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Is Mr. Collins Autistic?

June 29, 2026 by Brenda S Cox

Book Review by Brenda S. Cox of So Odd a Mixture: Along the Autistic Spectrum in Pride and Prejudice

It’s not often that I read something that invites me to look at one of my favorite books, Pride and Prejudice, in a totally new way. Recently, after a presentation I gave on “Mr. Collins: Jane Austen’s Most Memorable Clergyman” (which you can watch here), a participant asked if I had considered the idea of Collins being on the autistic spectrum. I hadn’t.

She recommended the book So Odd a Mixture: Along the Autistic Spectrum in Pride and Prejudice, by Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer. Of course I love to learn from other Janeites, so I bought the book for my Kindle. I found it fascinating. I can’t say I agree with everything the author says. But the book was full of quotes from Pride and Prejudice, and I read it as eagerly as if I were reading the novel again, since I was looking at it from a different point of view.

So Odd a Mixture: Along the Autistic Spectrum in Pride and Prejudice, by Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer, explores the possibility of eight characters in Pride and Prejudice having characteristics of autism.

Autism and Austen

Phyllis Bottomer is a speech language pathologist who has worked with students with mild or level 1 autism. She also loves Jane Austen. Watching a Pride and Prejudice adaptation, she was suddenly struck by the similarity between a character’s statement and a statement by Dr. Temple Grandin. Grandin describes her own experience as a woman with autism in Thinking in Pictures. This led Bottomer to reconsider Pride and Prejudice’s characters, comparing them with various sources on autism. She found many similarities.

Early in the book, the author gives us a helpful background chapter on “Autistic Spectrum Disorders for Janeites.” A chapter follows on Jane Austen for the autism specialists who may be reading.

Temple Grandin’s book Thinking in Pictures gives a first-person account of life with autism.

The title of So Odd a Mixture comes from Austen’s description of Mr. Bennet as “so odd a mixture of quick parts [abilities], sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice.” Bottomer suggests that Mr. Bennet and other characters in Pride and Prejudice are on the autistic spectrum. She includes Mr. Collins, Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Anne De Bourgh, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, and last, but certainly not least, Fitzwilliam Darcy. This seems a high number for a disorder affecting less than 5% of the population, according to the website Autism Speaks. However, autism does tend to run in families, according to that same website.

While Bottomer discusses each one extensively in their own chapter, I will just give a few of her reasons for classifying these characters as “on the spectrum.”

Mr. Collins

I find her arguments about Mr. Collins the most convincing. Bottomer cites Collins’s awkwardness in social situations, his unawareness of social cues, his preparing compliments ahead of time (approaching social tasks with “slow conscious calculation”), his limited emotional depth, and his “obliviousness” as characteristics of those with ASD.

Collins reads Fordyce’s Sermons aloud to the family, although he knows that young ladies don’t like such books. This shows that, like many on the spectrum, he has difficulty applying social knowledge to specific situations. Bottomer compares Mr. Collins’s dislike of novels to Temple Grandin’s. She strongly prefers nonfiction to “novels with complicated interpersonal relationships,” which are more challenging for autistic people to understand. (A more recent study has shown this is not true of all autistic people. Autistic children, like neurotypical children, tend to prefer fiction over nonfiction.)

Bottomer analyzes Collins’s unsympathetic letter to the Bennets about Lydia’s elopement. She concludes that Mr. Collins will be a poor clergyman, unable to give emotional support to the people of his parish. This is likely true, since Collins is proud and judgmental. However, Austen presents Mr. Collins more as someone from a disadvantaged background, with a miserly, illiterate (meaning not well-educated) father, who is trying to operate in spheres of society he did not grow up in. He may also be neurodivergent, we don’t know for sure.

Like some (but not all!) people on the spectrum, Mr. Collins prefers nonfiction to novels.

Mary and Lydia Bennet

I was surprised to see both Mary and Lydia included here, as they are so opposite in personality.

Bottomer diagnoses Mary as having “mild to moderate autism.” Mary is intellectual, preferring to deal with ideas rather than feelings. She is unaware of how those around her react to her, as evidenced by her singing at the Netherfield Ball and not understanding Elizabeth’s signals to her to stop. The author considers Mary’s admiration of Mr. Collins to be “a case of like minds being attracted to each other.” She quotes a study* which found that women with mild autism were usually in relationships with mildly autistic men. Men on the spectrum, on the other hand, gravitated toward relationships with neurotypical women, as Mr. Collins does. So, as many readers have concluded, Mary might have been a good match for Mr. Collins. (*Maxine Aston, Aspergers in Love, 2003)

Lydia, according to the author, also has “poorly developed social skills.” She interrupts Mr. Collins, dominates conversations regardless of others’ lack of interest (as Mr. Collins does), and fails to modulate the volume of her voice appropriately. Her conversation and actions are often inappropriate for the situation. This, of course, could be because she is an impetuous, undisciplined teenager. Bottomer thinks Lydia has both Asperger’s and ADHD. Apparently, autistic children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to predators, as “they cannot always figure out when they are being lied to or used.” This makes Lydia unable to recognize Wickham’s deceptions.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet

While Austen mentions Mr. Bennet’s “sarcastic humour,” Bottomer suggests reading Mr. Bennet’s words as literal comments rather than wit. Mrs. Bennet talks about “a single man of large fortune” benefiting her daughters, while Mr. Bennet asks “How so? How can it affect them?” Surely, he must have known the answer. Bottomer writes, “Difficulty with drawing inferences and ‘reading between the lines’ is common among the majority of those on the spectrum.” Here it does seem as if he is being witty, however.

Throughout the novel, Mr. Bennet shows a lack of empathy for his wife and daughters. He has been irresponsible in raising them. Bottomer makes the excellent point that Mr. Bennet knew about the entail, and he should have provided for his wife and daughters in at least one of three ways, perhaps all three. He could have set aside money for them, at least starting when Lydia was born fifteen years previously. He could have given them good educations so they could support themselves as governesses if needed. And he could have brought them to London to connect them with suitable men to marry. But he has done none of these things, absorbed only in himself. They could literally be homeless and destitute when he dies. Even knowing this, he never takes seriously their need to find husbands.

Is he just a totally self-absorbed, selfish man? Is Mrs. Bennet’s silliness (though she is more realistic than he is) the cause of his ill-treatment of her? As Bottomer points out, we do not accept “she asked for it” as an excuse for physical abuse, and it should not justify emotional abuse either. Is the truth instead that Mr. Bennet is unable to empathize, unable to understand and respond to the complex emotions of others? Bottomer characterizes him as “severely impaired,” unable to protect his daughters and care for his wife.

Mrs. Bennet, while not highly educated, recognizes her husband’s emotional abuse. (“How can you abuse your own children in such a way?” she asks him. And, “You have no compassion on my poor nerves.”) Due to her husband’s neglect of his family, Mrs. Bennet is anxious, which exacerbates characteristics of autism. Bottomer says, “Although Mrs. Bennet shows some autistic spectrum traits, particularly difficulty with both voice modulation and empathy, as well as a tendency to focus on minor details, these are comparatively mild.” Unlike her husband, she enjoys social interactions, but she often does not pick up on social cues.

Does autism help keep Mr. and Mrs. Bennet from connecting with each other?

Darcy and His Family

You can guess from this why Bottomer classifies Anne De Bourgh and her mother Lady Catherine as on the spectrum. Darcy is more interesting.

Bottomer writes, “In my opinion it is not pride but subtle autism that is the major reason for Darcy’s frequent silences, awkward behaviour at social events and the monologue that he, like Mr. Collins, delivers the first time he proposes to Elizabeth.” She explains many of Darcy’s actions as the results of mild autism. Positively, he is able to recognize his social errors and work to improve them. This is a long and intriguing chapter which I will not attempt to summarize here.

Austen identifies Darcy’s main difficulty as pride. Certainly he is proud and has to repent of that and change. I’m willing to consider that he may also have mild neurodivergent traits that he and Elizabeth have to learn to work with.

How Did Austen Know?

In the conclusion section, the author first speculates on what kind of “happily ever after” these characters might have experienced—the Bennets, the Wickhams, the Collinses, and of course the Darcys. JAFF writers, take note! She concludes that Elizabeth, who loves “intricate characters,” may enjoy her husband’s complex character.

Then the author addresses the question that bothered me throughout the book. “How Did Austen Know?” Of course these conditions were not diagnosed until long after her lifetime. Bottomer simply says that Austen was “extremely observant.” But observant of whom? Bottomer gives brief quotes from Austen’s letters about people that appeared odd, shy, or quiet. The author speculates that, in Jane’s own family, her cousin Edward Cooper, three of her brothers (including George, who had an unidentified disability), her suitor Harris Bigg-Wither, her Aunt Leigh-Perrot, and even her mother might possibly have been on the spectrum.

Her evidence here seems weak and speculative. As she concludes, “Given that individuals on the autistic spectrum are puzzling enough to understand even when they live and breathe among us, those in the dust of time are impossible for us to decipher.”

Jane Austen may have woven the traits of these “intricate and unique individuals” into the “unforgettable characters” we all know and love. She obviously was not intending to present these characters as “on the spectrum,” an unknown idea at the time. But probably she knew people with at least some degree of the behaviors she gives her characters.

While I can’t judge these diagnoses, I did find it entertaining and interesting to think about the traits of the people in Pride and Prejudice from this particular perspective. And it was helpful to learn more about autism in the process.

A Janeite on the Spectrum

To close, I want to share some comments from a Janeite friend, Frances, who founded the Jane Austen Society of Aotearoa New Zealand and identifies as autistic. (She has not yet read So Odd a Mixture.) She says:

“It’s always difficult to judge characters by modern standards, to attach labels they wouldn’t use, but it can help us understand them better. (I’m guilty of it. In fact, my talk for Virtual Jane Con next month is about whether Charlotte Lucas is aromantic. An even newer term.) Autism has always existed but wasn’t identified until relatively recently, and we’re still gaining new understandings – it’s not just men (hi, look at me :-).”

Would you identify any of the characters in P&P as autistic?

“Yes. It could be argued that Mr. Darcy, Mr. Collins and Mary Bennet are autistic. They all struggle with knowing how to behave in social situations and understanding others. Mary Bennet in the recent adaptation of The Other Bennet Sister is easier to see as autistic.”

Are there any that you relate to because they share some of those characteristics with you?

“I’ve heard many people relate to Mr. Darcy at the Netherfield Ball, not just me. Socialising with a room full of strangers, let alone strangers staring and talking about you, is awful. For a long time I didn’t want to relate to Mary Bennet, but I am very like her (luckily, I’m pretty :-). I spent most of my childhood with my head buried in a book and I still don’t understand the things neurotypical people say.”

 

I would love to hear from you, gentle readers, especially if you consider yourself on the autistic spectrum. Do you see any of the Pride and Prejudice characters as neurodivergent? Does it help you to relate to them? Do you see autistic traits in any Austen characters from the other novels?

 

So Odd a Mixture was published in 2007. Be aware that some terminology in it is outdated. Phyllis Bottomer also has an article in the 2007 volume of Persuasions, for those who have been in JASNA that long; it’s not online, though.

The reviewer, Brenda S. Cox, is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen's World | 3 Comments »

Cassandra Austen’s Dog (and a tribute to other animals during the Regency era)

June 19, 2026 by Vic

Inquiring readers, 

While Jane Austen referred to dogs in her novels, no mention was made of one living in the various houses she inhabited even when she settled in her last productive years in Chawton Cottage. After Mrs Austen’s death in 1827, Cassandra, who remained in Chawton Cottage, kept a dog as her companion. It seems the dog had two names: ‘Link’ and/or ‘Scout,’ depending on the source material. I haven’t read a description of the dog itself – whether it’s a purebred or a mongrel, or of the color of its fur or special markings, or how Cassandra acquired the dog. Link/Scout will forever remain in my memory due to this description:

She had a dog called Link, who, family story claims, would accompany a manservant to the farm at the end of the road to fetch milk; on the way back, Link would carry the pail of milk in his mouth. (Jane Austen’s House)

Such details are precious. Constance Hill (writer) and her sister, Ellen (artist), took a pilgrimage from the U.S. to England in order to visit all the places where the Austens lived. Their book with its lovely illustrations was published in 1902. (Jane Austen: Her Homes and Her Friends). When visiting Chawton, the sisters chanced upon an elderly man, who vividly recalled Cassandra and her dog, years after their deaths. It was he who mentioned his memory of Link to the two delighted sisters, whose book became an important resource in the early 20th century for Austen scholars.

While Jane Austen never had her own dog, she mentioned them or referred to them frequently.  Author Eliza Shearer wrote an interesting article entitled Dogs in Jane Austen’s Novels for her blog. I had no idea how often Austen incorporated dogs into her stories to flesh out her characters, such as Willoughby:

In ‘Sense and Sensibility’, Sir John Middleton is incensed when he discovers Willoughby’s true nature, perhaps even more so because he has just given Willoughby a precious present: a puppy by Folly, his favourite hound.

Chalon, Henry Bernard. “Two Pointers in a Landscape.” Wikimedia Commons, 1805.

Shearer goes on to mention that Willoughby’s choice of a rich wife over love was his road to unhappiness. After bidding Marianne goodbye, the only tiny bit of happiness he felt was in breeding hounds. 

An article in Reddit discusses more animal species in Austen’s novels than dogs, although this comment is notable:

“Lady Bertram’s Pug (Mansfield Park): This pug highlights Lady Bertram’s idleness and misplaced priorities, as she fusses over the dog while neglecting her children” (Reddit).

Brock, C. E. “Illustration for ch. 2 of Mansfield Park.” Wikimedia Commons, 1908.

Shannon Winslow featured a cartoon in FaceBook of a cat & dog discussing which of their species Jane liked most. The dog argues that Austen is “Definitely a dog person – she wrote “Scents and Scents ability,” with the cat countering “But she also wrote “Purr-suasion.” Click on this link to see the cartoon of Jane writing in the background as the pets argue. It’s a wonderful cartoon which I’m not sure is in the public domain, therefore the link.

Let’s just say that Jane and Cassandra and their family in general largely understood that animals were for labor – sheep dogs to keep their flocks in order and work in tandem with their shepherds, cats to hunt rats and mice, cows to produce milk and steers for meat, horses for sport and transportation, chickens for eggs and stews, and yelping hounds that led hunting parties for sport to kill foxes. The sights, sounds, and sustenance of animals were part and parcel in the background of their lives.

The last link I offer is to a rather long article I wrote in 2021 about Animals in Jane Austen’s Novels. While detailed, I hope you’ll enjoy it.

 

Posted in Cassandra Austen (Jane's Sister), Jane Austen and animals, Jane Austen's World | 1 Comment »

Review: The Other Bennet Sister

May 25, 2026 by Brenda S Cox

Review of the book and TV series, by Brenda S. Cox

“Mary, who having, in consequence of being the only plain one in the family, worked hard for knowledge and accomplishments, was always impatient for display. Mary had neither genius nor taste; and though vanity had given her application, it had given her likewise a pedantic air and conceited manner, which would have injured a higher degree of excellence than she had reached.”—Pride and Prejudice, chapter 6

Mary Bennet

Those of us who love books often feel sorry for Mary Bennet: a bookworm who tries to make her way with second-hand knowledge of the world. We ask, why didn’t Mr. Collins marry Mary? Austen says,

“Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him [Mr. Collins]. She rated his abilities much higher than any of the others; there was a solidity in his reflections which often struck her, and though by no means so clever as herself, she thought that if encouraged to read and improve himself by such an example as hers, he might become a very agreeable companion” (P&P, chapter 22).

However, he marries Charlotte Lucas instead, leaving the Bennet daughters still in desperate need of “good” (financially sound) marriages. Pragmatic Charlotte, of course, was probably a good match for him. She could help him better cope with the world and tone down his excesses. Charlotte had plenty of practice dealing with a pompous, foolish (but kind) father.

But what about Mary? Can we imagine a happy ending for her? Here’s the ending Jane Austen gave her:

“Mary was the only daughter who remained at home; and she was necessarily drawn from the pursuit of accomplishments by Mrs. Bennet’s being quite unable to sit alone. Mary was obliged to mix more with the world, but she could still moralize over every morning visit; and as she was no longer mortified by comparisons between her sisters’ beauty and her own, it was suspected by her father that she submitted to the change without much reluctance.”—P&P, chapter 61

In this Hugh Thomson illustration for Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins checks out the Bennet sisters, overlooking Mary, who is reading a book on the right.

Then what happens after her father dies and the Collinses take over Longbourn?

Janice Hadlow, author of The Other Bennet Sister, has given Mary her own story. I have now read the book twice and watched the series twice, loving them every time.

The Book: The Other Bennet Sister

The Other Bennet Sister begins,

“It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be poor and handsome is misfortune enough; but to be penniless and plain is a hard fate indeed.” (The TV series adds, “or so my mother taught us.”)

Janice Hadlow, in the book, then takes us deeper into the Bennet family. Mrs. Bennet’s “beauty had been enough to win him, but, as Mr. Bennet soon understood, it was not enough to make him happy.” However, not being “reflective,” Mrs. Bennet still focuses on beauty as the most important quality of a young woman, and cannot forgive Mary for being “plain.”

We get to know Mary as the overlooked Bennet sister, trying various coping strategies. I love all the background and depth we get as Mary grows up, which understandably is skipped in the TV series.

I enjoyed the different strands and surprises woven together in this novel, all of which seem reasonably consistent with Pride and Prejudice. Mrs. Hill at Longbourn proves Mary’s friend. Mary’s eyeglasses exasperate her mother but provide a potential beau. Mr. Collins teaches Mary some Greek and introduces her to Aristotle’s ideas of happiness. The Gardiners take Mary in, include her, and nurture her.

Wordsworth’s poetry, shared by an attractive gentleman, opens Mary up to the world of feelings, beyond facts. The gentleman tells her, “That is the power of poetry. . . . It allows us to imagine ourselves anew, if we will permit it to do so. It reveals to us the hidden wishes of our hearts.”

Mary finds herself, fights for her happiness, and obtains her “room of one’s own” (a little ‘Easter egg’ reference to Virginia Woolf). And she’s not the only one. Even Caroline Bingley, who contributes some nasty wit here and there, has a little change of heart. And Mr. Collins and Charlotte find some happiness in their marriage. The book and its ending are satisfying for all.

The Other Bennet Sister is well-written, compelling, and shows Mary Bennet and other Pride and Prejudice characters in a plausible new light. I highly recommend it. (Bonus: It’s currently available through Kindle Unlimited.)

The Other Bennet Sister, by Janice Hadlow, tells the story of Mary, the overlooked sister.

The TV series: The Other Bennet Sister

The series of ten episodes of The Other Bennet Sister is also a delight. The blurb on Amazon says, “In this fresh Pride & Prejudice spin, overlooked Mary Bennet leaves Meryton behind to pursue love, independence, and self-worth, proving there is more to her than anyone expected”: a good summary. Even having read the book, I found the series intriguing.

For preview photos, see BBC Media Center part one and part two.

It includes some major changes from the novel. For example, in the novel, Mary is absolutely set against becoming a governess. In the series, that job is her way of achieving independence. (Never mind that Jane Fairfax of Emma considers the job of governess akin to slavery.) Independence, of course, is more of a modern goal for women, but today’s audience will appreciate it.

More of the story happens at Pemberley in the series than in the book. I suppose that’s because it seems a more romantic place than Hunsford or Netherfield. Or perhaps because the book takes Mary to one place after another as she tries to find the right place to settle, and it was easier in the film version to focus more on one place. Other events and situations also differ from the novel (I’m trying not to give you too many spoilers here).

I wasn’t really distracted by the few historical inaccuracies. However, the following aspects of the TV series are not proper etiquette of the time:

  • Mary sometimes (though not always) walks outside with her hair uncovered, no bonnet.
  • She walks around in London unescorted even by a maid, also inappropriate for her gentry background.
  • She is sometimes alone with a gentleman when it seems not quite appropriate.
  • She sometimes introduces herself to people rather than waiting for a correct introduction (which she could easily have obtained).
  • Mr. and Mrs. Collins show up at Pemberley out of the blue, without an invitation, which seems very unlikely.

And, these two oddities:

  • One of Mary’s beaux is a nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, but he never seems to connect with or mention Darcy, who must be his cousin.
  • Someone receives a surprising inheritance. The book does give an explanation which is semi-plausible, but the TV series gives no explanation.

The Actors

Ella Bruccoleri makes a convincing Mary, growing from the analytical, insecure middle daughter into a young lady learning to be comfortable with herself. Her suitors, played by Dónal Finn and Laurie Davidson, are attractive and interesting. Mr. Collins (Ryan Sampson) seemed a bit off to me at first, more twitchy than Mr. Collins in the movies, and more intelligent, but he grew on me as a character.

Mrs. Bennet (Ruth Jones) is an exaggerated version of the Mrs. Bennet in the novel, especially in her negative attitude toward Mary. But the scene where Mary finally stands up to her is satisfying. (Mary’s final confrontation with someone else—a person who has tried to make choices for her—is also beautifully done.) I found the other Bennet daughters hard to distinguish until later on in the series, but the show isn’t really about them. A very pregnant Lydia (Grace Hogg-Robinson) does have some funny moments.

The Other Bennet Sister series came out this year (2026) and is now available on Britbox and through Prime Video. My recommendation? Read the book AND watch the series, if you can. Both are great entertainment and new perspectives on Mary Bennet. Mary may be “an example to us all” in learning to follow both her mind and her heart. Caroline Bingley says that sarcastically, but there is truth in it.

So Odd . . .

One more thought: Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer, in So Odd a Mixture, suggests that Mary Bennet is on the autistic spectrum, and therefore is misunderstood by, and misunderstands, those around her. I am no expert on any of this, but it appears to me that Janice Hadlow in The Other Bennet Sister is instead assuming Mary has been traumatized by early verbal abuse and neglect. Mary chooses to cope in certain ways—somewhat like Fanny Price in Mansfield Park. Once Mary is in a loving, accepting environment, she is able to heal and flourish. (These approaches are not mutually exclusive, I assume.) I will be reviewing So Odd a Mixture for you soon.

 

If you have read The Other Bennet Sister or if you have watched (or are watching) the series, what do you think? Please share your thoughts with other readers!

 

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Jane Austen's World, Mary Bennet, Pride and Prejudice | Tagged , , | 14 Comments »

Elizabeth Bennet’s Travels (Part 3): Chatsworth

May 12, 2026 by Rachel Dodge

Last month, in Part 2 of our tour of Elizabeth Bennet’s travels, we took a closer look at Derbyshire, Matlock, and Dovedale. Earlier, we explored the route Elizabeth and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner took on their journey to Derbyshire through Oxford, Blenheim, Warwick, Kenilworth, and Birmingham. We now turn our attention to Chatsworth House.

In the following excerpt, Austen tells us what they saw while in Derbyshire, a place of special interest to Mrs. Gardiner:

. . .according to the present plan, were to go no farther northward than Derbyshire. In that county there was enough to be seen to occupy the chief of their three weeks; and to Mrs. Gardiner it had a peculiarly strong attraction. The town where she had formerly passed some years of her life, and where they were now to spend a few days, was probably as great an object of her curiosity as all the celebrated beauties of Matlock, Chatsworth, Dovedale, or the Peak.

Chatsworth House plays a double role in our understanding of Pride and Prejudice. First, it is mentioned as an actual site Elizabeth Bennet saw on her journey. Second, it is believed to be a possible inspiration for Mr. Darcy’s home at Pemberley when Austen was writing.

Chatsworth House. Photo: Chatsworth.org.

Regency Tours of Great Houses

As a stop along their fictional sightseeing tour, Chatsworth House would have indeed been a common stop during the Regency Era. When Elizabeth and the Gardiners visit Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice, Austen highlights the popular practice wherein genteel travelers often toured portions of many large country estates and gardens.

To do so, guests would typically arrive by carriage and ask the housekeeper or porter for permission to view the house and grounds. A servant often guided guests through the principal rooms, pointing out paintings, furnishings, and family history along the way. We see this first-hand in PP:

First, we read of their approach and admittance into the hall:

They descended the hill, crossed the bridge, and drove to the door; and, while examining the nearer aspect of the house, all her apprehension of meeting its owner returned. She dreaded lest the chambermaid had been mistaken. On applying to see the place, they were admitted into the hall; and Elizabeth, as they waited for the housekeeper, had leisure to wonder at her being where she was.

Next, we learn about the tour given by the housekeeper:

The housekeeper came; a respectable looking elderly woman, much less fine, and more civil, than she had any notion of finding her. They followed her into the dining-parlour. It was a large, well-proportioned room, handsomely fitted up. Elizabeth, after slightly surveying it, went to a window to enjoy its prospect. The hill, crowned with wood, from which they had descended, receiving increased abruptness from the distance, was a beautiful object. Every disposition of the ground was good; and she looked on the whole scene, the river, the trees scattered on its banks, and the winding of the valley, as far as she could trace it, with delight. As they passed into other rooms, these objects were taking different positions; but{303} from every window there were beauties to be seen. The rooms were lofty and handsome, and their furniture suitable to the fortune of their proprietor; but Elizabeth saw, with admiration of his taste, that it was neither gaudy nor uselessly fine,—with less of splendour, and more real elegance, than the furniture of Rosings.

Chatsworth Then

During the Regency Era, Chatsworth would have been a beautiful sight to behold and a lovely spot for Elizabeth and the Gardiners to visit. By that time, Lancelot “Capability” Brown’s breathtaking redesign of the Chatsworth grounds, much like many other estates of that time, had been completed. However, visitors up through the early 1700s would have seen a much more formal view.

Here is the landscape at Chatsworth “before” Capability Brown:

Richard Wilson, A View of Elizabethan Chatsworth (oil on canvas), c. 17th century. Wikimedia Commons.
Jan Kip and Leonard Knyff, “Bird’s Eye View of Chatsworth,” c. 1699. Britannia Illustrata (1707). Wikimedia Commons.

Regency visitors would have seen a totally different landscape at Chatsworth only half a century later, complete with rolling hills and a more pastoral scene. Commissioned by the 4th Duke of Devonshire in the 1750s, Brown swept away the estate’s formal Baroque parterres (ornamental, geometric gardens) and reimagined the landscape entirely, with his signature, natural-looking landscape. His design included oaks, beeches, and willows scattered over the hillsides and deer grazing freely in open green areas. He even had the River Derwent rerouted to wind naturally through the extensive lawns below the house.

Here is the landscape at Chatsworth “after” Capability Brown:

Marlow, William. View of the West Front of Chatsworth House. 18th century. Wikimedia Commons, Devonshire Collections.

Chatsworth Now

Today, “Chatsworth comprises a Grade I listed house and stables, a 105-acre garden, a 1,822-acre park, a farmyard and adventure playground, and one of Europe’s most significant private art collections.” It is a major tourist attraction, as are most family-owned estates in England today, due to the vast financial commitment it takes to keep these beautiful estates thriving.

At Chatsworth, you can take a tour of the House and its artwork and artifacts, which span over 4,000 years of history. The house is enormous and is somewhat like touring a museum. The Devonshire family has owned the estate for 500 years and has a wonderful history to share about the house and estate. You can also tour the extensive Gardens and surrounding landscape. Beyond the House and Garden, there is also the Farmyard and Playground with animals to pet and a play area for children.

The farm itself plays a huge part in the economical success of the estate, and the Farm Shop sells all manner of meat, cheeses, and other fine foods, including a “traditional butchery showcasing estate-reared meat, fresh fish from British waters, handmade patisserie, freshly baked bread, and seasonal fruits and vegetables.”

The house and gardens have been featured in several Jane Austen film adaptations and many period films, which is another practical way for the estate to continue to flourish. In the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Chatsworth was used as Mr. Darcy’s grand home at Pemberley, making it more famous than ever.

For those interested in learning more about the estate, I recommend the 3-part BBC documentary mini-series called “Chatsworth” (2012), which focuses on Chatsworth House in more detail. It is currently streaming on Prime Video.

Chatsworth House today (photo: HistoricHomes.org)

Austen’s Pemberley

Let us now explore Chatsworth as Austen’s possible inspiration for Pemberley. While Pemberley itself is fictional, many believe Chatsworth may have been one of the homes that inspired Austen. Chatsworth is mentioned as one of the estates Elizabeth Bennet and the Gardiners visited, so we know Austen was familiar with it. (To read about how Austen may have known about it, though she had never visited, you can read more HERE.)

Other homes may have also inspired Austen, such as Kedleston Hall (also in Derbyshire), Lyme Park (used to film the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice), and Sudbury Hall (used to film the interiors of Pemberley in the 1995 film). She must have also been inspired by the homes she herself visited or saw while traveling, including her brother’s home at Godmersham Park.

Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), Chatworth House exterior, PP (2005). Photo: Chatsworth.org.

Elizabeth Bennet at Pemberley

Regardless of the actual homes that may have inspired Austen, it’s easy to see why a grand estate like Mr. Darcy’s, if it were anything like Chatsworth or Godmersham, would have made Elizabeth Bennet exclaim at seeing it:

Elizabeth’s mind was too full for conversation, but she saw and admired every remarkable spot and point of view. They gradually ascended for half a mile, and then found themselves at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood ceased, and the eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, situated on the opposite side of the valley, into which the road with some abruptness wound. It was a large, handsome stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal nor falsely adorned. Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste. They were all of them warm in their admiration; and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!

Elizabeth (Jennifer Ehle) sees Pemberley in PP (1995).
Lyme Park, exterior for PP (1995).
Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) sees Pemberley in PP (2005).
Chatsworth House as “Pemberley” in PP (2005).

Chatsworth, Pemberley, and Beyond

While there are many theories about the estates that may have inspired Austen, it’s clear that visions of large estates like Chatsworth would have played in the back of the minds of her Regency readers. They certainly would have understood by Austen’s descriptions that Darcy’s home was meant to be extensive.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our tour of Elizabeth Bennet’s travels thus far. Next month, we will visit the Peak District and nearby Bakewell. There we will discover more of the rugged natural beauty seen in several of the film adaptations of PP and a quintessential English village set in the heart of Derbyshire that may have been the inspiration for Mrs. Gardiner’s Lambton.

Rachel Dodge teaches writing classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. She has narrated numerous book titles, including the Praying with Jane Audiobook with actress Amanda Root. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in Chatsworth, Jane Austen's World, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice 1995, Pride and Prejudice 2005, Regency gardens, Regency Landscape Gardening, Regency Travel | 4 Comments »

St. Margaret’s, Horsmonden: Church of Jane’s Austen Ancestors

April 29, 2026 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

 

“At the end of the sixteenth century there was living at Horsmonden—a small village in the Weald of Kent—a certain John Austen. . . . a man of considerable means, owning property in Kent and Sussex and elsewhere . . .  including in all probability the manor house of Broadford in Horsmonden. . . . [His wealth was] doubtless derived from the clothing trade. . . . John Austen died in 1620, leaving a large family. . . . The fifth son, Francis, who died in 1687, describes himself in his will as a clothier, of Grovehurst; this place being, like Broadford, a pretty timbered house of moderate size near the picturesque old village of Horsmonden. Both houses still belong to the Austen family.”—Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters, 1913, chapter 1 [A “weald” is a heavily wooded area.]

 

George Austen’s family hailed from Horsmonden, a village in rural Kent. Its name means “horsemen’s woodland pasture.” It is 12 miles from Tonbridge, where George Austen grew up, and 29 miles from Godmersham, where Jane’s brother inherited an estate from their Knight relatives in Kent.

The Horsmonden church, St. Margaret’s, looks much the same as when the tower was completed in the late fourteenth century.
Inside of St. Margaret’s Horsmonden church. The rector gave the parish this brass chandelier in 1703. It holds candles.

Horsmonden Village

St. Margaret’s church is about 2 miles outside of the village. The village has been a center at various times for different industries. Their ironworks supplied weapons and ammunition for the English Civil War in the mid-1600s. Earlier in the 1600s, Horsmonden’s clothworks produced Kentish broadcloth, mainly as a cottage industry in weavers’ homes. The Austens were the “clothmasters,” living in homes called “halls” that combined private residences with offices and warehouses. Later the area became known for growing hops, used in brewing beer.

The Austens at Horsmonden

Flagstone on floor of St. Margaret’s Horsmonden commemorating John Austen I (1560-1620) and his wife and children, Jane Austen’s ancestors.

The first John Austen and his son Francis are buried in the Horsmonden church. As the historian who authored St. Margaret’s Church Horsmonden wrote, “This was the family, let it be noted, from which sprang the immortal Jane.” John Austen I was Jane Austen’s grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather.

Railed tomb in St. Margaret’s churchyard for a number of Austen ancestors, with the letter A in the fence.

The Austen lineage:

John Austen I (Jane’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, Horsmonden)

—Francis I (great-great-great-grandfather, Horsmonden)

—John Austen III (great-great-grandfather, Horsmonden)

—John Austen IV (great-grandfather, Horsmonden)

—William Austen the surgeon (grandfather, Tonbridge)

—Rev. George Austen (father, Tonbridge, Steventon)

—Jane Austen (Steventon)

Stained glass window in St. Margaret’s Horsmonden, showing St. Paul and St. Cecilia, inscribed to the memory of John Francis Austen (1817-1893) and his daughters Georgiana (died age 15) and Charlotte.

Historic St. Margaret’s, Horsmonden

The porch, built in the fifteenth century, has many of its original timbers. It was used as a lych gate, where the coffin and coffin-bearers rested before a funeral. Before the Reformation, weddings were held there, and the first parts of the baptism and funeral services.
Brass flagstone at St. Margaret’s commemorating Rev. Henry de Grofhurst, rector 1311 to 1361, who directed the building of the church we see now. Earlier church buildings occupied the site from at least 1100.
A “parclose screen” from around 1500, inscribed in Latin, “Pray for the good health of Alice Sampson.” It would have screened off one of the smaller chapels in the church, which were devoted to various saints. This screen was likely originally painted in bright colors with gilding. Alice’s will (she died in 1508) requested that she be buried in the churchyard within sight of her home.
St. Margaret’s has had bells since at least 1528. Some of the current eight bells date from 1737 but were later recast. This photo shows their positions when not in use.
92 steps lead up to the roof of the tower.
We stopped about a third of the way up (whew!) in the ringing chamber.
A sign at St. Margaret’s celebrating the bell ringers who rang “a peal of 5024 Cambridge surprise major [a complex bell ringing pattern] in 3 hours 18 minutes” and commemorating the death of one of their members whose family included “a line of ringers unbroken since 1799.”
You can see where stone workers finished these Wealdon sandstone stones for the church. On one, someone inscribed his name in 1777. A little Georgian graffiti, apparently!
Stained glass window showing St. Margaret and Sir Galahad (I suppose because he was a knight/soldier) in St. Margaret’s Horsmonden to the memory of Major Simon Willard (1605-1676), who emigrated with his wife to the American colonies. He was the founder of Concord, Massachusetts and served as a soldier under Governor John Winthrop.
The baptismal font, where babies are christened and adults can also be baptized, dates from the early 17th century but was copied from one in the early fifteenth century. The designs on the side alternate between shields and floral figures.
I had to include this tombstone for a William Collins, died 1863, age 74, so he was born when Jane Austen was about 13 or 14.
This lovely organ at St. Margaret’s Horsmonden was built in 1837.
A little science from Austen’s time: A memorial in the church to John Read (1760-1847), a local man who invented a stomach pump (saving many lives), a fire escape, and “many other useful implements for the benefit and relief of suffering humanity. Of humble origins, he yet possessed talents which would have done honour to the highest station.” He used them for doing good “in submission to the will of the Great Creator.” Read’s Stomach Pump

St. Margaret’s Horsmonden Today

The parish includes over 2,000 people. Only about 40 regularly attend services in the church, while another 60-70 watch on YouTube. Many are in the church’s WhatsApp group, supporting one another in prayer. Much larger crowds, up to about 150, attend the church for weddings, funerals, baptisms, and holidays. On Good Friday they put up three crosses on the village green and have a large service there.

The church also hosts community events including concerts, popular speakers, and Jane Austen readings, and they go into the schools once a month to “open the Book,” teaching the Bible to school children. St. Margaret’s varies their services, offering traditional and modern communion services, family-oriented services, outdoor events, a café, and an informal worship time. Modern Anglican churches can range from very formal Anglo-Catholic styles to more relaxed evangelical styles. Horsmonden tends toward the more “low church,” evangelical approach.

The “living churchyard” of St. Margaret’s encourages a biodiverse habitat around the church. The church is part of Eco Church, “a Christian environmental movement encouraging church communities to make changes to their worship, teaching, land and buildings management, community and global engagement, and lifestyle to reflect  God’s care for the Earth.”
St. Margaret’s supports a number of charities, both local and abroad, and encourages recycling and avoiding waste. Another notice board says the church is known for supporting the surrounding community and being welcoming, friendly, and prayerful.

Peaceful

Historian Anthony Cronk closes St. Margaret’s Horsmonden by saying:

“Today St. Margaret’s is essentially a parish church and a place of regular worship . . . it also attracts visitors from far and near. In this rural spot, away from the bustle of everyday life, one can spend a quiet moment savouring ‘the peace which passeth all understanding’. Jesus himself was referring to the need for this kind of occasional withdrawal when ‘he said unto them, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile:” for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat’ (Mark 6:31).

“Worship needs its focusing points in time and space; there must be holy places as well as holy days—places set apart for ever because of some association, hallowed by age-long custom—where people expect to find something inspiring and are not disappointed.

“One such place is St. Margaret’s, Horsmonden.”

Gentle readers, may you find such a place of peace and inspiration wherever you are.

 

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

All photos in this post ©Brenda S. Cox, 2026

 

Sources

St. Margaret’s history

St. Margaret’s Church Horsmonden, by Anthony Crook, 1967, 3rd ed. 1995

St. Margaret’s website 

 

Other Austen Family Churches

Steventon

Chawton

Deane

Hamstall Ridware and Austen’s First Cousin, Edward Cooper

Adlestrop and the Leigh Family

Stoneleigh Abbey Chapel and Mansfield Park

Great Bookham and Austen’s Godfather, Rev. Samuel Cooke

Ashe and the Lefroy Family

St. Paul’s Covent Garden (with links to other churches mentioned in Austen’s writings)

St. Swithin’s Walcot (Bath)

Godmersham

Goodnestone

 

More Austen family churches, external posts (will be added to JAW later):

Winchester Cathedral and Jane Austen 

St. Peter and St. Paul, Tonbridge 

St. Andrew’s Colyton, Devon 

St. Peter’s Hurstbourne Tarrant (the Lloyds’ church) 

JASNA Austen family churches 

 

Posted in Anglican Church, Architecture, Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen's religion, Jane Austen's World, Religion in Austen's England | Tagged | 2 Comments »

Elizabeth Bennet’s Travels (Part 2): Derbyshire, Matlock, and Dovedale

April 22, 2026 by Rachel Dodge

Last month, we explored the route Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner took on their journey to Derbyshire through Oxford, Blenheim, Warwick, Kenilworth, and Birmingham. This month, we begin our exploration of their time in Derbyshire, so that we might catch a glimpse of what travelers during Austen’s time would have seen when visiting there.

Austen first gives the details of their journey to Derbyshire:

It is not the object of this work to give a description of Derbyshire, nor of any of the remarkable places through which their route thither lay—Oxford, Blenheim, Warwick, Kenilworth, Birmingham, etc., are sufficiently known. A small part of Derbyshire is all the present concern.

Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle) and Mrs. Gardiner (Joanna David), Pride and Prejudice (1995).

The Picturesque Tour

Scholars agree that Austen almost certainly never visited Derbyshire, so then how did she know so much about it? First, from William Gilpin’s popular book, Observations on Several Parts of England: particularly the mountains and lakes of Cumberland and Westmoreland: relative chiefly to picturesque beauty (1786), which made Matlock, Chatsworth, and Dovedale household names across England.

Elizabeth Bennet’s fictional visit to Derbyshire was also quite common during Austen’s lifetime. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Grand Tour of Europe wasn’t possible, so many genteel English travelers explored England more fully, traveling to seaside resorts and into Wales, the Lake District, and Derbyshire.

Guidebooks circulated widely as well in genteel circles, with engravings of Chatsworth, Dovedale, and Matlock Bath appearing in fashionable drawing rooms. Finally, Austen may have also heard about these destinations from friends or acquaintances who had traveled there.

Gilpin, William. Observations on Several Parts of England, Particularly the Mountains and Lakes of Cumberland and Westmoreland, Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the Year 1772. Vol. 2. London: T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1808. First published 1786. p. 176.

Derbyshire:

While in Derbyshire, this is what Austen tells us they were to see and why it was of such interest to Mrs. Gardiner:

. . .they were obliged to give up the Lakes, and substitute a more contracted tour; and, according to the present plan, were to go no farther northward than Derbyshire. In that county there was enough to be seen to occupy the chief of their three weeks; and to Mrs. Gardiner it had a peculiarly strong attraction. The town where she had formerly passed some years of her life, and where they were now to spend a few days, was probably as great an object of her curiosity as all the celebrated beauties of Matlock, Chatsworth, Dovedale, or the Peak.

Below is a detailed map of Derbyshire from 1627 that can help us to visualize the location of each site:

Pieter van den Keere, Map of Derbyshire, 1627. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

We know that Elizabeth did, in fact, visit Matlock and Dovedale because she and Mr. Darcy talk at length about where she has traveled and what she has seen:

He then asked her to walk into the house—but she declared herself not tired, and they stood together on the lawn. At such a time much might have been said, and silence was very awkward. She wanted to talk, but there seemed an embargo on every subject. At last she recollected that she had been travelling, and they talked of Matlock and Dovedale with great perseverance. Yet time and her aunt moved slowly—and her patience and her ideas were nearly worn out before the tête-à-tête was over.

With their conversation in mind, let us explore Matlock and Dovedale to find out what Elizabeth might have discussed with Mr. Darcy on their walk.

Elizabeth (Jennifer Ehle) and Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) walking at Pemberley, Pride and Prejudice (1995).

Matlock

Matlock (and nearby Matlock Bath) are located on the south-east edge of the Peak District alongside the River Derwent. One of the reasons people visited Matlock Bath was for its natural thermal springs, which became popular and fashionable in the late 17th century. Much like visiting Bath to “take the waters,” aristocratic people visited Matlock Bath for the same reason: hoping for the health benefits of the springs.

In Molly Gorman’s, “A Guide to Jane Austen’s Derbyshire, England” (BBC Travel, April 20, 2025), she says this:

Austen was likely well aware of the town’s famed thermal waters. When Bennet enters Derbyshire with apprehension about seeing Darcy, she says, “But surely … I may enter his county without impunity and rob it of a few petrified spars without his perceiving me.” Austen might have been referring to Matlock Bath’s petrifying well – where the mineral-rich thermal water, turns objects into stone.

Gorman goes on to share what Elizabeth might have seen while visiting the area:

Matlock is also popular with walkers as it lies in a valley of the River Derwent. Pride and Prejudice fans may opt to explore the fittingly named Lovers’ Walks, a series of footpaths along the riverside, or if you’d prefer something more challenging, there are also trails that go up and over the wooded cliffs. But perhaps the most famous tourist attraction is the Heights of Abraham, where you can take a mountain cable car to the top of Masson Hill, a 60-acre hilltop estate with a panoramic view of the surrounding valley and town below.

Though we have no textual proof that Elizabeth and the Gardiners took the waters, we can imagine that they would have certainly enjoyed exploring such a naturally beautiful location.

François Vivares, Matlock in Derbyshire, engraving, 18th century. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Dovedale

Dovedale is considered one of the most romantic landscapes in England. It includes a limestone valley with a dramatic ravine carved by the River Dove. Craggy cliffs rise up dramatically above the water. Many have painted and photographed it over the years, trying to capture its beauty.

This area drew visitors long before the Regency era and throughout Jane Austen’s lifetime–and it still does today. During the time Elizabeth Bennet would have traveled through Derbyshire, Dovedale was a popular destination for tourists, especially given the wild, rugged scenery that was prized during the Romantic era. Artists gathered there to sketch its ravines, woodlands, rock formations, and limestone caves. The river was also famous for its fishing, and Austen and her contemporaries would have been familiar with it because of Izaak Walton’s book, The Compleat Angler (1653).

Today, the National Trust owns the valley, and it has been a National Nature Reserve since 2006, recognized for its rare wildflowers, ash woodlands, and wildlife and fish. There is also a set of famous stepping stones, placed in the 1890s, that create a path across the river.

It’s wonderful to think about Elizabeth Bennet exploring this area, especially given her love of nature and long walks. Surely, the scenery would have inspired and refreshed her soul.

Joseph Wright of Derby, Dovedale by Moonlight, oil on canvas, c. 1784–85. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Dovedale Stepping Stones, Derbyshire, England, photochrome print postcard, c. 1890–1900. Library of Congress. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

More of Elizabeth Bennet’s Travels

Though Elizabeth did not make it to the Lake District, she certainly would have seen an abundance of breathtaking landscapes and rugged wilderness to spur on her imagination. Perhaps she was already falling in love with Derbyshire, long before her visit to Pemberley.

Next month, we’ll explore more of Elizabeth Bennet’s travels. We’ll take a closer look at Chatsworth and Austen’s inspiration for “Pemberley,” followed by the Peak District and Bakewell, a small village that many scholars believe might have been Austen’s inspiration for Lambton.

Until then, let us remember fondly Elizabeth’s famous words, “What are men to rocks and mountains?”

Rachel Dodge teaches writing classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. She has narrated numerous book titles, including the Praying with Jane Audiobook with actress Amanda Root. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in 18th Century England, 19th Century England, Derbyshire, Elizabeth Bennet, Georgian Life, Jane Austen's World, Pride and Prejudice, Regency, Regency Life, Regency Travel, Travel | 6 Comments »

Goodnestone and Holy Cross Church (Jane Austen’s Family Churches)

March 23, 2026 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“We dined at Goodnestone, and in the evening danced two country dances and the Boulangeries. I opened the ball with Edward Bridges . . . We supped there, and walked home at night under the shade of two umbrellas.”—Jsane Austen, Sept. 5, 1796.

More than thirty times in her letters, Jane Austen mentions Goodnestone (pronounced “GOOD-nuh-stun” or “gunston.”) The original name was Godwynestone, after the Anglo-Saxon family who lived in the area from before the Norman Conquest until the reign of King Henry VIII. The founder of the family, Earl Godwyn (or Godwin), was the father of King Harold II, killed in the Norman Conquest.

The estates of the area passed through a few other families. They were eventually acquired by Brook Bridges, Esq. in the early 1700s. He built Goodnestone Park. His son became a baronet, like Sir Thomas Bertram and Sir Walter Elliot in Austen’s novels. He passed that title down to his descendants, a Brook Bridges in each generation.

Jane Austen visited Goodnestone several times, and often refers to the comings and goings of her friends and relations there. What was her connection to this place?

Goodnestone Park and Farm and Rowlings

Last month on this site we “visited” Godmersham, home of the Knight family who adopted Jane Austen’s brother Edward. Edward Austen married Elizabeth Bridges, daughter of Sir Brook William Bridges, owner of the nearby estate of Goodnestone. When Edward and Elizabeth were first married, they lived at Rowling, about a mile from Goodnestone. Their first four children were born there. Jane Austen visited them there, socializing with Elizabeth’s family at Goodnestone Park. (See “A Walk in Kent” for photos of Rowling.)

Goodnestone Park, where Austen danced with Edward Bridges.
Photo by Nick Smith / Goodnestone House, 2007, CC BY-SA 2.0
Goodnestone Park in the 1770s
Public domain via wikimedia

“The Mrs. Finches were afraid you would find Goodnestone very dull; I wished when I heard them say so that they could have heard Mr. E. Bridges’ solicitude on the subject, and have known all the amusements that were planned to prevent it.”—Aug. 24, 1805, from Jane Austen at Godmersham Park to Cassandra Austen at Goodnestone Farm, Wingham

Edward and his wife inherited Godmersham and moved there at the end of 1797. Jane and Cassandra continued to visit other Bridges family members at Goodnestone Farm. Her nephew described Goodnestone Farm as “a comfortable house very near the great house, which has generally been inhabited as a dower house or by some younger member of the Bridges family, to whom it belongs.”

Jane’s friend Harriot (or Harriot-Mary), one of her sister-in-law Elizabeth’s younger sisters, insisted Jane stay longer on a visit in 1805. In the following year, Harriot married Rev. George Moore. He was the son of an archbishop and held four church livings. One of Elizabeth’s younger brothers, Rev. Brook-Edward, was perpetual curate of Goodnestone from 1802-9, as well as holding five other church livings at various times. His older brother, Rev. Brook-Henry, held two church livings. (They did like hyphenated names.) The Bridges family apparently had “considerable patronage in the church,” like the Darcys of Pemberley, or at least they had close connections with families who had patronage (the right to assign church livings).

The dower house at Goodnestone, where Jane Austen stayed on later visits to the Bridges family.

Holy Cross Goodnestone church

On  her visits, Austen must have attended the local church, Holy Cross Goodnestone. This is now considered an “Austen Family Church,” like others we have visited in this series. Jane’s brother Edward married his wife Elizabeth in this church in 1791.

Holy Cross Goodnestone church
Faced flints (chipped or “knapped” to make them flat) cover the south wall of the Goodnestone church, giving it a unique appearance.
Path between yew trees at Goodnestone church. See Yew trees in churchyards. The path was recently renovated for easier access to the church. JASNA’s churches fund helped finance the renovation. Photo ©Sue Kittle, 2026
View of the Goodnestone church tower from one of the many beautiful gardens. Once used as a beaon tower and fortress, it is still a bell tower, with four bells, one of which was made in 1628. The church now has six “Ringers” who ring the bells on special occasions. A single bell is rung for church services. Photo by Adam Hincks, CC BY-SA 2.0
On one face of the Goodnestone church tower, a sundial, shown here, was inscribed “Every hour shortens life,” though the markings are very worn now. On another face is a Victorian clock, which has to be manually wound every eight days.
Detail of photo by Adam Hincks, CC BY-SA 2.0

Holy Cross Goodnestone church interior

The interior of the church was remodeled in the Gothic Revival style in 1841, so it looks different now than it did in Austen’s time.

An inscription over this arch commemorates Sir Brook William Bridges (Edward Austen’s father-in-law) who rebuilt the nave and chancel of the church in 1841.
Monuments on the church walls, and flagstones on the floor, still commemorate influential families. This is a monument to Sir Edward Engeham, who purchased the estate from the de Godwynstones, and his family. He died in 1636, age 65, a year after his wife’s death at age 52.
In Austen’s time, the nicer pews would have been rented or owned by wealthy families. These Goodnestone church pews are Victorian, and the organ dates from 1904, restored and augmented in 2014.
The Goodnestone organ also has wooden pipes, for the pedals.
Jane Austen may well have read these engravings on the wall, similar to those in many English country churches. The left side displays the Lord’s Prayer, the right side lists the Ten Commandments.

“We have walked to Rowling on each of the two last days after dinner, and very great was my pleasure in going over the house and grounds. We have also found time to visit all the principal walks of this place, except the walk round the top of the park, which we shall accomplish probably to-day.”—Jane Austen at Goodnestone Farm writing to Cassandra at Godmersham, August 30, 1805. 

Church and Community

A congregation of about twenty people gather for Sunday services at the church (fewer when their excellent choir is not singing). But they may have 100 to 120 participants at services for holidays and weddings.

Like many country churches, the Goodnestone church is also used for various community services. Concerts are held there regularly, and the choir is excellent. They have sung Evensong in cathedrals as well. Schoolchildren come to the church once a week from the Church of England primary school in the village. The church even serves as a post office, open two mornings a week.

News article about the post office being opened in the Goodnestone church.

Goodnestone is part of the Canonry Benefice, which includes seven churches in East Kent. The vicar and other clergy for the benefice serve all the churches, at services alternating between the churches. For example, during the upcoming Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, fifteen church services will be held at the various churches (at least one per day). Three of them will be at Holy Cross, Goodnestone.

The church is well worth seeing if you visit the area. It is generally open during daylight hours. You can contact the church if you have questions. Jane Austen enjoyed the gardens and walks in the area, and you can also walk through the lovely gardens and the “Serpentine Walk.” See Visitor Information. Goodnestone Park is now used as a wedding venue.

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

All photos in this post, unless otherwise marked, ©Brenda S. Cox, 2023

For Further Exploration

Holy Cross, Goodnestone

Goodnestone, Godmersham, and Canterbury

Rowling and Rowling House

Edward Austen Knight

Detailed History of Goodnestone and Church, written in 1902

More photos of Holy Cross, Goodnestone

Old Photographs of Goodnestone

History of Goodnestone Park with paintings

Goodnestone Park Grade II* listing (Grade II* means a “particularly important building of more than special interest.” Listed buildings require special permissions before any significant changes can be made.)

Church of the Holy Cross Grade I listing with photos (Grade I means “of exceptional interest.”)

Other Austen Family Churches

Steventon

Chawton

Deane

Hamstall Ridware and Austen’s First Cousin, Edward Cooper

Adlestrop and the Leigh Family

Stoneleigh Abbey Chapel and Mansfield Park

Great Bookham and Austen’s Godfather, Rev. Samuel Cooke

Ashe and the Lefroy Family

St. Paul’s Covent Garden (with links to other churches mentioned in Austen’s writings)

St. Swithin’s Walcot (Bath)

Godmersham

Posted in Anglican Church, Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

Elizabeth Bennet’s Travels (Part 1): Oxford, Blenheim, Warwick, Kenilworth, Birmingham

March 10, 2026 by Rachel Dodge

This is the time of year when I start to dream of traveling to England or other beautiful places over the summer. I know just how Elizabeth Bennet felt when looking forward to her trip with her Uncle and Aunt Gardiner.

What a delightful thought! Anticipation is half the joy of any exciting pursuit. Her words could not be more true:

Her tour to the Lakes was now the object of her happiest thoughts: it was her best consolation for all the uncomfortable hours which the discontentedness of her mother and Kitty made inevitable; and could she have included Jane in the scheme, every part of it would have been perfect.

“But it is fortunate,” thought she, “that I have something to wish for. Were the whole arrangement complete, my disappointment would be certain. But here, by carrying with me one ceaseless source of regret in my sister’s absence, I may reasonably hope to have all my expectations of pleasure realized. A scheme of which every part promises delight can never be successful; and general disappointment is only warded off by the defence of some little peculiar vexation.”

A view of the Lake District: Parker, John. Ullswater from Above Patterdale. 1825. Wikimedia Commons.

Travel Plans

Like many of us who have had our plans amended, Elizabeth has high expectations of all they might see on their trip, but eventually she finds contentment in the final plans to visit Derbyshire and the Peak District but not venture to the Lakes:

…they were obliged to give up the Lakes, and substitute a more contracted tour; and, according to the present plan, were to go no farther northward than Derbyshire. In that county there was enough to be seen to occupy the chief of their three weeks; and to Mrs. Gardiner it had a peculiarly strong attraction. The town where she had formerly passed some years of her life, and where they were now to spend a few days, was probably as great an object of her curiosity as all the celebrated beauties of Matlock, Chatsworth, Dovedale, or the Peak.

Most of us can relate to Elizabeth’s feelings on the topic:

Elizabeth was excessively disappointed: she had set her heart on seeing the Lakes; and still thought there might have been time enough. But it was her business to be satisfied—and certainly her temper to be happy; and all was soon right again.

Wright of Derby, Joseph. Dovedale by Moonlight. c.1784–1785, oil on canvas. Wikimedia Commons.

Travel Route

Her trip was revised, but there was still much for her to see. I’ve always been intrigued by this paragraph that tells us about the route they took on their way to Derbyshire, for there would have been many interesting sights along the way:

It is not the object of this work to give a description of Derbyshire, nor of any of the remarkable places through which their route thither lay—Oxford, Blenheim, Warwick, Kenilworth, Birmingham, etc., are sufficiently known. A small part of Derbyshire is all the present concern.

If Elizabeth and the Gardiners stopped along the way, what might these locations have looked like at the time? Most scholars agree that this trip would have taken several days, which means they would have had to change horses several times and stop for food and rest and lodging. It’s fun to imagine what all they saw and where they stopped, though we know they would have wanted as much time as possible in Derbyshire.

For anyone curious about how far and how fast people could travel in Jane Austen’s England, I highly recommend Wade H. Mann’s article, “Distance and Time in Regency England” on Quills & Quartos. It breaks down the realities of journeying by carriage, horseback, and foot, giving a clear sense of the distances and travel times that shaped the world Austen’s characters inhabited.

Pollard, James. London to Brighton Stage Coach. c. 1822, coloured aquatint, engraved by Matthew Dubourg (attributed), Wikimedia Commons.

Oxford

Austen’s contemporary readers would have recognized Oxford as a center of learning and culture. High Street and Cornmarket Street bustled with shops, inns, and markets. The architecture would have also been of interest. There are many gardens and parks to explore and walk, museums and libraries, and several religious sites. There would have been much for Elizabeth and the Gardiners to experience along the way.

High Street, Oxford, J. M. W. Turner, Wikipedia, 1810.

Blenheim

Blenheim Palace, the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough (which would later become the birthplace of Winston Churchill), was also on the route. As we see later when Elizabeth and the Gardiners visit Pemberley, by the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many famous estates in England had become informal tourist attractions. Wealthy travelers, and even respectable middle-class visitors, often toured grand houses while traveling through the countryside.

Morris, F. O. Blenheim Palace. 1880. Wikimedia Commons.

Warwick

Today, Warwick is a lovely little village, and the castle is one of my favorite sites to visit. During Austen’s time, Warwick Castle would have boasted recent new landscaping by Lancelot “Capability” Brown (1716–1783). Warwick Castle’s grounds were redesigned in the 18th century, and Brown’s landscapes created sweeping lawns, gentle vistas, and picturesque trees. Visitors like Elizabeth Bennet might have enjoyed exploring the grounds.


Canaletto. Warwick Castle, the East Front from the Courtyard. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Wikimedia Commons.

Kenilworth

Kenilworth Castle, already a famous historic ruin during the Regency Era, offered visitors sweeping views, crumbling walls, and picturesque gardens. Tourists like Elizabeth Bennet might have strolled the grounds and enjoyed the romantic, dramatic scenery that made it a highlight of Warwickshire travel.

Turner, Joseph Mallord William. Kenilworth Castle. c. 1830, watercolour, bodycolour, and graphite on paper. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Wikimedia Commons.

Finally, in Austen’s day, Birmingham was a bustling market and industrial town rather than a landscaped estate. Travelers might stop for lodging, shopping, or supplies, experiencing the commerce of an emerging urban center instead of picturesque grounds or aristocratic architecture.

Derbyshire

Once they arrive in Derbyshire, we know whom Elizabeth and the Gardiners visit and what they see. Unlike Elizabeth Bennet, most of us will never enjoy living at such a glorious estate as Pemberley. But we can visit many of the real, historic sites. And if we’re very lucky, perhaps we might be invited to visit a historic estate or home one day, such as my visit to Sherbourne Park.

Most of all, Elizabeth’s travels remind us that the journey is often just as important and interesting as the destination. Unless, of course, Mr. Darcy is waiting at one of those destinations.

Tune in for more about Elizabeth’s travels in the coming months!

Rachel Dodge teaches writing classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. She has narrated numerous book titles, including the Praying with Jane Audiobook with actress Amanda Root. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in 18th Century England, Pride and Prejudice, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments »

The Church at Godmersham: St. Lawrence the Martyr

February 26, 2026 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

A few days ago we “visited” Godmersham, the estate of Jane Austen’s brother in Kent. Today we’ll continue that visit with the church she attended while she was there. Like so many English churches, it is named after a Christian saint.

St. Lawrence the Martyr: Who Was He?

More than 200 churches in England are named after St. Lawrence. The church at Godmersham, where Jane Austen often visited her brother Edward, is one of them, as is the church at Alton, closest town to Austen’s village of Chawton.

St. Lawrence the Martyr, parish church of Godmersham, which Jane Austen often attended.

The original St. Lawrence’s story is inspiring but rather grisly. He was a deacon in charge of the treasures of the church, and of distributing alms to the poor. When the Roman Emperor Valerian demanded that Christians sacrifice to the Roman gods or else be killed, they refused. Pope Sixtus II and his deacons were beheaded. Lawrence was told to hand over the church’s treasures. Instead of bringing gold, he brought in many of the poor and said they were the church’s treasure.

Valerian supposedly commanded that Lawrence be roasted on a gridiron, and Lawrence even made a joke as he was dying. (Some think he was actually beheaded and the gridiron is a transcription error; scroll down at this link.) He became the patron saint of comedians and poor people as well as those who work with open fires, such as bakers, and those who fear fires, such as librarians.

And, guess what else? He’s apparently the patron saint of barbecues. On August 10, St. Lawrence’s Day in the church calendar, many churches like this one celebrate by having a community-wide barbecue. Okay, that’s the grisly part. Moving on . . .

Godmersham Church and Jane Austen’s Family

Godmersham church plaque mentioning Jane Austen
Memorial to Jane Austen’s brother, Edward Austen Knight “of Godmersham Park in this parish, and of Chawton House in the country of Southampton,” and his wife Elizabeth. It tells about Edward’s name change and inheritance. Edward is described, “Living peaceably in his habitation, he was honored in his generation, a merciful man whose righteousness shall not be forgotten.” (This combines verses from Ecclesiasticus 44:6, 7, 10; Ecclesiasticus is a book of the Apocrypha.)
Memorial in the Godmersham church to the Knights that Edward inherited from, cousins of the Austens. The broken pillar symbolizes the end of the Brodnax family they were descended from. Thomas Brodnax, who built Godmersham Park (which was originally called Ford Place) in 1732, changed his name to May and then to Knight in order to inherit fortunes from distant relatives. His son, also named Thomas Knight, adopted Edward Austen as his heir.

Jane Austen, in a total of ten months staying at Godmersham, must have attended this church at least forty times. More likely eighty times, if they had morning and evening Sunday services as many churches did at the time. So she would have known it well.

In her time, the chuch had a triple-decker pulpit: a high wooden pulpit with a sounding board over it (a wooden structure reflecting the sound forward), from which the vicar would preach. Below that was the vicar’s “prayer desk,” from which he would lead the service, reading prayers and Scriptures. And below that, the “parish clerk’s pew,” from which the church clerk would lead congregational responses. (These are the three “decks” of the pulpit.) (See another example here.)

Across the church from this pulpit were two huge “box pews” for the major families of the parish. These were on top of burial vaults, so Austen would have walked up five steps and through an arched doorway to get to the Knight family’s “pew,” actually a separate room which enabled them to see over everyone’s heads to the top pulpit (See pages 70 and 73–pp. 26 and 29 of the pdf file– of The Parish Church of St  Laurence). Quite a different experience than her tiny churches at Steventon and Chawton, where only the squire of the area and his family would have a box pew, on a much smaller scale.

Box Pew at Steventon Church, for the squire of the area and his family. The box pews at Godmersham were much larger and more ornate, but were demolished in the 1860s.
While the Godmersham church’s triple decker pulpit is gone, like most of this era, you can still see a triple-decker pulpit at the John Wesley’s New Room Chapel in Bristol. The congregation heard preaching from the top level, Scripture reading and prayers from the middle level, and responses led by the parish clerk from the lower table.

Like so many of the Austen-era churches, the Godmersham church was remodeled and expanded in the 1860s. According to the “Souvenir Guide” for the church, at that time “The Georgian furnishings (triple-decker pulpit, parlour pews, western gallery and box pews) were swept away and the entire building restored and refurbished.”

Interior of Godmersham church, much changed from Jane Austen’s time
This chapel under the tower of the Godmersham church was built in the twelfth century. Next to it hang ropes for ringing the bells in the tower. The eagle lectern, a stand for reading the Bible, is typical of English churches.
Church Bell-ringing is a challenging skill to learn. Five bells in the Godmersham church tower were cast in 1687, while a sixth was added in 1999.

Vicars

The Godmersham church had vicars over the centuries. English churches traditionally either have rectors, who received all the tithes of the parish, or vicars, who received only part of the tithes. For a church with a vicar, a nominal rector elsewhere received the main tithes. The only vicar in Austen’s novels is Mr. Elton, who thus received a lower income and needed to marry money. (Tithes are ten percent of the income of the people of the parish; in Austen’s time, it was legally required that this be paid to the parish priest, in either cash or in agricultural produce. The system and these definitions have changed, of course, in modern times.)

The Vicars of Godmersham Church

The “rector” of the Godmersham church, who received most of the tithe money, was the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral, meaning the leaders of the Cathedral: the dean, canons, and prebendaries. Much of the parish income went to them, but some went to the vicar, who performed the daily responsibilities of the church and preached and led services. In Austen’s time, Francis Whitfield was vicar (1778-1811), then Joseph Godfrey Sherer (1811-1823). Jane visited Mrs. Sherer, and said in a letter that she liked Mr. Sherer very much (Sept. 23, 1813). She wrote to her brother Frank (Sept. 25, 1813):

“Mr. Sherer is quite a new Mr. Sherer to me; I heard him for the first time last Sunday, and he gave us an excellent Sermon—a little too eager sometimes in his delivery, but that is to me a better extreme than the want of animation, especially when it evidently comes from the heart, as in him. The Clerk is as much like you [Frank] as ever, I am always glad to see him on that account.”

Here we get a personal view of what Jane Austen liked in sermons: not too much emotion, but enough to show that the preacher is speaking from his heart. It reminds me of a section in her unfinished novel The Watsons, where Emma’s father, a clergyman, commends the sermon of the local minister (Emma’s love interest). Sermons were generally “read”:

“He [Mr. Howard] reads extremely well, with great propriety, and in a very impressive manner, and at the same time without any theatrical grimace or violence. I own I do not like much action in the pulpit; I do not like the studied air and artificial inflexions of voice which your very popular and most admired preachers generally have. A simple delivery is much better calculated to inspire devotion, and shows a much better taste. Mr. Howard read like a scholar and a gentleman.”

Mr. Sherer would have lived in this vicarage (also called a parsonage) close to the church. It is possible that Mr. Collins’s rectory is partially based on this building. It was enlarged in the 19th century.

Austen continues in the same letter,

“But the Sherers are going away. He has a bad Curate at Westwell, whom he can eject only by residing there himself. He goes nominally for three years, and a Mr. Paget is to have the Curacy of Godmersham—a married man, with a very musical wife, which I hope may make her a desirable acquaintance to Fanny.”

A curate was an assistant or substitute clergyman, generally paid a low salary. Mr. Sherer will hold the office of vicar of Godmersham for life, unless he resigns it. But he can hire a curate to take his place while he resides in another parish for which he is presumably also rector or vicar.

Austen mentions several more visits by the Sherers until on Nov. 7 she says they are actually gone, although Mr. Paget has not yet come. As we often see in Austen’s novels, the clergyman was a central person in a country community.

Baptismal font and organ in the Godmersham church
This memorial on the church’s outside wall, to Susanna Sackree, the nursemaid who raised the Knight children after their mother’s death, was recently unveiled. Photo ©Deborah Barnum, 2025.

The Godmersham Church Today

Like so many English churches today, the Godmersham church is now combined with several other churches in the area, and they take turns hosting services. Our guide estimated that there are about three hundred people in the parish, and only 15 or 20 show up for regular Sunday services. However, larger crowds show up for events such as weddings, funerals, baptisms, and church holy days. The church is blessed to have funding from wealthy former owners of Godmersham Park who left money for the church.

Our guide said he loves the peace and quiet of the church area, and enjoys the changes in the seasons, seeing the snowdrops, the daffodils, and the holly berries. The Pilgrim’s Way from Winchester to Canterbury brings modern-day pilgrims down a path next to the church, where they can enjoy it also.

This lovely, historic country church welcomes visitors, but be sure to make arrangements beforehand. And check on visiting hours for the Heritage Centre.

 

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

All photos in this post ©Brenda S. Cox, 2026 (except for Deb Barnum’s photo, which is labeled).

 

For Further Exploration

St. Lawrence the Martyr church at Godmersham 

Brief History of the church

Services at the church

Detailed history of the Godmersham church (pp. 66-77, “The Church in Jane Austen’s Time” includes sketches of the church interior as Austen knew it. Note the huge box pews on p. 73. Austen would have sat in one of these when she was visiting her Knight relatives.)

The reference to Mr. Sherer’s church at Westwell may refer to this church in Kent. 

See also Deborah Barnum’s post.

Other Austen Family Churches

Steventon

Chawton

Deane

Hamstall Ridware and Austen’s First Cousin, Edward Cooper

Adlestrop and the Leigh Family

Stoneleigh Abbey Chapel and Mansfield Park

Great Bookham and Austen’s Godfather, Rev. Samuel Cooke

Ashe and the Lefroy Family

St. Paul’s Covent Garden (with links to other churches mentioned in Austen’s writings)

St. Swithin’s Walcot (Bath)

Posted in Anglican Church, Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's religion, Jane Austen's World | Tagged | 2 Comments »

Godmersham: Inspiration for Pemberley?

February 23, 2026 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“I am all alone. Edward is gone into his woods. At this present time I have five tables, eight-and-twenty chairs, and two fires all to myself.”—Jane Austen writing from Godmersham, Nov. 3, 1813

Jane Austen’s brother Edward, adopted by wealthy relatives, inherited not one, but two extensive estates. Jane and her mother and sister eventually lived in a cottage at Chawton in the county of Hampshire, Edward’s secondary estate. You can still visit Chawton House and Chawton Church.

Godmersham Park

Godmersham Park today. This estate was probably one inspiration for Pemberley. Edward Knight’s income was even higher than Mr. Darcy’s, but Edward had to run two estates.

Jane and Cassandra often enjoyed the luxuries at Edward’s main residence at Godmersham Park, in the county of Kent. Edward, his wife Elizabeth, and their eleven children often needed the help and company of Edward’s poorer sisters. Sixty-one of Austen’s surviving letters (out of 161) were written either from or to Godmersham. Jane spent a total of ten months of her life at Godmersham.

Entrance to Godmersham Park today. American owners in the 1930s, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tritton, remodeled the house. In Austen’s time it was three stories, with painted bricks on the front (which were turned around when the house was remodeled). The back and front of the house were reversed from today.

In 1808, Jane wrote of her brother James and his wife, “James and Mary are much struck with the beauty of the place” (June 15). She herself was enjoying ice cream, a Regency delicacy, and wine: “I shall eat Ice and drink French wine, and be above Vulgar Economy” (June 30). No doubt Elizabeth Bennet, once she marries Darcy, will enjoy such luxuries as well!

One of two “follies” at Godmersham Park built from two facades of white pillars that were originally at the front of the main house.
The Godmersham Park Heritage Centre is a small museum showcasing portraits, photos, and artefacts of earlier times.

Servant-Friends

Jane Austen made two friends among the servants at Godmersham. Anne Sharp was her niece Fanny’s governess; Jane later corresponded with her. Susannah Sackree was the children’s nurse. Both are often mentioned in Austen’s letters. For example:

“Pray say everything kind for us to Miss Sharpe, who could not regret the shortness of our meeting in Canterbury more than we did. I hope she returned to Godmersham as much pleased with Mrs. Knight’s beauty and Miss Milles’ judicious remarks as those ladies respectively were with hers.”—Jane Austen, Aug. 30, 1805

“Sackree is pretty well again, only weak. Much obliged to you for your message, &c.; it was very true that she blessed herself the whole time that the pain was not in her stomach. I read all the scraps I could of your letter to her. She seemed to like it, and says she shall always like to hear anything of Chawton now” —Jane Austen at Godmersham, Sept. 23, 1813

Memorial in the Godmersham church to Susanna Sackree, the Knight family’s beloved nurse. Sackree’s original memorial outside is illegible, so JASNA donated this parchment version. It calls her “faithful servant and friend for nearly 60 years” and says that at her own request the following was written on her tombstone: “Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good, for the Lord loves the thing that is good. Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right, for that shall bring a man peace at the last.” Then, “My dearest friends I leave behind/ Who were to me so good and kind/ The Lord I hope will all them bless/ And my poor soul will be at rest.”
One exhibit at the Godmersham Park Heritage Centre maps the living quarters of the servants and shows items they would have used.

The Library

Austen’s favorite part of the house, not surprisingly, was the extensive library. Like Darcy’s “delightful library” at Pemberley, it was “the work of many generations,” with Edward Knight “always buying books,” like Darcy, to add to it. Jane wrote:

“We live in the library except at meals, and have a fire every evening. . . . I am now alone in the library, mistress of all I survey; at least I may say so, and repeat the whole poem if I like it, without offence to anybody.”—Jane Austen at Godmersham, Sept. 23, 1813. The poem is “Verses on Alexander Selkirk” by William Cowper; Selkirk’s real adventures were the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe.

“The Comfort of the Billiard Table here is very great. It draws all the gentlemen to it whenever they are within, especially after dinner, so that my brother, Fanny, and I have the library to ourselves in delightful quiet.”—Oct. 14, 1813

The 1818 catalogue of the library lists more than 1200 books. The books in the library were removed to Chawton before Godmersham was sold in 1874.  Most were later dispersed. The library’s bookshelves were removed and the area split into offices. The website “Reading with Austen” is an attempt to digitally recreate the library Jane Austen so much enjoyed.

Godmersham Park is now a college of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO College) and is not open to the public. However, we were allowed to see the front rooms. Here you can see the collage of the old, classical decorations of the entry room and the newer apparatus of the opticians association.
Godmersham Park entry area.
Godmersham Park still has beautiful gardens. The grounds were once quite extensive, like those of Pemberley, and you can still roam around and see different types of gardens.
The “Lime Walk” is another lovely part of the Godmersham Park gardens. Emma walks in a lime walk at Donwell Abbey.

When Austen visited Godmersham, she attended church at St. Lawrence the Martyr parish church of Godmersham. On Thursday we explore that church.

All photos in this post ©Brenda S. Cox, 2026

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

 

For Further Exploration

Edward Austen Knight: A tightwad or a man with heavy responsibilities?

Godmersham Library—“Reading with Austen”—Search to see what books Jane might have read there, and see annotations in some of the books.

Reading at Godmersham: Edward’s Library and Marianne’s Books

Godmersham Park Heritage Centre

Godmersham Village

Godmersham Walking Tour

Godmersham Park, history of the house

Review of Godmersham Park, novel by Gill Hornsby

Godmersham Park: A Novel of the Austen Family, is based on the story of Anne Sharpe, governess at Godmersham and friend of Jane Austen.

More Godmersham Photos in this post by Deb Barnum

Regency Ice Cream and Ice Cream in Jane Austen’s Day

Posted in 19th Century Servants, Architecture, Edward Knight, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments »

Wild Jane Austen?

January 26, 2026 by Brenda S Cox

Book Review by Brenda S. Cox

“Loving Jane Austen, to me, is dependent on continuing to find something new to appreciate, mull over, research, or reconsider in her writings. What’s wild is that although her books don’t change, I do. . . . Reading, and loving, Austen’s fiction means something far different to me at fifty-seven than it did at seventeen.”—Wild for Austen, 262.

A few days ago we reviewed Living with Jane Austen by Janet Todd. Today we get a personal perspective from another Austen expert, Devoney Looser, giving her view of Jane Austen as ‘wild,’ in Wild for Austen.

Wild for Austen by Devoney Looser seeks to undermine stereotypes about Austen.

Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane, by Devoney Looser

Devoney (DEV-uh-nee) Looser takes pride in being rather ‘wild’ herself. She dedicates this book to people in “the international roller derby community,” saying: “You got me rolling, knocked me down, and lifted me up, not only as Stone Cold Jane Austen [Looser’s roller derby name] but as a stronger and more joyful teacher-scholar.”

Devoney’s goal is to demolish the “myth of Jane Austen as a quiet, bland spinster.” She finds ‘wildness’ in Austen’s novels, in the lives of Austen’s connections, and in Austen’s ‘afterlives.’

Looser says ‘wild’ is ‘a linchpin word in Austen’s fiction.’ In the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), we find examples from Jane Austen for the earliest uses of ‘wild’ to mean ‘passionately or excitedly desirous to do something’ (Mrs. Palmer is ‘wild to buy all’ in S&S; Elizabeth is ‘wild to be at home’ in P&P; the Musgrove girls are ‘wild for dancing’ in Persuasion). ‘Wild’ can also mean ‘elated, enthusiastic, raving’ (“The men are all wild after Miss Elliot.”). The OED also defines ‘wild’ as ‘artless, free, unconventional, fanciful, or romantic in style,’ which Looser says characterizes Austen’s novels.

Looser also argues against the myth of “Austen’s fiction having been largely forgotten until 1870. It wasn’t.” Austen’s novels were apparently widely read and familiar throughout the 1800s. Looser gives examples, from the years following Jane’s death, of the novels mentioned in magazines, poems, and a court case. Here’s an example I like: “Mansfield Park was said to be the secretly chosen favorite (on private slips of paper) of seven distinguished literary gentlemen in 1862.” Looser has also found clear imitations of Austen in other stories published in the 1800s.

Chapters in Wild for Austen

Part I: Wild Writings
  1. Introduction: Austen Gone Wild
  2. Fierce, Wild, and Ruthless: Austen’s Juvenilia
  3. The Controversial Case of Sophia Sentiment (a letter in her brothers’ periodical The Loiterer, possibly Jane’s first published work)
  4. Running Wild: The Winning Immorality of Lady Susan
  5. Wildest: Sense and Sensibility (1811)
  6. Almost Wild: Pride and Prejudice (1813)
  7. Bewildering Mansfield Park (1814)
  8. Wild Speculation: Emma (1816)
  9. Wild to Know: Northanger Abbey (1818)
  10. The Young People Were All Wild: Persuasion (1818)
  11. Wild-Goose Chase: Unfinished Sanditon (111)
  12. Oh, Subjects Rebellious: The Watsons and Last Words
Part II: Fierce Family Ties (explores unexpected people and events among Austen’s family and acquaintances)
  1. Jane, the Wild Beast, and the Progressive Burdetts
  2. Cousin Eliza’s Statesman, Singer, and Spy (a lurid murder of Austen’s acquaintances)
  3. The Leighs as Learned Literary Ladies (authors among Austen’s relatives)
  4. The Sensational Shoplifting Trial of Aunt Jane Leigh Perrot
  5. Three Austen Brothers and the Abolition of Slavery (new evidence about Frank, Charles, and Henry)
  6. The Austen Family Legacy, Suffrage, and Anti-Suffrage (Austen descendants for and against the vote for women)
Part III: Shambolic Afterlives (how people have seen and adapted Austen since her death. ‘Shambolic’ means ‘chaotic.’)
  1. Seeing Jane Austen’s Ghost
  2. Sense and Sensibility Goes to Court (Quotes from S&S were used as evidence in an 1825 breach of promise suit, to support the idea that a woman would not fall in love with a much older man; counsel had obviously not read the whole book! Austen’s novels have also been cited in much more recent court cases.)
  3. Jane’s Imaginary Lover in Switzerland (Fake news in 1886 went viral.)
  4. Almost Pride and Prejudice: The Wild Films That Never Were
  5. Wild and Wanton: The Rise of Austen Erotica
  6. Loving (and Hating) Jane Austen
  7. Coda: Austen After 250
Marianne sees Willoughby and is about to approach him with the “wildest anxiety.”

Personally, I found the first two sections the most interesting. I’m still not convinced that Austen’s novels are what I would call ‘wild,’ though the Juvenilia and Lady Susan certainly are! But Looser brought out many intriguing insights about each novel, looking at the use of ‘wild’ in the books.

For example, she shows Sense and Sensibility defying expectations of romance novels: “the doublings and triplings, twists and turns, and backstories and backstabbings keep readers constantly on their toes” (46). Marianne is the “wildest,” speaking to Willoughby in “the wildest anxiety.” But the point of the story, recognized by early readers, is that both men and women should have a balance of both sense and sensibility; they need “both finely tuned minds and warm, rebellious feelings.” The best books should also “embody the best of both qualities” (57).

Mansfield Park has the least ‘wild’ heroine of the six novels. However, in my own humble opinion, it has the largest cast of other ‘wild’ characters—Henry Crawford, who commits arguably the worst action of the villains by eloping with a married woman, breaking up Maria’s marriage with no intention of marrying her; Mary Crawford, who makes a dirty joke and considers adultery ‘folly’; and Maria, who marries a man she hates and leaves him for a man she has already seen to be trifling and insincere. Julia, of course, elopes, which was also considered ‘wild.’ Tom Bertram not only convinces his household to put on a morally questionable play, but is so wild he drinks himself almost to death. Looser says Mansfield Park may have been “a jarring reading experience” for 1814 readers. She considers the wildest thing about it to be “its prompting of lively, difficult arguments and rousing debates” (76).

Wild for Austen, by Devoney Looser, may help you see Austen, her writings, and her connections in a new light. Or give you fodder for lively arguments. Enjoy Austen’s ‘wildness’! (UK link)

 

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , | 4 Comments »

Jane Austen, Bright and Dark?

January 21, 2026 by Brenda S Cox

Book Review by Brenda S. Cox

“It’s an inspiring example [of growing older]—to be amazed, amused, and to laugh while choosing to wear just what you wanted.”—Janet Todd, in Living with Jane Austen, talks about Jane “writing little spoofs and funny letters to entertain her nieces and nephews,” in her late thirties, when she can dress for her own comfort rather than having to please others.

Many authors celebrated Austen’s 250th birthday with books giving their own slants on our beloved Jane Austen. Two university professors attracted my attention because of their high qualifications combined with reader-friendly writing. I knew Janet Todd’s name as the general editor of the authoritative Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen, the version I quote from for serious Austen articles. I knew Devoney Looser’s name as a vibrant speaker at JASNA AGMs. I enjoyed personally meeting and hearing both of them in September, one in England, one in Atlanta, Georgia. I enjoyed their talks so much that since then I’ve read both their books. Today I’ll review Todd’s book, and in a few days I’ll review Looser’s book.

Living with Jane Austen, by Janet Todd, gives an expert’s personal perspective on Jane Austen and her novels.

Living with Jane Austen, by Janet Todd

Living with Jane Austen by Janet Todd is like a fun ramble in the countryside with the author. She explores words, ideas, themes, connections, and sidelights of Austen’s novels and letters. Her introduction examines connections between her life and Austen’s, and the meanings of ‘memory’ in the novels. The other chapters cover an extensive array of topics. I’ll give you a quote from each chapter as a little taste, to whet your appetite.

Chapters in Living with Jane Austen

The Brightness of Pemberley

(mostly on the significance and implications of country estates)

“In the novels published after Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen will give her heroines many comfortable homes, though none so grand as Pemberley. In the last, Persuasion, however, she lets her heroine be married with no home to go to at all. . . . In this novel, the distinction is clear at least between a house and a home: the sailors can make a home on a boat, or in a rental for a few months in Lyme Regis, but Anne’s father, the landowner Sir Walter, can’t make one anywhere. . . . Anne Elliot understands that people are more important than property, and that they are not at all the same thing” (37).

The Darkness of Darcy

(mostly on patriarchy, with some extensive comparisons with feminist Mary Wollstonecraft’s writings and life)

“Is Darcy not Patriarchy itself, with all its glittering, merciless, unequal glamour?” (53) “The fact that as readers we delight in what both Darcy and Elizabeth have gained through the great property is the smudge of darkness I find at the heart of this lightest and brightest of novels” (57).

“Sir Thomas [Bertram of MP] is another patriarch in a big house frightening the vitality out of his dependants. Could he be Mr. Darcy, grown older, if he’d been foolish enough to marry Caroline Bingley instead of Elizabeth Bennet?” (or, I would say, if he’d married Anne de Bourgh . . . )

Talking and Not Talking

(mostly about the right and the wrong words, class, and wit)

“I revere Emma but something disturbs me. . . . Anyone who fears she might be an interloper, the not-quite-proper arrival in a new place will understand. . . . Mrs. Elton dropped abruptly into Highbury; loud Mrs. Elton, not quite ‘a lady’” (59). Ooh, can we relate to Mrs. Elton, of all people? Moving right along . . .

“As aware of rank as snobbish Emma, Elizabeth takes an opposite tack: where Emma disparages those beneath her—the Martins, Coleses and Eltons—Elizabeth mocks the ranks above her” (79).

Emma disparages farmer Robert Martin to Harriet, considering him too far below her rank.
Elizabeth Bennet, on the other hand, laughs at those above her in rank, like Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Making Patterns

(patterns and connections that bring us deeper; includes comparisons of Northanger Abbey and Sanditon, Austen’s first and last written novels.)

“Austen’s late revising of Northanger Abbey possibly triggered the whole project of ‘Sanditon’. In which case, she’d be reversing the sexes: using the Henry Tilney—Catherine Morland dynamic to create (in the absence of Sydney Parker) the sober-minded Charlotte and fiction-addled, quixotic Sir Edward. Unlikely though it sounds, perhaps, after the gentleman has been chastened and reformed rather than the lady, these two might make a match. We’ll never know.”

Poor Nerves

(connections of mind and body; mental stress causing physical symptoms)

“Yes, the sun was hot, yes, Fanny [Price] had a headache. But it’s difficult for the reader not to see other factors at work. Fanny forgets to lock the spare room in the parsonage. We wouldn’t expect her to be so careless. Was she . . . already letting jealousy infect her mind because Edmund was away with Mary Crawford?” (115)

The Unruly Body

(illness, nursing, the skin, teeth, and headaches in Austen’s life and novels)

“If you want advice about teeth from Jane Austen, there it is: stay away from dentists” (147).

Into Nature

(weather, umbrellas, estate improvements, long walks)

“Dramatised in the novels, the Church of England becomes a matter of sermons and parsonages, ordination and tithes, but in the letters, underneath the worldly concerns, the Church emerges as a way of life, of experiencing life, like noting when Spring arrives, Autumn fades or Christmas approaches. It’s a very ‘moderate’ seasonal English way of being religious” (165).

Giving and Taking Advice

(advice from conduct books; advice in love; guidebook advice; writing advice)

Virginia Woolf wrote that ‘a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction,’ but Austen’s experience was different. Based on Austen:

“If you intend to write anything, best not follow Virginia Woolf and wait for your own room and money and certainly not depend on inspiration, but do avoid much housekeeping” (185).

Being in the Moment

(moments of stillness in Austen, Wollstonecraft, Wordsworth, Cowper; comfortable moments with good food)

“In the finished novels, there are moments when the heroines step aside. . . Without being overtly religious, these moments, prayerful and cloistered, resemble a stoical Christian meditative state in which the mind becomes stilled. Perhaps the woman is simply ‘reasoning with herself’, perhaps trying to gain composure to cope with a disruptive emotion or endeavouring to arrange feelings so they can be investigated later—or just accepting emptiness” (199).

How to Die

(death in Austen’s fiction and in her life)

After quoting Cassandra’s comments on Austen’s death, Todd summarizes: “Fortitude in life, patience in death, kindness and gratitude in both” (232).

Afterword

(One of the gifts Austen has given her is an appreciation of home.)

“Jane Austen . . . might have preferred to be in Chawton churchyard near the cottage where she’d now be lying with her mother and sister. It might have seemed more like home” (235).

These are just a few of the delightful tidbits I appreciated. Some references to other books of the time were less familiar, but still interesting. The book is full of fascinating insights, connections, and thoughts about Austen’s life, words, and world. I recommend Living with Jane Austen by Janet Todd. (UK link)

For a further perspective, read “Jane Austen and Me.”

In a few days we’ll look at a different perspective on Austen, Devoney Looser’s Wild for Austen. 

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

Book Review: A Guide to Regency Dress

January 12, 2026 by Rachel Dodge

As we enter the new year, I introduce to you a beautiful new book by Hilary Davidson called A Guide to Regency Dress: from Corsets and Breeches to Bonnets and Muslins. This book is a true gem, and it was the perfect gift (to myself) for Christmas. I am a fashion and textiles nut, and a huge fan of Davidson’s work, including her previous book Jane Austen’s Wardrobe.

This is one of my favorite new books of the past year, and I plan to use it as I read and research Austen’s novels and watch the film adaptations. Davidson provides a comprehensive glossary of terms related to fashion and clothing during Austen’s time, included beautiful photography to help illustrate various items. Seeing everything in one place makes this a Jane Austen fashion dictionary and encyclopedia that is both fascinating and beautiful. What might normally take me hours to research for one of my articles, I can now find easily in one place.

I particularly enjoyed the way the book is broken up into sections, with a detailed glossary in each section. The sections include Women, Men, Hair and Beauty, Jewellry (sic), and Textiles and Trimmings. Each section includes information and a full glossary with exquisite, full-color photos and illustrations. I enjoyed reading about the differences between items such as women’s stockings and men’s stockings. Women are often the focal point of Regency dress, but men’s clothing and dress is just as interesting. As a writer, I also appreciated Richardson’s extensive bibliography at the end of the book.

You can peruse this book anytime you want to learn more about dress in Austen’s day or find inspiration for your next Regency tea party, event, or ball!

Order Your Copy Here

About the Book

An accessible, fun, yet authoritative guide to male and female Regency fashion: Celebrated dress historian Hilary Davidson brings together nearly 20 years of research on Regency fashion in an illustrated guide for the first time. All the elements of the Regency wardrobe of both men and women―from coats, gowns and undergarments to shoes, accessories, beauty, hair and jewellery―are assembled, along with their textiles and trimmings.

A Guide to Regency Dress is an essential companion to navigate the fashion world of Jane Austen or re-create the Regency look. Here’s a look inside the book:

About the Author

Hilary Davidson is a dress, textiles, and fashion historian and curator. Hilary trained as a bespoke shoemaker in her native Australia before completing a Masters in the History of Textiles and Dress at Winchester School of Art (University of Southampton) in 2004. As a skilled and meticulous hand-sewer, she has created replica clothing projects for a number of museums, including a ground-breaking replication of Jane Austen’s pelisse.

In 2007, Hilary became curator of fashion and decorative arts at the Museum of London. She also worked on the AHRC 5-star rated Early Modern Dress and Textiles Network (2007-2009) and from 2011 has appeared as an expert on a number of BBC historical television programs, and as a frequent radio guest speaker in London and Sydney. From 2012, Hilary worked between Sydney and London as a freelance curator, historian, broadcaster, teacher, lecturer, consultant and designer, while working on a PhD in Archaeology at La Trobe University, Melbourne. In 2022, she moved to New York City to take up the role of Associate Professor and Chair of the MA Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Hilary has taught and lectured extensively at the University of Southampton, Central St Martins, the University of Cambridge, the University of Glasgow, New York University London, The American University Paris, Fashion Design Studio TAFE Sydney and the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney. Her previous books include Dress in the Age of Jane Austen (2019) and Jane Austen’s Wardrobe (2023).

Final Thoughts

When I attended my first JASNA AGM many years ago, I wore a beautiful Regency dress my mother sewed for me to the banquet and ball. I received a lot of compliments, but I only had a dress. Since then, I’ve slowly added to my “Jane Austen closet” with various accessories. Now that I have this book, I can continue to expand my collection until I can dress in Regency clothing from head to toe.

I could easily spend hours researching the fashion and textiles of Jane Austen’s era, and I hope others of you will find this new resource as fascinating as I do!

Rachel Dodge Bio

Rachel Dodge teaches writing classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. She has narrated numerous book titles, including the Praying with Jane Audiobook with actress Amanda Root. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Book review, Clothes, Fashions, Jane Austen's World, Regency Etiquette, Regency fashion, Regency Life, Regency style, Regency Women, Regency World | 8 Comments »

Dear Readers: Merry Holiday Season and Have a Happy New Year’s Eve!

December 28, 2025 by Vic

Ah, ’tis the season for celebrations! And what a better way to recall our dear Jane’s 250th birthday celebration than during the month of December?

This link leads you to a 2006 post of holiday celebrations Jane would have enjoyed.

Then, this YouTube video features both Chawton Cottage and Chawton House, and will take you on a walk past the beautifully preserved houses that Jane and Cassandra must have seen during their walks through the village.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Christmas, Jane Austen's World | Tagged | 8 Comments »

Jane Austen and Music

December 20, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

Interview by Brenda S. Cox

“no one can be really esteemed accomplished [without] a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages”–Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen and Company, who have given us many fascinating series of talks, have been focusing on Austen and music this year. We asked Inger Brodey, Eric Bontempo, and Susan Ellen Ford to tell us more about that.

JAW: Thanks for joining us, Inger, Eric, and Susan. I understand that the three of you are directing the Jane Austen & Company program. Jane Austen & Co has been doing a series on Music and the Regency this year. Readers can watch and listen to the recordings here. Can you tell us about that?

Jane Austen & Co. did a series on Music in the Regency during 2025, and you can still enjoy the recordings online for free.

Eric:

Sure! Music making and music appreciation could be complicated—even contested—activities during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In 2025, Jane Austen & Co. wanted to look at aspects of public and domestic music in the Regency period, and zero in on Jane Austen’s own musical experience. Back in February, we kicked things off with Jeff Nigro’s talk on “Georgian Fangirls” and the influence that Italian castrati had on Regency Music in England. Then, Gillian Dooley discussed music in Austen’s life and work, including some of what Austen would have played and sang. Kathryn Libin moved our series outward to women and musical education during this period. In April, Laura Klein discussed the evolution of keyboard music during this period and considered the music Austen was practicing when she was writing.

This fall, we’ve added three more events to the series. Lidia Chang from Colorado College gave an insightful talk on “Frivolity, Foppery, and the English Gentleman at Music.” And just two weeks ago, Jeanice Brooks from the University of Southampton delighted us with her talk exploring how music making shaped perceptions of people and lands far beyond the British home. The grand finale of the series came in late November when Penelope Appleyard and Jonathan Delbridge revealed the new song they have commissioned, recorded, and released to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Anniversary.

JAW: Tell us a little about one of those recorded events that our readers might enjoy listening to.

Grand finale of Music and the Regency, “A Song for Jane”

Eric: I think our grand finale to “Music and the Regency” is definitely worth watching. The 90-minute episode has a little bit of everything: Penelope Appleyard and Jonathan Delbridge performed live, and you can watch their stunning renditions of songs that Jane Austen loved and copied down in her family’s music books. They performed “Robin Adair” and a “Song for Burns” before delighting us with their recently commissioned setting of Austen’s teenage poem “Ode to Pity.”

In between performances, they walked us through the historical context of these songs, the musical instrument being played by Jonathan, and their connection to Jane Austen and her novels. It was fascinating, and if you watch until the end, you’ll notice that the audience Q&A kept the momentum going!

JAW: What are a few interesting things that you personally have learned from that series?

Lidia Chang’s episode on music and gender

Susan: One of my favorite episodes was the interview with Lidia Chang. She taught me a great deal about music and gender. I was interested to hear about how seldom amateur men would perform music, compared to women. She also drew connections to the few examples from the novels where men perform for private audiences.

JAW: What will the next series be?

Susan: Jane Austen & Company is launching a brand new series focusing on Jane Austen’s “Unsung Characters.” We are envisioning a series of presentations that explores Austen’s minor characters and the un-thought-of connections that may tie them together. We will be announcing the list of speakers and presentations soon!

JAW: A few months ago I reviewed your lovely new site, Jane Austen’s Desk. How is that going?

Eliza de Feuillide is now in the travel section of Jane Austen’s Desk.

Inger: Yes, we were very grateful for your review! Since then, we have added a few things to Jane Austen’s Desk. Most importantly, we’ve added a new traveller: Eliza De Feuillide, Austen’s first cousin and sister-in-law. We included a new hand-drawn portrait of her and programmed in most of her travels during Austen’s lifetime. We really wanted another female traveller, along with Fanny Palmer Austen, to indicate what we are calling Austen’s “vicarious travels.”  We are countering the image of Austen living a sheltered existence by showing visual, interactive representations of how much her correspondents travelled, giving her vivid, second-hand experience of diverse regions of the world. 

Susan: In honor of our new holiday campaign to raise funds, we also added some professionally recorded Christmas music, performed by Laura Klein on a period harpsicord, and some holiday greenery.  Have you seen them yet? (You have to ignore, momentarily, the unseasonable weather for March 30.)

Under the painting for travel sits a thus-far mostly silent pianoforte on the website Jane Austen’s Desk. We can participate in bringing it to life!

JAW: I understand you are raising money for adding music to that site. What are you hoping to add? How will that enrich the site?

Inger: Music was key to Jane Austen’s creative process. As you know, in her years at Chawton Cottage, she got up early in the mornings to play her pianoforte and compose her thoughts. This Kickstarter will raise the funds necessary to give tribute to the specific music Austen knew, loved, and transcribed by hand. We will add interactive tools with access to this music to our free website, making it come alive for all kinds of Janeites. The music will be performed by professional performers on historical instruments. We will provide historic illustrations, information about composers and specific pieces, and crisp images of Austen’s own sheet music.

An exciting part of the plan is to link the mentions of music in the novels to recordings by Laura Klein, and vice versa. So when you read about Mary Crawford playing a glee, for example, you can play an example and learn about what glees are. It’s an important dimension of our plan to show how the many different parts of Austen’s lived experience come together in her masterful novels.

JAW: That sounds fantastic, Inger. Why do you need to raise the money with a Kickstarter?

Inger: The design and building of our site has been primarily funded by two “Digital Projects for the Public” grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. We were hoping for the largest, phase 3 grant in this line, but the whole program has been cancelled at the NEH, so we are forced to look elsewhere for our funding.  What we really need is a patroness! 

JAW: Lady Catherine de Bourgh, take note. Or perhaps someone who has “more true enjoyment of music” than she does, or “better natural taste”! How can our readers contribute, if they wish?

Inger: Our Kickstarter campaign is at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/janeaustencoll/adding-music-to-jane-austens-desk. On that site there are also two videos: one about our team that is making Jane Austen’s Desk and the other about the goals of our project. Kickstarter campaigns are all or nothing, so if we don’t meet our target by December 28th, then we don’t receive any of the promised funding! It’s a little nerve-wracking!

JAW: We very much hope you get all your need! Readers and music lovers, here’s an opportunity to contribute. Inger, Eric, and Susan, thanks for all your hard work to make so much great material available to us in such a fun way. (I vote that you do embroidery next 😊, but the music, “a very innocent diversion,” will be delightful!)

 

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Jane Austen's World, Music, Music popular in Jane Austen's lifetime, Music review, Regency Period | Tagged , , | 3 Comments »

More Birthday Events for Jane Austen!

December 18, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“One cannot have too large a party.” —Mr. Weston, Emma, volume 3, chapter 6

Happy Birthday all year long, dear Jane!

On Austen’s birthday, Dec. 16, we visited a few of the many events for Jane Austen’s 250th birthday this year. Here are a few more that my friends have attended:

July: Jane Austen Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio

(Reported by Christel Ford)

The yearly Jane Austen Festival in Louisville, Kentucky moved to Cincinnati, Ohio this year. The venue was the Heritage Village Museum, where sessions were held in historic buildings. The Post Office had examples of period letters, with docents answering questions about mail service of the period and letters.

Many attendees wore beautiful period clothing.  A tent village offered many types of shops. Dresses, hats, fabric and sundries were for sale.

A print shop demonstration of printing at the Cincinnati Jane Austen Festival was fascinating and informative.  
Photo ©Christel Ford, 2025
Many different lectures about the period were offered, including a side saddle demonstration and a display of antique clothing with embroidery. Costume expert Ann Wass was one of the speakers at the Cincinnati Jane Austen Festival.
Photo ©Christel Ford, 2025
Participants at the Cincinnati Jane Austen Festival experienced period games, such as this game of graces, played by Christel Ford and Melissa Johnson.
Photo ©Christel Ford, 2025

Next year’s Festival will be in April; get your costumes ready!

June to September: A Lively Mind: Jane Austen at 250 at the Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan, NY

(Reported by Renata Dennis, JASNA regional coordinator for Georgia)

A Lively Mind: Jane Austen at 250 at the Morgan Library.
Photo ©Renata Dennis, 2025

Many Janeites traveled up to New York City to see the fantastic exhibition hosted by the Morgan Library for Jane’s 250th birthday. A group from our Georgia region visited together on the opening weekend. Renata Dennis said the exhibit was jam-packed with fascinating materials. She enjoyed seeing everyday objects like letters, maps, a ledge of expenditures, and a reproduction of Jane’s pelisse. The exhibit addressed different aspects of Jane’s life, her family, life in England at that time, and her relationships. It also included her books in different languages and adaptations.

Some highlights were silhouettes of Jane’s parents, some of her music manuscripts, letters, and literary manuscripts, her turquoise ring, first editions of Emma and Mansfield Park, early illustrations of Sense and Sensibility, and much more.

The exhibition website says:

“A Lively Mind immerses viewers in the inspiring story of Jane Austen’s authorship and her gradual rise to international fame. Iconic artifacts from Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, England join manuscripts, books, and artworks from the Morgan, as well as from a dozen institutional and private collections, to present compelling new perspectives on Austen’s literary achievement, her personal style, and her global legacy.”

Replica of Jane Austen’s desk, with wallpaper from her house, at the Morgan exhibition.
Photo ©Renata Dennis, 2025
Scholar Juliette Wells of Goucher College (which has a fantastic collection itself) shows visitors Austen letters at the Morgan exhibit. At the JASNA AGM, Wells talked about the intricacies of identifying various artifacts related to Austen.
Photo ©Renata Dennis, 2025
Silhouettes of George and Cassandra Austen at the Morgan exhibit.
Photo ©Renata Dennis, 2025

Harewood House, Leeds, England: Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter

(Reported by Lori Mulligan Davis)

In 2025, Harewood House celebrated the 250th birthdays of two national icons, Jane Austen and painter J.M.W. Turner. They never met in life, but they mingle daily in wallets, with Turner on the £20 and Austen on the £10 banknote. Working with the Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies at the University of York, Harewood House Trust exhibited artworks and artifacts on topics of interest to Austen and Turner, including domestic tourism of country houses, the rising importance of sociability, the rage for the picturesque landscape, and the results of empire and slavery. Many first-time guests coming for Austen or Turner were equally glad to experience one of the finest of England’s great estates.

House porter John Jewell’s The Tourist’s Companion, or the History and Antiquities of Harewood, 1819, offering household staff, particularly the housekeeper (think: Mrs. Reynolds), information for conducting weekly tours of house and furnishings to the public.
Photo ©Lorraine Mulligan Davis, 2025.
In the early 19th century, visitors to nearby Harrogate would tour Harewood House, even purchasing souvenirs like this hand-painted traveling writing set.
Photo ©Lorraine Mulligan Davis, 2025.
One of Anya Taylor-Joy’s handsome, clever, and rich costumes from the EMMA. 2020 movie, displayed at Harewood House.
Photo ©Lorraine Mulligan Davis, 2025.
The unfinished manuscript of Sanditon, written just months before Austen’s death. Harewood House commissioned Lela Harris to depict Sanditon’s Miss Lambe, Austen’s only character said to be of African heritage. The unfinished portrait reflects Austen’s unfinished novel and the systematic erasure of women of color from archival spaces.
Photo ©Lorraine Mulligan Davis, 2025.

Many, many more events around the world celebrated Jane Austen’s 250th birthday this year. I hope you got to attend some of them! Tell us about your favorites!

Jane Austen Events

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Jane Austen Festival, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

Happy 250th Birthday, Jane Austen!

December 16, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“One cannot have too large a party. A large party secures its own amusement.”–Emma

2025 has been a full year of celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. Janeites around the country are having a wide range of parties for Jane this month. Here in Atlanta, our group held a fantastic one day conference in September, besides our December birthday party which included a dance demonstration. Some of our public libraries have had special Austen events throughout the year, ranging from a pre-release screening of Miss Austen, to film versions including Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the Laurence Olivier Pride and Prejudice, to special talks by authors and fashion experts. They also gave out free copies of Austen’s novels to library visitors.

I had the privilege of attending three major Austen events this year.

June: JASP

In June the Jane Austen Summer Program explored Sensibility and Domesticity with great discussions, lots of dancing, and a display of early editions of Austen’s novels and contemporary books she would have read. I posted about that in July.

A sample of Jenny Batchelor’s beautiful Austen-period embroidery. She taught two workshops and gave a plenary talk on Transatlantic Domestic Arts at JASP 2025.

September: Jane Austen Festival in Bath

Soldiers lead 2,000 people in Regency dress who promenaded through Bath for the 2025 Jane Austen Festival.

In September, I had the privilege of speaking at Bath Abbey during the Jane Austen Festival. This was the biggest one yet. The Promenade through Bath in Regency dress sold out at 2,000 wristbands almost immediately. Eight balls, eight dance workshops (some focused on specific types of dance, like waltzes or cotillions), and two assemblies (with dancing) also sold out rapidly. (At hefty prices—balls cost from £65 to £135 per ticket!) We enjoyed plays and musical programs in the evenings. The Theatre Royal (which Austen attended) showed a delightful version of Emma. Many ladies and gentlemen strolled around Bath in Regency dress all ten days of the Festival. A “pleasure garden” was recreated one evening, with appropriate foods and drinks, entertainers, and even fireworks at the end.

Fire dancer at the Bath Pleasure Garden during the 2025 Jane Austen Festival.

“Book clubs” discussed each of the novels. Hands-on activities gave opportunities to make bonnets, reticules, hairpieces, hussifs (sewing kits), dresses, visiting cards, or parasols; to stargaze, fence, shoot with bows and arrows, or play croquet, whist, and other Regency games; or to sing Austen’s favorite songs, write letters with a quill, bind books, or dye fabric with plants and flowers. Minibus tours took attendees to Meryton, Longbourn, Chawton, Steventon, and Winchester. Walking tours around Bath featured various themes including “What about the Workers?” and “Life and Death in Georgian England.”

A gentleman dressed as Mr. Collins, at “Sew Chatty,” where people brought their sewing projects and socialized, as Austen and her characters socialize over their “work,” their sewing.

Of course I loved the talks by Austen authors and experts. In “Assembly and Diversity in Jane Austen’s Bath” I learned that the Upper Assembly Rooms were established, by subscription, to be open to everyone, not just exclusively for the upper classes—the most inclusive venue in Georgian Britain, according to Dr. Tim Moore. At “Dye and Colour in Regency Life,” I learned that green was a difficult color to create, and they used copper arsenic for it, surrounding people with poison! Every talk I attended brought fascinating new knowledge.

In the Bath Guild Hall, the Jane Austen Dancers prepare to show the intricacies of assemblies, public and private, in Austen’s time.

On the first Sunday, I was glad I arrived early for the free Regency Church Service in Bath Abbey. It was so full they had to turn people away at the doors. I had had the privilege of giving the staff some guidance on what a Regency service would have been like, and was delighted at the beautiful service. (The clergymen even used some material from my book, Fashionable Goodness!) Later that week I had a lovely discussion in the Abbey with those who attended my talk on Hannah More, whom Jane Austen’s friends were “reading with delight.”

Stephen Herring led special tours of Bath Abbey highlighting memorials to people connected to the Austen family. His wife Jackie Herring wrote Jane Austen’s Bath Abbey, giving us those people’s stories.

October: JASNA AGM

For Janeites in America, the JASNA AGM is always a highlight of the year. This one was the biggest ever, with 950 in-person attendees in Baltimore and about 225 on livestream. Our plenary speakers were all superb: Paula Byrne (The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things), Juliette Wells (A New Jane Austen: How Americans Brought Us the World’s Greatest Novelist), Vanessa Riley (Island Queen and other Regency fiction based on real women of color); and John Mullan (What Matters in Jane Austen?).

950 attendees at the 2025 JASNA AGM in Baltimore listen raptly.

A panel of well-known authors discussed Austen’s genius (Janine Barchas, Inger Brodey, Collins Hemingway, and Devoney Looser). And, as always, a fantastic lineup of breakout sessions, special sessions, workshops, tours, and dancing gave us many challenging choices, since we couldn’t do everything!

At the final brunch, John Mullan tells the 2025 JASNA AGM about “Austen’s Choice of Words,” ranging from her use of exclamation marks to her pioneering use of new words.

I loved hearing Susannah Harker, a special guest, talk about her role as Jane Bennet in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice. Did you know that she was pregnant all during filming, so they had to film her very carefully to not show that? Or, have you ever noticed that Darcy rides a black horse at the beginning of the movie, and a white horse later on? I had to rewatch the movie to confirm this; what a sacrifice! 😊

Susannah Harker tells us about playing Jane Bennet.

A special offering this year were pop-up museums. We got to see some of the artefacts discovered in an archaeological dig at Steventon (as well as a talk on how they are developing a virtual version of the Steventon rectory). Caroline Knight brought treasures from the Knight family. Candice Hern shared some of her lovely items that would have been carried in a reticule. Alden O’Brien shared garments of the time. And much more.

Caroline Knight shows Knight family treasures in an AGM pop-up museum.

As one example of a special session, Dan Macey talked about the variety of smells of the time, most of which were bad (think tanneries, chamber pots, slaughter houses, poor hygiene, tallow candles, mutton . . .). But at the end we all got to smell a perfume used at the time, still produced by a perfumer from the 1700s (DR Harris & Co.)

Mackenzie Sholtz teaches a group how to make Regency pin holders.

I got to participate in a “pecha kucha,” a Japanese presentation style that has become very popular worldwide. Three of us had ten minutes each to give the headlines of a talk (20 seconds per slide). I spoke on Hannah More, Nili Olay spoke on LM Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), and Joy Prevost spoke on AI imaging trying to capture Austen’s genius. People seemed to enjoy these quick talks, and asked great questions at the end. Regular breakout sessions explored topics ranging from philosophy to headgear and shoes to Jane Austen’s “Genius of Place.” (Did you know Austen consulted atlases to find appropriate place names for her fiction, such as situating Highbury in an area with many towns ending in -bury? Hazel Jones told us all about this; she will be one of the keynote speakers next year.)

Next year’s AGM will be in Tuscon, on the “Bath Novels,” Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

All these events included great shopping arcades. Here are just a few of my favorite acquisitions: an amber cross on a ribbon (like Fanny Price’s) from JASP; a Jane Austen Lego set (40766) from the Festival Fayre in Bath; and an Austen calendar (with dates identified by things that happened in Austen’s life or novels) from the AGM (Wisconsin region does these every year). The 250 pin is also from the AGM.
Happy Birthday, dear Jane!

What have you been doing to celebrate Jane’s 250th birthday? Let us know in the comments. In a few days I will share a few more events that my friends have attended this year.

If you’re looking for Christmas gifts for the Austen-lovers you know, check out these options.

All photos ©Brenda S. Cox, 2025; please request permission for re-use.

I was not able to track down everyone in all these photos. If you were at one of these large events and you object to your photo appearing here, please contact me through my website and I will take the photo down immediately. (Or if you want your name added to the photo description!)

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Jane Austen Festival, Jane Austen's World, JASNA AGM 2025 | Tagged , | 7 Comments »

Coming Soon: Birthday Tales for Jane Austen’s 250th

November 29, 2025 by Vic

Inquiring Readers: One of our most loyal readers is publicist and author Denise Stout Holcomb. She leaves her comments on almost every post on this blog as far back as I can recall. Denise recently sent us this alert for a new book coming out at the end of this month: To Mark the Occasion: Birthday Tales for Jane Austen’s 250th. What a wonderful gift for this important month celebrating Austen’s life. – Vic

Celebrate 250 years of Jane Austen with a thoughtful collection of birthday tales inspired by her unforgettable characters!

Order Your Copy Here

In honour of Austen’s milestone jubilee, ten Austenesque authors reimagine the lives—and fêtes—of her most beloved (and occasionally infamous) creations. Join the festivities for Pride and Prejudice favourites such as Mr Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Mr Bingley, Charlotte Lucas, Kitty Bennet, and Georgiana Darcy, celebrate Captain Wentworth’s long-awaited occasion after Persuasion, attend the debut of Mansfield Park’s Mary Crawford, while two funerals and a birthday return us to Northanger Abbey.

Each story sparkles with wit, warmth, and a few surprises in the spirit of dear Jane. Brimming with humour, romance, and a keen understanding of the human heart, To Mark the Occasion: Birthday Tales for Jane Austen’s 250th is an enthusiastic tribute to Austen’s enduring genius—and a joyful reminder that every year (and every story) is worth celebrating.

All proceeds from this anthology will be donated to Jane Austen Literacy Foundation.

Foreword by Caroline Jane Knight. Below sit links to Caroline’s connection to her famous aunt Jane.

“Caroline is the fifth great niece of Jane Austen, and is the last of Jane’s nieces to grow up in Chawton House, in the South of England, on the family’s ancestral estates where Jane herself lived, wrote and published her most famous works…

Caroline has unique insight into the life, works and family of a literary icon. The worldwide celebrations of the 200-year anniversary of Pride & Prejudice in 2013 inspired Caroline to establish the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation to harness the passion for Jane Austen and support the practice of literacy across the world, in honour of Jane. ..

Click here to read Caroline’s Story, a Q&A interview with Ms Knight on the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation website. 

Click here to join Caroline’s FB page

Authors: 

Melissa Anne * Christina Boyd * P. O. Dixon * Cathleen Earle * Harry Frost * Susan Kaye * Melanie Rachel * Denise Stout * Bethany R Tolson 

Editor: 

Zarilda Belle Frost

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , | 5 Comments »

Book Review: The Austens, by Sarah Emsley

November 19, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

Reviewed by Brenda S. Cox

I very much enjoyed Sarah Emsley’s new novel, The Austens. It is written as a series of first-person diary entries and letters, mostly invented, but based on solid research. It shows the relationship between Jane Austen and her younger brother Charles’s wife, Fanny Palmer Austen.

Sarah Emsley gives us deep insights into the lives and struggles of women of Austen’s time. We see contrasts and commonalities between the lives of a young naval wife and mother traveling the world, and an unmarried author living with her family in rural Hampshire.

The Austens, a new novel by Sarah Emsley, tells the story of Jane Austen and her sister-in-law Fanny Palmer Austen in a series of letters and journal entries.

We asked Sarah Emsley, who lives in Canada and has explored the Austen connection to Nova Scotia, to tell us more.

Jane Austen’s World: Sarah, what led you to write this book? Why did you choose Fanny Palmer Austen as the second main character?

Sarah Emsley: The striking contrasts between the lives of Jane Austen and her sister-in-law Fanny Palmer Austen sparked my imagination, leading to The Austens. I wanted to tell a story about the Austen family set partly in North America and to focus on sisterhood and friendship.

While Jane is writing fiction in England, not knowing if any of her novels will ever be published, Fanny is sailing from Bermuda to Nova Scotia and back again, and eventually to England. She is dealing with the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth and caring for her young daughters.

No letters between the two of them survive, and that gap seemed an area worth exploring in fiction. I imagined Jane and Fanny developing a friendship through letters sent across the North Atlantic and then meeting in person the summer before Sense and Sensibility was published.

Also, as I researched The Austens, my own first novel, imagining my way into the story, I found my heroine Fanny asking Jane urgent questions about her books: What was left out? What might happen to her heroines after the happy endings?

From the beginning of my work on The Austens, the voices of both Jane and Fanny were central. I don’t think it could have been a novel about just one heroine or the other.

JAW: What do you admire most about Fanny Austen?

I like and admire Fanny Austen’s courage in doing the best she could to adapt to the challenges and uncertainties of her husband’s naval career. Like Mrs. Croft in Persuasion, she and other naval wives learned that “We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.”

JAW: How long did it take you to research and write the book?

Eighteen years! When I began, I had no idea it would take that long. It wasn’t my only project during that period, but it was the main one. I worked on it steadily over all those years. I learned through experience that books need to take the time they take. The writing and publishing process are different every time, for every book and every writer. I sort of knew that before, from writing and publishing nonfiction, but this novel taught me far more about patience and persistence. I cared so much about the Austens, Jane and Fanny and their extended family, that I couldn’t give up on them.

Sarah Emsley spent 18 years working on The Austens, which is set in England, Bermuda, and her native Halifax, Canada.

JAW: There are many books on Jane Austen and her family. What makes yours unique?

My novel has a particularly North American flavour because it’s set on this side of the Atlantic as well as in England, during Jane Austen’s lifetime. I was inspired to begin the book when I learned about the Austen family’s connections with my hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia at the 2005 Jane Austen Society (UK) conference. The organizer was Patrick Stokes, a direct descendant of Charles Austen and Chairman of the Society. He had asked the archivist at St. Paul’s Church in Halifax to search for the baptismal record for Charles and Fanny’s first daughter, Cassy.

I was a parishioner at St. Paul’s and got married there. I had written a short, illustrated history of the church in 1999, without knowing about the Austen connection. Details of Cassy’s baptism were first published by Sheila Johnson Kindred in Jane Austen and the North Atlantic, a collection of conference papers I edited for the Jane Austen Society in 2006.

When I began my novel in 2007, I did extensive research on the Austen family and their historical period. I had already visited Austen-related sites in England. I began to visit Austen-related places in my own hometown, including Government House in downtown Halifax, featured on the cover of The Austens. Those visits were among the many joys of working on this book.

JAW: What was the hardest part of this book for you to write?

The Harris Bigg-Wither section, near the beginning of The Austens, was the hardest to write. In early drafts, I used a flashback to 1810 to show Jane accepting and rejecting his marriage proposal. I wasn’t satisfied with that approach, and I kept going back to imagine what it might have felt like for her to live through those painful hours. Early in 2019, after almost twelve years of work, I finally wrote a draft of this section I liked. Then I revised it many more times before the book was published.

One of the hardest parts of writing this book was figuring out where to begin the story! Some of the earliest drafts began with Fanny’s perspective in 1809. As I worked, I saw where I needed to expand and deepen the story, going further back in time.

JAW: What was the most fun part of the book to write? 

I loved bringing to life the ball at Government House. Fanny wrote to her sister Esther that this ball was “splendid” (12 June 1810). She also referred to Captain Pechell, one of Charles’s brother officers, as her “very great favorite” (14 August 1810). (You can read these letters in Sheila Johnson Kindred’s biography, Jane Austen’s Transatlantic Sister: The Life and Letters of Fanny Palmer Austen.) It was such fun to research and write this scene.

I pictured Fanny arriving at Government House with her husband on a chilly evening in June, wishing she could linger with him in the garden. But she knows she must follow him into the ballroom and socialize with Admiral and Lady Warren and other guests. Each time I visited Government House, I could see Fanny there, dancing with Captain Pechell, playing cards with Lady Warren, and feeling naïve and excluded from the inner circles of Halifax society when she hears about a scandalous poem.

Emsley chose to write in the voice of Fanny Palmer Austen, wife of Charles Austen. Painting by Robert Field, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

JAW: Why did you choose to write in the first person as Jane Austen? What source material did you use to echo her voice? How difficult was it to get into the mind of the author?

When I began to work on this book, I wrote in third person—first person didn’t even occur to me. I suppose it was too intimidating to think of writing in the voice of Jane Austen, one of the greatest writers of all time. At the same time, I was trying to write a novel that would look and sound sort of like an Austen novel. Paradoxically, then, I was trying to echo her voice, style, and structure too closely.

Through research and immersion in Jane Austen’s world for many years, I got a good sense of what she might have been thinking and feeling. However, I was at first too scared to say any of it from her point of view. But after about twelve years (!), once I had worked out the shape of the plot, I decided to try writing in the first person. I wanted to see what Jane would sound like, and that transformed the novel. Reading, and rereading, her letters and teenage writings helped me find the voice I wanted.

Jane herself gave me courage, especially through her strong heroines, Fanny Price and Elizabeth Bennet. I needed to stay true to my vision of this story, told from inside the minds and bodies of my two heroines. I found my own voice, and allowed myself the freedom to include letters, newspaper clippings and notices, and other pieces of writing. Once I invented letters from Jane to Fanny and from Fanny to Jane, it felt natural to write longer chapters also in the first person.

Figuring out how to write in both Jane’s voice and Fanny’s voice was part of the long, eighteen-year process of helping the novel find its best possible shape.

Thanks very much, Brenda and Vic, for the opportunity to talk about The Austens!

Brenda: Thank you, Sarah, for your insightful answers.

Gentle readers, I think you will love The Austens, as I did. No matter how well you know Jane Austen, it will give you new perspectives on her novels, her life, and the life of her sister-in-law. You may also enjoy Sarah Emsley’s blog.

You can find the book at:

Jane Austen Books,

Woozles (signed copies, personalized on request, for shipping in the United States and Canada)

Bookmark (signed copies, personalized on request, for shipping within Canada)

Amazon in the UK (available in March, 2026)

ebook from:

Amazon in the US (Kindle only right now, paperback later)

Barnes and Noble

In brief:

The Austens: Jane Austen chooses art and the freedom to write fiction instead of marrying for money and thereby selling her body and soul, while her sister-in-law Fanny chooses to marry for love. Their disagreements about work and family threaten their friendship in a world that is hostile to art and love, and even the idea of a woman making a choice.

Sarah Emsley is the author of Jane Austen’s Philosophy of the Virtues and the editor of Jane Austen and the North Atlantic. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her family, and she writes about Austen and other authors she admires at www.sarahemsley.com. The Austens is her first novel.

Happy reading!

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments »

Praying with Jane Audiobook with Amanda Root

November 6, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

In honor of Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary year, I’m happy to announce a new audiobook project: The Praying with Jane Audiobook featuring narration by actress Amanda Root and author Rachel Dodge (yours truly). Published by ONE Audiobooks, this title is available on all major audiobook platforms.

Amanda Root is best known by Austen fans around the world for her starring role as Anne Elliot in the acclaimed 1995 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Root claimed audience hearts opposite Ciarán Hinds, as Captain Wentworth, and has held them ever since.

Proceeds from this anniversary project will be donated directly to the Jane Austen House Museum to further Jane Austen’s lasting legacy.

Persuasion film adaptation with Amanda Root (1995).
Amanda Root and Rachel Dodge, Kansas City AGM.

Audiobook Description

In this 31-day devotional, you will get an in-depth look at Jane Austen’s prayers. Her faith comes to life through her exquisite prayers, touching biographical anecdotes, intimate excerpts from family letters and memoirs, illuminating scenes from her novels, and spiritual insights. Austen’s prayers read by British film and voice actress Amanda Root; text read by author Rachel Dodge.

You can listen to a sample of Jane Austen’s Prayer 1 here, read by actress Amanda Root:

Purchase Here

Proceeds will be donated to the Jane Austen House Museum.

Amanda Root Bio

Amanda Root is an English stage and screen actress and a former voice actress for children’s programs. Root is known for her starring role in the 1995 BBC film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, her role in the British TV comedy All About Me (2002), as Miranda, alongside Richard Lumsden in 2004, and for voicing Sophie in The BFG (1989). She trained for the stage at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. (IMBD Mini Bio)

Rachel Dodge Bio

Rachel Dodge teaches writing classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. She has narrated numerous book titles, including the Praying with Jane Audiobook with actress Amanda Root. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Anglican Church, Inspired by Jane Austen, Jane Austen audio books, Jane Austen Early Life, Jane Austen's Influences, Jane Austen's religion | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment »

Book Review: The Worlds of Jane Austen: The Influences and Inspiration Behind the Novels

October 20, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

This week I’d like to introduce you to a new book by Helena Kelly called The Worlds of Jane Austen: The Influences and Inspiration Behind the Novels. This book caught my eye, initially, because of its beautiful cover – yes, I admit it! I do judge a book (first) by its cover. But more than that, I was intrigued by the idea that Jane Austen’s novels reveal deeper influences that we might not realize without careful digging.

Austen lived through many historically significant moments, and though Austen doesn’t discuss war or politics or social issues in detail in her novles, Kelly asserts that Austen’s “sharp, observant fiction reveals just how engaged she was with the issues of her time.”

Kelly’s chapter titles include: “The Rectory,” “The Revolution,” “Army and Navy,” “Give a Girl an Education,” “City,” “Countryside,” “Seaside,” and “Empire and Slavery.” Three additional chapters are titled “Legacies,” “Austenmania,” and “Present Day.” Kelly explores the various facets of each topic in detail, providing key examples from Austen’s novels to show the way each influence plays a part in her writing, which is always my favorite part.

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE

About the Book

The Worlds of Jane Austen invites readers to see one of Britain’s most beloved authors in a completely new light. Far from the quiet world of country houses and tea parties, Austen lived through revolution, war and major social change, and her sharp, observant fiction reveals just how engaged she was with the issues of her time. 

This lively and accessible guide explores the people, politics and places that shaped Austen’s life and work. It features expert insight from bestselling author Helena Kelly alongside over 150 photographs, artworks and illustrations that bring her world vividly to life. 

Whether you are discovering Austen for the first time or returning to her novels with fresh eyes, The Worlds of Jane Austen is the perfect companion for curious readers, literature lovers and admirers of classic storytelling.

About the Author

Helena Kelly holds a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford, where she has also taught from time to time and where she is about to return for a visiting scholarship at the Oxford Centre for Life Writing at Wolfson College.

She is the author of The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens (November 2023), already praised by Kirkus Reviews as ‘a literary bio that deftly untangles truth from untruth’, and of Jane Austen, the Secret Radical (2016), hailed as ‘a sublime piece of literary detective work’ (The Observer) and ‘an interpretive coup that is dazzling and dizzying’ (The New Yorker).

Additional Influences

I enjoyed this book tremendously and learned a great deal. I was familiar with some of it, but there were many new areas of information for me to delve into. I do have a few additional area of inspiration and influence I would be curious to investigate further as well.

In Kelly’s words, “Book could teach you almost anything.” I would have appreciated an additional chapter or section devoted to the books Austen read in the chapter about education for women and Austen’s personal education. After all, we are what we read. Our opinions and convictions are a compilation of our influences, and many of those ideas for Austen came through extensive reading. Austen read widely and deeply, even memorizing great portions of text, secular and religious alike, and her reading interests surely influenced her writing and the ideology behind her novels.

In a similar vein, I would have also enjoyed learning about the influence of religion on her writing. Austen had a brilliant mind and read Fordyce’s Sermons, The Book of Common Prayer, William Cowper, and other religious writers and materials during her lifetime. She was not silent about the role of the clergy in her novels, nor was she ignorant of the issues facing the Church of England during her lifetime. As a clergyman’s daughter, her daily life was intertwined with the Church, and it would be fascinating to read more scholarly information about that particular influence in her life.

However, exploring Austen’s influences could become a lifelong project, so I applaud Kelly’s careful research on the topics she chose and her excellent focus on the texts of Austen’s novels. Seeing the “proof” on the page is always the best part! Seeing Austen’s influences play out on the pages of her novels was splendid. Austen tells us so much, even when she’s not telling us much.

New Releases for Austen’s 250th

This is yet another incredible book in the great line up of books releasing this year for the 250th celebration of Austen’s life and legacy. The bounty of books knows no bounds this year! If you’d like to read a comprehensive live of new releases for this year, I invite you to visit this wonderful blog resource that I recently found in my searches: Regency Explorer: “Jane Austen 250 – a list of new books scheduled for 2025” by Anna M. Thane.

If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself overjoyed and overwhelmed by the vast list of books Thane put together. It must have taken an immense amount of time and dedication. I plan to reference it as I continue to explore the many new Austen books that have released this year (and some that are coming next year).

RACHEL DODGE teaches writing classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Book review, Jane Austen Book Collecting, Jane Austen Early Life, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's Influences, Jane Austen's World | 4 Comments »

Books Purchased at the 2025 AGM in Baltimore

October 14, 2025 by Vic

Inquiring readers,

The 2025 AGM in Baltimore has come to an end. I was too late in registering for this conference, the largest ever held in the U.S., with over 900 attendees. I did have the pleasure of going to the conference site for several hours on Friday and meeting up with Sarah Emsley, Brenda Cox, and Deborah Barnum. I also visited the emporium, where I purchased books, and the pop up sessions, where one can examine the precious objects that many well recognized attendees brought over from England to show us. Caroline Jane Knight, whose presentation of her life in Chawton Manor was marvelous, brought the serving spoons commissioned by Edward Austen, the creamware plates, two keys from Godmersham Park, and much more. Janice Golder brought a modern reproduction of the quilt made in 1810 by Jane Austen, her sister Cassandra, and her mother. (Image of the reproduction was taken by me at the conference.)

I registered for the streaming sessions, and so partially enjoyed both the onsite experience and the at-home fun of watching the presentations online in my pj’s. Their links will be available to us streamers until February. Whew! I can still catch up on the presentations I missed.

Below are some of the fabulous books I purchased!

I walked portions of Jane Austen’s London the four times I visited that city. Every day I found a new path, which I at times revisited in subsequent trips. Louise Allen’s book is a treasure, heavily illustrated with maps and images of the buildings during Austen’s era. It’s a book I’ll treasure and will help me fondly reminisce those paths I once walked. This slim book is entitled Walking Jane Austen’s London: A Tour Guide for the Modern Traveller, and is well worth its purchase.

I met Hillary Davidson in a previous AGM and bought her marvelous new book back then: Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion. I obtained her latest book at this AGM, A Guide to Regency Dress: From Corsets and Breeches to Bonnets and Muslins. It’s a treasure trove, and quite different in format from her other book – more like a reference guide, which makes it easy to look up information, and filled with images that are so helpful! Both aforementioned books are modest in size, and will fit very well in my overflowing room length bookcase.

When Sarah Emsley sent me her latest book, The Austens, I didn’t quite get to my review or send her a series of questions for added interest. It turns out that Brenda Cox, who also writes for this blog, had the same plans in mind. So we agreed on a change. At the AGM I purchased Jane Austen’s Transatlantic Sister: The Life and Letters of Fanny Palmer Austen by Sheila Johnson Kindred. Since The Austens deals with Jane’s relationship with the Palmers, I decided to read both books and then write about the relationship between Jane and Fanny with more knowledge. I can’t wait to read the books and compare and contrast them!

At each AGM I purchase copies of the magazine entitled “Jane Austen’s Regency World”. Published in the UK, they are published every other month. I chose 3 from 2024: July through December. And four from 2025: March through October. Sadly, I missed the Ja/Fe 2025 edition. The latest issue in the Sept/Oct two-month period includes these topics, although there are more than these few: “Of No Fixed Abode: Mrs Austen’s search of a home”; Cover Story: “Georgians and Cats – the feline as a pet is a modern concept”; “Miss Tilney Wore White: The process of bleaching cloth”; and “A Jane Austen Pilgrimage: Reminiscences from a self-organized UK tour”.

For inquiries re: the magazine, contact Jackie Herring – Editor at editor@janeaustenmagazine.co.uk or click on http://www.janeaustensmagazine.co.uk.

The purchase of “A Year with Jane Austen: A Calendar for 2026” is a first for me (I usually buy dog calendars!) But this one is a treasure. Filled with C.E. Brock illustrations, Austen quotes, and tidbits of information, such as “Did you know that Mr Darcy first proposed to Elizabeth Bennet on May 1 – and that she finally accepted a marriage proposal on October 6?”

The Worlds of Jane Austen: The Influences & Inspiration Behind the Novels, by Helena Kelly is a lovely, lavishly illustrated book. It was a gift from Brenda Cox, who writes wonderful posts for this blog. These are its contents listed by pages: 6-The Rectory; 22-Revolution; 44-Army and Navy; 56-Give a Girl an Education; 80-City; 96-Countryside; 114-Seaside; 128-Empire and Slavery; 148-Legacies; 174-Austenmania; and 188-Present Day.

Lastly, my acquisitions before the AGM:

As a livelong member of JASNA, I opted to receive the physical print of “Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal” printed by the Jane Austen Society of North America. I received the latest edition #47 recently last summer. This volume published the main presentations during “AGM 2024 in Cleveland, OH: Austen Annotated: Jane Austen’s Library, Political, and Cultural Origins.” Persuasions Online 45, No.1 lists the rest of the workshops.

After reading a review this spring of Kathryn Sutherland’s Jane Austen in 41 Objects, I ordered it. I learned that I have personally seen a few in person: Jane Austen’s small watercolour portrait by her sister, Cassandra; some of her letters and a few pages of a manuscript in an exhibit at the Morgan Library in New York City; and the Octagon Room in Bath (in fact I saw most of the buildings she frequented in Bath, including the houses she lived in). I’ve seen additional personal Austen memorabilia at Goucher College’s important Jane Austen Collection.

This has been a special long weekend in Baltimore for Austenites, the largest AGM in the U.S. so far. I was so pleased to have made the time to both come in person and to watch the live streams from home. Let us know in the comment section which books you purchased at the AGM in Baltimore!

Posted in Jane Austen's World, Jasna AGM | Tagged , | 6 Comments »

Online Books About Jane Austen & Georgian England

October 5, 2025 by Vic

Inquiring Readers,

In the age of increasing AI domination, it has become easier to find quick facts about Jane Austen and the age in which she lived on the internet. Yet, as many of us have learned, AI scrapes information willy nilly from online sites, regardless of whether those facts are accurate or not. At first I was caught flat-footed. Not being a JA scholar, but a devoted reader about her life, I sadly used some of those wrong facts, but I learned quickly. I now have some tricks up my sleeve – I study original sources from the memories of scholars and family members who knew her personally or lived during her age, as well as from the people who survived her and recalled their memories of her well into their old age. I also purchase books from Austen renowned scholars and academics (but a few of their books will be listed in another post.)

I found out-of-print books in antique book stores in England, Boston, New York – whichever city I visited or lived in. But these treasures could be quite expensive. I discovered Thrift Books and ABE Books online, which sell histories and biographies also out-of-print for an affordable price. Better yet, I discovered The Internet Archive and Project Gutenberg years ago. They’re akin to searching libraries and their catalogues of precious books on your computer. 

I found Project Gutenberg first. When I began JAW, I could print any chapters I needed for research, or cut and paste quotes for my blog posts. At the time, this service was around 38 years old. It’s a rather old-fashioned site for today, but extremely useful nevertheless. Better yet, all their books are copyright free!

The Internet Archive (IA) is another online site in which most books, newspapers, and videos can be “borrowed” for free once you sign in. Once you borrow the book, you can return to it at a later time to continue your research. IA resides on a later platform, so it might be more appealing to younger users.

Below are some books easily accessed online. A few choices echo the precious books I purchased for my library. Enjoy!!!

About Project Gutenberg

https://www.gutenberg.org/about/

Project Gutenberg is an online library of more than 75,000 free eBooks.

Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related content today.

Since then, thousands of volunteers have digitized and diligently proofread the world’s literature. The entire Project Gutenberg collection is yours to enjoy.

All Project Gutenberg eBooks are completely free and always will be.

PG documents can be printed, or one can easily copy and paste sections. 

 

The Books: Jane Austen 

Memoir of Jane Austen by James Edward Austen-Leigh, 1871 edition

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/17797/17797-h/17797-h.htm

About this book…

[This] Memoir of my Aunt, Jane Austen, has been received with more favour than I had ventured to expect… [In this Second] Edition, the narrative is somewhat enlarged, and a few more letters are added; with a short specimen of her childish stories.  The cancelled chapter of ‘Persuasion’ is given, in compliance with wishes both publicly and privately expressed.  A fragment of a story entitled ‘The Watsons’ is printed; and extracts are given from a novel which she had begun a few months before her death; but the chief addition is a short tale never before published, called ‘Lady Susan.’ – J. E. Austen-Leigh

Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters: A Family Record, by William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh (RA A-L), 1913.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22536

About this book…

The Memoir [by JE Austen-Leigh] must always remain the one firsthand account of her, resting on the authority of a nephew who knew her intimately and that of his two sisters. We could not compete with its vivid personal recollections; and the last thing we should wish to do, even were it possible, would be to supersede it. We believe, however, that it needs to be supplemented, not only because so much additional material has been brought to light since its publication, but also because the account given of their aunt by her nephew and nieces could be given only from their own point of view, while the incidents and characters fall into a somewhat different perspective if the whole is seen from a greater distance. Their knowledge of their aunt was during the last portion of her life, and they knew her best of all in her last year, when her health was failing and she was living in much seclusion; and they were not likely to be the recipients of her inmost confidences on the events and sentiments of her youth.- W A-L and RA A-L

Jane Austen and Her Works by Sarah Tytler, 1880

This book was …

“Written by Scottish novelist, Henrietta Keddie, who wrote under the pseudonym Sarah Tytler. Keddie was known for her depictions of domestic realism within her work, becoming very popular with women.

This work is a study of Jane Austen and her writings, with chapters on the life of Jane Austen and her novels, as well as extracts from some of her most famous works. This includes chapters of Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Emma, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion.- Rooke Books (First Edition – £675.00)“ https://www.rookebooks.com/1880-jane-austen-and-her-works

The book is also available on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/janeaustenherwor00tytlrich/page/n9/mode/2up

 

About the Internet Archive

https://archive.org/about/ 

The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, people with print disabilities, and the general public. Our mission is to provide Universal Access to All Knowledge.

Today our archive contains:

916 billion web pages

49 million books and texts

13 million audio recordings (including 268,000 live concerts)

10 million videos (including 3 million Television News programs)

5 million images

1 million software programs

Anyone with a free account can upload media to the Internet Archive. We work with thousands of partners globally to save copies of their work into special collections.

 

Jane Austen

The Jane Austen Companion, by J. David Grey, Managing Editor; A. Walton Litz, and Brian Southam, Consulting Editors; H. Abigail Bok, 1986, New York: Macmillan.

https://archive.org/details/janeaustencompan00grey

This Book’s Introduction…

…”we have aimed at an encyclopedic book that will be of value to both the specialist and the general reader…individual essays, which appear in alphabetical order, cover a great variety of subjects: the life of Jane Austen and her family; the manners and literary tastes of her time; the composition of her fictions and their critical histories; the language and form of the novels; and many more…subjects that may strike some readers as arcane or antiquarian [are] “Characterization” and “Servants,” “Romanticism” and “Auction Sales,” “Education and “Gardens.” are all topics that will be of interest to many readers…This volume speaks with the many voices of Jane Austen’s contemporary voices.

 

Jane Austen: her biographies and biographers – or, ‘‘Conversations minutely repeated.’  Deirdre Le Faye, Jane Austen Society, Report for 2007

https://archive.org/stream/austencollreport_2007/AustenReport%202007_djvu.txt

About this talk…

This is an edited version of a talk given first at University College, London, on 15 

November 2003, and then again to the Bath and Bristol Group on 29 April 2006

…The only sources of contemporary written information about Jane Austen that we have…are primarily her own letters – but these were not published till many years after her death, and even then only emerged gradually from 1870 up to the second half of the twentieth century.

Secondly, there are letters and pocketbooks originating in an outer circle of relatives and friends; some of the former were published by R.A. Austen-Leigh in Austen Papers, but many more remain as yet unpublished. These, and especially the pocketbooks. can be useful for giving precise dates regarding Jane’s daily life, but by their very nature do not give any information about her opinions or her character. 

Thirdly, her novels give some biographical information, but this has to be 

identified in conjunction with reading her letters. For example, we know from her letters that she did not visit Northamptonshire before writing Mansfield Park, but relied upon Henry to provide her with local information, and we know that it was her visit to Lyme Regis which gave her the background for chapters 11 and 12 in Persuasion.  

So fourthly and finally, we are left with oral tradition, the dredged-up memories, most of them surfacing only many years later, of the conversations that her family and friends had with and about Jane. Such memories originate with her siblings and their children, and are based on personal knowledge; they circulated within the family between 1820-70, and were then passed on to later generations, some still as oral tradition, others in the form of memoirs and reminiscences written down in the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. These unique anecdotes are widely scattered in different books or manuscripts, and like pieces of a jigsaw have to be found and slotted into place before the picture is complete.

Memoir of Jane Austen, Audio from LibriVox, script written by James Edward Austen-Leigh. No reader listed.

https://archive.org/details/memoir_jane_austen_0805_librivox

Please read the book’s description in the Project Gutenberg section above.

Jane Austen’s sailor brothers: being the adventures of Sir Francis Austen … and … Charles Austen; by Hubback, J. H. (John Henry), b. 1844; Hubback, Edith C. (Edith Charlotte), 1876 – Publication date 1906, London, J. Lane, New York, J. Lane company

https://archive.org/details/janeaustenssailo00hubbrich/page/n13/mode/2up

In this book…

My daughter and I have made free use of the Letters of Jane Austen published in 1884, by the late Lord Brabourne, and wish to acknowledge with gratitude the kind permission to quote these letters, given to us by their present possessor. In a letter of 1813, she speaks of two nephews who ” amuse themselves very comfortably in the evening by netting ; they are each about a rabbit-net, and sit as deedily to it, side by side, as any two Uncle Franks could do.” In his octogenarian days Sir Francis was still much interested in this same occupation of netting, to protect his Morello cherries or currants. It was, in fact, only laid aside long after his grandsons had been taught to carry it on. – cherries or currants. 

– John H. Hubback, 1905 (John was the great-nephew of Jane Austen through his wife, Catherine’s side. She was the daughter of Sir Francis William Austen, JA’s sailor brother.)

 

Jane Austen, A Biography, by Elizabeth Jenkins, 1949. The Universal Library, Grosset & Dunlap, NY.

https://archive.org/details/janeausten0000eliz_w9e7

This book is…

The first full-length study by someone who was not a collateral descendant of the Austens was written by Elizabeth Jenkins in 1938… Miss Jenkins was the first to properly use Chapman’s edition of the letters, and was also allowed by RAA (Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh) to see other unpublished family papers. This work was well-balanced, very readable, as accurate in its facts as was then possible, and placed Jane Austen clearly against the background of her times; it consequently remained the definitive biography for fifty years.   

 

Georgian/Regency England

The Prince of Pleasure and His Regency 1811-20, by J.B. Priestley, 1969.

https://archive.org/details/princeofpleasure0000jbpr

Description in this book by the author…

With a pair of wild spendthrifts like Fox and Sheridan keeping him company night after night, the young Prince was not likely to imitate his father’s frugal habits. He was soon in debt and he never really got out of it. Yet for this his father, the careful George III, is at least as much to blame…The King had been unwise in first keeping his son, a full-blooded, high-spirited youth, so close to a dull and cheese-paring Court. He had been even more unwise when he had allowed the Prince of Wales his independence and his own establishment at Carlton House.- Priestly, p 24

 

An American in Regency England: The Journal of a Tour in 1810-1811, by Louis Simond, edited with an introduction and notes by Christopher Hibbert. The History Book Club, London 1968.

https://archive.org/details/americaninregenc0000loui

In this book:

The journal…while it adds little new to our knowledge of Regency England…deserves to  be recognized as one of the most evocative portraits of Britain and the British to have been drawn by a foreigner during the years of the Napoleonic Wars. – Hibbert, Introduction

April 29–We have seen Mrs Siddons [55 yrs old)] again in the Gamester, and she was much greater than on the first day. Perfect simplicity, deep sensibility, her despair in the last scene, mute and calm, had a prodigious effect. There was not a dry eye in the house…Simond, 1810.

 

A Visitor’s Guide to Georgian England, by Monica Hall, 2017. Pen & Sword.

https://archive.org/details/visitorsguidetog0000hall/mode/2up

In this Book…

Monica Hall creatively awakens this bygone era, filling the pages with all aspects of daily life within the period, calling upon diaries, illustrations, letters, poetry, prose, 18th century laws and archives. This detailed account intimately explores the ever changing lives of those who lived through Britains imperial prowess, the birth of modern capitalism, the reverence of the industrial revolution and the upheaval of great political reform and class division. – Front description

Above all, the Georgian were optimistic risk-takers. They had to be, as there was no other way to live. They often did dangerous work in which the risk of tetanus or sepsis from wounds was ever present. The Industrial Revolution was underway, bringing both investment and employment opportunities – and the risk of losing money. Sanitation and drinking water was dubious to say the least, especially in towns and cities, and medical help were equally haphazard. Childbirth was still both inevitable and dangerous. But, most importantly, the Empire-builders were on the move. – Hall, Chapter 1, P 1.

 

Travel in England from pilgrim and pack-horse to light car and plane, by Thomas Burke, 1886-1945, first published 1942.

https://archive.org/details/travelinenglandf0000burk/page/n7/mode/2up

In this book: Chapters III & IV of this book are pertinent to the Georgian Era. 

Chapter III: Georgian Journeys https://archive.org/details/travelinenglandf0000burk/page/94/mode/1up?q=Georgian+Journeys

In a ‘Tour Through the South of England (1791)’  Edward Daniel Clarke went with a friend…”and they took with them, as valet, the local barber–a sort of Partridge [small or insignificant man]. Travel was something new to the barber. He had never been fifty miles from his own door and every incident of the journey filled him with alarms. London frightened him, and Portsmouth with its sailors bewildered him. He had never stayed at an inn, and the hurry and confusion of a large inn almost caused a nervous breakdown. He was always bowing to the waiters, and stepping aside from them and colliding with the kitchen boys, and being kicked by one and pushed by the other, so that he was constantly running to his employer for protection. – Georgian Journeys, Ch 3, p 82.

Costumes in Context: The Regency, by Jennifer Ruby, 1989

https://archive.org/details/regencycostumein00jenn/page/n3/mode/2up

This book…

…Traces the major fashion developments of the period, comparing the clothing of the well-to-do with that of less fortunate classes…

Each book in this series is built round a fictitious family. By following the various members, sometimes over several  generations…you will be able to see the major fashion developments of the period and compare the clothing and lifestyles of people from all walks of life…

Major social changes are mentioned in each period and you will see how clothing is adapted as people’s needs and attitudes change…

Many of the drawings in [this] book have been taken from contemporary paintings.

 

This is another take on fashions during the regency era on IA:

Costume Reference 5: The Regency, by Marion Sichel, 1977.

https://archive.org/details/regencycostumere00mari/mode/2up

This book has better drawings and sketches, but does not include costumes year by year that represent all the classes.

Posted in Georgian Era Books, Jane Austen Biographies, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments »

Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry: An Interview with the Author, Christopher Herbert

September 25, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

Interviewed by Brenda S. Cox

“As soon as he can light upon a bishop, he will be ordained. I wonder what curacy he will get!”–Anne Steele, about Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility.

A few days ago, I told you about a fascinating new book on Henry Austen. The author is a retired Church of England bishop, living in Farnham, where Henry Austen served as perpetual curate of the parish church. (A perpetual curate was a curate, substituting for the rector or vicar holding the living of that church. “Perpetual” meant that he could not be fired; he could keep his job for life, just as a rector or vicar did. However, his salary was still only a portion of the tithes that supported the main, absentee clergyman.)

I asked the Right Reverend Dr. Christopher Herbert, who is now a Visiting Professor of Christian Ethics at Surrey University, about his journey in writing this book.

Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry, was written by an Anglican bishop, Christopher Herbert

Jane Austen’s World: Rev. Herbert, what led you to write Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry?  How did you get interested in Henry Austen?

Rev. Herbert: In retirement I live in Farnham, Surrey, only a few miles from Chawton. I am the Patron of the Farnham Castle Trust; Farnham Castle was once one of the major homes/palaces of the Bishops of Winchester. At a Trustees’ meeting, discussing how to attract more visitors to the Castle and Farnham, I wondered if there might be some connection with Chawton and Jane Austen. The other Trustees did not know of any, but a friend pointed out an article in the Farnham Herald mentioning a man called Henry Austen christening a baby in the parish church of St Andrew’s. [JAW: This story opens Herbert’s book.]

I followed this up, checking the Parish Registers at the Surrey History Centre, and found many signatures in Henry’s hand—and of course, he was Jane’s brother. I was fascinated. Who was he? How did he become a Perpetual Curate in Farnham? What was his story?

At that point, all that I had were his dates of birth and death, and a few insights from Wikipedia. I had no intention of writing a book about him, but the more I researched his life, the more intriguing Henry became. By the way, my book’s publication in the 250th Anniversary Year was pure chance. I had no idea that was coming up when I raised my initial question!

JAW: How long did it take you to research and write the book?  What were some of the most interesting sources you found?

I took well over two years to research and write the book. That might seem a short period of time. However, in my earlier work as a diocesan bishop, with over 400 churches in my diocese, plus membership of the House of Lords and other national and international responsibilities, I was accustomed to working very rapidly to fulfil all my duties. I also read for [pursued/studied for] an MPhil [Master of Philosophy] and a PhD in Medieval Art History at the University of Leicester whilst I was a bishop, and again, had been able to read and digest and write rapidly. So, I had some of the requisite research skills, and I loved the research process—that joy of discovering new and unexpected jewels.

My most useful primary sources were obtained from the Hampshire County Record Office where I was able to trawl through a great deal of original material, plus similar material such as the Parish Registers of St Andrew’s, Farnham, at the Surrey History Centre.

For secondary sources, I read biographies of Jane Austen by people such as Claire Tomalin, and David Cecil, and accessed the huge online resources of JASNA, etc. I was helped greatly by the staff at Jane Austen’s House, Chawton, and, of course, re-read all of Jane’s novels, plus the utterly invaluable edited version of Jane’s letters by Deirdre Le Faye and invaluable and scholarly papers by people such as yourself [Brenda Cox], John Avery Jones, et al.

Of course, as is often and frustratingly the case, after my book had been published, I came across some more primary material at Winchester College. The researcher’s life, as you know, is littered with ‘if onlys’. [I encouraged him to find a place online to publish his further research.]

Amongst the most interesting material were the Parish Registers of Bentley and Farnham. Those gave me enlightening insights about the lives of Henry and his parishioners.

JAW: What did you learn about Henry that interested you the most?

Apart from my obvious personal affinity with Henry as a clergyman, it was his time as a dealer in Army Commissions, a Banker, and a Tax Collector which I loved researching. I am not an economic historian and so my research in this area was very challenging. I would need to re-train in economic history to begin to fully understand every detail. This was the most difficult part to write, trying to get my head around the economic and financial landscape within which Henry worked.

Beneath all the top-layer elements of his life, I enjoyed delving beneath the wealthy surface and speculating on Henry’s motivations and methods of work. Walking the streets of London and investigating where he lived during this phase of his life was hugely enjoyable.

Following Henry through his banking downfall and his approach to his bishop to discuss the possibility of ordination required a great deal of ‘inner work’ on my part  to comprehend how and why that happened. I have interviewed hundreds of ordinands in my life. It was fascinating trying to get into the mindset of Henry’s bishop, Bishop Brownlow North, who lived in very different times to my own. Like Henry, Bishop North worked with different cultural assumptions than ours. It is such a challenge to try to stretch one’s sympathetic imagination into another era.

By contrast, and bathetically*, it was the fact of Henry having almost 1,000 bottles of wine in his cellars which sticks in my mind!

Henry Austen as a Clergyman later in life. Public domain via wikimedia.

JAW: What was something interesting you learned about Jane Austen herself in writing the book?

Oddly, it was spending time exploring Steventon and realising how isolated the Rectory and the village were in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. I had, of course, been to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton a number of times, but in my mind’s eye I had imagined Steventon as a quintessential English Village: village green, church, a few farmsteads, a pub, and even, perhaps, a game of cricket. That idea was completely shattered when I visited Steventon. The cultural life inside the Rectory must have been a great contrast to the isolated, scattered cottages of the poor inhabitants of the village. 

My understanding of the life of Cassandra Austen (Leigh) [Jane’s mother] grew as I thought of her coping with her own children plus the students boarding with them—all that food, oversight of the washing of bedding and getting it dry, all that hullabaloo inside the house during term-time. When did she have a moment to herself?  I began to wonder, as Jane watched her mother, how much Jane recognised the sheer logistical task her mother undertook to keep the ship happy, afloat and moving in the right direction.

This was the most fun part of the book to write, showing the inside of Steventon Rectory with all the liveliness and learning of Jane, Henry, and their siblings.

And, of course, Jane’s letters are an absolute delight. If only there were more…if only…

JAW: If you were able to meet Henry Austen personally, what do you think you would like about him? What would you want to ask him? What parts of his character might you find difficult or less pleasant?

I would enjoy his sense of humour, his generosity towards, and affection for, Jane, and his affection for Liza [his wife Eliza] and her son, Hastings. Not being a risk taker myself, I would love to hear about his own understanding of the nature of financial risk and entrepreneurship. When did he see the storm clouds brewing? Was ordination always at the back of his mind? Was it a kind of attempt to ‘give back’ to society, having enjoyed and then lost the fruits of worldly success?

I would find his undoubted attraction to the aristocratic level of society difficult, but I fully recognise that it was the 18th/early 19th century way. And when he was Perpetual Curate, I suspect I would have found his lack of awareness of the Farnham Workhouse very difficult. However, in fairness, I must add that it might simply be lack of evidence which leads me to suppose that he was not at his best with the poor and impoverished. So much information has been lost. I could be entirely wrong. 

JAW: Why do you think he was Jane’s favourite Brother?

I will say the idea for the title of the book was not mine, it was my publisher’s, but I am entirely happy with it. Why was Henry Jane’s favourite? He was obviously very close to her and looked to her for help whenever he hit a difficult or tragic patch in his life. They shared the same sense of humour, the same love of the quirks of society, the same interest in humanity. And it was Henry who went out of his way to ensure that her books were published. Besides, who but a favourite brother would actually volunteer to read Proofs!?

JAW: What would you like to tell potential readers about your book?

I hope that if they love Jane Austen, my book will reveal some lesser-known aspects of Regency society which might enhance their understanding of Jane and her novels. In brief, context really matters. But, most importantly of all, if my book leads to people reading or re-reading Jane, my hopes will have been more than fulfilled.

JAW: Thanks very much, Christopher! I loved Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry, and I think our readers will also.

Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry, by Christopher Herbert, is now available from the publisher, Pen & Sword, and from Amazon in the US and in the UK in hardcover. The Kindle version will be released September 30, 2025.

You can find out more about Dr. Herbert at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Herbert and https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/authors/christopher-herbert Since those lists of accomplishments, he has also been involved in the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability in London and the Lyme Resource Centre, a charity based in Scotland raising awareness of the growing incidence of Lyme disease and co-infections in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.

*I looked up bathetic. It means “producing an unintentional effect of anticlimax.” Nice word!

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Anglican Church, Biography, Book review, Clergy, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's World, Regency Life, Religion in Austen's England | Tagged , , | 3 Comments »

Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry—by Christopher Herbert

September 22, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

Book Review by Brenda S. Cox

“I had a letter from him [Henry], in which he desired to hear from me very soon—His to me was most affectionate and kind, as well as entertaining;—but there is no merit in that, he cannot help being amusing.”—Jane to Cassandra, April 8, 1805

“Henry at White’s! Oh, what a Henry!”—Jane to Cassandra, June 23, 1814 (when Henry attended an exclusive high class gathering celebrating Napoleon’s defeat)

Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry, by Christopher Herbert, gives an in-depth view of Henry Austen’s life, beliefs, and connections with Jane and her novels.

What a Henry

Henry Austen was apparently a lot of fun, and Jane loved her brother dearly. He was also quite versatile. At various times he was:

  • an Oxford student who produced a periodical called The Loiterer with his brother James,
  • paymaster and adjutant in the Oxford Militia,
  • army agent,
  • banker (of a bank that eventually failed),
  • receiver general of taxes,
  • Jane Austen’s own literary agent,
  • clergyman of several parishes,
  • chaplain of the British Embassy in Berlin, and
  • husband of Eliza de Feuillide and later of Eleanor Jackson (niece of Rev. Papillon of Chawton).

Christopher Herbert, in his fascinating new book, Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry, explores Henry Austen’s life through all these changes.

Culture and Current Events

I loved that Herbert gives lots of cultural details in going through Henry’s life. For example, in the chapter on Henry’s birth, we learn about childbirth practices at the time. During pregnancy, his mother Cassandra Austen, rather than buying special maternity clothes as we do today, would have widened her stomacher, used aprons to cover gaps in clothing, and loosened side lacings. A “churching” service would celebrate her survival of the very dangerous process of giving birth. Philadelphia Hancock, her sister-in-law, may have been there to help the mother before, during, and after the delivery.

The author speculates on what the children growing up in the the rectory may have read, who taught them to read and write, and where they obtained their books.

Current events and ideas are woven in alongside stories of Henry and Jane growing up. The balloon ascent of 1784 is described by quoting a magazine article of the time. We hear about battles, steam power, improvements and enclosures, and the Wesleyan revival which began at Oxford. We see how the ideas of contemporary writers such as John Locke, focusing on reason in understanding God and society, may have affected Jane Austen’s ideas of church and clergy in Mansfield Park, as well as her prayers.

Henry Austen as a Clergyman later in his life. Public domain via wikimedia.

Work and Money

An in-depth discussion explains Henry’s various jobs and what they involved. We see how his bank throve, launching Henry into upper ranks of society, and then failed. The author obviously did quite extensive research to dig this all up, and it was interesting to learn, for example, what exactly an army agent was. (For me, there was a little too much detail, since I’m not interested in finance; however, other readers may find this the most illuminating part!) It seems Henry had some financial dealings which were at least ill-advised, and possibly questionable.

Henry as Clergyman

After his bank failed, Henry reverted to earlier plans and was ordained as a clergyman. In Henry’s one extant sermon, he attacks pride and prejudices. Herbert says Henry is encouraging his congregation toward giving Catholics political rights, a major issue of that time. (See also “Sermons by Jane Austen’s Family.”) Herbert explores what Henry may have believed, also drawing from statements in Mansfield Park.

He also points out that Henry’s pastoral workload was much greater than that of Mr. Elton or other Austen clergymen. In one year, Henry performed 149 christenings, 34 weddings, and 105 funerals! All for very little income. He also had to deal with a new workhouse and other issues related to the poor of his parishes. Henry’s journey as a clergyman, his income and how he spent it, are further explored, as well as his anti-slavery work.

Jane Austen’s Novels

The author skillfully connects concepts to passages in Austen’s novels.  He also explains Henry’s role in getting her novels published. He concludes that there are still some questions about Henry’s life. But we do know that:

“without Henry’s determined and passionate commitment in getting Jane’s novels published, our lives, and the life of the world, would be so much the poorer.”

Amen!

On Thursday I will post an interview with the author, who is uniquely qualified to write this book. He is a former bishop of the Church of England, now living in Farnham where Henry Austen served as perpetual curate in the parish church. Farnham Palace, where the Right Revd. Dr. Herbert is a patron, was a home of the Bishops of Winchester.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Austen’s family and her world.

Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry, by Christopher Herbert, is now available from the publisher, Pen & Sword, and from Amazon in the US and in the UK in hardcover. The Kindle version will be released September 30, 2025.

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Biography, Book review, Clergy, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's World, Regency Life, Religion in Austen's England | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

Pollution and the Dark Side of Life During the Georgian Era in Great Britain

September 12, 2025 by Vic

Ah, the novels of Jane Austen! In my teenaged mind they conjured up romantic tales, white muslin dresses, perfectly coiffed and finely dressed gentlemen, ballroom dancing, visits to Bath, and carriage rides through gentle rolling hills.

Early Austen films from the late 1930s to the 1970s BBC television series, concentrated on immaculate clothes and manners. The people in Austen’s plots lived graceful and beautiful lives. Although she added comic and/or mean characters who helped to make her plots memorable.

But, as I reread Austen’s novels throughout my adulthood, I realized she cared deeply about the plight of the poor and mentioned them frequently in her novels. Emma Woodhouse and Anne Elliott carried baskets of food to the less fortunate. Genteel families put together gift baskets for those who struggled during the holidays. Mrs Smith, Anne Elliott’s friend, lived in an undesirable neighborhood in Bath, and was so penurious that she depended on the kindness of others to survive and made trinkets to supplement her meager income. 

The environmental conditions of life in London and nearby cities from 1775, the year of Austen’s birth, through 1817, the year of her death was not mentioned in her wonderful books. But she must have known of the pervasive poverty in England, and especially about the pollution that was recorded in detail by people who lived in those times. Their records reveal that not everything during these years was a bed of roses.

In fact, the reality of life in Georgian London at the start of the 18th century was stark for a majority of the people, especially the poor.

The city was…a very dangerous and unhealthy place. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and disease led to more people dying each year than being born. With contaminated drinking water, the streets acting as open sewers, and the choking atmosphere, diseases such as cholera, smallpox, and tuberculosis were widespread.” Georgian London 1714 – 1837

St. Paul’s Cathedral, from St. Martin’s-le-Grand Thomas Girtin British 1795–96, Public Domain image, Met Museum.

By 1800, the population had risen to the extent that London was probably the first city in the world with over 1,000,000 citizens. However the average life expectancy across London was still only 30 while in rural England it had risen to over 40.” Georgian London 1714 – 1837

In regard to this last statement, Austen, who died at the age of 41, barely attained the rural ‘over 40” life expectancy. Whereas her immediate family lived longer lives: father 75 yrs, mother 87 yrs, sister 72 yrs: and brothers Edward, 75 yrs, James, 54 yrs, and Francis, 91 yrs. Yet so many poor factory workers or individuals who lived in dire poverty in tenements and suffered from poor nutrition did not survive beyond the age of 30. The poorest died in their 20’s.

An old article in an old online site from the Republic of Pemberley, which has since been updated, discusses Some downsides of Regency London. (long), which includes the environmental conditions caused by pollution before and during Austen’s birth. 

Air pollution: Soot, Fog, and Smog

Nelson’s column, blackened. *3 link below

Coal was the primary source for heating and cooking in houses and shops during the 18th & 19th centuries. London and the industrial cities north of London used coal as their primary resource. Major cities produced so much soot that it spread everywhere. Even the spa city of Bath was affected.  

11 Trim Street, Bath, sooty. This building has not been cleaned to show the effects of soot.

Fog and smog were also the main results. In 1817 Sir Richard Phillips described the smoke of London spreading twenty or thirty miles from the metropolis and killing or blighting vegetation. He goes on to say:

“Other phenomena are produced by its union with fogs, rendering them nearly opaque and putting out the light of the sun; it blackens the mud of the streets by its deposits of tar, while the unctuous mixture renders the foot-pavement slippery; and it produces a solemn gloom whenever a sudden change of wind returns over the town the volume that was previously on its passage into the country.” ( “A Morning’s Walk from London to Kew” (page 11) Sir Richard Phillips, 1817. Googlebooks text is online.)

Keeping clothes clean for long was nearly impossible in a city filled with chimneys. Considering the pervasive smoke and soot, one wonders how long delicate white muslin gowns or white shirts would stay clean. One would walk around the city for a few hours, only to find that those garments looked grubby. Wealthy individuals could afford to change their clothes frequently to look respectable, but the working and lower classes did not have such a luxury. Unlike the rich, they could not pay laundresses to wash their clothes frequently. 

The consummate Georgian dandy was Beau Brummel, whose first biographer, Captain William Jesse, quoted Brummel as saying about the maintenance of his clothes: “No perfumes, but very fine linen, plenty of it, and country washing.” In other words, those with the means sent their laundry to country villages for a thorough washing.

Effects of chimneys during the Industrial Revolution

A more serious effect of all those coal fires in towns and cities, like London and Bath, was smog. 

“…unpleasant, choking smog spoilt food, smutted linen and buildings and suffocated vegetation. It also suffocated the citizens. As early as 1610 a surveyor complained that the chimneys proliferating in the country ‘raise so many duskie clouds in the ayre [which] … hinder the heat and light from the Sunne from earthly creatures” (Hubbub: Filth, Noise, and Stench in England, 1600-1770, Emily Cockayne, p. 209, Yale University Press, 2007) Hubbub is also available for free on the Internet Archive

An EPA Journal article written by by David Urbinato in 1994 mentions the following:

“Smog in London predates Shakespeare by four centuries. Until the 12th century, most Londoners burned wood for fuel. But as the city grew and the forests shrank, wood became scarce and increasingly expensive. Large deposits of “sea-coal” off the northeast coast provided a cheap alternative. Soon, Londoners were burning the soft, bituminous coal to heat their homes and fuel their factories. Sea-coal was plentiful, but it didn’t burn efficiently. A lot of its energy was spent making smoke, not heat. Coal smoke drifting through thousands of London chimneys combined with clean natural fog to make smog. If the weather conditions were right, it would last for days.”

Animal pollution:

In the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, London was filled with horse manure and urine from the thousands of horses that pulled Hansom cabs and other vehicles. The manure and urine, along with the carcasses of dead horses, polluted the city with the stench and poisoned water, which threatened the health of its residents. 

Manure produced:

In London, 50,000 horses produced 570,000 kilograms of manure and 57,000 liters of urine each day. Horses, it was calculated, produced 15–35 pounds of manure per day each.

“Each horse also produced around 2 pints of urine per day and to make things worse, the average life expectancy for a working horse was only around 3 years. Horse carcasses therefore also had to be removed from the streets. The bodies were often left to putrefy so the corpses could be more easily sawn into pieces for removal.” The streets of London were beginning to poison its people.” –   The Great Horse Manure Crisis of 1894: Historic UK  

One should also take into account the number of oxen, mules and donkeys used for hauling. Big dogs pulling carts did their business in the streets as well. Add the drovers who came from all parts of the Kingdom driving livestock to market: the problem of cleaning the streets of effluvium and stench became an almost impossible fight. 

“During Jane Austen’s time and into the earliest days of the twentieth century, crossing sweepers made a living sweeping pedestrian crossings, stoops, and sidewalks of horse manure and litter” – Jane Austen’s World, 2007. 

Crossing Sweepers

With all that manure, crossing sweepers were essential for moving dirt and droppings out of the way. This link to the article explains how vital poor males were for keeping the crossings clear for pedestrians. 

Smithfield Market:

“Between 1740 and 1750 the average yearly sales at Smithfield were reported to be around 74,000 cattle and 570,000 sheep.[43] By the middle of the 19th century, in the course of a single year 220,000 head of cattle and 1,500,000 sheep would be “violently forced into an area of five acres, in the very heart of London, through its narrowest and most crowded thoroughfares”.[44] The volume of cattle driven daily to Smithfield started to raise major concerns. – Wikipedia

Smithfield,Last day of Old Smithfield, 1855

It is hard to imagine the noise from bellowing cattle and bleating sheep, the immeasurable amount of excrement and urine deposited as they walked along narrow lanes, the smells from the droppings and their effect on the populace in terms of the unhygienic streets. 

“Of all the horrid abominations with which London has been cursed, there is not one that can come up to that disgusting place, West Smithfield Market, for cruelty, filth, effluvia, pestilence, impiety, horrid language, danger, disgusting and shuddering sights, and every obnoxious item that can be imagined…” –  Maslen, Thomas (1843). Suggestions for the Improvement of Our Towns and Houses. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 16.

Sewage & Dirty, Fetid Water:

“Most buildings were not connected  to the various rudimentary urban subterranean sewerage schemes developing in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Waste water combined with surface rainwater in street gutters known as kennels [street gutters].” (p 195, Hubbub)

Wide roads had gutters on either side, narrow roads had a gutter running down the center. The water in these gutters ran into ditches then into streams, which fed into faster waters, like the Thames, which carried most of the dirty watery waste that came from a combination of households, plus manufacturing wastes that included soap, which bubbled. The gutters needed to be kept free from blockages, if they were not, then the streets flooded or street puddles stagnated. Citizens, often tasked to  keep the gutters clean outside their doors, cast rotting fruit and vegetables, dung, and human waste that also blocked the flow of water.  (Hubbub, p 195-197)

When the waste was unblocked, it entered the gutters and then was dispensed into streams and rivers that turned into polluted the water.

“Matt Bramble gives his impression of the quality of liquid to be obtained from the Thames: ‘If I would drink water, I must quaff maukish content of an open aqueduct, exposed to all manner of defilement; or swallow that which comes from the river Thames, impregnated with all the filth of London and Westminster – Human excrement is the least offensive part of the concrete, which is composed of all the drugs, minerals, and poisons, used in mechanics and manufacture, enriched with the putrefying carcases of beasts and men; and mixed with the scouring of all the wash-tubs, kennels, and common sewers, within the bills of mortality.” (p 111, SATIRE IN THE EXPEDITION OF HUMPHRY CLINKER BY TOBIAS SMOLLETT, 1771)

Night Soilmen:

Thomas Rowlandson, Collecting the Night Soil, pub 1788

“In cities, neighboring privies were placed side by side in yards and drained into a common cesspool located under an alley that ran between the row of cottages or townhouses. In rich to middle class households, nightsoilmen would be paid to cart the waste away when the household was sleeping. This service was quite expensive, and quite often neglected in poorer districts where the lower classes could not (and landlords would not) hire these men until the cesspools were filled to overflowing.” (Privies and Waterclosets, written by  David J. Eveleigh, A Jane Austen’s World Review, 2010)

Austen visited her brother, Henry in London three times — to his addresses on Sloan St in 1811 & 1813, and Henrietta St in 1814. While she situated many of her characters living in or visiting London, in her novels she did not mention the horrors of the slaughters that occurred in Smithfield Market, the sounds of fearful animals, their horrific deaths, and their blood running in the streets as their carcasses were dismembered, not to mention the stench. 

These events did not play a part in her plots, which had an undercurrent of dark moments as well. We must assume that Austen knew more about London’s pollution, its filthy air, and rutted roads covered with excrement. She simply chose to use only the moments she needed to drive her stories forward. Her two last novels had serious undertones. One wonders that, had she lived longer, if the darker edges of Georgian life would have crept deeper into her plots.

Additional Links:

Yorkshire, Air Pollution. Stone cleaned on the right

 

Posted in 18th C. Georgian Era Pollution, Jane Austen's World, Soot, Fot, Smog | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Pride and Prejudice Handwritten Classics Collector’s Edition

August 20, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

Hello, dear readers! This month, I’m featuring this new edition of Pride and Prejudice, a Handwritten Classics edition. This is a luxurious collector’s edition in two volumes, featuring Austen’s complete novel. Inside, you’ll find a collection of characters’ letters and papers, written and folded by hand.

This new collector’s edition offers a luxurious cloth binding, deluxe paper, and new printed ephemera that lend an additional dimension to the reading experience. Examples include a newspaper clipping announcing that Netherfield Park is available to let, an invitation to the ball at Netherfield, an illustrated guide to Pemberley, Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage license, and so forth.

Order Your Copy Here

About the Book

This collector’s edition invites fans inside the world of Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet. A deluxe, cloth-bound, two-volume set includes gorgeous replicas of the characters’ letters, plus all-new mementos, such as the Darcys’ marriage certificate and an invitation to the ball at Netherfield.

Heller’s specially curated edition, first published in 2020, brought these epistles to life and became a fan favorite. Pockets throughout the novel contain handwritten replicas of nineteen letters, from Mr. Collins’s unctuous letter of introduction to Jane’s urgent missive announcing Lydia’s elopement. Readers can pull out each piece, peruse its contents, and feel transported to the breakfast table at Longbourn.

Heller’s research notes shed fascinating light on how she imbued each letter with the character’s unique personality and recreated historical postage marks. Delve deeper into the history with guest essays by Philip Palmer, curator and department head at the Morgan Library & Museum, and Dr. Juliette Wells, curator of the Morgan’s 2025 exhibition of Austen’s own letters, A Lively Mind: Jane Austen at 250. For anyone who loves Austen, and for anyone who still cherishes the joy of letter writing or collects printed memorabilia, this book offers an immersive experience of a favorite story.

You can revisit Austen’s original text and experience it in a unique way with physical ephemera that links you directly to the world of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. From the masterful calligraphy and the painstaking attention to historical detail to the hand-folding of the letters and other paper memorabilia—this book is an object made by fans for fans.

The novel is presented in two volumes, cloth-bound, foil-stamped, and housed in an elegant slipcase. It offers an exceptional reading experience, stands apart on the shelf, and makes for a truly lovely gift and keepsake. 

Barbara Heller

Barbara Heller is a set decorator for film and television, including The Americans and When They See Us, and a writer and director of award-winning short films that have screened at festivals around the world (Cannes, Berlin, Sundance). She graduated from Brown University with a degree in English Literature. Her previous books include special editions of Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Persuasion, and Anne of Green Gables. You can read about her work and visit her online HERE.

How the Series Began

Heller, an avid Austen fan, shares about creating this series of handwritten editions of classic books and how it all started:

“I was re-reading Pride and Prejudice for the gazillionth time, savoring my favorite passages in Mrs. Gardiner’s “long, kind, satisfactory” letter to Elizabeth, when a sudden desire to have that letter in my hand came over me. To hold the very letter that Elizabeth Bennet once received – ink faded, paper yellowed – would be utterly satisfying. In truth, I wanted to possess the originals of all the letters in Pride and Prejudice. A vision of myself at a flea market, happening upon the letters, was so real that I experienced the twin electric thrills of discovery and possession. I became determined to transform reverie into reality.

“[It took] three fascinating years during which I examined hundreds of letters written in early 19th century England; dove deep into their cryptic postal marks; agonized mightily over each character’s handwriting, and met the talented scribes who could write a period hand.

“I was extraordinarily lucky to find a home amongst the Austen lovers at Chronicle Books. In this special edition, each letter is tucked inside a glassine envelope bound at the appropriate place in the novel. I have now read the letters so many times I practically have them memorized; and yet, with every re-read, I still get caught up in the story, discover something new, and marvel at (and feel grateful for) the genius of Jane Austen.”

Jane Austen Book Collecting

I personally think this is an edition for serious book collectors and Jane Austen collectors. The price point is high, but it’s currently on sale right now on Amazon (subject to change). It would make a lovely gift or a fun splurge for yourself. It is truly an immersive experience.

As I thought about how I would use this book, I think it would make a wonderful display at a Jane Austen party, book club, program, or exhibit. I can imagine gathering a group of Austen friends together to dress up, have tea, and read the letters and papers out loud together.

As we step into Fall over the next few months, I look forward to sharing several new books that are releasing this year in celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th! I hope you’ve found a few books to add to your shelves along the way.

RACHEL DODGE teaches writing classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen Book Collecting, Jane Austen gifts, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's letters, Jane Austen's World, Pride and Prejudice, Regency letters | 2 Comments »

Jane Austen & the Price of Happiness by Inger Brodey

August 13, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

A Book Review by Brenda S. Cox

Austen’s Endings

A happy ending, but we don’t see how they got there: Edmund falling in love with Fanny at the end of Mansfield Park disappoints because of the lack of details.

A major complaint that readers have about Austen is her endings. In both Sense and Sensibility and Mansfield Park, we have a sudden romance that is practically a footnote to the last chapter—Marianne marries Colonel Brandon with just, “Marianne found her own happiness in forming his,” and Fanny marries Edmund once he learns “to prefer soft light eyes to sparkling dark ones.” Northanger Abbey introduces a new character, Eleanor’s viscount, to facilitate Henry and Catherine’s marriage.

In Emma and Persuasion we do get some romantic talk (or writing) from the hero. However, in response, Emma says “just what she ought” (which is??), and Anne receives Wentworth’s look “not repulsively.” Then they talk, but we don’t hear their words.

Darcy, of course, simply tells Elizabeth his “affections and wishes are unchanged,” perhaps not willing to risk another disastrous proposal, and Elizabeth “immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances.” But what exactly did she say?

In all cases we have more author commentary than demonstrations, more of what writers call “telling” rather than “showing.”

Movie-makers have had to put words to all these proposals, and fill in some blanks. For example, they show Colonel Brandon rescuing Marianne from the rain, and wooing her with music. But why didn’t Jane Austen, who gave us so many delightful conversations and events, show us all those details herself?

Jane Austen & the Price of Happiness

Jane Austen & the Price of Happiness, by Inger Brodey, explores possible reasons for Austen’s less than romantic endings.

When I listened to Jane Austen and Her Endings: A Visit with Inger Brodey on Austen Chat, I was intrigued by Inger’s thoughts on analyzing those endings of Austen’s novels and trying to figure out why Austen didn’t give us all the details we want. Recently I finally got to buy (at JASP, from Jane Austen Books), and read, Jane Austen & the Price of Happiness by Inger Sigrun Brodkjær Brodey.

It’s a fascinating book, and written quite accessibly. (I found only a couple of unfamiliar academic terms*; in general it’s written in everyday English.) The illustrations are fun, including cartoons, images from movies, and more.

Each chapter analyzes one of the novels, in the order they were written, so we see the development of Austen’s techniques. Brodey looks at various aspect of each novel with new insights and considers the impact of the ending. Then she looks at some popular adaptations of that novel, mostly films plus a few books. She considers how they handle the ending and whether their endings fit Austen’s goals.

Her chapter titles give you some idea of her thoughts:

  • Introduction: “Perfect Felicity”
  • Chapter 1: “Commonplace Happiness” (Northanger Abbey)
  • Chapter 2: “Expecting Literary Justice” (Sense and Sensibility)
  • Chapter 3: “The Limits of Romance” (Pride and Prejudice)
  • Chapter 4: “The Thin Veil of Comedy” (Mansfield Park)
  • Chapter 5: “The Art of English Happiness” (Emma)
  • Chapter 6: “Resources for Solitude” (Persuasion)
  • Conclusion: “Coauthoring Happiness”

Brodey says that, for one thing, Austen is trying to show readers that their expectations of romantic idealism come from the sort of sensibility she satirizes. Austen disrupts those expectations. She shows us that the romantic outcomes we want, expect, and demand are not inevitable: this is fiction. Her stories are realistic, with characters operating in ordinary, everyday life, but the “happily ever afters,” the “perfect happiness,” may or may not happen in real life.

There are other reasons for Austen’s nuanced endings, which I’ll leave you to discover from Inger’s book. However, I’ll share a few highlights from the chapter on Mansfield Park, as an example of some of the many insights in the book.

“The Thin Veil of Comedy” Chapter on Mansfield Park

Readers are expected to be attracted by Mary Crawford’s charm, which hides her poor moral values.

Mansfield Park was published after the light, bright, and sparkling Pride and Prejudice. It deals with harder truths. Brodey claims Austen’s “novels alternate between the bright and witty heroines whose primary obstacles are internal, and the more understated, misunderstood, and wiser heroines whose primary obstacles are external” (p. 138). I had to think about this one, but it’s true—Catherine Morland is not witty, but she does face internal obstacles of her own credulousness and illusions; Elinor Dashwood is wise and misunderstood; Elizabeth Bennet, obviously bright and witty, needs to overcome her pride and prejudices; Fanny Price is also wise but understated and faces external challenges; Emma is again bright and witty and needs to overcome her own pride; Anne Elliot is quiet but wise.

Austen shows, especially in Mansfield Park, that charm can be dangerous. Mary Crawford is lively and charming like Elizabeth Bennet. She and her brother Henry charm Edmund, Maria, and Julia, as well as readers, just as Wickham charmed Elizabeth. However, charm without a strong moral foundation leads to disaster. Austen is challenging her readers “to love the less prepossessing characters and see beyond the false power of charm.” 

Henry Crawford might have changed due to his love for Fanny, and might have earned her love, but he did not.

The final chapter of Mansfield Park tells us outcomes for many characters, who are apparently as important as Edmund and Fanny. We see the reformation of some, such as Tom Bertram and Sir Thomas Bertram. Austen reveals the sad but not completely tragic endings of those who were not willing to change, including Henry and Mary Crawford. Henry could even have had an alternate ending, with a happy marriage to Fanny, if he had been willing to persevere in his resolutions of self-improvement. Brodey says, “It somewhat diminishes [Fanny’s] marriage to Edmund to know that a marriage to Henry would not have been disastrous. Once again, Austen surprises the reader out of extravagant expectations of the novel. We get shades of gray where we hope for black and white, realism where we crave romance” (p. 148).

As in other endings, Austen intrudes in the first person, saying “My Fanny indeed at this very time, I have the satisfaction of knowing, must have been happy in spite of everything.” Austen reminds us that this is fiction and that she, as the author, is controlling the ending. She also refers to Fanny as a living human being, though. In showing her own attachment to Fanny (“my Fanny”), she “models the attachment that she believes Fanny deserves” (p. 147).

She challenges our readerly expectations of fantasy endings, including a sense that “second attachments are degrading for romantic heroines” (p. 149); shades of Marianne Dashwood! We believe that Edmund and Fanny will be happy together, even though it is Edmund’s “second attachment.” They do not need some intense eternal passion to experience happiness.

I hope these brief points pulled from one chapter might give you a little more understanding and appreciation of Mansfield Park. I encourage you to read all of Jane Austen & the Price of Happiness. I think you will find it fascinating and illuminating, as I did!

 

*Here’s one word I learned from this book: apophasis. It means “raising an issue by claiming not to mention it,” or, as Brodey puts it, “tell[ing] the reader what will not be told.” Austen’s endings often use this technique. For example, near the end of Mansfield Park: “But there was happiness elsewhere which no description can reach. Let no one presume to give the feelings of a young woman [Fanny] on receiving the assurance of that affection of which she has scarcely allowed herself to entertain a hope.” As Brodey says, it’s an annoying technique. But Austen has her reasons.

 

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen's World, Jane Austen's Writing Techniques, Mansfield Park | Tagged | 6 Comments »

Jane Austen Summer Program 2025: Sensibility & Domesticity

July 28, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

Last month, June 19-22, I had the joy of attending JASP, the Jane Austen Summer Program. I had only attended once before, during covid when it was online. That was fantastic, so I was delighted to finally get to go in person.

This year’s theme was Sensibility and Domesticity. The focus was on Sense and Sensibility (S&S), domestic arts, and trans-Atlantic connections between the young USA and Austen’s England.

Laura Klein and Megan Poff play and sing pieces from Jane Austen’s own playlist that relate to Sense and Sensibility, such as “Begone Dull Care” which they connected with Willoughby. JASP 2025

Plenary Sessions

Plenary talks explored household books of the time; effects of the war on home life; “The Constitutional Safeguard of a Flannel Waistcoat”; and the Jane Austen Playlist, with a performance of songs connected to S&S.

In “Reading the Americas with Jane Austen,” Susan Allen Ford (author of What Jane Austen’s Characters Read And Why) explained what Austen would have learned about the Americas in books Austen is known to have read. For example, novelist Charlotte Turner Smith used her study of botany and travel writing to describe American scenery, as a teaching technique. In the introduction to her collection of tales, The Letters of a Solitary Wanderer, Smith argues that “young persons, who have no taste for any thing but narrative, may sometimes, by the local description of a Novel, learn what they would never have looked for in books of Geography or Natural History.” However, she presents Native Americans as savage and violent.

Anne Grant’s Memoirs of an American Lady, which Austen also read, gives a different perspective. It shows Native Americans as noble friends. Grant grew up in close contact with Mohawks, even learning to speak their language. Austen was able to get multiple perspectives on North America.

Susan Allen Ford, who spoke on Austen’s readings about America, shows rare books. JASP 2025

Jennie Batchelor, author of Jane Austen Embroidery, offered two fun embroidery workshops and a final plenary on “Transatlantic Domestic Arts in the Era of Jane Austen.” Jennie told us about resources used by women in England and America at the time, such as The Young Ladies School of Arts. That book gives instructions and receipts (recipes) for many kinds of ladies’ activities, from breeding canaries to gilding. It includes the technical, scientific knowledge needed for many of these skills. Fashionable boarding schools also taught such arts.

As one example, Sense and Sensibility mentions filigree work, which Lady Middleton expected Lucy to do at night by candlelight. Elinor kindly volunteered to assist Lucy. Filigree is quilling: cutting and rolling up small pieces of paper and fastening them onto a surface. This was quite fiddly, eye-straining work that Lucy was constrained to do in order to please her hostess.

Jennie Batchelor led two embroidery workshops, following patterns she adapted from magazines of Austen’s time. Some participants are tracing patterns onto their fabric at the windows, as Austen might have done. JASP 2025

Context Corners and Discussion Groups

I was particularly looking forward to one special feature of JASP: context corners and discussion groups. Graduate students led four 15-minute sessions (“context corners”) discussing various aspects of Sense and Sensibility. Topics connected S&S with sensibility and sisters; inheritance law; the East Indies; and “Scandal and the Fallen Woman.” For that final topic, we considered when the “fallen woman” was considered morally corrupt and when she began to be considered as a victim of immoral men or capitalism. We also learned definitions of a “rake” and saw comparisons with real people, noting similarities between William, Lord Craven, and the fictional John Willoughby.

In a Context Corner on “Scandal and the Fallen Woman,” Nellie Downie told us about a real Dashwood family who were involved in various scandals. They were quite different from Austen’s Dashwoods. JASP 2025

After each context corner talk, we split up into small groups named after places in S&S. Mine was Norland Park. Using lists of excellent discussion questions and quotes, we had far-ranging discussions which were great fun. We had 45-60 minutes per discussion, so we could really get into it and trade ideas, building off of each other’s insights.

Education was a major emphasis of the conference, and teachers had their own forums in addition to the regular events.

In the Norland Park group, as in all the other groups, we had lively discussions on many aspects of Sense and Sensibility. JASP 2025

And More Delights

The rest of the time was filled with fun events, including:

  • An opening banquet
  • Multiple fun dance practices with “Mr. Steplively” and a Saturday night Regency Ball, with Regency Games for those who preferred not to dance. (A nice touch was the availability of reasonably priced costumes for those who wanted to rent Regency gowns.)
Ready to promenade from the hotel to the ball. Breckyn Wood, Erna Arnesen, Betty Parker Ellis, Jeanne Talbot, JASP 2025.
Dancing at the Regency Ball, JASP 2025
  • A theatrical evening, where we got to watch an original play connected S&S with Hamlet, and a screening of Sense and Sensibility: The Musical, a delightful take on the novel.
  • An adaptations panel which included music and costumes used in film versions of S&S, and more.
  • Optional tours
  • An emporium selling Jane Austen Books along with other fun items, and a silent auction.
  • A display of early editions of S&S and contemporary books by William Cowper, Sir Walter Scott, James Thomson, William Gilpin, and more.
Inger Brodey, president of the Jane Austen Collaborative (of which JASP is a part), shows her early copies of books by Thomson and Gilpin.

Location, Location

Past JASPs have been held at UNC-Chapel Hill. This year about 150 participants met in New Bern, a historic town near the coast in North Carolina. Waterside views were lovely, and we got to tour the beautiful Tryon Palace and its extensive grounds. Our sessions were held at the North Carolina History Museum nearby.

Next summer, JASP is moving to Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The topic will be Pride, Prejudice, and the Pursuit of Happiness. I’m hooked on this great program, and I hope to see some of you there!

(Note: All photos ©Brenda S. Cox, 2025, please ask permission before using.)

Tryon Palace, first permanent capitol of North Carolina, also Governor Tryon’s home, completed in 1770. Reconstructed and reopened in 1959. Well worth a visit! JASP 2025
Touring the Tryon Palace was like touring an aristocratic home of Austen’s day, with period-appropriate furnishings, all the way down to the kitchen, where a real chicken was roasting in the fireplace. JASP 2025

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in 19th Century England, Jane Austen Summer Program, Jane Austen's World, Sense and Sensibility | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

Book Review: Jane Austen in 41 Objects

July 14, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

As we continue our tour of new books and media for Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary celebration, my choice this month is the much-anticipated Jane Austen in 41 Objects by Kathryn Sutherland. This extensive new “biography” features the beloved 41 Objects from the Jane Austen Museum, along with beautiful photographs and in-depth information about each item in the collection.

“Jane Austen’s House holds an unparalleled collection of objects relating to Jane Austen’s life and works, her family circle and her legacy. Here you can see some of the treasures of the collection, ranging from books and letters to pieces of furniture, clothing and paintings. Many of these objects can be seen in the House . . .” (Jane Austen’s House)

ORDER YOURS HERE

Book Review

For those who have had the opportunity to visit Jane Austen’s House Museum, many can attest that it’s hard to take everything in during a tour of the house. This book provides a closer look at each object in greater details. I was quite intrigued by the items and information I had missed during my visits over the years and from my searches online. For those who have not yet visited JAHM, this is the perfect book for your shelves! It gives Jane Austen fans a wonderful glimpse into the collection of objects often on display there, collecting them all in on place.

This book provides the perfect “virtual tour” because there’s so much more in the book than you can find online or in person. This book is also much more thorough in its explanation of and historic information about each of the 41 objects than anything I have seen. For instance, reading about the Jane Austen plate was brand-new to me.

What’s more, I believe that this book provides information about objects that may not currently be on view at the museum. I don’t think all 41 objects are always available to the public in one place. If memory serves, some objects move here and there to other exhibits, so again, seeing it all in one place is quite impressive and educational.

Jane Ausen’s Writing Desk

Book Description

Jane Austen in 41 Objects by Kathryn Sutherland is a new kind of biography on Jane Austen examining the objects she encountered during her life alongside newer memorabilia inspired by the life she lived.

More than two hundred years after Jane Austen’s death at the age of just forty-one, we are still looking for clues about this extraordinary writer’s life. What might we learn if we take a glimpse inside the biographies of objects that crossed her path in life and afterward: things that she cherished or cast aside, that furnished the world in which she moved, or that have themselves been inspired by her legacy?

Among objects described in this book are a teenage notebook, a muslin shawl, a wallpaper fragment, a tea caddy, the theatrical poster for a play she attended, and the dining-room grate at Chawton Cottage where she lived. Poignantly, the last manuscript page of her unfinished novel and a lock of hair, kept by her devoted sister, Cassandra, are also featured. Objects contributing to Austen’s rich cultural legacy include a dinner plate decorated by Bloomsbury artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, Grayson Perry’s commemorative pot from 2009, and even Mr Darcy’s wet shirt, worn by Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC adaptation.

This is a different kind of biography, in which objects with their own histories offer shifting entry points into Jane Austen’s life. Each object, illustrated in color, invites us to meet Austen at a particular moment when her life intersects with theirs, speaking eloquently of past lives and shedding new light on one of our best-loved authors.

Featured Objects

Sutherland provides a tour of all 41 objects with photographs and information about each one. This truly does gives the reader more time to examine and take a thorough look at each object. Though one could find many of these objects online, it’s much easier to study them in a book format.

Marianne Knight’s Dancing Slippers

About the Author

Kathryn Sutherland is a trustee of Jane Austen’s House and Professor of English and Senior Research Fellow, St. Anne’s College, Oxford. Her publications include Jane Austen’s Textual Lives: from Aeschylus to Bollywood (2005), the online edition of Jane Austen’s Fiction Manuscripts (2010), and Jane Austen’s Fiction Manuscripts (5 vols, 2018). Other edited works include: James Edward Austen-Leigh, A Memoir of Jane Austen and Other Family Recollections (2002) and Jane Austen, Teenage Writings (2017).

During the 200th anniversary year of Austen’s death, she curated two major exhibitions: “The Mysterious Miss Austen,” in Winchester, Hampshire, and “Which Jane Austen?” at the Bodleian Library, Oxford. She wrote essays for and edited the accompanying exhibition book, Jane Austen: Writer in the World (2017).

Celebrating 250 Years

This collection is another wonderful product of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and the celebrations happening worldwide all year long. I’m thankful that Kathryn Sutherland, Jane Austen’s House, and Bodleian Library Publishing, Oxford made it possible for Jane Austen fans to have access to these artifacts in book form. If you really want to “geek out,” this is the book for you!

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE

RACHEL DODGE teaches writing classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Book review, Inspired by Jane Austen, Jane Austen Resources, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's life, Jane Austen's World | 2 Comments »

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner: An audio book review

July 8, 2025 by Vic

Dear Reader: Two hundred and fifty years ago marked two significant events across two continents – Jane Austen’s birth in Steventon, England, December 16, 1775, and the start of the fight for independence by American colonists in Lexington and Concord on April 19th from Great Britain. And so Jenner’s book, set in GB and the American Colonies comes at a propitious time. The novel’s plot is set in 1865, 48 years after Jane Austen’s death, and just after the Civil War in America ends and followed by the news of Abraham Lincoln’s death, and And so the timing of this novel is timed brilliantly – in honor of the 250th anniversary –  J Austen’s birth and America’s fight for independence from Great Britain.

For this discussion about Natalie Jenner’s latest novel, I listened to an audio version of a book that spans over 300 pages and that the listener takes from 11-12 hours to complete. The author’s complex plot provides numerous characters, and their movements across two nations, often with historical minutia thrown in. One set back as a listener is that, unlike a novel in which one can quickly flip back and forth to check on a detail, an audio book forces one to rewind. Being ham handed, I often missed the stop I needed.

The good news is that once the introductions of the characters are over and the plot truly gets going, it’s hard to stop listening, especially sections 2 and 3. To help listeners keep track of the characters and their settings,, I’ve listed the four main divisions in the novel. They are:

1) Boston: In which the main characters are introduced. (a,b, & c) Sisters Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson are the spinster daughters of Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice William Stevenson; (d) Constance Davenish is a Boston socialite and suffragette, (e) Thomas Nash, is also a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice and Justice Stevenson’s friend, and (f) Denham Scott is a mysterious reporter from Great Britain (GB). All these characters, in one way or another, have a keen interest in Jane Austen’s work.

Although he lived in Portsmouth, GB, Sir Admiral Francis Austen, Jane Austen’s brother and the last surviving Austen sibling, is included in this section. Jenner weaves his presence throughout the novel, for he is the engine that propels the plot forward in every section of the novel. 

Also included in this introductory section are the Nelson brothers, Nicholas and Hazlett, who are both Civil War veterans. After the war ends, the bachelor brothers work in Philadelphia as rare book dealers. Philadelphian heiress, Sara-Beth Gleason, daughter of a Pennsylvania state senator, frequently visits the rare book shop, for she has her mind set on one of the Nelson brothers.

In this introductory section, Jenner narrates the details of the characters, their settings, and their connections to each other and their knowledge of J Austen. We know their background mainly through the narrator’s voice, but occasionally  get brief glimpses of their personalities through their letters, particularly between Sir Francis and the Stevenson sisters, as well as his correspondence with the Nelson brothers. Within these letters and the characters’ reactions to them, the plot of the novel unfurls in a more personal way.

2) The Sea. In the second section of the novel, the reader meets  Louisa May Alcott on board the S.S China, a ​​transatlantic mail packet steamer headed from Boston to Portsmouth. Traveling on board are the Stevenson sisters, journalist Denham Scott, the Nelson brothers, Justice Thomas Nash, and Sara-Beth Gleason, who has followed the brothers to England. Remaining in Boston are Justice Stevenson and Constance Davenport. 

By this time, Jenner has largely left narrative exposition in favor of having her characters discuss their thoughts and/or allow the reader to get into their minds via free indirect discourse, the writing method J Austen used inventively in her novels. FID allows Jenner to jump back and forth as the third person narrator as well as enter her characters’ minds. 

The journey on board the S.S. China is lively. Alcott, a spinster, author, and woman’s rights activist bonds with both the women and the men. On board the ship, the passengers find/discuss their common admiration for Jane Austen and her writings. After her death, and as the 19th century progressed, Austen’s reputation had spread to the U.S, whose growing popularity Jenner includes in detail. 

3) Hampshire. The third section of this novel is, frankly, my favorite part of the book. Various threads of  the major plots coalesce and intertwine, in particular, those of Admiral Francis Austen, the Stevenson sisters, and the Nelson brothers. Jenner takes us to Portsmouth Lodge, the admiral’s house, which rises on a point above the harbor. From his perch, Sir Francis looks out to the English Channel with a maritime telescope, watching the ships come and go in the harbor and the activities on the docks. Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson and Nicholas and Hazlett Nelson visit Sir Frances, who shares important information with them. The group journeys to Chawton House and Chawton Cottage, and follow the paths and roads that J Austen has traveled. In addition, between the group’s conversations with the Admiral and their expanded knowledge of the author from his first-hand accounts, Jenner fully fleshes out the details of her life. Austen has become a living, breathing person in their and our minds.

This section has many twists and turns that lead to a mystery the Admiral holds close to the vest. He also keeps certain plans a secret. These mysteries play an important part in keeping me interested in finding out what they are.

 

4) The Court. This section, for me, was a let down. Instead of reaching a satisfactory ending that ties loose ends, new twists are introduced. My mind became confused, for I wondered about the reasons for adding additional threads so late in the novel. Of the reviews I read, however, over 90% of the reviewers were satisfied with the ending and praised the novel, giving it from four to five stars. I found only one review in which the reviewer felt that the book was chugging along nicely, until he reached the last section, when he stopped reading because of the muddling of the plot. 

I kept listening until the end, but felt like I had experienced a number of different endings. I thought, much like the endings in the film, ‘Return of the King’, in which the audience sat through Aragorn’s coronation, Sam’s return to the Shire, and Frodo’s departure by ship to the Grey Havens with the Elves, ‘enough is enough.’.

And so I have mixed feelings writing this review, since I like the author’s writing style and her remarkable research. Plus, listening to a novel that is over 300 pages long and has a quite complicated plot that contains numerous characters who live in and travel to different locations can be quite confusing. I’ll eventually read the novel, and am sure that  going at my own pace while leafing through the pages will provide a better ‘reading’ experience.

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Posted in Austen at Sea, Book review, Jane Austen audio books, Jane Austen's World | Tagged | 3 Comments »

Jane and Dorothy: Lives of Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth

June 23, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

A Book Review by Brenda S. Cox

“Marianne’s ‘excess of sensibility’ almost destroys her reputation, her health and her happiness, wihle Elinor’s more guarded behaviour is rewarded. But that is fiction; what of real life?”—Prologue to Jane and Dorothy, by Marian Veevers

Jane and Dorothy: A True Tale of Sense and Sensibility, The Lives of Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth, by Marian Veevers. The lovely cover attracted my attention as I perused a library book table focused on Jane Austen.

I had read a review of this book some time ago and suggested it to a literary friend, who said there was no connection between Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth, sister of poet William Wordsworth. But I decided to check out the book and find out how the author connects them. I’m glad I did, as it was a fascinating read.

Jane and Dorothy, by Marian Veevers, explores two parallel lives, Jane Austen’s and Dorothy Wordsworth’s. Veevers works for the Wordsworth Trust.

Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth

Jane and Dorothy follows the lives of two women, living at approximately the same time, who never met. Parallel, never intersecting, similar in some ways and contrasting in others. Connections with Austen’s novels are intertwined in their stories. Jane (1775-1817) is compared to Elinor Dashwood, with strong feelings controlled by reason and religion. Dorothy (1771-1855) is more like Marianne, focusing on her emotions. In one teenage letter to a friend who was sympathizing with her misery, Dorothy wrote, “You cannot think how I like the idea of being called poor Dorothy . . . I could cry whenever I think of it.”

Both were writers. Jane Austen, of course, had four novels published during her lifetime, two more shortly after her death, and her Juvenilia and letters published years later.

Dorothy Wordsworth wrote journals, mostly about her ramblings in nature with her brother, who became a famous poet of Romanticism.  William Wordsworth used his sister’s journals as inspiration and a source of details for his poetry. His discussions and experiences with her also inspired him. A few of Dorothy’s own poems were published during her lifetime, but her journals and her travel narrative of a trip to Scotland were only published after her death.

Both Jane and Dorothy were dependent on their brothers later in their lives. Austen and her mother and sister were financially supported by her brothers after her father’s death, and her brother Edward provided Chawton Cottage where she wrote and rewrote her novels.

Dorothy lost her parents early in life and lived with various relatives as a poor relation, similar to Austen’s Fanny Price, until she threw in her lot with her brother William. Dorothy loved William passionately. (The author discusses rumors of sexual involvement and concludes that the rumors were false.) Dorothy devoted the rest of her life to her brother and, eventually, to his wife and children. Their financial situation was much harder than the Austens’, but they survived.

It was interesting to see the similar social and financial restrictions that society placed on both Jane and Dorothy, particularly as unmarried women, and to see how Jane’s life might have played out differently in other circumstances.

Yates ranting in Mansfield Park. Did Austen love home theatricals, or hate them? Or did she simply see their dangers?
C.E. Brock, public domain.

Austen and Drama

Having read so much about Jane Austen, I wasn’t expecting new insights into her life from this book. However, I found several. I’ll give just one example, from pages 47-50 of Jane and Dorothy.

Veevers discusses Austen’s attitude toward amateur home theatricals in Mansfield Park. Many have commented on the fact that Austen’s family performed such plays when she was growing up, and that she couldn’t really have thought they were wrong. Perhaps it was just the specific circumstances at Mansfield Park that made it wrong, or her attitude had changed due to the growing Evangelical disapproval of drama, or she was attributing disapproval to Fanny and Edmund.

However, Veevers speculates that, first, Jane may not have participated herself in those plays when she was growing up. She says the only evidence we have for that is Jane’s cousin, Phylly Walters, who wrote that “all the young folks” were participating in a performance in 1787—that is rather vague. Or Jane may have participated without enjoying it.

While Austen’s family approved of amateur theatricals, we don’t have to assume that she herself agreed. Instead, those experiences of plays in the Steventon barn may have shown Jane “the dark underbelly” of such practices. Veevers says any “modern-day member of an amateur dramatics company” would recognize these issues. She continues,

“Jane Austen gives an unflinching insider’s view of everything that is worst about amateur acting, from the concealed, but overwhelming self-interest of Julia and Maria Bertram who each hope to have the best part in the play ‘pressed on her by the rest,’ to the self-indulgent over-rehearsal of favourite scenes by some actors, and the insidious, self-gratifying criticisms of others’ performances—‘Mr Yates was in general thought to rant dreadfully . . . Mr Yates was disappointed in Henry Crawford . . .’” etc., etc. “There can be no doubt that this detailed understanding . . . came from real observation. It would seem that brother James’s annual productions in the Steventon barn were riven by jealousy, bad-feeling and unkindness.”—Jane and Dorothy, p. 49

Veevers goes on to speculate that Jane’s opinions may have been influenced by her dear friend Anne Lefroy. Mrs. Lefroy was a clergyman’s wife who apparently disapproved of amateur theatricals, politely declining to participate when a friend invited her. (Also, I would add, it appears those Steventon theatricals were an opportunity for flirtation between Jane’s still-married cousin Eliza and two of her brothers, so perhaps Henry Crawford and Maria Bertram’s fictitious flirtation also had a basis in past experience.)

I don’t think I personally agree with the idea that Austen disapproved of such theatricals, though. Austen certainly enjoyed the professional theatre, “good hardened real acting,” as Edmund Bertram called it, distinguishing that from amateur performances. Austen did, though, write several short, comic plays as a teenager, which may have been acted by her family. On a visit to Godmersham, she and Cassandra acted—most likely by reading aloud— a couple of plays with their nieces and nephews. (The Spoilt Child and Innocence Rewarded, according to Fanny Knight’s diary). Of course, that would have been on a much more limited scale than the play at Mansfield Park, with presumably less objectionable plays.

Whether Austen objected to amateur dramatics in general is questionable, but certainly she had seen enough to very realistically show the pitfalls of such productions in Mansfield Park. So I appreciated this insight from Jane and Dorothy.

Fanny Price loves nature, like both Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth. Both Jane and Dorothy, like Fanny, experienced being marginalized by wealthier relatives.
H.M. Brock, public domain.

Spinsterhood

The book extensively explores attitudes toward “old maids” in Austen’s society. It’s easy to forget that Austen herself probably experienced prejudices against unmarried women. She certainly sometimes felt herself a poor relation at her wealthy brother’s Godmersham estate. She often lacked autonomy: her living situations and travels were dictated by her parents or brothers. Perhaps those feelings helped her create Fanny Price, dependent and marginalized.

Jane and Dorothy points out many illuminating parallels between Sense and Sensibility and Mansfield Park. Fanny is much like Marianne, with strong feelings. However Austen, when she was a more mature writer, made Fanny spiritually stronger, more nuanced, and with greater depth.

Marianne Dashwood gives way to her feelings and nearly dies. Fanny Price turns to religion and reason to keep her feelings under control, as Marianne determines to do at the end of Sense and Sensibility.
C.E. Brock, public domain.

End of Life

Dorothy lived much longer than Jane. Sadly, though, Dorothy’s last twenty years were spent with “her mind completely broken.” She had given her life to taking care of her family; that same family gave her loving care for those long years. It’s been speculated that she may have had some kind of dementia, or possibly severe depression. (She suffered, in fact, similarly to William Cowper in his final years. Cowper’s poetry, by the way, impacted both women.)

Of course we all wish that Jane had lived longer and written more. However, thinking of the many ways a spinster (like Miss Bates, for example, or Dorothy Wordsworth) might end up in Austen’s world, perhaps Jane’s earlier demise from an unknown disease was not the worst possible ending for her. The recent book and series Miss Austen also imagines long-lived Cassandra suffering late in her life.

As Veevers concludes,

“Jane and Dorothy were two unmarried, childless women who had failed to fulfil the destiny that their society prescribed for their sex. But they neither drooped nor withered as [1838 writer] Carlisle expected, nor developed the chagrin and peevishness which Dr. Gregory [1774] believed inseparable from their condition. Instead they forged their own meanings from their lives. . . . Jane and Dorothy were not simply products of their time. They made choices in their lives, and it was those choices which defined them.”

I found it fascinating to trace the choices of these two parallel lives, and the resulting joys and sorrows, during the same time in history. Well-written, easy to read, and compelling, Jane and Dorothy  is worth reading for anyone who wants to get deeper into “Jane Austen’s World.”

 

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Biography, Book review, Georgian Life, Jane Austen's World, Poetry, Regency Women | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments »

Pride and Prejudice “Peacock” Edition

June 15, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

Many Austen fans enjoy viewing various early editions of Pride and Prejudice – and many of us are familiar with the famous “Peacock” edition. I recently had the opportunity to hold and examine a very early “Peacock” edition in my very own hands. (It was beautiful!!! I may have squealed in my head.)

During this 250th celebration year of Austen’s delightful works, I thought a little trip down “Peacock Lane” might be in order! This beautiful edition has a rich history and has contributed to Austen’s lasting legacy.

A rare “Peacock” edition in a bookstore I recently visited ($3,500).

The Original “Peacock” P&P

George Allen is responsible for the original 1894 “Peacock” edition of Pride and Prejudice, which includes the now-famous illustrations by Hugh Thomson. It includes 65 illustrations and 160 drawings and designs in total.

According to a University of Michigan Library Online Exhibit, Allen’s “Peacock” edition was not only extremely popular at the time, but it also helped revitalize the popularity of Austen’s works in the late 1800s:

“In reaction to the wave of British nationalism in the late nineteenth century, a renowned publisher of the time, George Allen, sought to preserve traditional English values by publishing a series of illustrated classic works of literature.”

Peacock Edition, Cover and Spine (1894).

There’s a reason people love the “Peacock” edition. The cover is striking with its deep navy blue background, gilded title, and resplendent gold peacock feathers. Every detail is exquisite:

“The edition’s iconic features include its gilded peacock cover (symbolic of pride) and 65 full page illustrations, all created by Hugh Thomson. As an acclaimed illustrator of the time, Thomson’s work symbolized grace and refinement, which made him the perfect choice for capturing Allen’s vision.”

Allen’s goal to revitalize interest in Austen’s work proved successful, but the edition itself did better than he ever imagined and went on to become an iconic edition that book collectors salivate over today:

“The edition surpassed expectations, selling over 11,605 copies in England and 3,500 copies in the United States, within the first year. Its popularity was partly due to its large appeal across class divisions, gender spheres, and political factions, functioning most basically as a gift book and mark of good taste. George Allen’s revival has proven to be timeless. Thomson’s peacock design has become the iconic representation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in contemporary marketing and merchandising, continuing to capture audiences today.”

George Allen editions of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility

“Peacock” Illustrations

If Hugh Thomson’s name sounds familiar, you’re right. Jane Austen’s House Museum shares these intriguing details:

“The Irish illustrator, Hugh Thomson (1860-1920), was best known for his pen and ink illustrations and in addition to Jane Austen’s work, illustrated the novels of Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell and J.M Barrie. Thomson used to visit the British Museum and V&A to research costume styles, room decorations and furniture design for his illustrations. Despite that his drawings for Pride and Prejudice have a distinct Victorian rather than Georgian feel to them.”

If you’ve ever wondered why Thomson chose a peacock for the cover, you’ll find a clue in the old saying, “proud as a peacock.” Male peacocks have long been associated with pride and vanity because of their vibrant plumage and the way they strut about with their feather fanned out around them. Some believe that the peacock’s elaborate display of its tail feathers, especially by the male during courtship, is a fitting image for Pride and Prejudice’s themes of courtship as well. Either way, the peacock as a symbol of pride seems fitting for the cover of Pride and Prejudice.

The interior is filled with beautiful full-page illustrations. The first page of the first chapter is particularly lovely with the peacock plumage on full display:

“Peacock”-Themed Editions Through the Years

Ever since the original “Peacock” edition was released, many other editions of Pride and Prejudice have featured a peacock or peacock feathers. Each one is a nod to the original and to the overarching theme in the novel. Here are a few select highlights:

Signet Classic, 1961 (I read this one from my dad’s bookshelves growing up)
Union Square & Co. with lush peacock feathers.
Paper Mill Press edition (Hardcover or Paperback).
Cranford Classics edition.
Union Square & Co. edition (2022) with subtle peacock feathers.
Wordsworth Edition with its peacock mates.
Easton Press collector’s reproduction edition with illustrations by Thomson.

Though the Easton Press leather-bound edition is pricey at $252, it might be worth it to those who want to have a beautiful and exquisitely-reproduced copy of Allen’s original “Peacock” edition with Thomson’s illustrations throughout. It’s truly a work of art in its own right with its “hubbed” spine, sewn pages, acid-free paper, and custom-crafted, clothbound slipcase.

250th Editions Featuring Peacocks

Finally, for the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, Austen fans can enjoy several new “Peacock”-inspired editions. These editions pay homage to the original Allen edition with an updated flair. Thus far, I’ve seen these new and upcoming editions advertised:

Plumleaf Press – Now Available from Barnes & Noble.
Union Square & Co. – Signature Gilded Edition (Sept 2025)

Proud as a Peacock

Whichever edition you enjoy reading, it’s clear that the peacock remains an enduring symbol of pride in the novel. As Elizabeth Bennet says about Mr. Darcy after he snubs her: “I could easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine.”

A copy of the original “Peacock” edition is worth a lot of money these days, but its impact is truly priceless. Allen and Thomson helped revive and sustain popular interest in Jane Austen’s work far beyond what they ever imagined.

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in Book review, Inspired by Jane Austen, Jane Austen Book Collecting, Jane Austen gifts, Jane Austen illustrators, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments »

The Language of Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings, Part 2

May 29, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“Lovely & too charming Fair one, notwithstanding your forbidding Squint, your greazy tresses & your swelling Back, which are more frightfull than imagination can paint or pen describe, I cannot refrain from expressing my raptures, at the engaging Qualities of your Mind, which so amply atone for the Horror with which your first appearance must ever inspire the unwary visitor.

“Your sentiments so nobly expressed on the different excellencies of Indian & English Muslins, & the judicious preference you give the former, have excited in me an admiration of which I can alone give an adequate idea, by assuring you it is nearly equal to what I feel for myself.”–“Frederic & Elfrida,” chapter 2, Jane Austen’s Juvenilia

A few days ago I began telling you about a linguistics conference focused on Jane Austen’s delightful efforts as a teenage writer. Besides the main talks, we got to explore many aspects of Austen’s brilliant use of language.

“Evelyn” is one of Jane Austen’s hilarious teenage stories, from her Juvenilia.

Jane Austen’s Grammar, Punctuation, and Education

Several talks reported on analyses of certain types of words, such as intensifiers (very, extremely, etc.), which are often used ironically in the Juvenilia. Phrases indicating prohibition, obligation, or permission are used more often by women than by men in Austen’s early works. One talk examined the language used in sister relationships, comparing Elizabeth and Jane Bennet’s conversations with Anne Elliot and Mary Musgrove’s discussions.

Two talks focused on education at the time. These traced Austen’s own experiences with two brief bouts in boarding school to the comments in her novels criticizing such schools. Austen repeatedly challenged the current systems of women’s education. For example, in Emma, Austen wrote:

“Mrs. Goddard was the mistress of a School-not of a seminary, or an establishment, or any thing which professed, in long sentences of refined nonsense, to combine liberal acquirements with elegant morality upon new principles and new systems—and where young ladies for enormous pay might be screwed out of health and into vanity-but a real, honest, old-fashioned Boarding-school, where a reasonable quantity of accomplishments were sold at a reasonable price, and where girls might be sent to be out of the way and scramble themselves into a little education, without any danger of coming back prodigies. Mrs. Goddard’s school was in high repute—and very deservedly.”–Emma

Jane Austen’s The History of England shows her awareness of the bias of all historians. One talk compared it with the serious Oliver Goldsmith textbook she parodies. Goldsmith moralizes, while Austen entertains.

Parentheses

I had never noticed how Austen used parentheses (also called round brackets) as stage directions. Victorina González-Díaz showed us that Austen used parentheses for body movement (smiling), attributions (said I), or both (said he with a saucy smile). Early on, Austen used parentheses in the Juvenilia mostly for speech attributions and combined forms. As accepted conventions changed, she moved to using them mostly for body movements in her mature novels. Specific characters, like Mrs. Elton, get parenthetical expressions to help characterize them. In Volume 2 of Emma, for example, Mrs. Elton says:

“The thing is determined, that is (laughing affectedly) as far as I can presume to determine anything without the concurrence of my lord and master.”–Mrs. Elton

Jane Austen’s Self-Editing

Another talk I appreciated was Breckyn Wood’s on “Jane Austen the Editor.” The original manuscripts of the Juvenilia show many editing changes that Austen made to her own work (Jane Austen: Teenage Writings, edited by Kathryn Sutherland, lists these edits). Wood showed how Austen’s editing process as she worked on her early writings helped her develop the style she used later in her novels.

Wood first pointed out, as van Ostade confirmed, that spelling and punctuation were not at all standardized in Austen’s time. The “errors” Austen made were similar to the spelling and punctuation of other great authors of her time, including Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott. (Did you know that we have six original examples of Shakespeare’s signature, and he spells his own name differently in each one??)

Love and Freindship uses a spelling acceptable at that time.

So when Austen wrote Love and Freindship, she wasn’t making a childish mistake. She was using an accepted alternate spelling.

Austen’s self-edits were made for various reasons. In one story, Austen changed “She began to fear” to “She began to tremble.” This is a modern writing convention, where we prefer to “show” rather than “tell”—she is showing the character’s fear, rather than telling us the character was afraid.

In another place Austen added alliteration (using the same initial sounds), changing “rouge” to “patches” in “Frederic & Elfrida,” resulting in:

“Charlotte . . . walked to Mrs. Fitzroy’s to take leave of the amiable Rebecca, whom she found surrounded by Patches, Powder, Pomatum, & Paint, with which she was vainly endeavouring to remedy the natural plainness of her face.”

“Frederic & Elfrida” shows Austen editing her own work to make it more fun.

In other cases, Austen increased the silliness of these spoofs. For example, she originally had a young man sending a large Newfoundland dog home to his family every year, but changed that to every month, to make it even more ridiculous.

Austen was careful in her choice of words and phrases throughout the Juvenilia, developing the wonderful style we see in the mature novels.

Language Change

My own talk was on language change in Jane Austen’s religious vocabulary. I focused on words that have changed meaning since Austen’s time, so that we may misunderstand them as readers today. Some, like rector, vicar, and curate, have changed because the Church of England’s structure has changed. Obvious religious words, like atone in the quote that opens this post, are used ironically. Others, like exert, duty, and principle, once had strongly religious meanings, but their emphasis has changed because of cultural changes. The Juvenilia uses these words mostly as satire, showing characters who had made sensibility into their own religion. My talk is posted on my blog.

Who knew that the science of linguistics could add so much to our understanding of Jane Austen’s work and world?

If you want to read or re-read the Juvenilia for yourself, you might try Jane Austen: Teenage Writings, edited by Kathryn Sutherland.  Or, you might go for some of the lovely illustrated volumes from Juvenilia Press. I’ve used some of those covers to illustrate this post. I have even bought some of those delightful storybooks for my grandchildren. They are available from Juvenilia Press in Australia or from Jane Austen Books in the US. 

“Cassandra smiled & whispered to herself ‘This is a day well spent.’”—”The Beautifull Cassandra,” Jane Austen’s Juvenilia

If you’ve read the Juvenilia, which story is your favorite, and why?

Online articles on Jane Austen’s use of language

(Note that for jstor, you can get an individual membership free and read many articles each month.)

The Language of Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings: Part 1

For abstracts of the conference talks, see “Linguistic Approaches to Jane Austen’s Childhood.”

This list is included in the Social Customs tab above, under Language and Linguistics.

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Jane Austen's language, Jane Austen's World, Juvenilia | Tagged , , |

The Language of Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings, Part 1

May 26, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

“It was too pathetic for the feelings of Sophia and myself—We fainted alternately on a sofa.”–Love and Freindship, Letter the 8th, Jane Austen’s Juvenilia.

Frederic & Elfrida, one of Jane Austen’s hilarious juvenile stories, published by Juvenilia Press

Since I have a background in linguistics, I was intrigued when I was invited to present at a conference in Spain on “Linguistic Approaches to Jane Austen’s Childhood.”*

This conference, which took place in early May, focused on the language of Austen’s early letters and her Juvenilia, the stories she wrote in her teens for her own family and friends’ enjoyment. She wrote them up in three volumes, as if for publication, though they were not published until long after her death. Why is the language of these works important, or even interesting?

Austen’s Language

A fascinating article on “Jane Austen’s Subtly Subversive Linguistics,” by linguist Chi Luu,  claims that the best thing about reading Austen is her language. “Austen’s subtly subversive ironic language allows readers to receive her work in a layered way—romance, comedy, mystery.” We lose much of this linguistic brilliance in the movies, which tend to magnify the romance and ignore the intricacies of Austen’s language.

Luu says, “As [Austen’s] writing matured, her comedy became less overt and more nuanced.” We can enjoy the overt comedy of Austen’s Juvenilia, ranging from “The Beautifull Cassandra” whose “father was of noble Birth, being the near relation of the Dutchess of —-’s Butler,” to “Love and Freindship,” whose moral is “Run mad as often as you chuse; but do not faint.”

“The Beautifull Cassandra”  is one of Austen’s teenage stories. In twelve chapters of one to four sentences each, Cassandra has outrageous adventures.

Jane Austen Practicing

The conference started at noon in Spain, which was 6 AM for me in Georgia, USA, where I was participating online. Kathryn Sutherland opened with, “Jane Austen Practising: What Her Teenage Writings Can Teach Us.” Sutherland edited editions of the Juvenilia which reproduce the pages in Austen’s own handwriting with transcriptions. 

Sutherland gave a lively introduction to the Juvenilia, which she considers among the best comic writings in English. These stories are parodies of the novels and pulp fiction Austen enjoyed, as well as her schoolbooks on history and geography. Unlike in Austen’s mature novels, girls in the Juvenilia reject all advice on ladylike behavior. We see them overeating, drinking, stealing, accepting two offers of marriage, even involved in murder, sexual misdemeanors, and violence. The girls in the stories are tough, while the men are weak.

Austen experimented with exotic names for places, like “Crankhumdunberry” and “Pammydiddle,” and people, like “Jezalinda” and “Elfrida.” Sutherland called these kinds of names “multisyllabic confections.” She also said Austen was experimenting with what ingredients a novel needs. For example, does it need a hero? In “Jack & Alice,” Jack is only briefly mentioned as a drunk who died and made his sister rich:

“It may now be proper to return to the Hero of this Novel, the brother of Alice, of whom I beleive I have scarcely ever had occasion to speak; which may perhaps be partly oweing to his unfortunate propensity to Liquor, which so compleatly deprived him of the use of those faculties Nature had endowed him with, that he never did anything worth mentioning. His Death happened a short time after Lucy’s departure & was the natural Consequence of this pernicious practice. By his decease, his sister became the sole inheritress of a very large fortune”—”Jack and Alice,” chapter 7, Jane Austen’s Juvenilia [Variations in spelling and capitalization were common at this time.]

Are motivations and believable settings necessary? Austen’s Juvenilia characters act crazily and randomly. Are the boundaries set by society reasonable? These characters ignore them.

Catharine, or The Bower, shows Austen almost ready for her mature novels.

The last work of the third and final volume of the Juvenilia is Catherine, or The Bower. This is the longest work, and is realistic rather than comic. It includes political commentary and harsh criticism of restrictions on women. Catharine sets the stage for Austen’s later novels, which are set in her real world, with characters who need to live within social realities.

Spelling as Evidence

On the second day, Ingrid Tieken-Boon van Ostade gave the plenary talk, “Spelling as Evidence: from Jane Austen’s Juvenilia to The Watsons.” Van Ostade is the author of In Search of Jane Austen: The Language of the Letters, an in-depth analysis of the spelling, vocabulary, and grammar Austen used in her letters.

In Search of Jane Austen: The Language of the Letters explores Austen through her spelling, vocabulary, and grammar.

In this talk, van Ostade suggested dates for parts of Austen’s manuscripts based on different versions of Austen’s handwriting, different shades of ink, and different accepted spellings. She puts The Watsons at 1805-6 (family tradition suggests 1804), and “The Three Sisters” as an addition to the Juvenilia after 1804.

In “The Three Sisters,” a young lady agrees to marry a horrible man in order to spite her sisters. She haggles with him over what kind of coach they will get: she wants a blue one with silver spots.

One participant was working on a compilation of some letters of the period. Van Ostade encouraged such editors to include original spellings, capitalization, and punctuation, rather than “correcting” them. Such details contribute to our historical knowledge of the development and use of language in each time period. I would not have thought of that!

Spelling was not taught as a school subject in Austen’s time, though instructional texts were beginning to become available by the 1790s. Van Ostade says that throughout Jane Austen’s life, Austen was a “careful and consistent speller.” So the “mistakes” we see in her Juvenilia, such as “freindship” for what we would now spell “friendship,” were variations used at that time.

In a few days we’ll continue with more delights of Austen’s language.

“We are the sons as you already know, of the two youngest Daughters which Lord St Clair had by Laurina an italian opera girl. Our mothers could neither of them exactly ascertain who were our Father, though it is generally beleived that Philander, is the son of one Philip Jones a Bricklayer and that my Father was one Gregory Staves a Staymaker of Edinburgh. This is however of little consequence for as our Mothers were certainly never married to either of them it reflects no Dishonour on our Blood, which is of a most ancient and unpolluted kind.”–Love and Freindship, Letter the 15th, Jane Austen’s Juvenilia

What is a phrase from Jane Austen that you love?

To read more about Jane Austen’s brilliant use of language, check out the Social Customs tab above, and scroll down to Language and Linguistics.

*The conference was organized by Nuria Calvo Cortés at the Complutense University of Madrid.

Part 2: The Language of Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Jane Austen's language, Jane Austen's World, Juvenilia | Tagged , , | 4 Comments »

Book Review: Jane Austen’s Garden

May 17, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

Fellow Janeites, I have a new book review for you in honor of Jane’s 250th year: Jane Austen’s Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels written by Molly Williams and illustrated by Jessica Roux. This new book pairs two of my favorite things: Jane Austen and gardening! I looked forward to its release for months and it now sits prominently on my shelves!

Photo by Rachel Dodge, ©2025

Book Review

I knew this book would be beautiful, and I confess that I preordered it based on how pretty it looked. I have another gorgeous book by Jessica Roux called Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers. I’ve always been drawn to the language of flowers and their meanings.

When I ordered it, I assumed Jane Austen’s Garden would mostly include drawings and tidbits of information. However, when it arrived, I discovered that it is filled with detailed information about the flowers, plants, trees, fruits, and vegetables mentioned in Austen’s novels and in her own garden and kitchen garden! There are even instructions about how to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home.

And don’t let the Table of Contents fool you. This book has a LOT to offer. The editor(s) merely listed the craft projects in the book in the Table of Contents, which does a great disservice to Williams’ painstaking research and intriguing information. Williams provides ample material for Jane Austen fans and has done a wonderful job of researching every detail of this book.

Order Your Copy Here:

Literary Landscapes and Illustrations

In each chapter, there is a section entitled “From the Literary Landscape.” This is the best part!! This is where Jane Austen fans can really dig into Williams’ research. She outlines the instances when various trees, fruits, or flowers are mentioned in the novels (or how the Austens used them in their everyday lives). Then, Williams goes into detail about what they signified and/or their history. As many of you know from my articles over the years, I love to look for specific items in the novels and research them.

Finally, the illustrations in this book are to die for. Truly, Roux is a most extraordinary artist. You can see more of her art HERE. I truly could look at it all day long!!!! I have a dream of writing a book with botanical illustrations one day, and I can’t imagine having someone like Roux do the artwork. She brings Williams’ research to life and captures the Regency imagination beautifully.

Book Description

An elegantly illustrated celebration of Jane Austen’s life and literature as told through the flowers, plants, and landscapes that inspired her.

Through explorations of the botanical inspirations and symbolism in Austen’s work and personal life, as well as historical information about the gardens and landscapes of the Regency Era, Jane Austen’s Garden will transport readers back in time to the lush English landscape of the early 1800s. Woven throughout are DIY projects to help you create a home garden worthy of a surprise visit from Lady Catherine de Bourgh or maybe just give your dining table a bit of historical flair. Accessible, entertaining, and enhanced by the enchanted illustrations of celebrated artist Jessica Roux, Jane Austen’s Garden is a fun twist on a familiar subject that will delight plant lovers and Janeites alike.

Book Contents

The Table of Contents is misleading as it only outlines the various DIY projects you can try at home. The book itself has a LOT more meat to it, so don’t let the overview dissuade you from purchasing it. In an effort to provide a fuller picture of all that Williams included, I created a full outline of the book:

Below are two examples of how Williams includes information about different flowers and plants in the novels, along with more illustrations from Roux:

About the Author and Illustrator

Molly Williams is the author of Killer Plants: Growing and Caring for Flytraps, Pitcher Plants and Other Deadly Flora, and Taming the Potted Beast: The Strange and Sensational History of the Not-So-Humble Houseplant, and she writes regularly for Apartment Therapy‘s gardening and horticulture section. She grew up on a flower farm and is now a professor of writing in New England. You can visit her online HERE.

Jessica Roux is a Nashville-based freelance illustrator and plant and animal enthusiast. She loves exploring in her own backyard and being surrounded by an abundance of nature. Using subdued colors and rhythmic shapes, she renders flora and fauna with intricate detail reminiscent of old-world beauty. She is the author and illustrator behind Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers, Ornithography: An Illustrated Guide to Bird Lore & Symbolism, and the Woodland Wardens Oracle Deck & Guidebook. You can visit her online HERE.

250 Years of Bookish Bounty

Books like these truly make the 250th celebration of Jane Austen’s life, writing, and legacy a true gift and a joy. I’m so thankful to the authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers who make books like this possible. The bounty of books releasing this year is a wonder to behold. I hope you’ll check this one out and add it to your bookshelves!

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in 18th C. Botany, 19th Century England, 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Book review, English Garden, Inspired by Jane Austen, Jane Austen illustrators, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's World, Regency gardens | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments »

250 Years of Celebrating Jane Austen’s Natal Year: Admiral Francis Austen’s Candlesticks and His Biographical Manuscript

May 14, 2025 by Vic

Inquiring Readers

Helen Robson, Fine Art Administrator with Lacy, Scott, & Knight Auction Centre in Bury St Edmunds, UK, contacted this blog with information that is perfectly suited for our year long celebration of Jane Austen’s birth.

Our 14th June auction includes a pair of George III silver Egyptian pattern candlesticks engraved with an interesting inscription, the Austen family crest, and mentioned in a museum’s recently transcribed manuscript, which links the Napoleonic Wars, the East India Company and the brother of one of Britain’s most beloved novelists.

Ms Robson has generously encouraged us to use LS&K’s images and texts. My aim, always, is to link to the original source, in this instance their website. I have downloaded the PDF from the site of a quite extensive history about the Admiral entitled “Jane Austen’s brother, the Napoleonic Wars and the East India Company.”  The link to the information sits here.

Francis Austen as a young man

This link leads to the PDF Doc, which can be printed out.

As it happens, and coincidentally, Jane Austen’s House has placed the link to the Memoir of Admirals Sir Francis Austen, whose translation was completed in 2024 by volunteers — just in time on their site!

These two pieces of information regarding Austen’s slightly older brother (born 1774), help us to understand more about the family dynamics through Frank’s career as a sailor, captain and admiral. His Memoir, written in a slim journal consisting of 78 pages, gives us a personal perspective on his life

Related Sites:

Posted in Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

Austen at Sea

May 4, 2025 by Vic

Natalie Jenner’s latest book, Austen at Sea, will become available through booksellers on May 6th! She will hold a discussion at The Poison Pen Bookstore at 2 PM, MST on May 5th. (In my Eastern state, the conversation will start at 5 PM.) Click on the link provided below to the YouTube video, subscribe, and hit the Notification Button! This discussion will include a live chat online.

Jenner describes her new novel in this link to her site, which should whet readers’ appetites! 

I’ve been listening to the audio version of the book, and my review will go online soon. This book is a quite ambitious project, and suits the 250 year anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth beautifully! – Vic

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

20th Anniversary of Pride and Prejudice (2005)

April 25, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

Jane Austen fans are flocking to theaters to watch the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film in theaters to celebrate its 20th anniversary. And what perfect timing with Jane’s own 250th celebration!

The film’s re-release in theaters was originally set for April 18-24, 2025, but it was extended to April 25-30, 2025 due to its success. It’s a limited engagement, primarily in the U.S., so Jane Austen friend groups, book clubs, and JASNA regional groups are taking advantage of this special event and gathering at movie theaters nationwide to watch it together.

Some, in Regency garb!

Pop Culture Craze

While the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice isn’t a favorite with some Jane Austen fans, who argue that it’s a very loose interpretation of the novel (and rife with historical inaccuracies), it’s been a huge sensation with a whole new wave of Austen fans since it first released 20 years ago. P&P 2005 fans discuss it non-stop online and have created fan groups and an endless library of memes, edits, reels dedicated to it. An entire fandom has formed itself around the film and its actors.

Hand Flex

And its popularity shows no sign of stopping. From Macfadyen’s emotionally complex portrayal of Mr. Darcy, the electricity between Knightley and Macfadyen, and the famous “hand-flex” scene, this highly romanticized adaptation of Austen’s novel is a cultural phenomenon in its own right.

Musical Score

The musical score alone is beloved by fans everywhere. Composed by Dario Marianelli and performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano) and the English Chamber Orchestra), the music is one of the reasons people love the film so much. The title track “Dawn” is just about as dreamy as it can get:

Awards and Nominations

After its release, the film won or was nominated for endless awards from the film industry, including Oscar nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Keira Knightley), Best Achievement in Art Direction (Sarah Greenwood, art director and Katie Spencer, set decorator), Best Achievement in Costume Design (Jacqueline Durran), and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score, Dario Marianelli).

Joe Wright, the film’s director and the 2006 Winner Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer, joined a Q&A several days ago at a special screening of the re-release. Of his directorial debut, he said, “I’m actually prouder of the film tonight than I think I’ve ever been.” (@focusfeatures)

Director Joe Wright at a Q&A Screening of the re-release of P&P 2005.

P&P Feuds

The 2005 Pride and Prejudice is often compared to the 1995 sweeping BCC version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, but it’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges. They are both so vastly different in every way. Nonetheless, fans have been debating this topic for 20 years now and will probably continue for another 20 years at least.

People outside the Jane Austen fandom probably won’t ever understand why we all feel so passionate about the different film versions of Austen’s novels, but in the words of Mr. Bennet, “For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?”

Re-Watching

Jane Austen fans LOVE to re-watch the films over and over. Have you been to the theater to watch the 2005 P&P re-release? Are you planning to go? (Did you / Will you dress up?) Which version do you prefer? Please comment below!

If you’d like to check showtimes in your local village theater, you can search AMC’s listings HERE. I’m hoping to see it before it’s gone. I can’t pass up the chance to watch a movie with other die-hard Janeites at the theater!

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in Film adaptation, Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's World, Popular culture, Pride & Prejudice 1995, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice 2005, Regency | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments »

Jane Austen’s Desk: A New Website

April 18, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

by Brenda S. Cox

“There must have been many precious hours of silence during which the pen was busy at the little mahogany writing-desk, (This mahogany desk, which has done good service to the public, is now in the possession of my sister, Miss Austen) while Fanny Price, or Emma Woodhouse, or Anne Elliott was growing into beauty and interest.”–A Memoir of Jane Austen by James Edward Austen-Leigh, her nephew

Welcome page to the website “Jane Austen’s Desk”

Wouldn’t you love to explore Jane Austen’s desk and room? Inger Brodey, Sarah Walton, and their amazing team at the Jane Austen Collaborative are recreating Jane’s desk and room for us to visit virtually.

While the website is still a beta version, I found lots of great information there. The plan is for it to become a “portal” linking to many Austen resources.

The site opens with a view of a room loosely based on the drawing room of Jane Austen’s House in Chawton

Jane Austen’s Desk

When you visit the room, you might want to start at the desk itself—Jane’s travel desk sits on a table. You’ll see manuscripts of several of the novels, which you can open and enjoy in early editions. Commentary tells more about the novel and the edition, with direct links to interesting sections like “Darcy’s list of desirable female accomplishments” and “Fanny asking about the slave trade.”

Nearby are newspapers, one of the most fun links. Several contemporary papers are included. You can hone in on a number of interesting articles, ranging from her brother Edward’s selling part of Stoneleigh Abbey, to reports of her brother Frank’s naval exploits, to the story of a swindler who pretended to be a rich person’s housekeeper!

Jane Austen’s travel desk (the real one is owned by the British Library). The manuscripts on the desk, the newspapers next to it, and the cross, take you to various resources.

The Bookshelf

Click on the bookshelves in Rev. Austen’s bureau-bookcase , and you’ll see some books mentioned in Austen’s writings. I expect this will be expanded later. But for now, you can read from several authors Austen said she was “in love with”—Thomas Clarkson (on abolition), Sir Charles Pasley (on the military), and James and Horatio Smith (verse parodies). We also have a book that Fanny Price was reading, George Macartney on the British Embassy to China.

For each, you will find an easy-to-read early version of the book; clear commentary; pictures; and links to relevant passages in the novels and letters. Two also link to related articles. A great start if you want to explore these books connected to Austen!

Catalogs on the ledge of the bookcase open up to records of the Alton Book Society that Austen enjoyed. You’ll find lists of members, rules, and lists of the books that the members, including Austen, traded around. This gives us another peek into Austen’s life and reading.

The Bookshelf takes you to some books Austen read.

Travels

A pianoforte stands next to the bookcase. It will eventually be connected to Austen’s music.

Above the pianoforte, click on the portrait of a ship on the sea. You go to a globe, where you can follow the travels of Austen’s family.

Jane Austen’s Desk, travel section. You can trace the positions of Frank and Charles Austen, Charles’s wife Fanny Palmer, and Jane Austen herself, year by year. You can also read stories about Frank and Charles’s experiences at sea.

Silhouettes on the wall connect you to Jane Austen’s family tree. If you click on the orange “i”, you get more information about each person. The plus buttons reveal more generations.

Many of these features include audio commentary as well as written commentary. For example, Lizzie Dunford of Jane Austen’s House tells us about the topaz crosses Charles brought back for his sisters.

There are great possibilities for future additions.

An Interview with Inger Brodey

Inger Brodey, who runs the Jane Austen Summer Program, tells us more about the project:

JAW: Inger, what gave you the idea for doing this website?

Inger: I was interested in Austen’s own creative process, and also in countering the myth that she was not well informed in the science and politics of her day. I found a kindred spirit in Sarah Walton, who was a grad student when we started. In the 1990s, both Sarah and I had been enchanted by JK Rowling’s website with clickable, magical elements on her desk to interact with. 

JAW: How is the website being funded?

Inger: We have received two rounds of funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and have applied for more. We intend to create a GoFundMe or Kickstarter campaign to seek private funding to support specific new developments, such as the learning games we have in mind. 

JAW: What are some parts you are excited about adding in the future?

Inger: The current setting is Spring 1813, while [Jane Austen] is writing Mansfield Park. Eventually we hope to add additional settings: for example, Summer or Winter 1814, when she was composing Emma; or Autumn, 1815, when Persuasion was in process. 

JAW: What are some parts that you and your team are finding challenging?

Inger: Well, it all takes much more time to create than one would imagine. We have a great team of programmers and designers, including the wonderful Harriet Wu who has drawn the site by hand. We constantly try to find the sweet spot where we can appeal to both scholars and the general public, and to all ages. Just as with our Jane Austen Summer Program, we also focus on providing tools for educators who wish to bring Jane Austen into the classroom. 

JAW: What other ideas do you have for expansion in the future?

Inger: As you can see on the site, there are many objects with potential to “animate” in the future. We are collaborating with Laura Klein to add music to the piano, Jennie Batchelor for sewing, and have plans for links to weather and agricultural information (via the scene out the window), tea culture (via the kettle), letter writing (via a folded letter), and many more. 

We applied for a grant to develop a state-of-the-art platform for navigating, reading, notating, and analyzing Austen’s novels, including the potential for crowd-sourced editions. 

As long as we can continue to find funding, I think this will be a lifelong project—there is so much potential to grow!

JAW: Thanks, Inger, we look forward to that!

The Desk, the Summer Program, and Online Talks

Gentle readers, I recommend you explore Jane Austen’s Desk. The website has not yet been configured for mobile phones, so you’ll need to access it on your computer or tablet.

When you’ve finished exploring, go back to the main page and take a survey, to possibly win a prize. The survey takes some thought and time, but you will get to give input for what you’d like to see in the future at this very helpful site.

The same Jane Austen Collaborative who created Jane Austen’s Desk also runs the Jane Austen Summer Program. This year it will be held June 19-22, 2025, in North Carolina. The theme is “Sensibility and Domesticity,” exploring “topics including medicine, birth, and domestic arts in Regency England and colonial North Carolina.” They will “focus on Austen’s first published novel, Sense and Sensibility—considering the birth of her career as a published writer as well as taking a transatlantic look at the world into which she was born.” I’m signed up, and would love to see some of you there!

Of course, even if you can’t get to North Carolina, you can always enjoy Jane Austen & Co.’s great offerings online. They are currently exploring Music in the Regency; I enjoyed a recent talk on Women & Musical Education in the Regency Era, by Kathryn Libin. Get on their mailing list for announcements of upcoming events.

They generously provide free access to recordings of their previous talks, on topics including “Austen and the Brontes,” “The Many Flavors of Jane Austen,” “Everyday Science in the Regency,” “Reading with Jane Austen,” “Asia and the Regency,” “Race and the Regency,” and “Staying Home with Jane Austen.” Something for everyone, it seems to me.

So much Jane Austen to enjoy!

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in 19th Century England, Books Jane Austen Read, Jane Austen Resources, Jane Austen's World, Travel | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments »

Reading Miss Austen by Gill Hornby

March 24, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

The new BBC miniseries “Miss Austen”, based on Gill Hornby’s novel of the same name, is currently the focus of much attention worldwide. The series aired in the UK in February and comes to PBS this May. Some of you have maybe already seen the show, depending on where you live, but for those who are waiting for it to air, I am here to say this:

Read the book while you wait!

You won’t regret it. In anticipation of the show, I decided to read Miss Austen by Gill Hornby, fully expecting to dislike it (I’m very picky). But I’m here to report that I loved it! I actually finished it in two days because I could not put it down (which is not easy as a writer with a busy household of teens). The story flows at a slower pace, but Hornby’s style–and the whole world she created–pulled me in and kept me engaged from start to finish.

In the book, an older Cassandra searches for a packet of Jane’s letters that she does not want anyone to ever see or read. As she finds and reads the various letters, we travel back through her memories to visit her younger self. I found myself completely immersed in the real (and imagined) details about Cassandra’s relationship with Tom Fowle (a former pupil of Reverend Austen), the Fowle family, and the Lloyd family.

Overall, the book does tell a sad story because it deals with a fictional retelling of Cassandra’s real-life story, her heartbreaks, her deep affection for her beloved family (many of whom she outlived), the Austens’ move to Bath, Reverend Austen’s death, the Austen women and their search for stability after his death, and Cassandra’s devotion and loyalty to Jane. However, there are many endearing and uplifting themes as well. The writing itself is exquisite.

While Hornby of course employs creative license as a novelist, I was also impressed by the copious amounts of research she must have done to write this book. Though fictional, it acts as a poignant biography of Jane’s sister and best friend. I felt as though I understood Cassandra, and had a deeper understanding of her protectiveness over Jane, by the end of the book. Hornby’s perspective on Jane is intriguing, and her (entirely fictional) character Henry Hobday adds depth to Cassandra’s story.

For those of you that read Miss Austen when it released in 2020, you might enjoy a reread. For those who have never read it, it’s a wonderful way to prepare yourself for the show. And even if you’ve already watched the show, you might like to read it and compare the two.

Book Description

England, 1840. Two decades after the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen returns to the village of Kintbury and the home of her family friends, the Fowles. In a dusty corner of the vicarage, there is a cache of Jane’s letters that Cassandra is desperate to find. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames?

Moving back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra’s vibrant memories of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane’s brilliantly reimagined lost letters, Miss Austen is the untold story of the most important person in Jane’s life. With extraordinary empathy, emotional complexity, and wit, Gill Hornby finally gives Cassandra her due, bringing to life a woman as captivating as any Austen heroine.

(The collection of cover art included in this article is from various editions sold worldwide.)

About the Author

Gill Hornby is the author of Miss Austen, The Hive, and All Together Now, as well as The Story of Jane Austen, a biography of Austen for young readers. Her most recent novel is Godermsham Park, also available from Pegasus Books. She lives in Kintbury, England, with her husband and their four children.

About the Show

Miss Austen takes an historic literary mystery – the notorious burning of Jane Austen’s letters by her sister Cassandra – and reimagines it as a fascinating, witty, and heart-breaking story of sisterly love, while creating in Cassandra a character as captivating as any Austen heroine.

Based on Gill Hornby’s best-selling novel, this period drama brings a fresh and intimate perspective to the Austen sisters’ lives — their joys, heartaches, and the passions that shaped Jane’s iconic novels.

Keeley Hawes (The Durrells in Corfu, Bodyguard, Line of Duty) as the loyal and loving Cassandra leads an ensemble cast that includes Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey) as family friend Isabella Fowle, Patsy Ferran (Living) as young Jane Austen, and Synnøve Karlsen (Bodies) as young Cassy.

PBS Episode Schedule

Premieres: Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 9/8c
Episode 2: Sunday, May 11, 9/8c
Episode 3: Sunday, May 18, 9/8c
Episode 4: Sunday, May 18, 10/9c

Miss Austen, Dutiful Daughter and Sister

I cannot wait to watch the show soon, and I hope to come back to discuss it later this year, but in the meantime, I enjoyed the book immensely. I usually only review nonfiction books here, but I felt that a novel of such high caliber warranted a thorough review, especially in light of the upcoming show. Here’s to celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th year and to enjoying her world more fully!

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in Book review, Cassandra Austen (Jane's Sister), Inspired by Jane Austen, Jane Austen Early Life, Jane Austen Fan Fiction, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's letters, Jane Austen's life, Jane Austen's World, MIss Austen PBS | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments »

St. Paul’s Covent Garden: The Actors’ Church

March 17, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“Edward & I settled that you went to St. Paul’s Covent Garden, on Sunday.”—Jane Austen, letter to Cassandra from Godmersham Park, Oct. 26, 1813

Covent Garden

We’ve been visiting London churches mentioned in Austen’s novels. Now let’s go to one mentioned in her letters. In the fall of 1813, Jane was staying with her brother Edward and his family at Godmersham Park. Cassandra was visiting their brother Henry at 10 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London. He lived in a flat above his bank. (For locations Henry lived in London, see Jane Austen’s Visits to London.) Covent Garden was known for its fruit and vegetable market, as well as, unfortunately, its prostitutes.

Jane Austen’s London offered two official theatres, at Drury Lane and Covent Garden. Both were in the church parish served by St. Paul’s Covent Garden, and Austen saw plays at both. She was planning to see a play at the Covent Garden theatre when she visited Henry a month earlier:

“Fanny and the two little girls are gone to take places for to-night at Covent Garden; “Clandestine Marriage” and “Midas.” The latter will be a fine show for L. and M.” (Lizzie and Marianne)—Sept. 15, 1813 (Fanny was the eldest daughter of Jane’s brother Edward Austen Knight; her mother had died five years earlier. Lizzie and Marianne were Fanny’s younger sisters. Edward was with them but staying at a nearby hotel.)

Jane and Edward assumed Cassandra would go to church at St. Paul’s Covent Garden, since it was Henry’s parish church. Jane probably attended that church herself when any of her visits to Henrietta Street lasted over a Sunday. She and her family regularly attended church on Sundays, wherever they were.

The old Covent Garden Theatre building is at the center of the modern Royal Opera House.

The Actors’ Church

The Covent Garden area today offers more than twenty theatres. St. Paul’s, called “The Actors’ Church,” hosts concerts and plays in the church and in its walled garden. They have an in-house professional theatre company, Iris Theatre. The church’s summer schedule for this year includes Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, along with several Shakespeare productions and children’s shows. To accommodate such events, the church replaced deteriorating Victorian pews with custom-made movable and stackable pews.

Signs announce upcoming shows and services at St. Paul’s Covent Garden, the Actors’ Church.

The inside of the church commemorates famous entertainers wherever you look. Hundreds of plaques adorn the walls of the church, the backs of the pews, and the garden benches and walls.

Wall plaques at St. Paul’s Covent Garden. Vivien Leigh’s is in the top right center.

Some plaques are memorials to the church’s leaders and parishioners, as you would see in other English churches. But most remind visitors of famous people such as Vivien Leigh (star of Gone with the Wind), Boris Karloff (who played Frankenstein’s monster), Thomas Arne (who wrote “Rule, Britannia” around 1740), Sir Charles Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin), and others.

A variety of memorials line the walls of St. Paul’s Covent Garden. The central memorial is to John Bellamy Plowman, his son who died in 1811 at age 17, his son’s wife, and six children who died in infancy. The monument above it is from 1879. The grey and white plaque to the left is to Thomas Arne, “musician and parishioner,” 1710-1778, who wrote the anthem “Rule Britannia.” To the right are three twentieth century plaques, honoring playwright Sir Terence Rattigan; author, composer, and actor Sir Noel Coward; and actor Sir Charles Chaplin. A line of more modern brown plaques is below.

Besides actors and actresses, plaques commemorate dancers, singers, directors, theatre managers, patrons, choreographers, drama teachers, playwrights, and even a “critic, journalist, wit.” One woman is listed as “Actress, Producer, Supernova.” The church charges hefty fees to install these plaques (around £3000 for a plaque on the wall). These fees have kept the church solvent.

Memorials on the backs of pews at St. Paul’s Covent Garden

History

The church was designed by Inigo Jones and consecrated to St. Paul in 1638.

Covent Garden churchyard statue of St. Paul seeing a vision on the road to Damascus.

Jones designed it with a great East Door into the main piazza of Covent Garden. However, that would have put the altar at the west end of the church, which went against Christian tradition. At the last moment, the Bishop of London decreed that the altar had to be in the east end of the church, so the East Door doesn’t open. Entry is through the churchyard, from the sides of the building.

Front of St. Paul’s Covent Garden, with the false door in the center.

Various famous people are buried in the churchyard, including the painter JMW Turner and the first victim of the Great Plague of London, who died in 1665. In the 1850s, Parliament stopped all burials in central London churches. At that time, the headstones were removed and the gardens laid out as they are today.

Lovely garden in the churchyard of St. Paul’s Covent Garden

A fire destroyed much of the church in 1795, but it was rebuilt so that today it is much as Austen would have seen it.

Entrance from the churchyard of St. Paul’s Covent Garden.

Rectors

When Jane Austen was there, Edward Embry was the rector, from 1810-1817. She might have heard him preach, but she does not mention him in her letters. His portrait is in the National Gallery.

The rector who kindly showed us around when we visited was Rev. Simon Grigg, who has been rector since 2006. His bio says “When not in church you will usually find him in a bar, a theatre or the gym.” The assistant rector, Rev. Richard Syms, is a professional actor and theatre manager as well as a priest.

The pulpit of St. Paul’s Covent Garden was designed by Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721) or his students.

Worship

The church offers communion services on Sundays and Wednesdays, and brief Morning Prayer services Tuesday through Friday. Their choir sings Choral Evensong once a month. Rev. Grigg told us that attendance on Sundays is about 50 people, plus those who attend online. The church seats 200.

Chancel of St. Paul’s Covent Garden. Note the camera on the right.

They have larger services for Easter and for midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Of course they also host weddings, baptisms, and funerals. According to their website, “St Paul’s is well known because of its memorial services for members of the theatrical and entertainment community, but we also offer them for the local community.”

Welcome sign to St. Paul’s Covent Garden; text is below.

Inclusion

The church seeks to be inclusive, according to their website and this entry sign:

“We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, straight, gay, confused, well-heeled or down at heel. We especially welcome wailing babies and excited toddlers.

We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or just growl quietly to yourself. You’re welcome here if you’re ‘just browsing’, just woken up or just got out of prison. We don’t care if you’re more Christian than the Archbishop of Canterbury or haven’t been to church since Christmas ten years ago.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome keep-fit mums, football dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters.

We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you are having problems, are down in the dumps, or don’t like ‘organized religion’.

We offer a welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell or are here because granny is visiting and wanted to come to church.

We welcome those who are inked, pierced, both or neither. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down their throats as kids, or got lost in Covent Garden and wound up here by mistake.

We welcome pilgrims, tourists, seekers, doubters, . . . and you!”

No doubt Jane Austen and her family would have felt welcome in the church, especially with their love of the theatre.

All photos in this post ©Brenda S. Cox, 2025

More Information about St. Paul’s Covent Garden

Physical dedications 

Self-Guided Tour, explaining parts of the church and giving prayers 

Visitor Information and schedule of events 

History of the church 

Churches Mentioned by Name in Jane Austen’s Novels

Garrison Chapel

St. Swithin’s, Walcot and other churches in Northanger Abbey

St. George’s, Hanover Square

London Churches in Austen’s Novels

Austen Family Churches

Steventon

Chawton

Deane

Hamstall Ridware and Austen’s First Cousin, Edward Cooper

Adlestrop and the Leigh Family

Stoneleigh Abbey Chapel and Mansfield Park

Great Bookham and Austen’s Godfather, Rev. Samuel Cooke

Ashe and the Lefroy Family

 

Brenda S. Cox is the author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. She also blogs at Faith, Science, Joy, and Jane Austen.

Posted in Anglican Church, Architecture, Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen's World, Religion in Austen's England | Tagged , , | 8 Comments »

A Jane Austen Year: New Book & Podcast Review

March 9, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

One of the releases I’ve most anticipated this year is the new book A Jane Austen Year: Celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen by Jane Austen’s House and the brilliant new A Jane Austen Year Podcast of the same name.

After spending so much time researching and writing my seasonal, month-by-month “A Year in Jane Austen’s World” blog series last year, I knew it was right down my alley. I am happy to report that the information included in this book covers a variety of intriguing topics, recipes, illustrations, and specially commissioned photos. It feels like taking a tour of Jane Austen’s House Museum each month of the year. It is well worth the read!

“Arranged chronologically across the calendar year, this uniquely intimate insight into Jane Austen’s world offers reproductions of her letters, the objects she held dear, the story of how her first novel Pride and Prejudice came to be published and the routines of her everyday life at this idyllic Hampshire cottage. Experience life as Austen did herself, as both the notable writer she was, and also the daughter, sister and friend she remained to those closest to her.”

Published by Pitkin, A Jane Austen Year releases March 11, 2025. I was grateful to receive a digital copy in order to review it before its release.

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE

My Review

First of all, this book makes a beautiful addition to your shelves or coffee table if you’re a book collector or if you like to display your Jane Austen books as part of your home, office, or library decor. I also appreciate that it was put together by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House Museum. Many of the photos and insights come directly from Chawton Cottage, where Jane Austen spent the latter years of her life and writing career, and its collections.

As I read through each month’s offerings in A Jane Austen Year, I enjoyed seeing photographs of Jane Austen’s House Museum during every season and reading through the excerpts from Jane Austen’s letters and novels that pertained to that particular month. Of special note are the recipes for meals, vinegars, and salves, sheet music Jane might have played or heard, costume designs for theater productions of the time, gardening notes and illustrations, photos from the collections held at JAHM, as well as snippets from the film adaptations.

Overall, this is a wonderful book to peruse. I look forward to spending a lot more time with it this year. The photographs are stunning and I can’t wait to delve in deeper with the information provided. Now that I’ve read through the entire book, I plan to go through it month by month for the remainder of the year.

Book Excerpt

“This book is written from Jane Austen’s House in Chawton – one of the most important places in the history of English literature and the development of the novel.

“Here, in this inspiring Hampshire cottage, Jane Austen lived for the last eight years of her life. Here, her genius flourished and she wrote, revised and had published all six of her globally beloved novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

“Today, Jane Austen’s House is a cherished museum with an unparalleled collection of Austen treasures, including items of furniture, paintings and household objects. Visitors can discover Jane’s personal letters and first editions of her novels, items of jewellery, portraits of her friends and family, and the tiny writing table at which she wrote.

“This book brings together some of the precious fragments of Jane Austen’s life story, along with world events that shaped her life and understanding, extracts from her novels and letters, and a range of extraordinary objects held here in the museum’s collection. Dip into it as you will, or go through month by month and enjoy a full year of Jane Austen: her life and writings, people and objects she knew and, of course, her beautiful, inspiring home.”

Book Description

This beautifully illustrated book charts the life of one of the world’s most beloved authors through the letters, objects, and manuscripts that shaped her life.

Published in partnership with the curators of Jane Austen’s House, the enchanting Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen’s genius flourished that now attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Arranged over the course of a calendar year, from snowy scenes in January to festive recipes in December, specially commissioned photography of Austen’s home and possessions are brought together with extracts from her books, reproductions of her letters, and stories of her life throughout the seasons. Highlights include the first time Austen read a published copy of Pride and Prejudice to an enraptured audience in her drawing room, affectionate letters to her sister Cassandra reproduced in full and an exquisite miniature portrait of Tom Lefroy, the man she nearly married.

Read this book for a unique and intimate insight into Austen’s world. Dip into it as you will, or visit each month, and enjoy a full year of Austen—her life, works and letters, people and objects she knew, and of course her idyllic, inspiring home.

A Jane Austen Year Podcast

Jane Austen’s House has also released a delightful new podcast to accompany the book. There is a new installment each month! You can listen in HERE.

The A Jane Austen Year podcast is a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. It is created and recorded at Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire – “the most treasured Austen site in the world.”

For those who haven’t listened yet, I must say that I find this podcast absolutely delightful! It is chock-full of wonderful information about Jane Austen, her writing, her family, her world, and Chawton Cottage. The music, narration, and production make this podcast one of the most soothing and gentle podcasts I’ve heard in a long time. I can’t wait for the next installment!

Podcast Details

A Jane Austen Year transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, the idyllic Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her globally beloved novels – now a beloved museum.

Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with readings and sounds recorded in the House itself.

Each episode is recorded by the people who work at Jane Austen’s House, caring for this special place and protecting it for future generations. January, for example, is voiced by: Lizzie Dunford, Jenny Durrant, Jessica Halmshaw, Amelia Harvell,Sophie Reynolds, Rebecca Wood – with a guest appearance by Dominic Gerrard.

I highly recommend both the book and the podcast. If I could travel to Chawton again this summer, that would be the pinnacle of my Jane Austen year, but these new productions are an absolute gift from Jane Austen’s House Museum. I’m sure it’s been a massive undertaking, and I am grateful!

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling and award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Book review, Chawton Cottage, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's life, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

London Churches in Austen’s Novels

February 27, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

by Brenda S. Cox

“My dear child, commend Dr. Grant to the deanery of Westminster or St. Paul’s, and I should be as glad of your nurseryman and poulterer as you could be.”—Mrs. Grant to Mary Crawford, Mansfield Park, chapter 22

Churches Mentioned in Mansfield Park

Four real churches are mentioned in Mansfield Park, which talks extensively about the church and clergy. I’ve written about the Garrison Chapel, where the Prices and Henry Crawford went to church. A few days ago, I posted about a church in London, St. George’s, Hanover Square, the wedding venue that Mary Crawford wants to show Fanny. 

Two more real London churches are mentioned in Mansfield Park. Mrs. Grant speaks of the two most well-known churches in England, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Mary Crawford tells her sister to greet the nurseryman (who took care of plants) and the poulterer (who provided poultry), but her sister tells her there are no such people in Mansfield. The Grants will need to move to the big city to get such help. She hopes that someone will “commend Dr. Grant to the deanery of Westminster or St. Paul’s,” so they can move to London.

The “deanery” is the office of the dean, the head clergyman of a major church.

Mrs. Grant finally gets that opportunity:

“Dr. Grant, through an interest on which he had almost ceased to form hopes, succeeded to a stall in Westminster, which, as affording an occasion for leaving Mansfield, an excuse for residence in London, and an increase of income to answer the expenses of the change, was highly acceptable to those who went and those who staid.”— Mansfield Park, chapter 48

Dr. Grant, as he had hoped, moves up in the church hierarchy to a prestigious church.  He’s been the rector of a small country church at Mansfield Park. He will still receive the tithe income from that church until he dies, when Edmund will become rector. But Dr. Grant has connections to people with influence who can get him a higher church position. The church worked much like the Navy, where Henry Crawford’s uncle, the Admiral, gets William Price a promotion.

Westminster Abbey

One of Dr. Grant’s friends, or more likely a friend of a friend, gets him a “stall in Westminster,” meaning a position as a prebendary. A prebendary was a church official who sat in a prebendal stall, a seat of honor in the church. The position came with income from a “prebend,” specific church possessions.

Stalls in Westminster Abbey, 1908. Image Credit: Rev. Thomas Davidson 1856-1923 (ed.), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Westminster Abbey is, of course, the church in London where monarchs are crowned, as King Charles III was not long ago. All English coronations have taken place there since 1066. It is not a cathedral or a parish church. Instead it is a “Royal Peculiar,” with a dean like other large churches, but under the direct supervision of the monarch rather than a bishop or archbishop.

Westminster Abbey in London, a “Royal Peculiar” directly under the Crown. Credit: Σπάρτακος, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Westminster Abbey is also, of course, a place where many famous people are buried and memorialized. While Jane Austen is buried in Winchester Cathedral, there is a small plaque commemorating her in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey, adjacent to Shakespeare’s memorial.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

St. Paul’s Cathedral, the other place where Dr. Grant hoped to get a position, is the cathedral of the diocese of London. (A diocese is a geographical group of parishes, led by a bishop, whose “seat” is at the cathedral for the diocese.) The history of the church reflects the history of London.

One interesting fact: women were first ordained as priests in the Church of England in 1994, and St. Paul’s first clergywoman was appointed in 1997. Now the Lord Bishop of London is a woman, installed in 2018, with her seat, of course, at St. Paul’s. She is called the Right Reverend and Right Honorable Dame Sarah Mullally, and she is a member of the House of Lords. No doubt Jane Austen would be amazed.

St. Paul’s Cathedral, image ©Brenda S. Cox, 2025

St. Clement’s in Pride and Prejudice

One more London church is mentioned in Jane Austen’s novels. In Pride and Prejudice, Lydia tells her sisters,

“We were married you know, at St. Clement’s, because Wickham’s lodgings were in that parish. And it was settled that we should all be there by eleven o’clock.” 

We don’t know for sure which St. Clement’s in London Austen has in mind. An old nursery rhyme goes, “Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement’s,” and two churches claim to be the St. Clement’s in the rhyme.

It seems most likely that Austen was referring to St. Clement Danes in the Strand, which served a large parish. The parish included areas of cheap lodgings and less savory areas, where Wickham could have afforded lodgings. It was also some distance from Gracechurch Street where the Gardiners lived, better concealing Wickham and Lydia from her family. (Source: Pat Rogers, editor of the Cambridge Pride and Prejudice.)

Another option, according to Rogers, is St. Clement’s Eastcheap on the east side of Clement’s Lane. However, this was a tiny parish only a block from Gracechurch Street, so was less likely to be the parish Wickham chose to lodge in.

The rhyme goes on to talk about not being able to pay a debt until one gets rich, at some unknown future time. Quite appropriate for Wickham, who was deep in debt but always hoping to get rich. 

St. Clement Danes in the Strand, possible location for Lydia and Wickham’s wedding. Image credit: Stephen Richards / St Clement Danes, Strand / CC BY-SA 2.0

Faith in London Today

Another surprise for Jane Austen: In Mansfield Park, Edmund Bertram states, “We do not look in great cities for our best morality.” He implies that there was more virtue in the countryside and more vice in London. That was probably true in Austen’s time, according to all I have read.

However, a survey a few years ago indicated that the opposite is now true: “London is now more religious and socially conservative than the rest of Britain.” According to that survey, Londoners pray more, attend religious services more, and are more conservative on moral questions than those outside London. Also, Christian Londoners help their neighbours and give to charity more than non-religious Londoners. Of course, London is also a diverse religious environment, with people practicing various religious faiths, which are less common outside of the capital.

The London churches Austen mentions in Mansfield Park are still thriving.

Other churches mentioned by name in Jane Austen’s novels and letters

Garrison Chapel

St. Swithin’s, Walcot and other churches in Northanger Abbey

St. George’s, Hanover Square

St. Paul’s, Covent Garden: Actors’ Church

Austen Family Churches

Steventon

Chawton

Deane

Hamstall Ridware and Austen’s First Cousin, Edward Cooper

Adlestrop and the Leigh Family

Stoneleigh Abbey Chapel and Mansfield Park

Great Bookham and Austen’s Godfather, Rev. Samuel Cooke

Ashe and the Lefroy Family

Posted in 19th Century London, Anglican Church, Georgian London, Jane Austen's World, Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, Regency London | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

St George’s, Hanover Square and Mansfield Park

February 24, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“. . . perhaps you would not mind passing through London, and seeing the inside of St. George’s, Hanover Square. Only keep your cousin Edmund from me at such a time: I should not like to be tempted.”—Mary Crawford, Mansfield Park, chapter 43

Mansfield Park includes much more discussion of the church than any other Austen novel. Not surprisingly, it also names more real churches than the other novels do.

In an earlier post we explored the Garrison Chapel, where Fanny Price and her family worship in Portsmouth. Henry Crawford attends with them on his visit. Perhaps this symbolizes his attempts to reform himself and become worthy of Fanny; attempts that ultimately fail.

Remains of the Garrison Chapel in Portsmouth where the Prices and Henry Crawford worshiped.

Henry’s sister Mary names another real church in a letter to Fanny. She wants Fanny to let her and Henry take Fanny back to Mansfield from Portsmouth, where Fanny has been staying with her family. Fanny is unhappy and unhealthy, but will not commit the impropriety of going back to Mansfield Park before her uncle sends for her. Mary wants to take Fanny to see Henry’s estate and then pass through London on the way to Mansfield.

She suggests visiting St. George’s, Hanover Square. This was a popular church for weddings among the upper classes of London. Mary hopes Fanny will marry Henry there. At the same time, Mary says it might tempt her to marry Edmund. She doesn’t want to marry a clergyman, or a second son who will not inherit an estate, but she is attracted to Edmund.

St. George’s Hanover Square exterior. According to the church website, “The classical front with six great Corinthian columns supporting a pediment represented a new trend in English Church design.”

St. George’s, Hanover Square Today

During a recent visit to London, I had the privilege of worshiping at St. George’s, Hanover Square on a Sunday morning. The service was a Sung Eucharist, a Communion service in traditional language, with beautiful singing from the choir and impressive organ music. During the service, the congregation renewed their baptismal vows.

St. George’s Hanover Square interior. The painting of the Last Supper over the altar, and the surrounding carvings, were installed in 1724. The seven silver hanging lights in the church represent the seven lamps of fire burning before God’s throne, according to the book of Revelation in the Bible.

The church also offers brief midday services from the Book of Common Prayer on weekdays and several other Communion services during the week. Weekday “Morning Calm” services are held during termtime, as “a short period of reflection, contemplation, and relaxation before the challenges of the day begin.”

Nowadays the area around Hanover Square is mostly offices and businesses. I was told that most people in the current congregation live farther away, since few people live close to the church now.

The signboard for St. George’s Hanover Square lists services, extensive opening hours, and rules such as no drugs in the church and no sleeping on pews.

Wealthy Mayfair

Hanover Square is in Mayfair. In Austen’s England, many wealthy people had large houses in Mayfair or surrounding areas. In Sense and Sensibility, the Palmers live in Hanover Square, while the Middletons, Mrs. Ferrars, and Willoughby live nearby in Mayfair. Mrs. Jennings and John and Fanny Dashwood live in Marylebone, an area just north of Mayfair. It developed when Mayfair could no longer accommodate all those who wanted fashionable, elegant housing. (Source: The Annotated Sense and Sensibility, David Shapard.)

St. George’s is the parish church of Mayfair, where the wealthy worshiped. In 1711, Parliament had passed an Act for the building of fifty new churches in and around London. The wealthy of Mayfair petitioned for a church, which was completed in 1725. The patron saint of the church is St. George, a Christian martyr of the third century who is also the patron saint of England.

Rectors of St. George’s Hanover Square during Austen’s time and thereafter. Some held other influential church positions as well.

The parish was large, with a vestry of 101 vestrymen. These included 7 dukes, 14 earls, 7 barons, and 26 other titled people. A vestry, led by the church’s rector and churchwardens, decides matters relating to the church and the secular parish. (Mr. Knightley, Mr. Weston, Mr. Cole, and Mr. Cox are apparently on the vestry for their parish, as they are “busy over parish business” in Emma.) The St. George’s, Hanover Square vestry dealt with local issues including street lighting, refuse disposal, nightwatchmen, and a workhouse for the poor.

St. George’s Hanover Square eagle lectern. Many churches of Austen’s time had lecterns similar to this, where the Bible was read to the congregation. (The eagle symbolized the Word of God because supposedly it could fly directly into the sun without closing its eyes, so it was like the Bible, leading people to God with eyes open. Eagles’ wings also symbolized carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth.)
Pulpit of St. George’s, Hanover Square

Rich and Poor

While the wealthy owned mansions in the area, most spent only the winter in London, passing the rest of the year on their country estates. The back alleys behind the mansions teemed with poverty and misery year-round. In the early 1800s, the Evangelical movement began to awaken the church to the needs of the poor. St. George’s established a parish school for poor children in 1804, supported by public subscriptions. Later in the century, the church initiated and supported extensive projects to help the working classes of the area.

But the wealthy ran the church in Austen’s time. Around the gallery (balcony) are listed the churchwardens, year by year. Anglican churches generally have two elected churchwardens, responsible for financial accounts, movable property of the church, keeping order, and other administrative responsibilities. The churchwardens listed on St. George’s galleries for the 1700s and early 1800s sound impressive: Viscounts, Earls, Lords, Sirs, Honorables, and Esquires.

St. George’s Hanover Square balcony listing early churchwardens. Many were titled men.

Music

The composer George Friderick Handel lived about a four minute walk from the church. He helped choose the organ and organist for the new church. He had a pew there and worshiped at St. George’s until he died. He wrote the Messiah in his house nearby on Brook Street, which is now a museum.

St. George’s Hanover Square organ pipes; a new organ was installed in 1972. The original organ had 1514 pipes and three manuals (keyboards for the hands). It cost £500 in 1725.

Weddings

Since it was at the heart of the wealthy district, St. George’s, Hanover Square was the popular place for weddings of the wealthy and influential. In 1816, the church hosted 1,063 weddings! Famous people including Percy Bysshe Shelley, Benjamin Disraeli, George Eliot (Mary Lewes), and Theodore Roosevelt were married at St. George’s. Mary Crawford was likely staying near there with her wealthy London friends, and she may have attended church there. So it was the first place she thought of for her own and her brother’s weddings. It is still a popular venue for weddings, though not as much so as in Austen’s time.

On Thursday, we’ll look at the other two real churches mentioned in Mansfield Park, the two most famous churches in England. Do you know which ones they are? We’ll also consider which London church Lydia and Wickham married in!

All images above ©Brenda S. Cox, 2025.

Churches mentioned by name in Jane Austen’s novels and letters

Garrison Chapel

St. Swithin’s, Walcot and other churches in Northanger Abbey

London Churches in Austen’s Novels

St. George’s, Hanover Square

St. Paul’s, Covent Garden: Actors’ Church

Austen Family Churches

Steventon

Chawton

Deane

Hamstall Ridware and Austen’s First Cousin, Edward Cooper

Adlestrop and the Leigh Family

Stoneleigh Abbey Chapel and Mansfield Park

Great Bookham and Austen’s Godfather, Rev. Samuel Cooke

Ashe and the Lefroy Family

Posted in Anglican Church, Churches of the Austen family, Georgian London, Jane Austen's religion, Jane Austen's World, Mansfield Park, Regency London, Sense and Sensibility | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

Book Review: Jane Austen Visual Encyclopedia

February 20, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

One of the most beautiful new books available for Jane Austen fans this year is the Jane Austen: Visual Encyclopedia by French authors Claire Saim and Gwen Giret. With sumptuous artwork throughout and gorgeous illustrations by Sophie Koechlin, this is one of the most extensive catalogs of the Jane Austen fandom I’ve seen in recent years.

It’s a showstopper and conversation-starter that you’ll want to keep on your coffee table indefinitely. While the sticker price is a bit steep (currently on sale on Amazon), this beautiful book is an investment many Jane Austen fans and book collectors will want to make. 

Available Now
Order HERE

Book Review

As I explored this gorgeous new collectible book, I felt as though I was immersed in the entire world of Austen’s life, novels, and film adaptations. It’s a rich compilation of all-things-Austen for the dedicated Austen fan. It’s a one-stop book for everything you could ever hope to know about Austen, and it’s rare to see so many photos, articles, and illustrations in one place. It is not a scholarly book or a research tool, as it sticks more to the more popular aspects of Austen’s legacy, but it is delightful all the same.

Most of all, this book provides an expansive introduction to the enduring popularity of Jane Austen. It makes a wonderful gift for new Austen fans who have recently discovered the films or books. For fans of the film adaptations, it has many interesting tidbits about the various films throughout.

This is the book I would have wanted to read in college or in my grad school years when my Austen addiction truly took hold of me. I read dozens of books about her and watched as many documentaries as I could find during my early “Jane years,” but this has everything in one place.

Lastly, I cannot say enough about the actual look and feel of this book. When it arrived, wrapped in plastic, I was impressed. Once I opened it, it was even more stunning than I expected. It has a nice heavy feel to it, but you can still hold it comfortably in your lap, unlike larger coffee-table books. It’s definitely a book people will pick up if they see it displayed, which is what I’m planning to do!

Book Description

From her beloved family and her romantic escapades to her literary adventures and her enduring popular culture influence, experience the life and legacy of Jane Austen in this full-colour, beautifully illustrated, definitive 312-page encyclopedia.

Bursting with over 200 photographs and illustrations, explore Jane Austen’s work, which consists of six completed novels, two incomplete novels, letters and early writings. From the written word to the screen, from adaptations to secrets and filming locations, this book invites you on a fascinating journey of discovery through Austen’s writing.

Want to walk in the footsteps of Jane Austen, dressing in Regency style or simply enjoying a delicious afternoon tea? This coffee-table book features a beautiful gold-foiled cover and is perfect gift for fans of Jane Austen, her works and their enduring legacy.

Book Outline:

  • PART 1: Jane Austen, a woman of her time
    • Essays on Jane Austen, her family, friends and potential lovers
    • Illustrations and photos from across Jane’s beloved England
    • Researchers discuss Jane Austen’s appearance
  • PART II: The world of Jane Austen
    • A complete chronology of Jane Austen’s work
    • The historical and fictional backgrounds to iconic characters such as Elizabeth Bennet, the Dashwoods, and Mr Darcy
    • Filming locations and production secrets from over 30 adaptations
    • The unfinished novels and how they were eventually published
    • Expert analysis of early works and other writings
  • PART III: Jane Austen’s legacy
    • A comprehensive guide to the best Austen festivals
    • Details on the famous museums and collections dedicated to Jane Austen
    • From postage stamps to Funko-Pops Jane’s indelible influence

About the Authors

This book was lovingly compiled by Claire Saim and Gwen Giret (French authors), Sophie Koechlin (illustrator, French writer, painter & designer, and Hermès scarf designer), Lizzie Dunford (contributor and current Director at Jane Austen’s House Museum), and Helen Moss (translator).

Claire Saim, deeply in love with everything English, from literature to history and culture – including scones, obviously – she has been a devoted Janeite for many years. Always looking around Paris in search of whatever could be a reminder of her dear Great Britain, she shares her adventures on Instagram @jane_austen_france_. Based in France.

Gwen Giret, Jane Austen is a long-time passion of hers which led her to create a blog titled Jane Austen and her world. Her favourite things include travelling through the Pride and Prejudice author’s footsteps, reading all about Captain Wentworth and eating tons of clotted cream. Based in France.

Book Interior

If you’d like to take a tour of the interior of the book, you can watch this lovely video posted by the Jane Austen Centre: 

Celebrating 250 Years of Jane

This book is a true testament to Austen’s timelessness and enduring legacy. Her life and work only become more popular with each passing year. It’s a comfort for many Austen fans to read about her life or sit down with one of her novels and slip into her world.

As we work our way through the many new books released and releasing in honor of Jane Austen’s 250th year, there is so much more to come! We have books to read and new shows to watch. What could be more delightful than a Year of Austen in books and on screen?

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns! You can visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com or on Instagram @KindredSpiritBooks.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Book review, Georgian London, Inspired by Jane Austen, Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen in the modern world, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's Influences, Jane Austen's life, Jane Austen's World, Popular culture, Regency Life | 5 Comments »

A Jane Austen Valentine

February 14, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

It’s “Heart Day,” and those of us here at JAW are dreaming of what it might be like to celebrate Valentine’s Day in the Regency Era with Jane and her best and silliest characters.

Valentine’s Day has a long history, and it dates back far beyond Jane Austen’s lifetime. For those interested in learning more about the history of Valentine’s Day or what Valentine’s Day looked like during the Regency era, here are several articles to peruse, most by our Vic:

  • History of Valentine’s Day: Initially, Valentines were usually handmade and given anonymously. During the 1800s much larger hand-painted copperplates molded in the shape of hearts replaced paper e-cards. You can read more HERE.
  • Ophelia’s Valentine’s Song: Jane Austen would certainly have known Ophelia’s Song, written by William Shakespeare in the 16th century. You can read it HERE.
  • Valentine’s Day in Jane Austen’s Day: By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. You can read about it HERE.
  • Valentine Puzzle Purse, 1816: View a “puzzle purse” dated back to February 14, 1816! You can read about it HERE.
Valentine puzzle purse, February 14, 1816. Image by Nancy Rosin.

Be Mine, Austen Edition

And now for a reprise of a set of Austen-Themed Valentine’s created for your enjoyment! Perhaps you’ll send a few to a friend and have a good laugh together over Austen’s sense of humor:

True Romantics

And finally, a few beautiful quotes from Austen’s best literary moments for the true romantics among us. These are absolutely swoon-worthy and worth sending to a special someone:

A very Happy Valentine’s Day to you, from all of us here at Jane Austen’s World! May your day be filled with love, laughter, and good books!

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling author of The Little Women Devotional, The Anne of Green Gables Devotional and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Now Available: The Secret Garden Devotional! You can visit Rachel online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in Holiday, Jane Austen's World, Regency Customs, Regency Life, Regency society, Valentine's Day | 2 Comments »

Walcot Church in Northanger Abbey and in Austen’s Family

January 27, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

by Brenda S. Cox

“Hot! He [John Thorpe’s horse] had not turned a hair till we came to Walcot Church; but look at his forehand; look at his loins; only see how he moves; that horse cannot go less than ten miles an hour: tie his legs and he will get on.”–John Thorpe, Northanger Abbey, chapter 7

“Walcot Church” in Bath is one of several real churches that Jane Austen mentions in her novels. This particular church is closely connected to Jane Austen’s family. Austen made several visits to Bath and lived there for some years, so she knew Bath and its churches and chapels well.

As we’re celebrating Jane Austen’s life this year, we remember that church was an important part of her life. We’ve already looked at some of the churches she attended: St. Nicholas’ at Steventon, where she went as a child, St. Nicholas’ at Chawton, which she attended during the years she was writing most of her novels, and others (see links at the end of those posts).

St. Swithin’s Walcot in Bath. Completed in 1790, externally it is still much as it was when Jane Austen saw it.

“Walcot Church”

Walcot Church is the parish church of Walcot, right on the London Road coming into Bath. So it would have marked Thorpe’s arrival at the town. Wealthy and influential people worshipped there during the nineteenth century, so this may also be an indirect boast, as Thorpe tries to connect himself with a prestigious place.

A parish church can be called by the name of the parish or by the name of its patron saint. The patron saint of this church is St. Swithin, so the church is St. Swithin’s Walcot. St. Swithin (also spelled Swithun) was an Anglo-Saxon bishop. The patron saint of Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen is buried, is also St. Swithin.

Many “monuments”–the plaques on the walls–commemorate wealthy and influential people who have worshipped at St. Swithin’s Walcot through the years. In Northanger Abbey, Catherine contemplates a similar monument to General Tilney’s wife at the fictional Northanger parish church.

St. Swithin

St. Swithin was associated with various miracles. He came to be connected mostly with the weather. July 15 is St. Swithin’s Day (each saint has a day associated with him or her in the church calendar, usually the day of their death). According to tradition, if it rains on St. Swithun’s day, it will rain for the next forty days, but if it’s clear that day, it will be clear for forty days.

Just before she died, Jane Austen wrote a humorous poem in which St. Swithin threatens Winchester race-goers with rain because they have forgotten him.

Interior of St. Swithin’s Walcot Church today. The stained glass window was first added in 1841 and replaced in 1958 after it was shattered in World War II. It portrays Christ ascending into heaven, surrounded by his disciples. Modern seating on the main floor, rather than pews, allows the church to host a variety of events.

Austen’s Parents’ Wedding

How was the Austen family connected with St. Swithin’s?

Jane’s father, George Austen, studied at Oxford University. He eventually became an assistant chaplain, then a proctor (in charge of student discipline), called “the Handsome Proctor.” At some point he met Cassandra Leigh, niece of the Master of Balliol College at Oxford. Cassandra was the daughter of a clergyman. Her father eventually retired and moved with his family to Bath. After he died, Cassandra Leigh agreed to marry George Austen, and they were married on April 2, 1764, at St. Swithin’s Church. The register states that Cassandra was living in Walcot parish, while George was in the parish of Steventon in Hampshire. Cassandra’s mother came to the wedding, and her brother, James Leigh-Perrot, and her sister, Jane Leigh, signed as witnesses. George was 32 and Cassandra was 24. They were married by license, presumably a common license, not by banns. 

By then George Austen had been ordained and gained the living of Steventon, through his relatives. The young couple went straight to Hampshire, where they rented the parsonage at Deane while the Steventon parsonage was prepared. Of course, Jane Austen was born in 1775 in that Steventon parsonage.

Copy of the entry in the marriage register for George and Cassandra Austen, married at St. Swithin’s Walcot on April 26, 1764.
Another famous wedding at St. Swithin’s Walcot: William and Barbara Wilberforce were married there on May 30, 1797, after a six-week whirlwind courtship in Bath. Wilberforce led the fight against the trade in enslaved people and slavery.

George Austen’s Death

In 1801, George Austen left his Steventon parish to his son’s care and moved to Bath with his wife and two daughters, as his wife’s father had done much earlier. In 1805, George Austen died there. He was buried at St. Swithin’s, where you can still see his grave. Jane Austen wrote to her brother Frank, on Jan. 21 and 22, 1805:

“Our dear Father has closed his virtuous & happy life, in a death almost as free from suffering as his Children could have wished. . . . We have lost an Excellent Father. . . .The funeral is to be on Saturday, at Walcot Church. . . . [his body] preserves the sweet, benevolent smile which always distinguished him.” 

Jane did not have a suitor waiting in the wings (as her father had been waiting for her mother in a similar situation). She and her mother and sisters had to depend on her brothers for financial help after her father died.

George Austen’s grave at St. Swithin’s Walcot. He died Jan. 21, 1805. The inscription on the gravestone is worn and hard to read. It identifies him as the rector of Steventon and Deane, who died age 75 (meaning, in his 75th year). The newer brown plaque, added in 2000, adds information about his daughter Jane Austen and her residence in Bath.
The author Fanny Burney, Jane Austen’s contemporary, is buried and commemorated nearby.

Did Austen ever attend church at St. Swithin’s? I’ve written another post exploring where she may have gone to church and chapel in Bath. It’s likely that she went to St. Swithin’s when she was visiting her aunt and uncle Leigh-Perrot who lived on the Paragon in Bath. That’s the edge of Walcot parish. The church is a steep walk uphill from their home. Later on, when Jane lived in Bath, she more likely went to chapels closer to her family’s various lodgings.

St. Swithin’s is a busy, thriving church today, with many activities going on. Some events of the Jane Austen Festival last fall took place there. The Charles Simeon Trust, started in 1836 by Evangelical clergyman Charles Simeon, is a patron of St. Swithin’s, as well as of Bath Abbey.

Other Churches Mentioned in Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey refers to four other real churches or chapels, more obliquely.

Thorpe says he bought his gig from a “Christchurch man.” He is referring to one of the colleges at Oxford University. Oxford and Cambridge are made up of semiautonomous colleges, and a student’s studies were mostly at his own college. Christ Church is a college at Oxford, and its college chapel is also Christ Church Cathedral for the diocese of Oxford. Thorpe shows a cavalier attitude toward “Christchurch” as well as toward everything else.

(A cathedral is the seat of a bishop, who leads a diocese made up of a number of parishes. A parish is a geographical area which was generally served by one main church, like the parishes that Edward Ferrars and Mr. Collins serve.)

Catherine and Isabella expect to worship together in a chapel in Bath; Austen doesn’t tell us which one. It may have been the Octagon Chapel, which would have been convenient to both of them.

Northanger Abbey also indirectly refers to Bath Abbey. Twice the “church-yard” in the center of Bath comes up. The two young men Catherine and Isabella are following go “towards the church-yard,” and later Catherine trips “lightly through the church-yard” to go make her apologies to the Tilneys. This would be the church-yard of Bath Abbey, in the center of Bath. Roger E. Moore, in Jane Austen and the Reformation, argues that Austen purposely did not name the abbey, which was historically the spiritual center of the town. She may have wanted to critique the fact that Bath in her time was a place of pursuing shallow entertainment rather than deeper spirituality.

Near the end of the novel, Catherine is headed home. She looks out for the “well-known spire” of Salisbury. This is ancient Salisbury Cathedral, which has the tallest cathedral spire in England. Her father’s parish is in Salisbury diocese.

While Jane Austen invents country parishes for her characters, she also connects them with spiritual places in the real world.

Bath Abbey towers above the city of Bath. It is not mentioned by name in Northanger Abbey, though its church-yard is mentioned.

All images above ©Brenda S. Cox, 2025

Austen includes real-life churches in her novels, such as Salisbury Cathedral, with the highest spire in England. This is Catherine Morland’s landmark as she heads home.
Photo by Diego Delso, CC-BY-SA license.

Real Churches in Austen’s Novels and Letters

Garrison Chapel

St. Swithin’s, Walcot and other churches in Northanger Abbey

St. George’s, Hanover Square

London Churches

St. Paul’s, Covent Garden: Actors’ Church

Austen Family Churches

Steventon

Chawton

Deane

Hamstall Ridware and Austen’s First Cousin, Edward Cooper

Adlestrop and the Leigh Family

Stoneleigh Abbey Chapel and Mansfield Park

Great Bookham and Austen’s Godfather, Rev. Samuel Cooke

Ashe and the Lefroy Family

Posted in Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen in Bath, Jane Austen's World, Religion in Austen's England | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Jane Austen’s Bookshelf

January 20, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

In honor of our year-long celebration of 250 years of Jane Austen’s life and novels, I have compiled a list of new books you can add to your personal library each month. My selection this month is a much-anticipated book by Rebecca Romney, rare book specialist, titled Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend.

Romney’s new book provides Janeites with a brand-new perspective on the female authors Jane Austen would have read during her lifetime. The very fact that Romney is a rare book specialist caught my eye! While many of the authors she highlights are known to us, this book takes a deeper look at their works and the reasons why their novels are unknown to the general public.

Release Date: February 18, 2025
Pre-order: HERE

Book Description

From rare book dealer and guest star of the hit show Pawn Stars Rebecca Romney comes a page-turning literary adventure that introduces readers to the women writers who inspired Jane Austen—and investigates why their books have disappeared from our shelves.

Long before she was a rare book dealer, Rebecca Romney was a devoted reader of Jane Austen. She loved that Austen’s books took the lives of women seriously, explored relationships with wit and confidence, and always, allowed for the possibility of a happy ending. She read and reread them, often wishing Austen wrote just one more.

But Austen wasn’t a lone genius. She wrote at a time of great experimentation for women writers—and clues about those women, and the exceptional books they wrote, are sprinkled like breadcrumbs throughout Austen’s work. Every character in Northanger Abbey who isn’t a boor sings the praises of Ann Radcliffe. The play that causes such a stir in Mansfield Park is a real one by the playwright Elizabeth Inchbald. In fact, the phrase “pride and prejudice” came from Frances Burney’s second novel Cecilia. The women that populated Jane Austen’s bookshelf profoundly influenced her work; Austen looked up to them, passionately discussed their books with her friends, and used an appreciation of their books as a litmus test for whether someone had good taste. So where had these women gone? Why hadn’t Romney—despite her training—ever read them? Or, in some cases, even heard of them? And why were they no longer embraced as part of the wider literary canon?

Jane Austen’s Bookshelf investigates the disappearance of Austen’s heroes—women writers who were erased from the Western canon—to reveal who they were, what they meant to Austen, and how they were forgotten. Each chapter profiles a different writer including Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Lennox, Charlotte Smith, Hannah More, Elizabeth Inchbald, Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi, and Maria Edgeworth—and recounts Romney’s experience reading them, finding rare copies of their works, and drawing on connections between their words and Austen’s. Romney collects the once-famed works of these forgotten writers, physically recreating Austen’s bookshelf and making a convincing case for why these books should be placed back on the to-be-read pile of all book lovers today. Jane Austen’s Bookshelf will encourage you to look beyond assigned reading lists, question who decides what belongs there, and build your very own collection of favorite novels.

About the Author

Rebecca Romney is a rare book dealer and the cofounder of Type Punch Matrix, a rare book company based in Washington, DC. She is the rare books specialist on the HISTORY Channel’s show Pawn Stars, and the cofounder of the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize. She is a generalist rare book dealer, handling works in all fields, from first editions of Jane Austen to science fiction paperbacks. Romney is the author of Printer’s Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History (with JP Romney)and The Romance Novel in English: A Survey in Rare Books, 1769­–1999. Her work as a bookseller or writer has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Forbes, Variety, The Paris Review, and more. In 2019, she was featured in the documentary on the rare book trade, The Booksellers. She is on the Board of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA) and the faculty of the Antiquarian Book Seminar (CABS-Minnesota).

Expertise In Rare Books

Rebecca Romney has been in the rare book trade since 2007, when she was hired by Bauman Rare Books for their new location in Las Vegas. In 2010, she became manager of that gallery. She eventually moved to Philadelphia to manage the central operations of the firm, where she also handled the acquisition of libraries and oversaw catalogue production. After a stint at the Brooklyn-based Honey & Wax Booksellers (where she co-founded a book collecting prize), she founded her own rare book firm, Type Punch Matrix.

Rebecca is on the board of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), the Council of the Bibliographical Society of America (BSA), and on the board and faculty of the Antiquarian Book Seminars. She is a member of the Grolier Club, the Association Internationale de Bibliophilie (AIB), the American Antiquarian Society (AAS), and the Baker Street Irregulars (BSI).

January New Release

While you’re waiting for Rebecca’s new book to arrive, if you’re looking for something brand-new for January, look no further!

Canterbury Classics released a refreshed Word Cloud Classics edition of Pride and Prejudice just last week. Featuring colorful sprayed edges and a heat-burnished cover with foil stamping, this edition of Pride and Prejudice is a stylish addition to your bookshelves!

Jane Austen Must-Reads for 2025

This is just the start of a wonderful journey. Many authors and publishers are coming out with new projects this year to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th year. I am excited to explore all the options, learn a lot more about Austen, and expand my library this year. If I could attend some of the events in England this year, I would, but until then, I’ll live vicariously through online events and new books! What are you looking forward to most during this year-long celebration?

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, The Secret Garden Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns! You can visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com or on Instagram @KindredSpiritBooks.

Posted in 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Book review, Books Jane Austen Read, Jane Austen's Influences, Jane Austen's World, Pride and Prejudice Review, What Jane Austen Read | 7 Comments »

Celebrating 250 years since Jane Austen’s birth –The Georgian Era, hospitality, empire, & the formation of British identities through food

January 13, 2025 by Vic

Inquiring readers, 

Throughout 2025, our team – Vic Sanborn, Rachel Dodge, and Brenda Cox – will celebrate events and historical details during Jane Austen’s life (including the years just before and after).This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth on December 16th, 1775. She lived her short life during King George III’s reign. (Austen died in 1817, aged 41; the king died in 1820, aged 81.) Jane Austen Society organizations around the world will, in the next twelve months, mark this important year with their own celebrations and acknowledgments of her life and the events that influenced her talents. 

Most of us who have read about dining during the Georgian era learned about 18th C. dining etiquette largely through novels, films, and television shows that featured fabulous Aristocratic settings in high-ceilinged dining rooms, liveried servants at the ready to serve or take away plates, and tables laden with food in fine silver or porcelain dishes. 

Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s dinner for Elisabeth Bennet and Mr Collins and Charlotte. Screen shot taken by Vic Sanborn

But how was British food celebrated among the other classes? How did British empire building affect what it meant to be British in terms of food tastes? Both of these topics will be addressed in this post by 1) renowned British food historian, Ivan day, and 2) Dr Sarah Fox, senior lecturer and researcher at Edge Hill University.

1) Dining and Hospitality in Eighteenth Century English Provincial Towns and Cities

In this YouTube video, Mr Day discusses the influences that changed dining and hospitality in 18th century Britain. French foods at court in the 1690s began to spread from British aristocrats to the provinces throughout the 1700s and into the 1780’s and 90’s, when Austen was a child.

English food preferences changed in remarkable ways, which Mr Day discusses in detail. This 36 minute video offers both closed captioning and a transcript. 

A few highlights of the talk that struck me include these drawings of a provincial English meal in Cornwall that were made in the 1770s by a visiting Dutch artist. He provided a marvelous snapshot of 18th C. dining.

Provincial meal, two courses

Mr Day notes the details of these drawings, The details are remarkable. The pattens at the upper right were once worn to protect ladies’ shoes from mud. Only some vegetables were presented, with the emphasis still on eating meat. Notice the unique placement of a knife, fork and spoon to the right of the plates. A waiter holds a tray with wine glasses and points to a sideboard filled with more glasses, as well as decanters. 

Dinner table

The second drawing shows a table laden with assorted sweets: cookies, almond biscuits, oranges, butter cream, and preserved cherries. 

Dessert table

Another one of his observations intrigued me – that of an enormous English pie, labeled the Northern Country Great Pie in the video. James Lowther, the First Earl of Lonsdale House in Cumbria offered such a pie in 1763. It was the English aristocratic Christmas tradition to create this pie, meant to be eaten after dancing. Just imagine! The ball supper was served at 2 or 3 in the morning. Its size and weight of 22 stone (308 lbs.) must have been staggering, considering the list of baked animals that went into its making. This is a screenshot of half the list. 

Half the list of the animals in a ball supper pie

To view the entire list, click on this link entitled Eat the Entire Creation if You Dare, which sits on Mr Day’s blog, Food History Jottings. One can only read in awe at the amount of protein those animals contributed. These ball supper pies were not only large, but expensive, and most likely made from game hunted on the aristocrat’s land. 

At the end of his video, Mr Day showed pie molds that resulted in exquisite creations. This link to raised pie molds at MichaelFinlay.com shows a pie made by Mr Day from the Harewood mould.

Smaller, often hand-held pies were consumed by all classes, especially the working classes and travelers. By 1775, the year of Jane Austen’s birth, these portable foods had become ubiquitous. Pies were made for long distance travel. They encased meat and fruits in a variety of pastries that helped food to last longer, an important feature in an age without refrigeration. In 17th and 18th century Britain…

“…pies were devices in many senses of the word. They were used to preserve food,…and to prevent rot. Perhaps in part because of their preservative functions, pies were well-traveled, sent to friends and family members across long distances. Pies were embedded within global foodways, filled with ingredients sourced from around the planet.” – Hearse Pies and Pastry Coffins: Material Cultures of Food, Preservation, and Death in the Early Modern British World, Amanda E. Herbert &Michael Walkden, 07 Sep 2023

These portable foods had a long and varied history, starting centuries ago with the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Recipes differed in each country, which did not diminish their popularity. Imagine being able to take food safely on long voyages, whether over land or sea, in an age when so many foods were consumed fresh.

The years between 1688 and 1815 were an important and exciting time for the British in terms of trade. Great Britain oversaw a sprawling empire during the Georgian era:

“Domestic industry [in England] flourished, with many workers pursuing dual occupations on a seasonal basis in industry and agriculture. English society contained a flourishing and more extensive middling sector than any other western country, including the Dutch Republic. This provided a strong platform for commerce with, and settlement in, far-flung territories.” – Symbiosis: Trade and the British Empire, Professor Kenneth Morgan, History, BBC.

Dr Sarah Fox, from Edge Hill University, examined the following topic: 

2) Britishness revisited: food and the formation of British identities in the late eighteenth century.

Trade routes and the enormous reach of the British empire over the world began to change British attitudes towards food. Dr Fox discusses this topic in detail in the YouTube video below. This presentation also has closed captioning and a transcript. In this instance, I found both features useful, since, while Dr Fox’s research is fascinating, her rapid and soft-spoken speech is hard to follow. Still, this video is a worthwhile investment of time.

During what is now regarded as the long 18th century, which spans the Georgian era that either ended in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars, or in 1830, which marks the death of King George IV (these dates are  still under discussion), the British empire oversaw a dominant position among the major European trading empires. 

At the end of this period, traders and merchant ships enabled the British to successfully expand beyond the boundaries of their island nation. They imported goods and foods from North America and the West Indies, Africa, the Carribean, and the East Indies. Closer to home they traded with Ireland, Germany, and Russia. Maps from The Guardian show the routes taken overseas in the 18th C. with densely criss crossed lines of travel. 

King George III (‘Farmer George’)

As mentioned earlier, during her lifetime, Austen knew only one king. Her distaste of George III’s eldest son, the Prince Regent, is well known, and has been documented on this blog.

“George [III] was particularly interested and adept at farming. He felt strongly that he should use his lands to better feed the nation, and used Windsor and Kew to develop improvements in agriculture. He published his thoughts on more than one occasion, using the pseudonym ‘Ralph Robinson’.

Cropped image of King George as Farmer George, with his wife, 1785. © Historic Royal Palaces

George enlisted Sir Joseph Banks to smuggle merino sheep from Spain to breed them with British sheep. This flock of experimental sheep grazed under the Great Pagoda at Kew. 

George would walk his fields and till the soil himself, often being mistaken for an ordinary gentleman. His nickname of ‘Farmer George’ endeared him to the public”. – Quote from George III, The Complex King, Historic Royal Palaces.

As it turned out, Farmer George had a simple, old-fashioned (but knowledgable) taste in cuisine. An article from the University College London (UCL) entitled “Chicken broth & lobster among 3,000 dishes served to King George III, 3 November 2023”, in which a research group, including Dr Fox, lists the top ten foods generally consumed by King George III. It is obvious his food tastes were quite conservative. They were:

Chicken broth, Sweet tarts, Roasted capon (similar to roast chicken), Roast mutton, Asparagus, Lobster, Spinach, Artichokes,Roast chicken, andRoast beef.

It’s fascinating to hear Dr Fox list the enormous amount of research regarding foods eaten during the Long 18th through datasets accumulated from meticulous records that were kept regarding household food consumption. Records that survived are available all over the UK. Ivan Day also benefited from such record keeping, which he shared in his video. 

The typical British fare of the 18th century was not the only food ‘Farmer George’ and his family consumed. The king and queen occasionally dined on more exotic dishes during state occasions, including recipes based on French cuisine and foods brought in from the empire, such as those from the West and East Indies.

Like British pies, turtles also offered a portable solution for travelers. British sailors used turtles for fresh food. They could be transported alive in sea water and eaten when they were needed. The meat of a six pound turtle could feed quite a few men. Soon, turtles, once a preferred food for sailors, were prepared as an exotic food for aristocrats. 

In 1744, Admiral of the Fleet, George Anson, brought two 300 lb turtles as gifts, one of which was given to the Royal Society’s Dining Club. From this time on, chefs created delicious dishes and soups from imported turtle meat. In fact, famed chef Marie-Antoine Careme, who created sumptuous banquets for the Prince Regent, thought turtle soup to be quite competitive with British roast beef! Fifty years after their introduction to British cuisine, turtles became a food mainstay for the British. 

Captain George Anson, 1755, portrait by Joshua Reynolds.
Wikimedia Commons/National Portrait Gallery, London. Looking Through Art: Turtle Cuisine

Interestingly, George III, whose food tastes were traditional, ate only mock turtle soup made from a calf’s head, and had it served a mere fourteen times between 1788 and 1801. A JSTOR Daily article, Turtle Soup: From Class to Mass to Aghast, describes how turtle soup and mock turtle soup became accessible to the British middle classes. These tastes soon spread to the Continent and North America.

Meanwhile, the Prince Regent, who was more adventurous in his culinary explorations than his father, ate turtle meat at Carlton House at least once per week. He also embraced Eastern culture and built the Brighton Pavilion using Eastern motifs influenced by Eastern trade. 

According to Dr Fox, the British adapted to the unfamiliar flavors and spices from the Far East more slowly than the foods from the West Indies. In addition, these spices were expensive. Nabobs, or British men who were employed in the East India Company, returned to Great Britain with their families, along with the fortunes they made in India’. They also brought with them their love of Indian spiced food. To many, these dishes were too hot and strong in flavor for British tastes — at first. 

Print shows profile portraits of 20 men, called nabobs, who are representatives of the East India Company that have returned home with newly acquired wealth, generally through dubious or corrupt means.
Names: Holland, William, active 1782-1817, publisher. Library of Congress

In 1747, Hannah Glasse, cookbook author, published the first recipe for curry in her cookbook, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. As Dr Fox relates, Glasse included rabbit plus onions, pepper, corn, rice, coriander seeds and butter in this edition. By 1751, she had replaced the rabbit with chicken. Then added new spices that included ginger, turmeric, lemon, and cream. Both the rice and coriander were removed. Due to the turmeric, this dish resulted in a bright yellow color. The recipe, adapted for British taste, was reproduced in a variety of cookbooks practically unchanged for years afterwards. As I understand, rice was added as a side dish to the changed cuisine. Glasse’s curry recipe was mild enough to satisfy British tastes.

While George III did not eat curry at all, in 1816, the Prince Regent was served a curry dish. From this period on, the British had, through trade and royal influences, adapted their taste towards foreign foods and spices. Today, over 12,000 curry houses are spread across Britain. 

As a writer, Austen used food descriptions to characterize the people in her novels – Mr Woodhouse’s penchant for gruel; Mr Bingley’s lavish ball and a sumptuous supper meal afterwards, and Mrs Bennet’s two courses served for Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy. Her two courses most likely consisted of anywhere from 10 -25 dishes. 

One can imagine how much Elizabeth must have cringed when her mother assured Mr Collins that they were able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen, (Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 13.) Austen’s use of food in her novels was sheer genius as she introduced her readers to absurdity and reality at the table!

Additional Resources:

Ivan Day

Spotify: The British Food History Podcast: 18th Century Dining, Ivan Day, January 2023

Ivan Day is a social historian of food culture and a professional chef and confectioner.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/22BHsKHncyk2i6UXEzcIY2

Issue 30: Cooking for the Georgians — Jane Austen Literacy Foundation

18th Century Autumn Pies, All Things Georgian

Sarah Fox

How Curry Conquered Britain, a short video by the BBC.

18th Century Curry Recipe – Beamish

Trade goods from the East: Spices | The East Indies | The Places Involved | Slavery Routes

Chicken broth & lobster among 3,000 dishes served to King George III | UCL News

About  George III and George IV

The Royal Diets of George III and George IV | All Things Georgian

George III, the Complex King | Kew Palace

Regency Banquet is inspired by Antonin Carême – the original ‘celebrity chef’

About George III: Historic Royal Palaces: Kew Palace

Note:

Green sea turtles, whose popularity as a food slowly declined over the centuries, had been caught in such prolific numbers that in 1973 they were classified as endangered. 

A short history of turtles as food, starting with seafarers in the early 18th century and culminating 50 years later, as turtle soup began to be closely associated with the British empire and British Identity.  Turtle Soup: From Class to Mass to Aghast – JSTOR Daily

Posted in British Empire, Formation of British Identities, Georgian Era Food, Jane Austen's World, King George III, Prince Regent | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Jane Austen’s Christmases

December 23, 2024 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“Immediately surrounding Mrs. Musgrove were the little Harvilles, whom she was sedulously guarding from the tyranny of the two children from the Cottage, expressly arrived to amuse them. On one side was a table, occupied by some chattering girls, cutting up silk and gold paper; and on the other were tressels and trays, bending under the weight of brawn and cold pies, where riotous boys were holding high revel; the whole completed by a roaring Christmas fire, which seemed determined to be heard, in spite of all the noise of the others. . . .

Mrs. Musgrove . . . observ[ed] with a happy glance round the room, that after all she had gone through, nothing was so likely to do her good as a little quiet cheerfulness at home. . . .

” ‘I hope I shall remember, in future,’ said Lady Russell, as soon as they were reseated in the carriage, ‘not to call at Uppercross in the Christmas holidays.’ Every body has their taste in noises as well as in other matters . . .”—Persuasion, Vol. 2, chapter 2

The Musgrove family at Christmas

Jane Austen gives us only brief glimpses of Christmas in her world. Here Mrs. Musgrove and Lady Russell think very differently about what makes a pleasant Christmas. The Musgrove family are enjoying crafts, food, a Christmas fire, and children having fun and making noise.

Family and Friends

At Christmas, people gathered with friends and family, as we still do today. In Northanger Abbey, Catherine’s brother James met Isabella Thorpe when he went to spend the Christmas holidays with Isabella’s brother. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth invites the Gardiners to join her and Darcy at Pemberley for Christmas. In Sense and Sensibility, Charlotte Palmer asks the Dashwood sisters to join her at Cleveland for Christmas.

In Emma, Emma’s sister and her husband come to visit for the holidays with their children. They are busy with friends during the mornings, and Mr. Weston insists that they dine with him one eventful evening.

Mr. Elton, at least, enjoys the occasion, saying:

“This is quite the season indeed for friendly meetings. At Christmas every body invites their friends about them, and people think little of even the worst weather. I was snowed up at a friend’s house once for a week. Nothing could be pleasanter. I went for only one night, and could not get away till that very day se’nnight.”—Emma, chapter 13

Mr. Elton drinks too much and proposes to Emma, who rejects him. She is therefore very glad on Christmas day to see

“a very great deal of snow on the ground. . . .The weather was most favourable for her; though Christmas Day, she could not go to church.”—Emma, chapter 16

The snow could be dangerous. And certainly Mr. Woodhouse would find it so.

Church on Christmas Day

The clear implication, though, is that Emma would naturally have gone to church on Christmas day. Churches generally had a good turn-out on Christmas. Communion was generally offered that day (one of only three or four times a year when country churches would offer Communion, also called the Lord’s Supper). Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park assumes that Edmund Bertram will only need to preach on the major holidays when many people attended church:

“A sermon at Christmas and Easter, I suppose, will be the sum total of sacrifice.”— Mansfield Park, chapter 23

Edmund, of course, plans to live in his parish and lead services and preach there every Sunday, not just on holidays.

For each church holiday, the Book of Common Prayer, handbook of the Church of England, prescribed specific prayers and Bible readings that would be the same every year. The “collect” prayer from the 1790 Book of Common Prayer for “the Nativity of our Lord, or the birth day of CHRIST, commonly called Christmas-day” is:

“Almighty God, who hast given us thy only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.”

Bible readings for the day were from the first chapter of the book of Hebrews and the first chapter of the book of John, both about the coming of Christ.

In a recent talk by Rachel and Andrew Knowles on “A Regency Christmas,” they pointed out that Christmas day, and the whole Christmas season, was a popular time for weddings in the churches. So perhaps that was Austen’s little joke, having Mr. Elton propose right before Christmas! Babies were also christened on that day, and Christmas was a time for ordaining new clergymen. Edmund Bertram goes to Peterborough for ordination during Christmas week. When he delays his return, Mary Crawford thinks he may be staying for “Christmas gaieties.”

Christmas Gaieties

Miss Bingley uses the same term when she writes to Jane Bennet:

“I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three of whom we shall deprive you.”—Pride and Prejudice, chapter 21

What did those gaieties involve?

Customs that were consistent across the country were gathering with family and friends, eating a special meal, and giving gifts and money to the poor. Austen mentions a few additional traditions.

Regency Christmas celebrations usually involved a special meal with family and friends.
Farmer Giles’s Establishment, Christmas day, 1800, by William Heath, 1830. Courtesy of The Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University

Gifts

Christmas was a time for charity, for giving gifts to the poor and to those in service occupations, like the local butcher. These gifts of money were called “Christmas boxes.” According to the Knowles’s research, newspapers even published lists of what certain wealthy people were giving to the poor at Christmas. 

In families, it appears that gifts were given mainly to children. I found only one mention in Austen:

“On the following Monday, Mrs. Bennet had the pleasure of receiving her brother and his wife, who came as usual to spend the Christmas at Longbourn. . . . The first part of Mrs. Gardiner’s business on her arrival was to distribute her presents and describe the newest fashions. . . . The Gardiners stayed a week at Longbourn; and what with the Phillipses, the Lucases, and the officers, there was not a day without its engagement. Mrs. Bennet had so carefully provided for the entertainment of her brother and sister, that they did not once sit down to a family dinner.”—Pride and Prejudice, chapter 25

It’s not clear if Mrs. Gardiner brought gifts for everyone because it was Christmas, or if she was just bringing gifts because she was coming from London to the country on a visit.

Games

Many played games at Christmastime. Jane Austen wrote in a letter to Cassandra from Portsmouth, on Jan. 17, 1809 about a change in the fashions for Christmas games:

“I have just received some verses in an unknown hand, and am desired to forward them to my nephew Edward at Godmersham:

Alas! poor Brag, thou boastful game! What now avails thine empty name?

Where now thy more distinguished fame? My day is o’er, and thine the same,

For thou, like me, art thrown aside At Godmersham, this Christmas tide;

And now across the table wide Each game save brag or spec. is tried.

Such is the mild ejaculation Of tender-hearted speculation.”

Card games and dancing were popular Christmas activities.
Farmer Giles’s Establishment Christmas 1816 by William Heath, 1830. Courtesy of The Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University

Dancing

Austen’s characters dance at Christmastime. Sir Thomas Bertram holds a ball for Fanny Price during the Christmas holidays. Sir John Middleton hosts a Christmas dance, followed by a hunt the next morning:

“‘He [Willoughby] is as good a sort of fellow, I believe, as ever lived,’ repeated Sir John. ‘I remember last Christmas at a little hop at the park, he danced from eight o’clock till four, without once sitting down.’

“‘Did he indeed?’ cried Marianne with sparkling eyes, ‘and with elegance, with spirit?’

“‘Yes; and he was up again at eight to ride to covert.’”—Sense and Sensibility, chapter 9

Other Christmas Traditions

According to the Knowles, Christmas customs were different between city and country, and between various areas of the country. In some areas old customs like the Yule log and decorating with greenery were dying out, in other areas they were still going strong.

Whatever traditions your family keeps during this holiday season, may you experience much joy and deep peace.

 

If you want to find out more about specific Christmas customs in Austen’s England, check out any of these posts:

Regency Christmas Celebrations answers many questions about Christmas in Austen’s time, and links to posts on Father Christmas and on Christmas trees. 

Christmas Carols  and Christmas Carols of Yore 

Regency Christmas Tree (with links to other Christmas articles) 

Robin Redbreast 

Christmas Cartoons  

Christmas Pie 

Christmas Plum Pudding 

Christmas Games and Songs 

Christmas Evergreen Decorations  and Decorating with Holly 

Posted in Anglican Church, Christmas, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , | 4 Comments »

December in Jane Austen’s World

December 16, 2024 by Rachel Dodge

We’ve arrived at December in Jane Austen’s World, dear readers! We’ve traversed Austen’s life, letters, and novels for a full year now, and it’s been a wonderful adventure.

You can find the rest of the “A Year in Jane Austen’s World” series here: Jan, Feb, Mar, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, and Nov.

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

To start, December is Jane Austen’s birthday month, and today, December 16th, is her birthday! Let’s stop for a moment and wish a very Happy Birthday to Jane!!

Can you imagine raising a child like Jane? I’m sure her parents had no idea that their little bundle of joy held such an incredible gift within her – a gift that would bless people around the world for generations to come. Almost 250 years after her birth, people still study and celebrate her writing every day!

December in Hampshire

As we do each month, let us now turn our attention to the lovely Hampshire countryside, the place where Jane spent most of her life, and see what it looks like this time of year. Here are the Chawton Great House gardens in December:

Chawton House in December: Photo @ChawtonHouse.

As one might assume, the weather turns cold and brisk this time of year. However, the weather in December did not keep Regency people at home as much as January-March, so many of Austen’s letters and novels feature parties, balls, and gatherings in December. Austen makes mention of December weather in her letters here:

Steventon (26 December 1798): 

“The snow came to nothing yesterday, so I did go to Deane, and returned home at nine o’clock at night in the little carriage, and without being very cold.”

Castle Square (27 December 1808):

“We have had snow on the ground here almost a week; it is now going, but Southampton must boast no longer.”

And here is a photo of Jane Austen’s House Museum all decked out for Christmas:

Jane Austen’s House, Photo: @JaneAustensHouse.

December in Jane Austen’s Letters

We have letters posted from Steventon on December 1st, 18th, 24th, and 28th in 1798; from Castle Square on December 9th and 27th in 1808; and a small mention in January 1809 of an important letter from Charles from posted from Bermuda in December 1808.

But first, perhaps one of the most important letters we have from December – Jane’s father’s letter to his sister announcing his second daughter’s entry into the world!

You have doubtless been for some time in expectation of hearing from Hampshire, and perhaps wondered a little we were in our old age grown such bad reckoners but so it was, for Cassy certainly expected to have been brought to bed a month ago: however last night the time came, and without a great deal of warning, everything was soon happily over. We have now another girl, a present plaything for her sister Cassy and a future companion. She is to be Jenny.

Tree-lined lane to St. Nicholas Church, Steventon. Photo @ Rachel Dodge.

Other odds and ends from Austen’s December letters are below, but I encourage you to read them in their entirety. Her letters are always so newsy and amusing. Several in this batch include information about her brothers away at sea. Relaying letters and news about their whereabouts and safety was of utmost importance to the entire family, as is true of every family with members serving in the military.

Steventon (1 December 1798):

  • News of Frank: “I am so good as to write to you again thus speedily, to let you know that I have just heard from Frank (Francis). He was at Cadiz, alive and well, on October 19, and had then very lately received a letter from you, written as long ago as when the ‘London’ was at St. Helen’s… Frank writes in good spirits, but says that our correspondence cannot be so easily carried on in future as it has been, as the communication between Cadiz and Lisbon is less frequent than formerly. You and my mother, therefore, must not alarm yourselves at the long intervals that may divide his letters. I address this advice to you two as being the most tender-hearted of the family.“
  • A splendid dinner: “Mr. Lyford…came while we were at dinner, and partook of our elegant entertainment. I was not ashamed at asking him to sit down to table, for we had some pease-soup, a sparerib, and a pudding. He wants my mother to look yellow and to throw out a rash, but she will do neither.”
  • New baby and Jane’s opinions on ‘laying in’: “Mary does not manage matters in such a way as to make me want to lay in myself. She is not tidy enough in her appearance; she has no dressing-gown to sit up in; her curtains are all too thin, and things are not in that comfort and style about her which are necessary to make such a situation an enviable one. Elizabeth was really a pretty object with her nice clean cap put on so tidily and her dress so uniformly white and orderly.”
Regency-style meal (reproduction). Jane Austen’s House, Photo: @JaneAustensHouse.

Steventon (18 December 1798):

  • A birthday message received: “I am very much obliged to my dear little George for his message,—for his love at least; his duty, I suppose, was only in consequence of some hint of my favorable intentions towards him from his father or mother. I am sincerely rejoiced, however, that I ever was born, since it has been the means of procuring him a dish of tea. Give my best love to him…”

Steventon (24 December 1798):

  • News of both brothers in the Navy: “Admiral Gambier, in reply to my father’s application, writes as follows: As it is usual to keep young officers in small vessels, it being most proper on account of their inexperience, and it being also a situation where they are more in the way of learning their duty, your son (Charles) has been continued in the ‘Scorpion;’ but I have mentioned to the Board of Admiralty his wish to be in a frigate, and when a proper opportunity offers and it is judged that he has taken his turn in a small ship, I hope he will be removed. With regard to your son now in the ‘London’ (Francis) I am glad I can give you the assurance that his promotion is likely to take place very soon, as Lord Spencer has been so good as to say he would include him in an arrangement that he proposes making in a short time relative to some promotions in that quarter.”
  • One of Jane’s now-famous quotes: “Miss Blackford is agreeable enough. I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.“
  • A Christmas-time ball: “Our ball was very thin, but by no means unpleasant. There were thirty-one people, and only eleven ladies out of the number, and but five single women in the room. Of the gentlemen present you may have some idea from the list of my partners,—Mr. Wood, G. Lefroy, Rice, a Mr. Butcher (belonging to the Temples, a sailor and not of the 11th Light Dragoons), Mr. Temple (not the horrid one of all), Mr. Wm. Orde (cousin to the Kingsclere man), Mr. John Harwood, and Mr. Calland, who appeared as usual with his hat in his hand, and stood every now and then behind Catherine and me to be talked to and abused for not dancing. We teased him, however, into it at last. I was very glad to see him again after so long a separation, and he was altogether rather the genius and flirt of the evening. He inquired after you.”

  • There were twenty dances, and I danced them all, and without any fatigue. “I was glad to find myself capable of dancing so much, and with so much satisfaction as I did; from my slender enjoyment of the Ashford balls (as assemblies for dancing) I had not thought myself equal to it, but in cold weather and with few couples I fancy I could just as well dance for a week together as for half an hour. My black cap was openly admired by Mrs. Lefroy, and secretly I imagine by everybody else in the room…”
Regency Dancing, Pride and Prejudice (1995).

Steventon (28 December 1798):

  • More Navy news: “Frank is made. He was yesterday raised to the rank of Commander, and appointed to the ‘Petterel’ sloop, now at Gibraltar. A letter from Daysh has just announced this, and as it is confirmed by a very friendly one from Mr. Mathew to the same effect, transcribing one from Admiral Gambier to the General, we have no reason to suspect the truth of it. As soon as you have cried a little for joy, you may go on, and learn further that the India House have taken Captain Austen’s petition into consideration,—this comes from Daysh,—and likewise that Lieutenant Charles John Austen is removed to the ‘Tamar’ frigate,—this comes from the Admiral. We cannot find out where the ‘Tamar’ is, but I hope we shall now see Charles here at all events.”

Castle Square (8 December 1808):

  • A December ball: “Our ball was rather more amusing than I expected. Martha liked it very much, and I did not gape till the last quarter of an hour. It was past nine before we were sent for, and not twelve when we returned. The room was tolerably full, and there were, perhaps, thirty couple of dancers. The melancholy part was to see so many dozen young women standing by without partners, and each of them with two ugly naked shoulders. It was the same room in which we danced fifteen years ago. I thought it all over, and in spite of the shame of being so much older, felt with thankfulness that I was quite as happy now as then. We paid an additional shilling for our tea, which we took as we chose in an adjoining and very comfortable room.”

Castle Square (27 December 1808):

  • A new pianoforte: “Yes, yes, we will have a pianoforte, as good a one as can be got for thirty guineas, and I will practise country dances, that we may have some amusement for our nephews and nieces, when we have the pleasure of their company.”
Regency ladies at a pianoforte.

December in Jane Austen’s Novels

There are several mentions in Austen’s novels about Christmas, but as next week’s post from Brenda will focus on Christmas scenes from the novels, we shall mostly stick to the month of December in this article with a few helpful quotes about the Christmas season:

Sense and Sensibility

  • Insight on Mr. Willoughby: “He is as good a sort of fellow, I believe, as ever lived,” repeated Sir John. “I remember last Christmas at a little hop at the park, he danced from eight o’clock till four, without once sitting down.”

Pride and Prejudice

  • A family holiday: “On the following Monday, Mrs. Bennet had the pleasure of receiving her brother and his wife, who came, as usual, to spend the Christmas at Longbourn.”

Mansfield Park

  • A special visit from William: “William determining, soon after her removal, to be a sailor, was invited to spend a week with his sister in Northamptonshire before he went to sea. Their eager affection in meeting, their exquisite delight in being together, their hours of happy mirth, and moments of serious conference, may be imagined; as well as the sanguine views and spirits of the boy even to the last, and the misery of the girl when he left her. Luckily the visit happened in the Christmas holidays, when she could directly look for comfort to her cousin Edmund; and he told her such charming things of what William was to do, and be hereafter, in consequence of his profession, as made her gradually admit that the separation might have some use.”

Emma

  • Tolerable weather: “Though now the middle of December, there had yet been no weather to prevent the young ladies from tolerably regular exercise; and on the morrow, Emma had a charitable visit to pay to a poor sick family, who lived a little way out of Highbury.”
  • The fogs of December: “The next thing wanted was to get the picture framed; and here were a few difficulties. It must be done directly; it must be done in London; the order must go through the hands of some intelligent person whose taste could be depended on; and Isabella, the usual doer of all commissions, must not be applied to, because it was December, and Mr. Woodhouse could not bear the idea of her stirring out of her house in the fogs of December.”
  • Dinner party at Randalls: “The evening before this great event (for it was a very great event that Mr. Woodhouse should dine out, on the 24th of December) had been spent by Harriet at Hartfield, and she had gone home so much indisposed with a cold, that, but for her own earnest wish of being nursed by Mrs. Goddard, Emma could not have allowed her to leave the house.”
Regency dinner party, Emma (2020).

Persuasion

  • Charles and Mary Musgrove married 16 December, Jane’s birthday: “Sir Walter had improved it by adding, for the information of himself and his family, these words, after the date of Mary’s birth—’Married, December 16, 1810, Charles, son and heir of Charles Musgrove, Esq. of Uppercross, in the county of Somerset…'”
  • Mary Musgrove bemoans the lack of December parties: “We have had a very dull Christmas; Mr and Mrs Musgrove have not had one dinner party all the holidays. I do not reckon the Hayters as anybody. The holidays, however, are over at last: I believe no children ever had such long ones. I am sure I had not.”

Northanger Abbey

  • A December visit: “Mrs. Thorpe and her daughters had scarcely begun the history of their acquaintance with Mr. James Morland, before she remembered that her eldest brother had lately formed an intimacy with a young man of his own college, of the name of Thorpe; and that he had spent the last week of the Christmas vacation with his family, near London.”
  • A long lecture on dress: “Dress is at all times a frivolous distinction, and excessive solicitude about it often destroys its own aim. Catherine knew all this very well; her great aunt had read her a lecture on the subject only the Christmas before…”

December Dates of Importance

And now for our monthly round-up of December dates of importance relating to Jane and her family. This time, there is plenty of family news, plus important publishing news and one very difficult sorrow:

Family News:

  • 16 December 1775: Jane Austen born at home in Steventon.
  • December 1786: Jane and Cassandra Austen leave Abbey School.
  • 23 December 1788: After finishing at the Royal Naval Academy, Francis Austen sails to the East Indies.
  • 27 December 1791: Edward Austen marries Elizabeth Bridges.
  • 31 December 1797: Henry Austen marries Eliza de Feuillide.
  • December 1800: Rev. Austen announces his retirement and intention to move to Bath.
  • 2 and 3 December 1802: Harris Bigg-Wither proposes to Austen and she accepts. The next day, she rejects his proposal.

Historic Dates:

  • 16 December 1773: An event occurs in the American colonies now known as the Boston Tea Party.
  • 2 December 1804: Napoleon crowns himself emperor of France.

Writing:

  • December 1815: Emma is published and dedicated to the Prince Regent.
  • December 1817: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion published together, posthumously.

Sorrows:

  • 16 December 1804: Austen’s close friend, Mrs. Anne Lefroy, is killed in a riding accident.
Boston Tea Party, engraving in W. D. Cooper’s The History of North America, London: E. Newberry, 1789.

Looking Forward to Next Year

Writing this series for the past twelve months has been a great joy. I’ve learned a lot, and I feel as though I know and understand Jane Austen and her life and time period better than before. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as well! In the new year, I look forward to a year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and all the events and books coming our way. Have a very happy Christmas!

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, speaks at libraries, teas, and conferences, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling, award-winning author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, The Little Women Devotional, and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Her most recent book is The Secret Garden Devotional. A true kindred spirit at heart, Rachel loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. Visit her online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in A Year in Jane Austen's World, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's Birthday, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's letters, Jane Austen's life, Jane Austen's World, Regency, Regency Customs, Regency Life | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments »

Travel for the Poor and Working Classes in Regency England

December 8, 2024 by Vic

Inquiring readers: We readers of Jane Austen’s novels, letters, and stories, as well as of the history of the Georgian/Regency era in England, are fairly knowledgeable about the modes of travel for the upper classes and rising middle classes – from grand carriages to fast paced curricles to the humbler donkey cart that the Austen women drove from Chawton to the nearby village of Alton (1.6 miles away). A majority of these vehicles (except perhaps for the donkey cart) were beyond the means of most of the working classes, as well as the poor. (Just one horse cost an average of £500 per year to maintain. Even Rev Austen used his horse for a variety of jobs: to visit his parishes, post letters in town, and for farm work.). So how did humbler citizens travel? What modes of transportation were affordable and available to them? 

Chawton to Alton. Google map

On Foot:

If memory serves me well (from an article I read 20 years ago), most villagers in Austen’s day moved around within an 18 mile radius (plus/minus) from where they lived. In a 2022 article (1), author Wade H. Mann discussed the distances and time people took to reach Point A to Point B. To paraphrase him, walking was the way most people used to travel, especially the poor, servants, and working people. Mann’s distances and times provide a quick perspective. For his extrapolations, he used the information he gleaned about the Bennet family in Pride and Prejudice, their walks to the village of Meryton, and the distance of Longbourn to London. In short order, he discussed:

  • Lydia’s walks to Meryton nearly every day. (Distance: 1 mile each way.) One can assume that servants who worked for the Bennets also walked those distances, if not farther, to and from their homes every morning and evening after their shifts were over. One can also imagine servants, be they male or female, being sent on frequent missions of 1 mile or more throughout the day to obtain food or medicines, and to receive packages, or deliver letters with information for merchants and notes of appreciation or invitation to close neighbors.

    (c) Dover Collections, Supplied by Art UK

  • Elizabeth’s walk of three miles to visit Jane at Netherfield Park over wet fields was easy for her strong, athletic body. She would not have been “intimidated by a six-mile [round trip] walk.” If this was the case for a gentle woman of her status, one can imagine that male or female servants and field laborers would think nothing of walking six miles one way to work. 
  • In this bucolic image of a country road in Kent, painted in 1845 by William Richard Waters, three women are shown along a dirt road. (The village is located in the far horizon.) The woman on the left is probably a servant. From their dress, the two sitting females are gentle women taking a break. Although this painting was created past Austen’s day, rural villages were still relatively unchanged. With the advent of railroads and macadam roads, long distance travel became easier for those who could afford it, but long walks were still a part of daily life during the 19th century.


Distances in Regency  England


As mentioned before, the distance between Longbourn, where the Bennets lived, and Netherfield Park, which Mr Bingley rented, was only three miles. 

On a good surface, almost everyone walks 3 to 3.5 miles per hour; ordinary people can walk 10 to 24 miles per day. Twenty-four miles is the exact distance from Longbourn to Gracechurch Street [London], so even on foot, it’s only a hard day’s walk.” (1)


According to today’s estimates, the distance from London to Bath is approximately 115 miles (plus minus 30 miles depending on the roads one travels and which fields they chose to cross). Given the above estimate, and that, depending on their age and physical ability to walk from 10 to 24 miles per day, this journey would take a walker anywhere from 11½  to 4.8 days. In our fast-paced world, such a long time would be unacceptable. 250 years ago it was not. Travelers also minded their pocketbooks in terms of their budgets for lodging. Some might even need to find employment along the way.

London to Bath, google maps

Road surfaces and weather conditions mattered

If you’ve ever walked along a dirt path in a large park, you might have stumbled across fallen limbs and trees, climbed up and down steep paths, and treaded carefully over rocky surfaces, etc. Road conditions in and around most of England’s rural villages were abysmal until the early 19th century. Macadamized roads, with their crushed stone surfaces were constructed in 1815, just 2 years before Austen’s death. During most of her life, she would have largely known the miseries of walking along and riding on dirt roads that turned into muddy quagmires on rainy days. 

Rains were frequent in this island country. Roads became so rutted that they were almost impassable in certain areas, where mud slowed horse drawn coaches and carriages, which forced riders and people to take down luggage and packages, and push the vehicles, or to walk to nearby shelters and villages. Mrs Hurst Dancing, a book that features Diana Sperling’s charming watercolours of her life during this time, shows how weather affected her family’s everyday lives.

This image shows the challenges of a muddy road with deep wagon tracks by a family embarked on an eleven mile walk. Seeing how these gentle folks struggled on an excursion of their choice, we can imagine the challenges many servants faced walking to their place of employment, having no other option. 

A walk of 11 miles in deep mud, Mrs Hurst Dancing (2), P. 60 (Image, Vic Sanborn)

Walking to Dinner at a Neighbor’s House, Mrs Hurst Dancing (2) P38. (Image: The Jane Austen Centre)

Effects of weather 

Frequent rains were not the only problem. Cold winters and deep snow provided unique challenges during the years known as The Little Ice Age (1811-20), when winters were harsher than normal. People who embarked on walking long distances needed to plan their routes in advance, which included knowing the condition of the roads (often through word of mouth or by previous experiences) and which villages could offer affordable shelters. Many itinerant laborers would have no problem sleeping in a farmer’s barn on a soft bed of hay in exchange for work. 

Snow and ice made travel extremely difficult and was often avoided unless absolutely necessary. People would hunker down indoors and wait for the snow to clear before embarking on long journeys, as conditions could change rapidly. (My favorite Emma incident is when Mr Woodhouse, dining at the Weston’s house, INSISTED on leaving a dinner party immediately at the first signs of snowflakes. The Woodhouse party left, even though dinner had barely begun. Mr Woodhouse feared being stuck in snow. Austen knew her comedic settings well, but she was also knowledgeable about the realities of travel in her time.)

Detail of a Mail Coach in a snow drift with a Coachman leaving to seek assistance, James Pollard. To view the full painting and to read a complete description of the situation, click on this link to Artware Fine Art.

Itinerant laborers and sales people

Towns and villages were largely isolated. In cosmopolitan centers, like London, residents received the latest news almost as fast as Regency travel allowed. Thus cities and major metropolitan centers had more access to most of the benefits that a well informed society offered.

Villagers were often the last to know about the latest news about fashion, music, and dance. Enter the itinerant wanderers, the purveyors of knowledge and of all things current, albeit months past the time that the citizens of Paris and London knew about them. 

Those with special talents profited the most from their peripatetic lives. A musician could offer entertainment with the latest popular ditties or teach lessons on an instrument, such as a piano forte or violin. A dance master might teach the latest steps from ‘The Continent’ that a young lady and gentleman should know.

The Dancing Lesson, Pt 3, George Cruikshank, 1825. The Art Institute of Chicago, image in the public domain.

The dancing master in the above image, was employed to teach children the steps and dance moves of the latest dances.

Talented and professional individuals – music teachers, dance instructors, tutors and the like –  often had their services enlisted beforehand, and likely travelled by stage coach or on horseback to their destinations. They would stay in a nearby village or with the family that employed them for the duration of their contract before moving on.

Other people with various skills travelled between cities and towns either looking for work, or to sell their wares. They sold items as varied as kitchen equipment in town squares or brightly colored ribbons at county fairs. Some individuals crossed the English Channel, carrying fashion books and paper dolls* to inform the populace about the latest changes in fashions. I imagine farriers and blacksmiths were in hight demand, since horses were vital. Others offered seasonal labor in exchange for a meal or a place to sleep. Some were beggars or vagabonds who scrounged for any scraps.

The sad fact was that in a land of plenty, land enclosures took away the common fields from villagers by fencing off the shared, common lands, which were vital to rural folks by providing grazing land for livestock, and offering legal ways to gather firewood or hunt game. The impact of enclosures on commoners was enormous, as their independence was taken away. Many left their villages and homes, looking for work in cities and elsewhere, making their situation worse than before. 

Beggar in early 19th C. London, John Thomas Smith, Spitalfields Life.His broom indicates that he might have been a street sweeper.

Itinerants also cadged free rides from friendly farmers and workers, or hitched a ride to the next town. They might take a seat in the back of a humble cart for a few miles, and then continue their walk. Again, a workman/woman might offer their menial services in return for a favor. 

Below are images of a variety of itinerant travellers. The first was created by the incomparable Thomas Rowlandson, of whom I am an enormous admirer.

 

Aerostation out at Elbows ~

or the Itinerant Aeronaut

Behold an Hero comely tall and fair!

His only Food. Phlogisticated Air!

Now on the Wings of Mighty Winds he rides!

Now torn thro’ Hedges!–Dashed in Oceans tides!

 

Now drooping roams about from Town to Town

Collecting Pence t’inflate his poor balloon,

Pity the Wight and something to him give,

To purchase Gas to keep his Frame alive. ~

The above copyright free image by Thomas Rowlandson is called Aerostation out at Elbows, or The Itinerant Aeronaut, 1785, Met Museum. The poem below the image is about Vincent Lunardi, an Italian balloonist, whose successful balloon ride was of short duration. Sadly he died in poverty.

Wandering musicians during the Georgian era were also known as gleemen. 

Detail of street musicians in London surrounded by a crowd, Thomas Rowlandson.

A ballad singer

A Ballad Singer, Thomas Rowlandson, 1820, from Characteristic Sketches of the Lower Orders, British Library

Wagons and carts for the common folk 

Unlike the fancy carriages and equipages of the well heeled, conveyances for the lower classes were ordinary wagons, rough hewn carts, drays, wheelbarrows, wagonettes, pushcarts, donkey or pony carts, and the like. 

This link to a Thomas Rowlandson image of country carts (1810) shows ordinary country folk setting out on a journey. These are a few details of that image:

Setting out behind the covered wagon

Loading the wagon

Larger covered wagons were also used for longer distances. This wagon, to my way of thinking, is the poor man’s stage coach.

Rowlandson, Flying Wagon, 1816, MET Museum, public domain

In Mr. Rowlandson’s England, Robert Southey described the laboriously slow progress of a flying wagon:

The English mode of travelling is excellently adapted for every thing, except for seeing the country…We met a stage-waggon, the vehicle in which baggage is transported, I could not imagine what this could be; a huge carriage upon four wheels of prodigious breadth, very wide and very long, and arched over with a cloth like a bower, at a considerable height: this monstrous machine was drawn by six large horses, whose neck-bells were heard far off as they approached; the carrier walked beside them, with a long whip upon his shoulder…these waggons are day and night upon their way, and are oddly enough called flying waggons, though of all machines they travel the slowest, slower than even a travelling funeral.” – P 23    

Thomas Rowlandson, Country Folk Leaving for the Town, 1818

Take a peek inside this link to Meisterdrucke.us of Thomas Rowlandson’s cartoon ‘Depicting Country Folk Leaving for the Town’. It’s a joyous event, with all the people setting off to…where? A country fair perhaps? The procession is obviously as slow as the Flying Wagon, for many people are walking in pairs and carrying baskets (Food for personal consumption? Produce or goods for sale or barter?).

Lastly, this image by Rowlandson of a cart carrying a dead horse to the knacker is sad in several respects. Not only has the family lost a valuable animal, but, looking at the faces of the parents, much of their livelihood as well. One can’t imagine that they can afford to purchase another horse any time soon.

A Dead Horse on a Knacker’s Cart, Thomas Rowlandson, Undated, Yale Center for British Art, Public Domain

Bricklayers Arms, an image by Thomas Rowlandson, sums up the variety of wagons and methods of transportation.

Stage Coaches

These coaches were unattainable for the very poor, but the working classes could afford an uncomfortable spot on an exposed space ‘up top’. 

A Laden Stage Coach Outside a Posting Inn

Thomas Rowlandson, Stage Coach, 1787, Met Museum, Public Domain

Given the road conditions, ‘up top’ could be a dangerous choice, as one of the images below shows. Newspaper clippings of the time mentioned the deaths of passengers thrown violently to the ground when a stage coach was involved in an accident.

Stage Coach Perils, Donna Hatch, Coach Travel in Regency England: Stage and Mail Coaches

Should everything go right on the journey, and the coach stops at a coaching inn, the unfortunate individuals ‘up top’ are then …”directed to the kitchen with the pedestrians, gypsies, itinerant labourers and soldiers. Do not expect help getting off the eight foot high coach; if you were a lady, you would not be on top in the first place, would you?” A Guide to the Georgian Coaching Inn

Transportation across water

Travellers faced many impediments as they progressed along rural roads, a major one being water. While larger cities and towns provided bridges, most villages surrounded by country lanes did not have this luxury. Passage over small streams was possible – large rocks were frequently placed at comfortable intervals to make walking easier. 

Methods of transportation across a wide and deeper stream or river included a ferry, or a pulley and rope system to tow a wood platform from one bank to the other. (3) 

This painting by Joseph Stannard dates from 1826 and shows The Ferry House Inn from the opposite riverbank. Crossing the Yare – Buckenham Ferry

John Constable, Ferry Crossing, River at East Bergholt in Essex, 1817

Barges pulled by horses and mules along towpaths provided inner- and inter-city travel along a system of interconnected canals, which sped the movement of people and goods. 

“A horse, towing a boat with a rope from the towpath, could pull fifty times as much cargo as it could pull in a cart or wagon on roads. In the early days of the Canal Age, from about 1740, all boats and barges were towed by horse, mule, hinny, pony or sometimes a pair of donkeys.” Wikipedia, Horse-drawn boat

As mentioned, ferries, canal boats, and barges carried heavier loads. These boats also provided accessibility and affordability to a variety of people from different classes.

Sources:

(1) Distance and Time In Regency England, By Wade H. Mann, author of A Most Excellent Understanding, Q&Q Publishing, Jun 8, 2022

(2) Mrs Hurst Dancing, To find more images by Diana Sperling, click on this page to the Jane Austen Centre. 

(3) Ferrymen and water men: Water Transportation and Moving in Regency England

Not quite related to this topic, but equally as fascinating are:

Posted in 19th C. Poor, Jane Austen's World, Regency Life, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments »

“Austen, Annotated” in Cleveland, Ohio: JASNA 2024 AGM

November 25, 2024 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“My idea of good company, Mr. Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.”–Anne Elliot, Persuasion

Every year, JASNA (the Jane Austen Society of North America) holds a wonderful Annual General Meeting. “Meeting” doesn’t sound very exciting, but JASNA AGMs are the highlight of the Jane Austen year for many of us in North America. Over a period of about five days, we get to meet with hundreds of other Janeites, enjoying plenty of “good company,” enjoying old friends and making new ones. We also get to hear plenaries from top experts in the world and breakout sessions on many fascinating topics. Plus, we enjoy fun workshops, tours, a ball, and much more.

JASNA 2024 AGM in Cleveland, Ohio

On Oct. 16-20 of this year, 660 JASNA members attended the AGM in person, including 30 students, plus 63 companions and 160 virtual participants. 20% were first-time participants. About 90% were women, about 10% men. The topic was “Austen, Annotated: Jane Austen’s Literary, Political, and Cultural Origins.”  A wide area. But right up our alley here at “Jane Austen’s World.” This conference touched on many areas of the context of Austen’s life and writings, which gave participants new insights into her novels.

Plenary Talks

The wonderful plenary talks included:

  • “‘So Potent and So Stimulative’: Jane Austen’s Reading” by Susan Allen Ford, author of What Jane Austen’s Characters Read and Why?—Ford explored with us how Austen’s reading influenced Mansfield Park. She has identified 43-51 titles that influenced that novel alone! These include Mary Brunton’s evangelical novel Self-Control and Austen’s cousin Edward Cooper’s sermons. Personally, I found this a wonderful lead-in to my own breakout session on “Jane Austen and the Evangelicals.” I’ll be reviewing Susan’s book for you before long; it’s full of great insights.
Susan Allen Ford speaks at the opening plenary of the 2024 JASNA AGM.
  • “Was Austen Political?” by Amanda Vickery, author of The Gentleman’s Daughter: Women’s Lives in Georgian England—Vickery explained to us women’s limited roles in “public business” (politics) at the time. She told us that heiresses and rich widows, like Mrs. Jennings and Lady Catherine, might influence their tenants to vote for a certain MP. They might also choose the parish clergyman, important in local government. Upper-class wives might be political hostesses, giving them influence as well. Women were also involved in the abolition movement. Jane Austen was observant and attentive, making subtle references to the movements of her day. 
  • “‘The Capital Pen of a Sister Author’: Reading Frances Burney with Jane Austen,” by Peter Sabor, editor of the Juvenilia in the Cambridge edition of Austen’s works—We learned about the Burney novels that Austen loved: Evelina, Cecilia, and Camilla, and how Austen referred to them in her letters and in Northanger Abbey. She even “subscribed” to Camilla, supporting it as a sort of eighteenth century Kickstarter backer.
  • Patricia A. Matthew, whose current work-in-progress is “‘And Freedom to the Slave’: Sugar, Gender, and the History of the Novel,” talked about women and the sugar boycott which helped get British slavery abolished. She also told us about the new “Race & Regency Lab.” George Austen’s first cousin, John Cope Freeman, owned a plantation in Jamaica. Maps of the plantation, shown on the website, provide information on the enslaved people there and the plots of land they cultivated for themselves or others.
  • “Jane Austen and the Jurassic,” by Thomas Keymer, author of Jane Austen: Writing, Society, Politics, gave a scientific plus literary slant on the time period. During our final brunch, Keymer focused on fossil discoveries at Lyme Regis, including those by Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. Austen’s novels include brief references to fossils: Fanny’s amber cross was fossilized, Elizabeth Bennet plans to pick up “petrified spars,” and in Persuasion we hear of changes in the landscape at Charmouth and Pinny, which revealed fossils. Keymer posited that the real “fossils” in Persuasion are Sir Walter Elliot and Lady Dalrymple and her daughter. And, by the way, Charles Darwin knew Persuasion practically by heart, and called the captain of the Beagle a “Captain Wentworth.”
Thomas Keymer speaks on the Jane Austen and the Jurassic at the closing brunch of the JASNA 2024 AGM.

Breakout Sessions

Honestly, though, my favorite sessions were the breakouts. Five great choices were offered for each of five session times. It was so hard to decide that I paid extra to get recordings of some of them afterwards. As I mentioned, I spoke in one of them. I was opposite Dr. Ben Wiebracht and his students, who were the JASNA New Voices Speakers for this year. They spoke about their Doctor Syntax book, which I reviewed last month. I got to hear a recording of the talk, which was full of great information about this very popular author of Austen’s time.

Other highlights for me were my friend Breckyn Wood’s talk on how grammar and linguistics shaped Austen’s moral worldview, Roger Moore’s session on Jane Austen’s clergymen and their literary ancestors, Lona Manning’s discussion of charity in Emma compared to charitable heroines in other novels of the time, and Deb Barnum’s pictures of books Jane Austen owned. Linda Zionkowski spoke about the “whiners” of Austen’s novels, comparing them with a popular book on complaint, and Collins Hemingway told us about riots and insurrections of Austen’s time. I wish I could have gone to all the breakout sessions!

Fortunately, many of the plenary and breakout talks will be covered in articles in upcoming issues of Persuasions (available to all JASNA members) and Persuasions On-Line (available to everyone).

Breckyn Wood, hostess of Austen Chat, presents a breakout session on “Good Tenses Make Good Neighbours: Or, How Grammar and Linguistics Shaped Austen’s Moral World.”
Author Collins Hemingway presents a breakout session on “Riots & Insurrections: Social and Political Unrest in Austen’s Time”

Fashion, Crafts, Music, and Dance

Of course when we celebrate Jane Austen, there’s lots of “fun stuff” as well. I got to make ribbon flowers and an evening headdress. Other workshops taught how to make a corset, a handbound book, and a turban.

Workshop leader Camela Nitschke helped participants create ribbon flowers “inspired by Jane Austen’s Gardens”
A workshop participant begins creating a Regency headdress.

Dance workshops prepared us for the Ball, which was great fun.

The AGM Ball is always a highlight.

Gillian Dooley and Laura Klein gave a wonderful concert of music Jane Austen owned. In another special session, Hilary Davidson showed us what Jane Austen wore. A fashion show followed, where JASNA members wore gowns they had made. They promenaded in the order such gowns would have been worn in history, with historical background for each. A bingo game followed, and I won a copy of Hilary Davidson’s gorgeous book, Jane Austen’s Wardrobe. (Rachel reviewed that for us last year.)

JASNA members wearing their own historically accurate creations curtsey to the crowd.

Extras

Shopping: As always, the Emporium offered everything from a splendid selection of books (thank you, Jane Austen Books!), to t-shirts, gowns, headdresses, and ribbons, to handmade paper and calendars giving Austen events from the novels and letters for each day of the year. (Thank you, Wisconsin region–I love those calendars.) Looking for Christmas presents, anyone?

Church: I was delighted that this year we could attend Evensong at beautiful Trinity Cathedral nearby. Most people didn’t dress up in Regency gear for it, as it was very cold outside, but many of us worshiped together for Evensong, similar to the way Jane Austen worshiped in her Anglican churches.

Participants who chose to go enjoyed an Evensong church service at lovely Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland. That eagle lectern on the left is much like eagle lecterns I’ve seen in several English churches Austen may have visited.

Tours and Local Events: Tours were offered to local sites, such as the Cleveland Museum of Art and downtown Cleveland. Tickets were also available for a play, concerts, and a dinner cruise.

Military: Two special sessions brought in the military. One was held outside, with Napoleon and a horse, and one was inside, a talk on the Battle of Lake Erie.

A banquet, brunch, and promenade gave us more chances to mix with other Janeites at the conference. A wide variety of other special sessions and interactive stations offered something for everyone.

One first-time participant and vendor from my region, who runs Jane Austen Treasures, said this AGM was one of her “best life experiences ever.” Another participant, who has attended many AGMs, said it is always “the most magical time,” where she feels like she is “walking around in fairyland. . . . Say hello to anybody, and you’re going to have a fantastic conversation.” A different first-timer added, “It was so fun! . . . When else can you be surrounded by so many intelligent, well-read, interesting, kind, funny, warm people?”

Next year’s JASNA AGM will be in Baltimore, Oct. 10-12, 2025. The theme is “Austen at 250: ‘No check to my genius from beginning to end.’”  We’d love to see you there!

Posted in 2024 AGM Cleveland, Jane Austen's World, JASNA | Tagged | 7 Comments »

At Home and Behind Closed Doors in Georgian England

November 18, 2024 by Vic

Vic’s DVD Set

Inquiring readers: At the end of 2010, PBS sent Jane Austen’s World blog many DVDs for review. Most dealt with Jane Austen or the Georgian/Regency era. Close to fifteen years have passed since the series “At Home With the Georgians” first aired in the US. Recently I started to think that a new audience of Jane Austen fans might not be aware of this marvelous series, which presented the private lives, courtships, and marriages of Georgian men and women in 18th Century England. This series was developed in a variety of ways: by reading original sources, such as letters, discussions with experts, museum displays, and visiting the houses and regions where the British from all classes once lived. 

This three part series is based on Amanda Vickery’s book, Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England, a thoroughly informative and academic effort. Vickery is also the host of this visually stunning show. About the Georgian household she states that a home “reflected your taste, your values, your moral character, and the state of your marriage.” This concise introduction sums up the series. A man’s home ownership determines his position. For example, a rented home could determine his status. If he rented the entire house, from top to bottom, he could not only attract a wife, he would  also be viewed as a full citizen qualified to vote. Bachelors who rented rooms in squalid areas of town, were at the bottom of the matrimonial ladder, always yearning to improve their circumstances.

Bachelor fantasizing about a home and family. (DVD scene)

Marrying well was the major focus for Georgian women. Spinster ladies who were unsuccessful in finding a husband, led lives of dependency. Austen described their lot beautifully in her letters and novels.

Gertrude Saville, a very sad spinster (DVD Scene)

Finding a husband and raising a family were a Georgian woman’s main ambitions. As for the man, all he really needed for happiness was “a wife and a fire.” His primary focus early in life was to set up the kind of household that enabled him to woo a woman successfully. 

A proper Georgian Family. Thomas Hudson,The Thistlethwayte Family, ca. 1758. Yale Center for British Art

The third video has a much darker tone than the first two, but its content is equally as fascinating. In it, Vickery discusses how the home provided safety during the night, especially in cities, towns, and rural communities that were dark after sundown and badly lit at night in an age before electricity.

Georgian dress with chatelaines attached to her bodice and skirt

While the wife carried the keys and other instruments, such as sewing scissors, inside the home during the day to perform her housewifely duties (notice the instruments attached to the bodice in the image), the husband’s responsibility was to walk around the house every night, and lock the doors and windows to prevent intruders from entering. As the 18th century progressed, crimes, including relatively minor ones of theft, were punished more harshly. Serious robberies and break ins led increasingly to brutal imprisonment or a death sentence. 

The “At Home With the Georgians” videos are divided into the following three topics. Click on the links to read our full reviews.

  1. A Man’s Place, reviewed by Vic. Read it at this link.
  2. A Woman’s Touch, reviewed by Tony Grant, a frequent contributor to this blog. Read it at this link.
  3. Safe as Houses, reviewed by Vic, with photo contributions from Tony Grant. Read it at this link.

Where to view the videos today

DVDs of these videos are available at Amazon and eBay. Roku Channel and Tubi offer free views, although if I recall correctly, they come with ads. One YouTube channel features at least the first two videos: A Man’s Place and A Woman’s Touch. Click on soniab1’s YouTube channel to see them.

About Amanda Vickery

Amanda Vickery reading letters & documents

Amanda Jane Vickery FBA is an English historian, writer, radio and television presenter, and professor of early modern history at Queen Mary, University of London. Source: Wikipedia

About her Book

Podcast talks with Amanda Vickery, Blackwell’s Bookshops – around 20 min total

Posted in 18th Century England, Georgian Life, Georgian marriage, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , | 13 Comments »

November in Jane Austen’s World

November 11, 2024 by Rachel Dodge

I can hardly believe we’ve arrived at November in Jane Austen’s World! After 10 months of this series, it’s proved an experience I won’t soon forget. What a fantastic journey! As we turn now to Jane Austen’s life, letters, and novels in the month of November, I can’t wait to explore Jane’s Regency world in the fall!

If you’d like to catch up on previous months, you can find each post of the “A Year in Jane Austen’s World” series here: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.

As is our tradition, let’s first take a look at Jane Austen’s beautiful Hampshire countryside this time of year. As you might imagine, the yellow and golds of fall are on display and the weather has changed. Here is a gorgeous photo of the Chawton landscape this time of year:

Chawton House in November: Photo @ChawtonHouse.

November in Hampshire

November is the time for crisp weather, rain, and pretty fall colors. I found this lovely description of November weather in Austen’s letters:

Castle Square (21 November 1808): 

“How could you have a wet day on Thursday? With us it was a prince of days, the most delightful we have had for weeks; soft, bright, with a brisk wind from the southwest; everybody was out and talking of spring, and Martha and I did not know how to turn back. On Friday evening we had some very blowing weather,—from six to nine; I think we never heard it worse, even here. And one night we had so much rain that it forced its way again into the store-closet; and though the evil was comparatively slight and the mischief nothing, I had some employment the next day in drying parcels, etc. I have now moved still more out of the way.”

Wouldn’t you love to walk with Jane in that beautiful soft, bright day with its brisk wind! I’ve enjoyed quite a few similar walks this past week where I live and it’s exhilarating.

Jane Austen’s House Museum and gardens are always so pretty. Here is a recent November photo:

Jane Austen’s House in November, Photo: @JaneAustensHouse.

November in Jane Austen’s Letters

We don’t have many letters from the month of November in Austen’s collection of surviving letters, but November produces a few interesting details such as these:

20 November 1800 (Steventon):

  • Night out: “Your letter took me quite by surprise this morning; you are very welcome, however, and I am very much obliged to you. I believe I drank too much wine last night at Hurstbourne; I know not how else to account for the shaking of my hand to-day. You will kindly make allowance therefore for any indistinctness of writing, by attributing it to this venial error. Naughty Charles did not come on Tuesday, but good Charles came yesterday morning. About two o’clock he walked in on a Gosport hack. His feeling equal to such a fatigue is a good sign, and his feeling no fatigue in it a still better. He walked down to Deane to dinner; he danced the whole evening, and to-day is no more tired than a gentleman ought to be.“
  • Dance partners lacking: “There were only twelve dances, of which I danced nine, and was merely prevented from dancing the rest by the want of a partner. We began at ten, supped at one, and were at Deane before five. There were but fifty people in the room; very few families indeed from our side of the county, and not many more from the other. My partners were the two St. Johns, Hooper, Holder, and a very prodigious Mr. Mathew, with whom I called the last, and whom I liked the best of my little stock.”
  • Jane’s appearance for the ball: “Mary said that I looked very well last night. I wore my aunt’s gown and handkerchief, and my hair was at least tidy, which was all my ambition.”

21 November 1808 (Castle Square):

  • First thoughts on Chawton Cottage: “There are six bedchambers at Chawton; Henry wrote to my mother the other day, and luckily mentioned the number, which is just what we wanted to be assured of. He speaks also of garrets for store-places, one of which she immediately planned fitting up for Edward’s man-servant; and now perhaps it must be for our own; for she is already quite reconciled to our keeping one. The difficulty of doing without one had been thought of before. His name shall be Robert, if you please.”
Black and white pen and ink drawing of the cottage by Ellen Hill
Chawton Cottage by Ellen Hill

November in Jane Austen’s Novels

Sense and Sensibility

  • Lucy Steele Visits Barton Park: Elinor tells Marianne, “I have known it these four months. When Lucy first came to Barton Park last November, she told me in confidence of her engagement.” 

Pride and Prejudice

  • Mr. Collins Visits Longbourn: He writes to Mr. Bennet: “If you should have no objection to receive me into your house, I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday, November 18th, by four o’clock, and shall probably trespass on your hospitality till the Saturday se’nnight following, which I can do without any inconvenience, as Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday, provided that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day.”
  • Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley leave Netherfield in November: “How very suddenly you all quitted Netherfield last November, Mr. Darcy! It must have been a most agreeable surprise to Mr. Bingley to see you all after him so soon; for, if I recollect right, he went but the day before. He and his sisters were well, I hope, when you left London?”
Mr. Collins comes to Longbourn, Pride & Prejudice (1995).

Mansfield Park

  • Sir Thomas returns home: “November was the black month fixed for his return. Sir Thomas wrote of it with as much decision as experience and anxiety could authorise. His business was so nearly concluded as to justify him in proposing to take his passage in the September packet, and he consequently looked forward with the hope of being with his beloved family again early in November.”
  • Maria marries in November: “Mrs. Rushworth was quite ready to retire, and make way for the fortunate young woman whom her dear son had selected; and very early in November removed herself, her maid, her footman, and her chariot, with true dowager propriety, to Bath, there to parade over the wonders of Sotherton in her evening parties; enjoying them as thoroughly, perhaps, in the animation of a card-table, as she had ever done on the spot; and before the middle of the same month the ceremony had taken place which gave Sotherton another mistress.”
  • November gloom and dirt (mud): “Not only at home did [Fanny’s] value increase (‘with the departure of her cousins’), but at the Parsonage too. In that house, which she had hardly entered twice a year since Mr. Norris’s death, she became a welcome, an invited guest, and in the gloom and dirt of a November day, most acceptable to Mary Crawford.”
Michelle Ryan as Maria Bertram in Mansfield Park.

Emma

  • Mr. Woodhouse argues autumn colds: “That has been a good deal the case, my dear; but not to the degree you mention. Perry says that colds have been very general, but not so heavy as he has very often known them in November. Perry does not call it altogether a sickly season.”
  • Jane Fairfax catches a November cold: “Jane caught a bad cold, poor thing! so long ago as the 7th of November, (as I am going to read to you,) and has never been well since. A long time, is not it, for a cold to hang upon her? She never mentioned it before, because she would not alarm us. Just like her! so considerate!—But however, she is so far from well, that her kind friends the Campbells think she had better come home, and try an air that always agrees with her; and they have no doubt that three or four months at Highbury will entirely cure her—and it is certainly a great deal better that she should come here, than go to Ireland, if she is unwell. Nobody could nurse her, as we should do.”
  • Emma and Mr. Knightley must return from their seaside honeymoon by November, so that Isabella and her husband can stay at Hartfield with Mr. Woodhouse:
    • “[Emma and Mr. Knightley] had determined that their marriage ought to be concluded while John and Isabella were still at Hartfield, to allow them the fortnight’s absence in a tour to the seaside, which was the plan.”
    • “But Mr. John Knightley must be in London again by the end of the first week in November.”
    • “[Emma] was able to fix her wedding-day—and Mr. Elton was called on, within a month from the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Martin (in September), to join the hands of Mr. Knightley and Miss Woodhouse.”
Bill Nighy as Mr. Woodhouse in Emma (2020).

November Dates of Importance

And now for our monthly round-up of November dates of importance relating to Jane and her family:

Family News:

  • November 1796: Jane’s brother James Austen engaged to Mary Lloyd, a close family friend.
  • 17 November 1798: James Austen’s son, James-Edward, born.
  • November 1797: Edward Austen moves his family from Rowling to Godmersham Park in Kent.

Historic Dates:

  • 9 November 1799: Napoleon becomes First Consul of France.
  • 20 November 1815: The Treaty of Paris is signed, officially ending Napoleonic wars.

Writing:

  • 1 November 1797: Jane’s father, Reverend Austen, offers “First Impressions” to Thomas Cadell, a London publisher, but is ultimately unsuccessful.
  • November 1797: Austen begins revisions on “Elinor and Marianne,” which later becomes Sense and Sensibility.
  • November 1813: 2nd editions of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility released.
  • November 1813: Mansfield Park accepted for publication (most likely).
  • 13 November 1815: Austen visits the Prince Regent’s Library at Carlton House, where she receives the invitation to dedicate a future novel to him.
Jane Austen reluctantly dedicated Emma to the Prince Regent, at his request.

Sorrows: I am happy to report that I could not find any major family sorrows during the month of November in the family history, biographies, or letters.

Looking Toward December

This truly has been an enormous joy each month, and as this is the penultimate post for this series, I cannot tell you all how excited I am to round out the series next month as we explore December in Jane Austen’s World, Jane’s birthday, and all things Regency Christmas!

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling author of The Little Women Devotional, The Anne of Green Gables Devotional and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Now Available: The Secret Garden Devotional! You can visit Rachel online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in A Year in Jane Austen's World, Edwardian Life, Georgian Life, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's letters, Jane Austen's life, Jane Austen's World | 1 Comment »

John Tallis’s London Street Views, 1838-1840

November 5, 2024 by Vic

Inquiring Readers,

For over 10 years I have searched for a full digitized copy of John Tallis’s London street views, 1838-1840. It is 328 pages long and includes an introduction with a biographical essay of Tallis by Peter Jackson.This book, digitized by Google from an original copy owned by the University of Michigan, also includes revised and enlarged views of 1847 London.

Purpose of this Blog Post:

The resources in this post are aimed at the interests of:

  • Authors who are researching details of London’s streets and maps during the Regency era and Early Victorian London, as well as contemporary paintings and illustrations from that period.
  • Faculty and teacher research.
  • Student learning regarding research and uncovering historical details.
  • Our readers’ curiosity and for those who are interested in learning more about 19th century London.

About Hathi Trust:

London Street Views can be found on the Hathi Trust website.

Our story:
HathiTrust was founded in 2008 as a not-for-profit collaborative of academic and research libraries now preserving 18+ million digitized items in the HathiTrust Digital Library. We offer reading access to the fullest extent allowable by U.S. and international copyright law, text and data mining tools for the entire corpus, and other emerging services based on the combined collection.”

HathiTrust digital library:
The HathiTrust Digital Library is home to millions of digitized books and publications. Our team works diligently alongside research institutions to preserve and grow this collection while providing lawful access to visitors around the world.”

This link leads directly to London Street Views

This very useful site also offers links to many more books from the past, where you’ll find a rich source of 18+ million unique and historic books that have been digitized. Forty per cent can be read by the public, and copyrights and access are explicitly explained. See “How to Search and Access.”

In addition:

Find thousands of Images at the London Picture Archive, which is managed by The London Archives on behalf of the City of LondonCorporation.

For Example, when I typed “Hyde Park” in this site’s search bar, a wealth of images appeared that gave life to Austen’s era. Combined with the Tallis maps, these resources provide a more comprehensive view of life during the Regency era as it was, as opposed to reproductions in today’s film sets, lets say. (Also see Horwood’s Maps in the link at the end of this post.)

New Bond Street

River Thames

West view of St. Paul’s Cathedral and surrounding streets

Who is John Tallis?:

John Tallis: 1816-1876

The biographic introduction to this book by Peter Jackson includes a vast amount of information about his life. (Image @ Hathi Trust)

Other information about Tallis:

“The Life of John Tallis – Map Maker and Cartographer”: biography excerpt from the Old Maps Library blog

“Tallis … produced a series of street views of central London that are breathtaking. His images showed detailed views of the streets using the facades of the buildings. These street views are much like we use Google street view today, giving us a sense of what the city looked like in the early Victorian era.”

“Tallis was born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire in 1817, and moved to London in about 1841… A blue plaque commemorates his final residence at 233, New Cross Road. He died in 3 June 1876.”

Memorial Plaque. Image of his house as well @ London Remembers

More information about London Streets in this blog:

 

Horwood’s 1804 Map of London, blog post published 2021 on this site.

 

 

Posted in 19th Century London, Architecture, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments »

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