Moor House (Marsh End)

 Moorseats Hall view

Moor House, also known as Marsh End, is based off the actual house of Moorseats which was previously owned by an English Jesuit, Thomas Eyre. The house of Moorseats is located outside of Hathersage in Derbyshire, and given the description of Whitcross—where Jane was dropped off—in conjunction with the towns known to be in the general vicinity, and the length of travel, it is "quite clear that Charlotte based [these chapters] in Derbyshire” (Thompson). A moor is land that has yet to be farmed on or built up. This setting is even more remote than her previous accommodations and further removed from her desired city-esque home.  

Jane, having just left Rochester and seeking a new beginning, is continuing to move away from what she so strongly believed was right for her. Could this be a commentary on the fact that a more modest, simple, and desolate life suits her best? Or could she be continuing down the wrong path? Maybe the failed attempt at a marriage was not the ultimate turning point for her. With each move she discovers more about herself and grows increasingly independent, that is seen when she stands up for herself in asserting that she is not in fact a “beggar” as is assumed by Hannah, but rather an educated woman who could never be thought of as such. The fact that the people of the Moor House are questioning Jane’s ability to sustain her own life is, people who are less educated than she—Brontë uses their dialect to make this apparent—indicates that Jane is now on a journey to true independence rather than seeking a companion. The correlation between Jane’s personal growth and nature is uncanny.  

Thompson, Paul. “Moor House (Aka Marsh End).” Moor House: Location and Characters, Dec. 2017, https://jane-eyre.guidesite.co.uk/moor-house. Accessed 19 June 2022.  

Coordinates

Latitude: 53.335859500000
Longitude: -1.645450900000