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Review: The Other Bennet Sister

Posted in Jane Austen's World, Mary Bennet, Pride and Prejudice, tagged , , on May 25, 2026| 14 Comments »

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.

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Elizabeth Bennet’s Travels (Part 3): Chatsworth

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 on May 12, 2026| 4 Comments »

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.

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

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 on April 22, 2026| 6 Comments »

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.

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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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