In what year was 'Shirley' published?

Shirley was published in 1849.

The full title is Shirley, A Tale, and its author was Charlotte Brontë, writing under the pseudonym Currer Bell. The first edition was published by Smith, Elder & Co. on 26 October 1849, making it Brontë’s second published novel after Jane Eyre.

Set in Yorkshire during 1811–12, the novel follows Caroline Helstone and the wealthy, independent Shirley Keeldar against the background of industrial depression and Luddite unrest. The plot reflects tensions surrounding textile mills, workers and economic change in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The book’s composition was shaped by severe family losses. Charlotte began writing after the death of her brother Branwell in 1848, then continued through the deaths of Emily Brontë in December 1848 and Anne Brontë in May 1849. Readers also often ask about the title’s legacy: Shirley, previously more commonly a masculine surname or given name, became popular as a girl’s name after the novel.