Classic English Literature and Belgium’s Red Devils

Granted, the link between these two disparate story topics might, at first glance, seem somewhat remote. What could possibly be the connection between some of the masterpieces of English literature and Belgium’s beloved football team? Let us connect the dots…

The Brontë Sisters—Charlotte and Emily—authored some of the most enduring 19^th-century literary classics. Charlotte’s novels Jane Eyre and Villette were groundbreaking in that they defied the Victorian era’s norms. Her themes of women’s empowerment and independence resonated with readers then and continue to today. Sister Emily’s Wuthering Heights delved into motifs of revenge, love, and the destructive power of obsession.

The Brontë Sisters were daughters of clergyman Patrick Brontë. Education was paramount in their household — especially when it came to the opportunity to develop their literary talents. Inspired by the classics of Sir Walter Scott, Lord Byron, and Mary Shelley, the young sisters would often write corresponding stories replete with creative, imaginary settings. Sadly, as pre-teens, the siblings lost their mother, Maria, to cancer. 

Elizabeth Barnwell (Maria’s sister) joined the family to care for the children. “Aunt Elizabeth” dedicated her life to her nieces—stressing education by teaching them arithmetic, the alphabet, sewing, and embroidering, and continuing to encourage the girls’ obsessive interest in learning. 

Through her efforts, Aunt Elizabeth created an environment that well prepared the sisters for their literary vocations in adulthood. Perhaps it was the restraints of the Victorian era that forced women to publish anonymously or use a male surname (Think: Jane Austen), that the sisters, encouraged by their aunt, decided to move to Brussels. 

Brussels in 1842 was considered “the gayest little capital in  Europe” —replete with cafes, beautiful boulevards, and theaters. There were balls attended by European royalty and the diplomatic community. But it was Aunt Elizabeth who stressed the fact that the  educational opportunities—specifically to learn  French and German—were better on the Continent.

As the capital of the newly created country of Belgium, Brussels was home to a growing British community centered around the Anglican Church. Such was the case when the Brontë sisters were welcomed by the Reverend Evan Jenkins and his wife Eliza into their large boarding home in Chaussée d’Ixelles. 

The Reverend was one of a long line of Jenkins family members who served as Anglican Chaplains to Belgian royalty and international diplomats in Brussels. For two years, the Jenkins family befriended the Brontë sisters. The influence of the Brontës’ Brussels experience proved to be pivotal in their writing careers. English literature scholars have long noted that their sojourn in Belgium deeply affected their interests, prose, imagination, and style.

The Jenkins family had four sons, and often, many of their boarders were expat English chums who were studying in Brussels. The Jenkins boarding house was “boy noisy,” in that most were “keen sportsmen.” They brought with them the Victorian ethos of Muscular Christianity: that sports were an exercise in willpower, commitment, and fair play. Physically training the body reflected devotion to God and society. 

The Jenkins boys were early members of Brussels Cricket Club, but all indications are that they were the first to “infect their native Belgian friends with the football virus.” Early photos show that in the 1860s, the Jenkins boys and their expat friends founded the first football club in Belgium and perhaps the first on the Continent. 

By the next year, the team played a team from Antwerp, winning 2-1. (Note: Evan’s Jenkins son Charles scored one of the goals). Later that year, the Brussels Football Club played “Old Westminster”—a visiting English team—losing 5-1. By the end of the decade, the official Royal Belgian Football Association (*Union