published in this week's Keighley News, defends the public campaign to raise cash for Charlotte's letter. He says: "In terms of knowledge, the letter as an original letter is important, so details of the handwriting, paper and watermark can be studied. Beyond that there is a sense of being in contact with the 'real thing' for which there is no substitute."

The letter is so fragile that it can only be put on public display once every ten years.

The Bronte Society's 3,000 members are being asked to donate at least £5 each to add to the £10,000 pledged from the society's reserves.

Contributions can be sent to the Bront Parsonage Museum at Church Street, Haworth, making cheques payable to the Bront Society.

Full letter, page 10

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