The name was inspired by my ancestors, JK, the Eyre family.
Charlotte Bronte visited Hathersage Derbyshire in June and July 1845 (staying with her friend Ellen Nussey who was staying at the vicarage - Ellen's brother was the incumbent vicar).
As she was staying at the church she cannot have failed to notice the numerous memorials and brasses of the Eyre family in the local church (built by my ancestor Sir Robert Eyre (d 1459) - who fought at Agincourt. His tomb is immediately to the left of the altar).
Sir Robert had seven sons, and built a "Hall" for each one - all within sight of each other. Several remain to this day. (Sir Robert's own Hall - Highlow Hall, 2 miles south west of Hathersage, is said to be the most haunted house in Derbyshire, and still looks creapy to this day )!
Charlotte's own diaries mention that she and Ellen walked over the moors daily to North Lees Hall (home of the Eyres).
eyres.home.texas.net/NorthLees/NorthLees.htm
It's thought that Charlotte based "Thornfield" in Jane Eyre on North Lees Hall as the description fits. Mary Eyre was the incumbent at North Lees Hall in 1845, and her eldest son, Thomas, is thought to have proposed to Charlotte - but she turned him down. The west window in Hathersage church is a memorial to this Mary Eyre. One of Mary's children at the time was a Jane Eyre.
The Eyres also owned the "Apostles Cupboard" - a large peice of furniture which had 12 cupboards, each one having a different Apostle painted on the door. This is vividly described in Jane Eyre, and is now in the Bronte Museum at Haworth.
Thomas Eyre married someone else and moved to another Hall (one of those built by Sir Robert) - Moorseats .... which is even closer to the vicarage and locals believe it is Moor House in Jane Eyre.
The village of Hathersage is Morton in the book.
The crossroads (where Jane gets out of the carriage) is Fox House Inn, a few miles from Hathersage, and although very bleak, is only around 6/7 miles from the centre of Sheffield.
"Jane Eyre" was published in 1847.
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