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Winchester Cathedral: Jane Austen’s Resting Place

Posted in Anglican Church, Architecture, Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen's death, Jane Austen's World, Winchester, tagged , , on August 24, 2026| 6 Comments »

By Brenda S. Cox

In the 1850s, one of many visitors to Winchester Cathedral asked the verger where to find Jane Austen’s grave. (A verger is a church official responsible for the building, among other duties.) The verger responded,

“Pray, sir, can you tell me whether there was anything particular about that lady—so many people want to know where she was buried?”

Winchester Cathedral

Flagstone over Jane Austen’s grace in Winchester Cathedral

Memorials to Jane Austen in Winchester Cathedral

We could all tell him what was “so particular” about that lady! The verger might have looked at the ledger stone in the north aisle of the cathedral for clues. It reads (italics added):

In Memory of JANE AUSTEN, youngest daughter of the late Revd GEORGE AUSTEN, formerly Rector of Steventon in this County, she departed this Life on the 18th of July 1817, aged 41, after a long illness supported with the patience and the hopes of a Christian. The benevolence of her heart, the sweetness of her temper, and the extraordinary endowments of her mind obtained the regard of all who knew her, and the warmest love of her intimate connections. Their grief is in proportion to their affection, they know their loss to be irreparable, but in their deepest affliction they are consoled by a firm though humble hope that her charity, devotion, faith and purity have rendered her soul acceptable in the sight of her REDEEMER.

This was probably written by Jane’s brother Henry, perhaps in consultation with the rest of her immediate family. The style fits with other epitaphs of the time—not focusing on worldly achievements or fame, but on spiritual attributes, the love of her family and friends, and her hope of heaven. That verger might only have wondered about “the extraordinary attributes of her mind”—the only clue to Jane’s genius as a writer.

The north aisle of Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen is buried.

All those Victorian visitors to the Cathedral indicated Austen’s increasing popularity. This encouraged her nephew, Rev. James Edward Austen-Leigh, to write her first biography, the Memoir of 1870. The proceeds paid for an additional plaque in the Cathedral, which does mention her writing, but not in detail.

Plaque on the wall next to Austen’s grave, placed by her nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh, son of her brother Rev. James Austen. Designed by architect Thomas Henry Wyatt, who had worked on Austen-Leigh’s parish church at Bray.

The plaque reads [brackets and italics added]:

Jane Austen, known to many by her writings, endeared to her family by the varied charms of her Character, and ennobled by Christian Faith and Piety, was born at Steventon in the county of Hants [Hampshire] Dec xvi mdcclxxv [Dec. 16, 1775] and buried in this Cathedral July xxiv mdcccxvii [July 24, 1817]  “She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” Prov. xxxi v. xxvi [Proverbs 31, verse 26]

Above this memorial tablet is a third memorial—a stained glass window paid for by public donations in 1900, as Austen’s reputation expanded even more. St. Augustine of Hippo is at the top—Augustine can apparently be shortened to “Austin,” who knew? Below him we find King David, writer of most of the Psalms, with his harp; St. John with the first words of his gospel, “In the beginning was the word”; and other biblical writers (the sons of Korah) with quotations from the Psalms. The quotations are about the fear of the Lord, meekness, wisdom, understanding, justice, and salvation. (They are in Latin with slightly different numbering than today, but the modern verse numbers are: Psalm 34:11, 25:9, 49:3, 71:15).

Stained glass window in Winchester Cathedral commemorating Jane Austen. Designed by C.E. Kempe, 1900, paid for by public subscription.

One more memorial to Austen now graces Winchester Cathedral. Outside, in the Cathedral Close, a new statue depicts Austen, installed for the 250th anniversary of her birth. (A “close” is enclosed land belonging to a cathedral, generally including schools, offices, and homes for the bishop and clergy.)

Jane Austen statue in Winchester Cathedral Inner Close.
Photo ©Betty Parker Ellis, 2026. Taken during the 2026 JASNA Summer Tour.

 

Baptismal Font at Winchester Cathedral. The nearby sign says, “The font is used in baptism, by which sacrament a person becomes a member of the Church. This mid 12th century font of black Tournai marble is decorated with carvings showing the miracles of St. Nicholas, patron saint of children.”

 

Pulpit and stalls at Winchester Cathedral

 

Screen at the high altar of Winchester Cathedral

How was Jane Austen connected to Winchester?

Jane Austen and her family were connected with Winchester Cathedral through their churches. Jane lived her early life in the parish of Steventon, where her father was rector of the parish church. Later in her life she lived in the parish of Chawton, where her brother Edward Knight was squire of the parish, and her brother Henry was briefly curate at the Chawton church.

In the Church of England, parishes are combined into dioceses. Each diocese is led by a bishop, whose center is the cathedral. Both Steventon and Chawton are in the diocese of Winchester, led by the Bishop of Winchester from Winchester Cathedral.

Nave and chancel of Winchester Cathedral

The Austens were also connected to Winchester through its school. Winchester College, near the Cathedral, is the oldest of England’s “public schools.” (The approximate equivalent in the US would be an elite boarding school for junior high and high school.) Some students were “scholars,” on scholarships, and others were “commoners” who paid fees to attend.

Eight of Jane Austen’s nephews attended Winchester College as commoners (paying students)—six of her brother Edward’s sons (Edward, George, Henry, William, Charles, and Brook), one son of her brother Frank (George), and one son of her brother James (James Edward). The college was strict and spartan. The boys ate mainly boiled beef or mutton with bread and beer. Student prefects brutally ruled younger students. Students occasionally rebelled—Austen’s nephew Charles Bridges Knight was part of a rebellion in 1818 which led to thirty expulsions.

Memorial to William of Wykeham, who rose from humble beginnings to become Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England. He founded Winchester College in 1382; eight of Jane Austen’s nephews attended there.

Jane corresponded with her nephew James Edward and others about the school. On July 9, 1816 she watched “a countless number of Postchaises full of Boys pass by” “full of future Heroes, Legislators, Fools, & Vilains” (going home for the summer from Winchester College). (‘Vilains’ is Austen’s spelling.)

Winchester is only 17 miles from Chawton and 14 miles from Steventon. Jane’s father, George Austen, had an account with John Burdon’s bookshop in Winchester. That shop is now called P&G Wells. Jane loved both books and music. Her piano teacher came from Winchester, where he was assistant organist at the Cathedral. He gave lessons to Jane and others in Steventon. He was George William Chand, later organist of the Cathedral and College.

Winchester bookseller which supplied books to Jane Austen’s family.

Jane also had a friend living in Winchester. Elizabeth Bigg of Manydown Park (brother of Harris Bigg-Wither who proposed to Jane) married Rev. William Heathcote, a prebendary (official) of the Cathedral. Austen might have visited one of their homes in the Cathedral Close. Elizabeth left there when she was widowed, but moved back to the Close when her son entered Winchester College. Cassandra, Jane, and Martha Lloyd did visit her there for a week at the end of 1814.

When Jane moved to Winchester for medical treatment, in her final illness, it was her friend Elizabeth who arranged for her lodgings at 8 College Street. Elizabeth visited her every day.

Jane Austen spent her last eight weeks at 8 College Street in Winchester, where she died.

Austen apparently loved the Cathedral. She might have appreciated its long history, or its medieval beauty. Cassandra wrote,

“it is a satisfaction to me to think that [Jane’s dear remains] are to lie in a Building she admird so much—her precious soul I presume to hope reposes in a far superior Mansion” (July 20, 1817).

Memorial to Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of Winchester, 1869-1873; son of William Wilberforce, “The Great Emancipator.” Jane Austen “loved” Thomas Clarkson’s writings; he fought against slavery alongside William Wilberforce.

 

Winchester Cathedral is full of history, and rotates exhibits on various topics. Page from the twelfth-century Winchester Bible. Pigments used to decorate the Bible were also displayed: lead white, orchil (purple), ochres (yellow, brown), red lead, vermilion (red-orange), verdigris (green), lapis lazuli (most expensive, from Afghanistan), carbon black, gold, granular gold, and gold leaf.

Why was Jane Austen buried in Winchester Cathedral?

When Jane Austen died in Winchester (See What Killed Jane Austen?), she was not wealthy or well-known. Because she died in the parish of St. Swithun’s, she had the right to be buried in the Cathedral precinct. However, to be buried inside the Cathedral, she needed social connections, which her family had.

Jane’s brother, Rev. Henry Austen, may have made the request to the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral, who would make that decision. He was likely supported by Elizabeth Heathcote, widow of a prebendary, and George William Chad, the organist and Jane’s former piano teacher.

The Dean, Thomas Rennell, was a friend of the Chutes of the Vyne, who knew Jane and her family. The Chutes were also friends and patrons of her brother James, giving him a church living. Jane’s mother’s connections with the aristocratic Leigh family probably also helped. Her father is mentioned in all capital letters on her gravestone, so his holding a Hampshire living for forty years may have been taken into account. Her brother James was too ill at the time to come to Winchester, but he had also held several parish livings for some years.

One more speculation: Henry may have told the Dean that the Prince Regent admired Jane’s work and asked her to dedicate Emma to him. Connections, connections.

It was also expensive to be buried in the Cathedral. The expenses for Austen’s very modest funeral came to £92, paid from her own modest savings. Presumably that included standard burial costs: 10 guineas (£10.50) for burial in the aisle of the Cathedral, plus 6 shillings, 8 pence (1/3 of a pound) for the tolling of the bell. (Burial in the choir would have been 50 guineas; burial near the choir or above the steps, 20 guineas.) Official records say Austen’s estate, after payment of funeral and other expenses, was worth £661 and 2 shillings.

In the end, Jane Austen was buried inside Winchester Cathedral, now considered one of the Jane Austen family churches. She was the only one of her siblings to be buried in a cathedral. Her grave there has attracted many visitors for more than two hundred years. Winchester Cathedral made a great decision in allowing Jane’s grave to be inside!

During the 2023 JASNA Summer Tour, we strewed flowers on Jane Austen’s grave.

 

Winchester Cathedral’s lovely bookshop offers my book, Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England, along with many other excellent books and souvenirs.

Winchester Cathedral is a beautiful, peaceful place of worship. Have you ever visited Jane Austen’s grave? I found it a very moving experience, as have many others. What did you think and feel there?

 

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

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.

 

Sources and Further Reading

Jane Austen and Winchester: An Introduction, published by Winchester College.

Jane Austen’s Hampshire by Terry Townsend shows Jane’s connections to various locations in Hampshire, including Winchester.

Jane Austen and Winchester Cathedral, booklet by Michael Wheeler

Deb Barnum’s post on Winchester from the 2025 JASNA Summer Tour shows interior shots of the house in which Austen died; Winchester College; the Epiphany Chapel; bits and pieces of the Cathedral stored in the Crypt; and more.

Winchester Cathedral and Jane Austen

Winchester Cathedral architecture, gorgeous photos

“Austen and Cathedral: Was Interment a Signal Honor?”

 

Other Austen Family Churches

Adlestrop and the Leigh Family

Ashe and the Lefroy Family

Chawton

Deane

Godmersham

Goodnestone

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

Hamstall Ridware and Austen’s First Cousin, Edward Cooper

Horsmonden

St. Paul’s Covent Garden

St. Swithin’s Walcot (Bath)

Steventon

Stoneleigh Abbey Chapel and Mansfield Park

Tonbridge: Home Parish of Jane Austen’s Father

St. Andrew’s Colyton, Devon

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

JASNA Austen Family Churches

 

Churches Mentioned in Austen’s Novels

Garrison Chapel

London Churches

St. Swithin’s, Walcot and other churches in Northanger Abbey

St. George’s, Hanover Square

St. Paul’s, Covent Garden: Actors’ Church

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

Posted in Anglican Church, Architecture, Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen's religion, Jane Austen's World, Religion in Austen's England, tagged on April 29, 2026| 2 Comments »

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 

 

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

Posted in Anglican Church, Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's World, tagged , , , on March 23, 2026| 1 Comment »

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

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The Church at Godmersham: St. Lawrence the Martyr

Posted in Anglican Church, Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen's family, Jane Austen's religion, Jane Austen's World, tagged on February 26, 2026| 2 Comments »

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)

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Praying with Jane Audiobook with Amanda Root

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 , , , , on November 6, 2025| 1 Comment »

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.

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