Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Jane Austen’s Family Churches: St. Nicholas’s Church, Chawton

September 4, 2023 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“Now we are come from church . . .” (Jane to Cassandra, London, March 5, 1814)

In Jane Austen’s letters and novels, she often mentions church. A quick search of my Complete Works of Jane Austen shows 119 uses of the word “church” plus 31 uses of “chapel.” The church was an important part of Jane’s life.

A number of different churches are associated with Austen and her family, and this past summer in England I had the privilege of visiting many of them. In the coming months, I will share photos with you of some of these special places.

St. Nicholas’s Church, Chawton, where Jane Austen worshiped from 1809 to 1817. You can see the chimneys of Chawton House in the background; Chawton Cottage is a few minutes’ walk away. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

Country Churches in Austen’s England

Most of the Austen family churches are small country churches, like the churches the Bennets, Darcys, Tilneys, Dashwoods, Woodhouses, and others would have mostly attended.

Most country churches at that time were simple, whitewashed inside, with perhaps the Ten Commandments hung on the wall somewhere, along with monuments (usually plaques on the walls) commemorating people from the squire’s family or previous rectors. A simple Communion table at the front, with a railing in front of it, would have served as the altar. The part of the church around the altar is called the chancel.

Chancel of the Chawton church. This part of the church escaped the fire in the late 1870s, but was mostly redecorated later. The Communion railing, however, is from the 18th century; Jane Austen would have received Communion at that railing. Photo ©Brenda S. Cox, 2023.
By far the most elaborate memorial in the Chawton Church, this one commemorates Sir Richard Knight, who lived from 1638-1679. Photos above and below © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.
Memorials to Jane’s mother and sister inside the church.

Preaching was an important part of each service, and the pulpit might have been one, two, or three levels high. Many churches had a gallery, a balcony where the choir, called the Singers, would sit, if they had music. From the top level of the pulpit, the clergyman could preach to those in the gallery, as well as see down into the box pews, pews surrounded by walls. These box pews were generally owned by the local gentry, who could listen in privacy and be protected from drafts of cold air. Others sat on benches.

Country families visiting Bath or London would have attended larger churches. I’ve speculated previously about where Jane herself (and Catherine Morland) might have worshiped in Bath.

Country Churches Today

The country churches we visited this summer now have small congregations for regular services; perhaps a dozen or so people on a Sunday morning. However, they occasionally host baptisms, weddings, and funerals, with much larger attendance. Those events also provide income to the churches. These small churches may gather one to two hundred people for holiday services such as Harvest, Christmas, or Easter. They sometimes also host local school events, concerts, and community events.

Interior of Chawton Church. The stained glass windows are all from Victorian times or later. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

St. Nicholas’ Church, Chawton, Today

Let’s start with the Chawton church. This is the one Jane Austen fans can most easily visit, since it is next to Chawton House and a short walk from Jane Austen’s House. Jane Austen attended this church from 1809 to 1817, while she and her mother, sister, and friend were living in Chawton Cottage (now Jane Austen’s House, a museum). During that time, she wrote or rewrote all her novels, and four of them were published. (The other two were published shortly after her death.)

The church is named after St. Nicholas, like the church in Steventon where Austen grew up; that’s a little confusing.

This Victorian stained glass window in Chawton Church honors St. Nicholas, patron saint of children and others, to whom the church is dedicated, and St. Swithin, patron saint of Winchester Cathedral where Jane Austen is buried. The window is a memorial to Marianne Knight, daughter of Jane’s brother Edward Knight. Marianne died unmarried in 1896, and the window appears to have been commissioned by her great-nephews and great-nieces (if I am deciphering the Latin correctly).  Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

Nowadays a small team of clergy usually serve a group of country parishes. The Chawton church is now part of the Northanger Benefice, which includes eight small rural parishes, each with its own church.

While services are offered somewhere in the area every Sunday, most small churches do not have services every week. At the church in Chawton, three Sunday services are held per month.

One is led by a layperson (not an ordained clergyman or clergywoman). In the hour-long lay service I attended during Regency Week, a woman from the congregation led the service, reading from the Book of Common Prayer, while the congregation read the responses. The congregation sang hymns: “Lord of All Hopefulness,” a lovely traditional hymn, as well as “Kum Ba Yah” and “Morning Has Broken,” perhaps chosen because they were familiar and easy to sing. There was no sermon.

The leader read the banns for two couples who plan to get married in the church. I was told that, in order to be married there, a couple had to attend the church at least six times before the wedding, and they needed some connection with the parish or benefice.

The congregation was welcoming and kind to my friend and myself as visitors. We enjoyed the fellowship before and after the service.

Baptisms (Christenings) are performed at this Victorian font near the door of the Chawton church. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

The service I attended the following Sunday included the baptism of a nine-month-old boy. About forty or fifty people attended. (I was told anyone could be baptized in the church, with the payment of a small fee.) The rector in charge of the benefice, Rev. Carrie Walshaw, officiated. (The Church of England has ordained women since 1994.) The baby was dedicated with his parents, two godfathers, and one godmother (a baby girl would have two godmothers and one godfather), and baptized at the Victorian font at the back of the church. A candle was lit and given to the parents as a symbolic remembrance. Rev. Walshaw preached a sermon about baptism and salvation, and we sang hymns with organ music. Rev. Walshaw’s husband was the organist; the organ is an electronic one that sounds like a real pipe organ (to me, at least). It is hidden behind the pipes of the old organ which is now too expensive to maintain.

Victorian organ pipes at Chawton Church. A newer electronic organ is behind the panels. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

History of St. Nicholas’ Church, Chawton

There has been a church at Chawton since at leat 1270 AD. The current church building, however, is not the same one Austen worshiped in. A fire in 1871 destroyed most of that church. The chancel (the area around the altar at the front of the church) remains, and most of the memorials were preserved, along with one original pew sitting against the back wall. So those are still as Jane Austen would have seen them, though the chancel has been extensively redecorated.

The only original pew, from 1733, to survive the fire; it is now attached to the back wall of the Chawton church. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

The rest of the church, including the tower, was rebuilt in 1872 and 1873 in a Victorian style. Several of the pews are marked as memorials to various people, including one for Jane Austen, though these pews are all modern.

This modern pew in the Chawton Church is dedicated to Jane Austen and to Dorothy Darnell, founder of the Jane Austen Society. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

Clergy

For each parish church in England, someone owns the advowson, the right to appoint the next clergyman. The Knight family (who adopted Jane’s brother Edward) owned the advowson for Chawton from 1578 until 1953. At that point, they gave it to the Bishop of Winchester, when Chawton became part of a benefice with nearby Farringdon.

During Austen’s time, the Knights chose Rev. John Papillon as rector of Chawton. In one of her letters, Jane refers to a family joke that she was supposed to marry Rev. Papillon, regardless of how either of them felt about it (Dec. 9, 1808).

This list of Chawton rectors, posted on the wall of the church, includes Rev. Papillon, who was rector while Jane Austen lived there. He is mentioned in her letters. Two of her nephews and a great-nephew follow. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

In 1817, Jane’s brother Henry Austen served briefly as curate at Chawton and at St. Lawrence the Martyr’s, parish church of the nearby market town of Alton. In 1837, Edward Knight installed his son, Charles Bridges Knight, as rector of Chawton. The rectory is the white house at the end of the lane leading to the church and Chawton house, just across the street. It is now a private home.

The former rectory of Chawton Church is now a private home, just across the road from the church and Chawton House. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

Updating the Church

A guidebook to Chawton Church tells us, “The parish has increased little in population since the 19th century and still only has about 300 adults living in it so that the shortage of money which is the lot of most churches in tiny parishes is likely to continue in this, the 21st century.” The building is a grade 2 listed building in the UK, meaning it is “of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve it.” 

The church therefore has to get permission to make any changes. Recent changes are the addition of two restrooms and a small kitchen in the back of the church. The kitchen is made of oak matching the pews, with a cover to hide the sink. These amenities make the church more appealing as a site for weddings and other community events. Income from such events helps keep the church running. The Chawton church has hosted five weddings this year so far.

The church also has a children’s area toward the back, with toys. This helps keep children occupied, especially during the regular services geared for families.

A children’s area and basic kitchen facilities have been added to the back of the Chawton church. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

Ring the Bells

The church has a peal of six bells, which were ringing during the baptism service I attended. Three of them would have been heard by Jane Austen; they are dated 1420, 1621, and 1748. Another original bell was re-cast and re-hung as one of the newer bells. During Austen’s time, the church had a West Gallery, a balcony which may have been used by a choir or musicians, but the rebuilt church has no gallery.

Bell tower of the Chawton church. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.
Chawton’s current six bells, three of which would have been heard by Austen, were dedicated/re-dedicated in 2009. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

Lych Gates and Graveyard

Outside, the church can be approached from two traditional lych gates, one in front, one in the back. The word lych (pronounced litch) is from an Anglo-Saxon word for corpse. The lych gate was the entrance to the church yard, which was a cemetery. When a person died in the parish, their body might be set in the lych gate for a time, until the funeral was held.

The lych gates of the Chawton church date from about 1871. There is a similar one behind the church. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

The Chawton churchyard includes many headstones for people buried there, some of which are so ancient they are illegible.

Jane Austen’s mother and sister are buried in the churchyard. Their graves were recently cleared of huge, deep weeds. But the lettering on the stones is still difficult to read.

Jane Austen’s mother and sister, both named Cassandra, are buried in the Chawton churchyard. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023
The gravestones were easier to read in 2013, when I took this photo. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2013.

Honoring Jane

A small statue of Jane Austen now stands in front of the church, erected in 2018. The statue is the maquette, the prototype, for the life-size statue in Basingstoke. It shows Austen walking, carrying a book.

A statue of Jane Austen now greets visitors to the Chawton church. Photo © Brenda S. Cox, 2023.

I hope you can visit the Chawton church and enjoy its peace and beauty.

Resources

Guides to Chawton church and other Austen-related churches are available from Jane Austen Books, or you can buy them at the church if you visit it.

A Walk Through Chawton will give you a wider view of Austen-related places to visit in the area. 

Donations

The Chawton church is always open to visitors like yourself. According to a sign in the church, however, it costs over £75 a day to keep the church operating. If you should wish to make a donation directly to the church, churchwarden Sandra Martin has set up this site, which Rev. Lesley Leon of the Northanger Benefice shared with us: Chawton church donations.

JASNA provides support for special projects in some Austen family churches, including this one. If you are a JASNA member, donations to the churches fund for such projects are appreciated. (You can donate when renewing your membership, or sign in to your account and go under the drop-down menu to “Donate to JASNA or English Institutions.”)

Posts on other Jane Austen Family Churches

Steventon

Hamstall Ridware

Adlestrop and the Leigh Family

Stoneleigh Abbey Chapel

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

Ashe and Jane’s Friend Mrs. Lefroy 

Deane

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

Posted in Anglican Church, Churches of the Austen family, Jane Austen's religion, Jane Austen's World, Visited | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments »

Jane Austen and Rom Coms: Northanger Abbey (“The Meet-Cute”)

August 15, 2023 by Rachel Dodge

It’s time for the next installment in this series devoted to examining the enduring romantic themes in Jane Austen’s novels, many of which are used over and over again in today’s most popular “rom com” movies and books.

So far in this series, we’ve explored popular themes in Jane Austen’s other novels: “Enemies to Lovers” in Pride and Prejudice, the “Slow Burn” Romance in Emma, “Best Friends to Lovers” in Mansfield Park, and “Second-Chance” Love in Persuasion.

This month, we’re taking a closer look at the romantic themes Jane Austen used in Northanger Abbey (NA) and tracking the themes that are still used today.

Defining the “Meet-Cute”

Every rom com has a meet-cute, the moment when two characters meet each other in a “cute” and memorable way. In The Holiday, Arthur (Eli Wallach) defines a meet-cute like this:

Say a man and a woman both need something to sleep in, and they both go to the same men’s pajama department. And the man says to the salesman, ‘I just need bottoms.’ The woman says, ‘I just need a top.’ They look at each other, and that’s the meet-cute.”

The Holiday

While every story has a meet-cute, some are cuter than others. Sometimes the two characters cannot stand one another, sometimes there is a misunderstanding, and sometimes there is a clash. But sometimes, as in NA, the two characters meet and are immediately drawn to one another.

Introducing Mr. Tilney

In NA, not only do Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney have a clever first meeting, we also learn a lot about social etiquette during that era.

When Catherine arrives in Bath, she knows no one and her chaperone, Mrs. Allen, has no immediate acquaintances. On their first night in the Upper Rooms, they move through a crowded ballroom, but because Mrs. Allen does not see anyone she knows, Catherine cannot dance:

[S]he longed to dance, but she had not an acquaintance in the room. Mrs. Allen did all that she could do in such a case by saying very placidly, every now and then, “I wish you could dance, my dear—I wish you could get a partner.”

Northanger Abbey

However, when they visit the Lower Rooms, “fortune” is “more favourable to our heroine” (Ch. 3). It’s there that the master of ceremonies makes an introduction: “The master of the ceremonies introduced to her a very gentleman-like young man as a partner; his name was Tilney.”

After dancing they strike up a lively conversation and the meet-cute is on.

Northanger’s Meet-Cute

Henry is described by Austen in highly favorable terms: “He seemed to be about four or five and twenty, was rather tall, had a pleasing countenance, a very intelligent and lively eye, and, if not quite handsome, was very near it. His address was good, and Catherine felt herself in high luck.”

As they talk, Mr. Tilney teases Catherine and is clearly a good-humored man: “He talked with fluency and spirit—and there was an archness and pleasantry in his manner which interested, though it was hardly understood by her.”

Mr. Tilney flirts with Catherine when he questions her about her journal and even tells her what she “ought” to write in it after their meeting:

“I danced with a very agreeable young man, introduced by Mr. King; had a great deal of conversation with him—seems a most extraordinary genius—hope I may know more of him. That, madam, is what I wish you to say.”

For the remainder of the chapter, Austen is at her absolute best with light-hearted, quick-paced dialogue and witty banter. Rarely do any of her characters talk quite so much upon first meeting one another, and we, her readers, find ourselves as charmed by Henry as Catherine herself:

They danced again; and, when the assembly closed, parted, on the lady’s side at least, with a strong inclination for continuing the acquaintance. Whether she thought of him so much, while she drank her warm wine and water, and prepared herself for bed, as to dream of him when there, cannot be ascertained; but I hope it was no more than in a slight slumber, or a morning doze at most; for if it be true, as a celebrated writer has maintained, that no young lady can be justified in falling in love before the gentleman’s love is declared, it must be very improper that a young lady should dream of a gentleman before the gentleman is first known to have dreamt of her.

Northanger Abbey

Love at First Sight, Conflict Ahead

In a book with a quick mutual connection between characters, there must be some kind of problem or conflict to keep the story going. Otherwise, it would be over in the first few pages. In many popular movies today, writers add in misunderstandings, timing issues, geographical hurdles, age differences, and other road blocks to make things interesting.

The same is true for NA. After their first meeting, Catherine develops an immediate first major crush, and it’s clear that Mr. Tilney is hoping to see more of her as well. Both are charmed and interested. Both hope to see one another again. However, as with most stories that start with immediate attraction, Catherine and Henry don’t live happily ever after–at least not right away.

For the remainder of the novel, Austen uses a variety of plot devices to create conflict for her two young lovers, unfold a larger plot with its own major themes, and build a multi-layered story arc for Catherine and Henry.

C.E. Brock illustration, Northanger Abbey, “Pray, pray, Stop Mr. Thorpe”

Popular “Meet-Cute” Examples

No romantic comedy can hold a candle to Jane Austen’s complex plots, characters, and novels. However, it’s interesting to think about the devices she used to create the meet-cute in NA versus the devices writers must use today. While people don’t need a master of ceremonies to introduce them anymore, writers still must find ways to “match-make” their characters. Here are some popular movies that fall into the “meet-cute” category:

In The Holiday, there are several meet-cutes: When Iris and Amanda switch houses for Christmas, Iris ends up meeting Miles when he comes to drop something off at Amanda’s house on a windy day in Los Angeles. Miles and Iris immediately hit it off, while Miles’ girlfriend sits in his car waiting. Amanda meets Graham when he shows up on her doorstep (Iris’ doorstep), hoping to crash at his sister’s house after a night out.

In Serendipity, the two main characters meet in a busy department store at Christmas time. They each grab for the last pair of black gloves and strike up a conversation.

In Notting Hill, Will spills orange juice on Anna, a popular movie star, when they crash into one another on the sidewalk near his apartment. She agrees to go to his place to change into clean clothes and they share a delightful first conversation and an unexpected first kiss.

In 50 First Dates, Henry must create a series of meet-cutes to gain the attention of Lucy each day because she has lost her short-term memory and forgets who he is every time they meet.

And in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, we find a refreshing twist on the meet-cute when Toula meets and falls in love with Ian. As she serves him at her family’s restaurant, she can’t even speak to him. However, that meeting pushes Toula to change her life, go to school, (get a makeover – of course), and become the confident woman Ian later notices through the window of a travel agency.

Clever Introductions

Jane Austen created her stories in a world where men and women could only meet under certain circumstances. The social rules of her time necessarily set up parameters that she had to follow, which provided for some very creative inspiration. Today, people don’t have to follow those same rules, but they still need to find a way to meet and introduce themselves, either in person, online, at church, work, or school, or through a mutual friend.

What are some of your favorite “meet-cute” moments in literature or film? If you have a “meet-cute” story of your own, we’d love to hear about it in the comments!

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling author of The Little Women Devotional, The Anne of Green Gables Devotional and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Now Available: The Secret Garden Devotional! You can visit Rachel online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in Bath, Catherine Morland, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's World, Northanger Abbey, Popular culture, Regency, Regency Etiquette, Regency society | 6 Comments »

Edmund’s Kindness in Sending Fanny’s Letter to Her Brother (Mansfield Park): The Cost of Correspondence in Regency England

July 28, 2023 by Vic

When Jane Austen wrote letters to her sister or brothers, she had the choice of sending them two ways: One was to assume her siblings would pay to receive her letters. The other was that Jane would pay to send the letter. As we know, Jane lived on a budget of a mere £50 per year, as did Cassandra, and so their letters were crossed to save money on weight and pages.

Letter to Godmersham

In the following passage from Mansfield Park, Jane writes about 10 year old Fanny Price’s dilemma: She wants to write to her brother William, the sibling she loves the most, but she has no paper on which to write him, and even if she had the paper, she has no funds to send the letter. Her cousin Edmund offers a solution. 

“My dear little cousin,” said he, with all the gentleness of an excellent nature, “what can be the matter?” And sitting down by her, he was at great pains to overcome her shame in being so surprised, and persuade her to speak openly. Was she ill? or was anybody angry with her? or had she quarrelled with Maria and Julia? or was she puzzled about anything in her lesson that he could explain? Did she, in short, want anything he could possibly get her, or do for her? For a long while no answer could be obtained beyond a “no, no—not at all—no, thank you”; but he still persevered; and no sooner had he begun to revert to her own home, than her increased sobs explained to him where the grievance lay. He tried to console her.

“You are sorry to leave Mama, my dear little Fanny,” said he, “which shows you to be a very good girl; but you must remember that you are with relations and friends, who all love you, and wish to make you happy. Let us walk out in the park, and you shall tell me all about your brothers and sisters.”

On pursuing the subject, he found that, dear as all these brothers and sisters generally were, there was one among them who ran more in her thoughts than the rest. It was William whom she talked of most, and wanted most to see. William, the eldest, a year older than herself, her constant companion and friend; her advocate with her mother (of whom he was the darling) in every distress. “William did not like she should come away; he had told her he should miss her very much indeed.” “But William will write to you, I dare say.” “Yes, he had promised he would, but he had told her to write first.” “And when shall you do it?” She hung her head and answered hesitatingly, “she did not know; she had not any paper.”

“If that be all your difficulty, I will furnish you with paper and every other material, and you may write your letter whenever you choose. Would it make you happy to write to William?”

“Yes, very.”

“Then let it be done now. Come with me into the breakfast-room, we shall find everything there, and be sure of having the room to ourselves.”

“But, cousin, will it go to the post?”

“Yes, depend upon me it shall: it shall go with the other letters; and, as your uncle will frank it, it will cost William nothing.”

“My uncle!” repeated Fanny, with a frightened look.

“Yes, when you have written the letter, I will take it to my father to frank.”

Screen Shot 2023-07-28 at 5.40.45 PM

Fanny writes William a letter. (Mansfield Park, 1983)

Fanny thought it a bold measure, but offered no further resistance; and they went together into the breakfast-room, where Edmund prepared her paper, and ruled her lines with all the goodwill that her brother could himself have felt, and probably with somewhat more exactness. He continued with her the whole time of her writing, to assist her with his penknife or his orthography, as either were wanted; and added to these attentions, which she felt very much, a kindness to her brother which delighted her beyond all the rest. He wrote with his own hand his love to his cousin William, and sent him half a guinea under the seal. Fanny’s feelings on the occasion were such as she believed herself incapable of expressing; but her countenance and a few artless words fully conveyed all their gratitude and delight, and her cousin began to find her an interesting object. He talked to her more, and, from all that she said, was convinced of her having an affectionate heart, and a strong desire of doing right; and he could perceive her to be farther entitled to attention by great sensibility of her situation, and great timidity. He had never knowingly given her pain, but he now felt that she required more positive kindness; and with that view endeavoured, in the first place, to lessen her fears of them all, and gave her especially a great deal of good advice as to playing with Maria and Julia, and being as merry as possible.

From this day Fanny grew more comfortable. She felt that she had a friend, and the kindness of her cousin Edmund gave her better spirits with everybody else. The place became less strange, and the people less formidable; and if there were some amongst them whom she could not cease to fear, she began at least to know their ways, and to catch the best manner of conforming to them.”

Edmund’s solution was a third option not available to Jane or her family. Franking privileges were available to all peers and sirs, like his father, Sir Thomas Bertram, a baronet. He who would write his name diagonally across the sealed letter. This act automatically paid for the postage. — Regency Trivia: Franking Privileges, Ella Quinn

This scene sets the stage for the special relationship between the lonely, bewildered Fanny and her kind cousin, who has made her feel welcome and at home at a time when she felt adrift. Their connection would stand the test of time.

More on the Topic:

The Regency Post — A Pity We’ve Lost Letters, Shannon Donnely’s Fresh Ink

Jane Austen — Quills and Correspondence

Posted in Jane Austen's letters, Jane Austen's World, Mansfield Park | Tagged , | 6 Comments »

How I Shall Dine: A Short Annotation of ‘Mutton’, a Jonathan Swift Food Poem

July 20, 2023 by Vic

Mutton

Gently stir and blow the fire,

Lay the mutton down to roast,

Dress it quickly, I desire,

In the dripping put a toast,

That I hunger may remove —

Mutton is the meat I love.

On the dresser see it lie;

Oh, the charming white and red;

Finer meat ne’er met the eye,

On the sweetest grass it fed:

Let the jack go swiftly round,

Let me have it nice and brown’d.

On the table spread the cloth,

Let the knives be sharp and clean,

Pickles get and salad both,

Let them each be fresh and green.

With small beer, good ale and wine,

Oh ye gods! how I shall dine.” — Jonathan Swift (1667 – 1745)

Inquiring readers: After reading  Jonathan Swift’s poem, Mutton, I was reminded of the importance of pleasurable dining and the immense satisfaction a good meal gives us. While I understand much of the poem, which still feels fresh, some phrases and customs prompted me to look up the differences between dining customs in the mid-18th century and today.  

While Jonathan Swift died 30 years before Jane Austen’s birth, his reputation as a writer, thinker and essayist must have been well known to her and her father, who most likely kept the author’s writings in his extensive library.

Annotations:

“Gently stir and blow the fire”: 

Stirring the hot coals while blowing the fire with bellows increases the temperature to the desired heat for cooking the meat.  

18th C Bellows

Image josephjenkinsantiques.co.uk

18th century elm and leather fireplace bellows

“Lay the mutton down to roast,

Dress it quickly, I desire,

In the dripping put a toast,

That I hunger may remove”

As the meat sizzles and browns, the drippings, or the fat rendered from roasting, are captured by a dish placed under the meat. The fat from beef is used to make yorkshire pudding: in this situation, mutton drippings are eaten with toast. 

“Mutton is the meat I love.

On the dresser see it lie;”

“Although they looked much more like what we would call a sideboard, the earliest use of the word dresser dates to 16th-century England. Used in the kitchen and dining areas, these early incarnations provided extra space for serving and “dressing” meats headed to the dining table and were essentially side tables with a single row of drawers that rested atop tall legs.” – Dressers, Rau Antiques

“Oh, the charming white and red;

Finer meat ne’er met the eye,”

Swift’s description of red and white meat is shown in this 1762 Schaak image of a tavern interior.

1024px-John_S_C_Schaak_Tavern_interior_1762

Tavern Interior, John Schaak, 1762, Wikimedia

“On the sweetest grass it fed”

Swift describes sheep that were fed in pastures with fresh green grass. We are all familiar with the bucolic engravings and paintings of that era of shepherds and sheep dogs or border collies looking after the flocks and bringing them to new pastures. — Glossary of sheep husbandry – Wikipedia

“Let the jack go swiftly round,

Let me have it nice and brown’d.”

“Roasting jacks (or spit jacks) were used in the kitchen to facilitate grilling meat or other dishes on a spit in an open fire by rotating (or turning) the spit.”  – Spit Jacks: See image in this link.

We have no way of knowing whether Jonathan Swift enjoyed his mutton at home or in a tavern, as in the Schaak image. The latter would have been quite common for a bachelor. Swift, however, was a successful man who could afford servants to cook and serve this meal at home or arrange for more private accommodations in an inn. 

Screen Shot 2023-07-19 at 6.21.51 PM

The Corporal in Good Quarters, Thomas Rowlandson, Met Museum, Public Domain

“On the table spread the cloth,”

Swift might have dined in a more intimate setting instead of a busy tavern room. This 1802 cartoon by Thomas Rowlanson demonstrates the white table cloth and cozy setting. The Corporal in Good Quarters, Met Museum, Public Domain, 1802

“Let the knives be sharp and clean,”

Screen Shot 2023-07-19 at 5.14.57 PM

Image: European Eating Utensils, 16th-18th Century – Tailor & Arms

Image: European Eating Utensils, 16th-18th Century – Tailor & Arms

Eating utensils, interestingly enough, didn’t change much for the poorer citizens from the medieval period to the industrialisation. This replica set of eating utensils is modeled from originals found in the UK and was used during the 18th century.

Vegetables:

“Pickles get and salad both, 

Let them each be fresh and green.”

Pickles:

“Pickles aren’t limited to the dill and cucumber variety. They can be sweet, sour, salty, hot or all of the above. Pickles can be made with cauliflower, radishes, onions, green beans, asparagus and a seemingly endless variety of other vegetables and fruits. When the English arrived in the New World, they brought their method for creating sweet pickles with vinegar, sugar and spiced syrup.” – History in a Jar: The Story of Pickles

Salad:

Salad during Swift’s time was known as salmagundi, a 17th-18th century form of a composed and layered salad that we know today as a chef’s salad. Components varied throughout the year according to the foods available. These salads were either made with fresh greens or with vegetables that were boiled. The links below lead to recipes used during this period.

Libations:

“With small beer, good ale and wine,”

Small Beer: 

Throughout the middle ages, drinking water was unpleasant and unsafe to consume and milk was far too expensive for most people. Instead, a mildly alcoholic drink known as ‘small beer’ was brewed and consumed for its hydrating and nutritional properties in households, workplaces and even schools across Britain. Typically brewed to around 2.8% ABV (alcohol by volume), small beer became a staple of British daily life and was even cited in Shakespeare’s works. – What is Small Beer & When Was it Brewed?.

Difference Between Beer and Ale:

According to Wikipedia, “Ale is a type of beer brewed using a warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops.” Beer or lager combined hops with other ingredients. 

“As hops began to pervade breweries … this distinction between beer and ale no longer applied. Brewers began to differentiate between beer and ale on the basis of where the yeast fermented in the cask: ale uses yeast that gathers on the top, and lager uses yeast that ferments on the bottom.” – What is the Difference Between Beer and Ale?

512px-Henry_Singleton_The_Ale-House_Door_c._1790

The Ale House Door, Henry Singleton, 1790, Wikimedia

The Ale House Door, Henry Singleton – Serving ale in a country setting, ca. 1790

 

At the start of the 18th century, increased taxes on malt and hops to finance war with France, induced brewers to move to brewing more beer. Their reasoning was simple: the tax on malt was more than that on hops. Ale used more of the former, beer more of the latter.” – Early 18th century British beer styles

The above article explains the difference between small beer and ale in both strength and color. Beer was made for immediate consumption, and ales were drunk as soon as they had “cleared” in three or four weeks. 

Wine

Poor people tended to drink beer or gin, but a wider range of alcoholic drinks was available to the rich. These included wines such as French claret; fortified wines such as sherry, port or Madeira; and spirits such as brandy and rum. – Jane Austen’s World,  Elder Wine, A Perfect Libation for a Regency Holiday

Madeira

Madeira image from the George Washington Presidential Library @ Madeira · George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Final line of the poem:

“Oh ye gods! how I shall dine.”

Conclusion:

In April, 1768, Pastor Woodforde described a get together at Lower House with Mrs Farr, presumably the hostess. His description of the dances and food served gives us an intimate view of ordinary get togethers only decades after Swift’s death. Notice the mention of a roasted shoulder of mutton, the paltry serving of vegetables, and alcoholic drinks: 

April 19. … We had some Country Dancing and Minuets at Lower House…We were very merry and no breaking up till 2 in morning. I gave Mrs. Farr a roasted Shoulder of Mutton and a plum Pudding for dinner — Veal Cutlets, Frill’d Potatoes, cold Tongue, Ham and cold roast Beef, and eggs in their shells. Punch, Wine, Beer and Cyder for drinking.” – The Diary of a Country Parson, the Reverend James Woodforde, full text Internet Archive

Food Poetry:

More links to this topic:

Screen Shot 2023-07-20 at 7.35.59 AM

Inside of a Country AlehouseDate: published March 1, 1797, William Ward (English, 1766-1826) after George Morland (English, 1763-1804) Art Institute of Chicago

Posted in Jane Austen's World | 7 Comments »

Jane Austen and Rom Coms: Persuasion (“Second-Chance Love”)

July 11, 2023 by Rachel Dodge

As we continue our investigation into Jane Austen’s irresistible romantic themes and plots, we now come to one of my favorite Austen novels, Persuasion.

In this series, we’ve looked at “Enemies to Lovers” in Pride and Prejudice, the “Slow Burn” Romance in Emma, and “Best Friends to Lovers” in Mansfield Park.

Now we turn our attention to the love story that many Austen fans love as much as (or more than) Pride and Prejudice. It’s the story of Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth and the one that got away.

The 1995 film adaptation of Persuasion with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds.

Second-Chance Love

Persuasion is a second-chance story because Anne Elliot receives another chance at love with Captain Wentworth and another chance at living her own life and choosing her own happiness.

When the story opens, she’s somewhat of a faded, wilted flower:

A few years before, Anne Elliot had been a very pretty girl, but her bloom had vanished early; and as even in its height, her father had found little to admire in her, (so totally different were her delicate features and mild dark eyes from his own), there could be nothing in them, now that she was faded and thin, to excite his esteem.

Persuasion

However, her true beauty and worth go far beyond her exterior, and Captain Wentworth quickly notices that she’s still the same Anne:

She was looking remarkably well; her very regular, very pretty features, having the bloom and freshness of youth restored by the fine wind which had been blowing on her complexion, and by the animation of eye which it had also produced. It was evident that the gentleman . . . admired her exceedingly. Captain Wentworth looked round at her instantly in a way which shewed his noticing of it. He gave her a momentary glance, a glance of brightness, which seemed to say, ‘That man is struck with you, and even I, at this moment, see something like Anne Elliot again.’

Persuasion

The One That Got Away

Beyond a second chance at love, Persuasion is a picture-perfect model of “The One That Got Away” (or “Long-Lost Love”) romantic theme that has become so popular in romantic movies and books. Austen knew what she was doing when she created a storyline about passionate, young love; years of separation, heartache, and regret; and a long, drawn-out rekindling of a long-lost love that has only grown deeper and more mature with time.

But one of the reasons Persuasion is so intriguing is that Austen doesn’t instantly rekindle the relationship when Anne and Wentworth meet again. Instead, Austen builds a storyline that creates questions, heartache, and angst for Anne (and Austen’s readers).

While Anne never stopped pining for Wentworth, it seems as though he has moved on completely and has not forgiven Anne. There is no quick thrill, instant reignite, or swift rekindle. He acts almost as though they’ve never met.

Anne’s only recourse is to patiently, achingly watch the love of her life search for a wife, flirt with other women, and essentially ignore her (or so she thinks). She remains humble, quiet, and ever-patient, though each day brings fresh torture.

Forced Proximity

One romantic device Austen uses expertly in Persuasion (and in most of her novels) is what we now term “forced proximity.” This is when an author places two characters in a situation where they are forced to spend extra time together in close quarters. It might be a stalled elevator, a shared school or work project, a single bed in a hotel room, or a small car on a long road trip.

In Persuasion, Austen brings Wentworth right into Anne’s neighborhood, places him among the families she and her family socialize with, and even has them travel in the same group to Lyme. Austen also creates situations where Anne and Wentworth are even in close physical proximity:

They were actually on the same sofa, for Mrs Musgrove had most readily made room for him; they were divided only by Mrs Musgrove.

Persuasion

In another moment, however, she found herself in the state of being released from him; some one was taking him from her, though he had bent down her head so much, that his little sturdy hands were unfastened from around her neck, and he was resolutely borne away, before she knew that Captain Wentworth had done it. Her sensations on the discovery made her perfectly speechless.

Persuasion

In Bath, there are more opportunities for the two of them to cross paths, including the day when Wentworth overhears Anne’s conversation with Captain Harville and writes her his letter.

Love Stories Like Persuasion

Many popular romantic movies make use of these similar themes, such as The Notebook, Serendipity, The Princess Bride, Sweet Home Alabama, Before Sunset, 13 Going on 30, The Best of Me, The Parent Trap, Grosse Pointe Blank, Ticket to Paradise, Pearl Harbor, Love Actually, The Story of Us, Crazy, Stupid Love, When Harry Met Sally, and An Affair to Remember.

Television shows such as Friends (Ross Geller and Rachel Green) and As Time Goes By (Jean Pargetter and Lionel Hardcastle) also utilize the rekindled love or long-lost love theme.

Geoffrey Palmer and Judi Dench in As Time Goes By

Stories We Love

I’m sure you can add other books, shows, or movies to this list with similar themes. I personally think that many of us can relate to Anne Elliot and a desired second chance, whether it’s in love or some other passion or pursuit. Though none of these popular rom coms hold a candle to Jane Austen’s masterpiece, it’s clear that the themes she employed have stood the test of time.

RACHEL DODGE teaches college English classes, gives talks at libraries, teas, and book clubs, and writes for Jane Austen’s World blog. She is the bestselling author of The Little Women Devotional, The Anne of Green Gables Devotional and Praying with Jane: 31 Days Through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Now Available: The Secret Garden Devotional! You can visit Rachel online at www.RachelDodge.com.

Posted in Film adaptation, Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen TV adaptation, Jane Austen's World, Persuasion, Popular culture | 9 Comments »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »