DEATH OF MISS ELLEN NUSSEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6090, 29 January 1898, Page 3

DEATH OF MISS ELLEN NUSSEY.

At Moor Lane House, Gomersal, Yorkshire, the death took placo, on Nov. 26, of Miss Ellen Nussey, the schoolmate and friend of Charlotte Bronte, at whose marriage she officiated as first bridesmaid. Miss Nussey, who was born at the Rydings, Birstall, lived in the neighbourhood all her life, and .at her death was eighty-three years of age. The authoress was in her fifteenth year when she met Ellen Nussey at Miss Wooler's school at Roe Head, and the friendship which resulted was never broken. Indeed, it is to Hiss Nussey that the public owe the greater part of their knowledge of Charlotte Bronte's life. The friends kept up a correspondence, in which there are 370 of Charlotte's letters. When she died and Mrs Gaskell undertook to write the biography, these were placed in her hands ; and her " Life of Charlotte Bronte " contains extracts from more than a hundred of them, although Miss Nussey^s name is not mentioned. Afterwards Sir Wemys3 Reid had access to them, and, lastly, they were placed in the 'hands, of Mr Clement Shorter for the preparation of his book on " Charlotte Bronte and Her Circle." It is stated that Miss Nussey is the " Caroline Helston" of "Shirley."