Brontë memorial spelled right after 85 years as Yorkshire historian warns 'you missed a bit'
Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey is known as a "place of pilgrimage" for literature lovers, remembering world-famous greats from Shakespeare to Dickens.
But for Yorkshire's best-loved literary sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, their name has always been spelled wrong - missing the diaereses (dots) over the 'e' for Brontë.
Now, after 85 years, their memorial has been finished after journalist and historian Sharon Wright pointed out: "You missed a bit".
An Abbey stonemason yesterday carved the final two dots above the Brontë name, before curators carefully painted over them. To Ms Wright, watching nearby, it was an emotional moment.
"These women of Yorkshire were three of the country's greatest writers," she said. "They deserve to have their names spelled correctly.
"Charlotte, Emily and Anne earned their place in Poets' Corner. Their poetry and writing is a masterpiece of the English language.
"They burned very brightly in this world,” she added. “Standing here, with a tear in our eye, we can make sure they are remembered correctly in Westminster Abbey."
The Brontë memorial, a tablet of Huddlestone stone, was commissioned by the Brontë Society. It was installed in October 1939 but, with the outbreak of the Second World War, the Dean of Westminster said it was "out of the question" to hold a proper unveiling.
By the time of a formal ceremony, in July 1947, the nation was re-building itself and the missing diaereses appear not to have been mentioned.
The two dots, quite rare in English, indicate the division of a word into two syllables. The Brontë name is thought to have evolved from their father Patrick’s Irish surname of Prunty or Brunty when he entered Cambridge in 1802.
A letter in the Abbey archives clearly gives instructions for the wording of the memorial, which includes the diaereses. But Ms Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, noticed they were missing as she visited the Abbey to research a new book.
The Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, said he was grateful to have the omission pointed out, and now put right.
"Memory is not a locked cupboard, but an active thing and the Brontë Society have given us a glimpse of their commitment to a lively remembering," he said.
And Rebecca Yorke, society director, said she was "thrilled" to see the response: “As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial.”
Ms Wright, who is from Bradford, said this was a part of the district's heritage and it was important to see it honoured correctly in London.
“It's taken 85 years, since the Brontë Society commissioned this piece, to see it completed,” she said. “I can't believe nobody has piped up until now to say, 'you missed a bit'."