A fact from Maria Brontë appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 5 October 2010 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
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I am tempted to nominate this for deletion, or merge into the Brontë family article, as nothing in this poor child's article suggests to me that she was independently notable. However, I find the "Influence" section offers an intriguing case for notability and suggest that that be moved into the lead. Shawn in Montreal (talk) 18:15, 28 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]
When exactly Maria was born: in April 1813 (only 5 month after the marriage of her parents), or in 1814? Article suggests that she was ten at July of 1824, but her date of birth stated as 23 April 1813.
--Julie Catherine (talk) 21:12, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Well spotted. The Oxford Companion to the Brontës (2003) gives the year 1813, with a question mark (pages 63 and 65). No day or month is given. It does say on page 63 that she was baptized on 23 April 1814. If she was born, as the Wikipedia article states, in April 1813, this would suggest that her parents waited a full year before the baptism, which seems unlikely. (For example: Charlotte - born 21 April 1816, baptized 29 June 1816; Emily - born 30 July 1818, baptized 20 August 1818; Anne - born 17 January 1820, baptized 25 March 1820.)
Obviously, guessing her date of birth from looking at the date of baptism and comparing it with her sisters' dates would be unjustifiable original research. But since we have no source for the April 1813 date, and since a very reliable source just gives the year 1813 with a question mark and with no month, I think we should remove the day and month, and just do what the Oxford Companion does. Girlwithgreeneyes (talk) 21:36, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Update: I've just checked The Brontës by Patricia Ingham (Oxford University Press, 2006). The "chronology" (pages xii to xix) gives the birth of Maria as "late 1813 or early 1814" and Elizabeth as 1815. Exact dates seem to be unknown. Girlwithgreeneyes (talk) 21:56, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]
