Christine Alexander - The Oxford Companion to the Brontës

This volume owes much to the many scholars who have worked in the field of Bront studies over the years; without their dedication to research a reliable Companion would not be possible.

The Oxford Companion to the Bronts has been in production over a number of years and during this time many people have contributed assistance of various kinds. The authors would like to thank all those who have helped to make their task lighter and added to the accuracy of this volume. In particular we would like to thank the small band of contributors who gave so readily and so generously of their expertise: Carol Bock, Sue Lonoff, Victor Neufeldt, Herbert Rosengarten, Virginia Rushton, Patsy Stoneman, Beverly Taylor. Without their help the authors could not have completed the entries in time. The responsibility for the final form of the volume and for all errors and omissions, however, remains with the authors alone.

Christine Alexander would like to acknowledge with gratitude grants from the Australian Research Council and the Faculty of Arts at the University of New South Wales, that allowed her to check material in the UK and USA, and to consult with Margaret Smith in person.

We would like to express our thanks to Michael Cox, Pam Coote, Alison Jones, and Joanna Harris of Oxford University Press for their courtesy and patience, and to Rowena Anketell for her expert copyediting. Penny Boumelha, Kate Flint, John Maynard, Derek Roper, and Herbert Rosengarten also provided invaluable help in drawing up lists of topics. The assistance of the staff at the Bront Parsonage Museum, especially that of Ann Dinsdale and Rachel Terry, and of Carole Heaton, Principal Librarian, Reference Library, Calderdale Council, Halifax, was invaluable. We are grateful for the help of Robert and Louise Barnard, Aimee Chan, Margaret and Robert Cochrane, Christopher Cooper, Bob Duckett, Professor Michel Fuchs, Robin Greenwood, Alan Shelston, and Stephen Whitehead; of Andrew Brammer and Rowland Hilder for their vital technical support; and thankful to Kathryn Nedeljkovic for her editorial assistance.

Christine's greatest debt goes to her family, to her husband Peter and her son Roland; together they survived personal tragedy. They also endured the stress of publishing deadlines over several years: she is grateful for their moral support and practical assistance. Finally, the authors would like to acknowledge the importance of collaborative research in literature; although contributors and authors were spread between three continents, we have benefited from each other's expertise and encouragement. The planning, organizing, editing, and research for most of the entries in the volume has been a stimulating and rewarding experience for the authors that has confirmed their commitment to Bront studies.

Christine Alexander and Margaret Smith