Yorkshire drinks entrepreneur Sir James Aykroyd – owner of the famous Brontë Liqueur – has presented the Brontë Society with the original front door key of the Haworth village parsonage.

The presentation was made to Ann Dinsdale, principal curator of the Brontë Parsonage Museum as part of the year-long celebrations of Charlotte Brontë’s birth.

Sir James’ great-grandfather, the industrialist Sir James Roberts, originally bought and gifted the parsonage to the Brontë Society in 1928.

Born in Haworth in 1848, as a boy Sir James Roberts knew Charlotte Brontë.

He was later part of a group of local businessmen who invested in Sir Titus Salt, Sons and Co in Saltaire after it went into voluntary liquidation in 1892. Within eight years Sir James was the sole owner and the business prospered.

His ancestor Sir James Aykroyd, managing director of Brontë Liqueur, has launched a limited edition liqueur called Charlotte's Reserve to mark Charlotte Brontë’s birth this year.

Sir James said: “I'm delighted to pass the parsonage key into the custodianship of the Brontë Society.

"As a Yorkshireman I'm fiercely proud of my great grandfather’s role in securing the Brontë family home for posterity and in the continuing historic connection between my family and Haworth.”

Charlotte’s Reserve costs £20 and is available at independent stores throughout the county or via bronteliqueur.com

A percentage of all sales of Brontë Liqueur will be donated to the Brontë Society to help it continue to promote the Brontë legacy.

Meanwhile, an artwork which inspired one of Charlotte Brontë's own creative efforts is to be auctioned off in Ilkley.

The watercolour painting, which is called "An Italian Scene", is by 19th century artist George Barret and was the basis for a drawing by Charlotte.

She worked from an 1830 engraving of the original picture, and her copy hangs in the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

The Barret picture has been owned by Yorkshire-born composer David Jennings, who now lives in County Durham.

He bought it in 2007 at a Bonhams auction in London.

Mr Jennings said: "When I bought it I knew nothing about its connection to Charlotte Brontë. I liked it because it's a Romantic idealised landscape that is very skilfully painted by a well known, listed artist.

"About four years after I bought it I was surprised to find an engraving of the picture appearing online.

"I typed the details of this engraving back into the Internet to research when the engraving was published and was astonished to find a link to the Brontës.

"I contacted Ann Dinsdale at the parsonage with my findings, and she posted me the relevant pages from a book called The Art of the Brontës, that has Charlotte's copy illustrated.

"My picture is possibly the only picture in private hands that was copied by one of the Brontës – all the others are probably in museums."

The original painting is due to be auctioned at Hartleys Auctioneers and Valuers on November 30 at Victoria Hall Salerooms, Little Lane, Ilkley.