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Pride and Prejudice “Peacock” Edition

June 15, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

Many Austen fans enjoy viewing various early editions of Pride and Prejudice – and many of us are familiar with the famous “Peacock” edition. I recently had the opportunity to hold and examine a very early “Peacock” edition in my very own hands. (It was beautiful!!! I may have squealed in my head.)

During this 250th celebration year of Austen’s delightful works, I thought a little trip down “Peacock Lane” might be in order! This beautiful edition has a rich history and has contributed to Austen’s lasting legacy.

A rare “Peacock” edition in a bookstore I recently visited ($3,500).

The Original “Peacock” P&P

George Allen is responsible for the original 1894 “Peacock” edition of Pride and Prejudice, which includes the now-famous illustrations by Hugh Thomson. It includes 65 illustrations and 160 drawings and designs in total.

According to a University of Michigan Library Online Exhibit, Allen’s “Peacock” edition was not only extremely popular at the time, but it also helped revitalize the popularity of Austen’s works in the late 1800s:

“In reaction to the wave of British nationalism in the late nineteenth century, a renowned publisher of the time, George Allen, sought to preserve traditional English values by publishing a series of illustrated classic works of literature.”

Peacock Edition, Cover and Spine (1894).

There’s a reason people love the “Peacock” edition. The cover is striking with its deep navy blue background, gilded title, and resplendent gold peacock feathers. Every detail is exquisite:

“The edition’s iconic features include its gilded peacock cover (symbolic of pride) and 65 full page illustrations, all created by Hugh Thomson. As an acclaimed illustrator of the time, Thomson’s work symbolized grace and refinement, which made him the perfect choice for capturing Allen’s vision.”

Allen’s goal to revitalize interest in Austen’s work proved successful, but the edition itself did better than he ever imagined and went on to become an iconic edition that book collectors salivate over today:

“The edition surpassed expectations, selling over 11,605 copies in England and 3,500 copies in the United States, within the first year. Its popularity was partly due to its large appeal across class divisions, gender spheres, and political factions, functioning most basically as a gift book and mark of good taste. George Allen’s revival has proven to be timeless. Thomson’s peacock design has become the iconic representation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in contemporary marketing and merchandising, continuing to capture audiences today.”

George Allen editions of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility

“Peacock” Illustrations

If Hugh Thomson’s name sounds familiar, you’re right. Jane Austen’s House Museum shares these intriguing details:

“The Irish illustrator, Hugh Thomson (1860-1920), was best known for his pen and ink illustrations and in addition to Jane Austen’s work, illustrated the novels of Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell and J.M Barrie. Thomson used to visit the British Museum and V&A to research costume styles, room decorations and furniture design for his illustrations. Despite that his drawings for Pride and Prejudice have a distinct Victorian rather than Georgian feel to them.”

If you’ve ever wondered why Thomson chose a peacock for the cover, you’ll find a clue in the old saying, “proud as a peacock.” Male peacocks have long been associated with pride and vanity because of their vibrant plumage and the way they strut about with their feather fanned out around them. Some believe that the peacock’s elaborate display of its tail feathers, especially by the male during courtship, is a fitting image for Pride and Prejudice’s themes of courtship as well. Either way, the peacock as a symbol of pride seems fitting for the cover of Pride and Prejudice.

The interior is filled with beautiful full-page illustrations. The first page of the first chapter is particularly lovely with the peacock plumage on full display:

“Peacock”-Themed Editions Through the Years

Ever since the original “Peacock” edition was released, many other editions of Pride and Prejudice have featured a peacock or peacock feathers. Each one is a nod to the original and to the overarching theme in the novel. Here are a few select highlights:

Signet Classic, 1961 (I read this one from my dad’s bookshelves growing up)
Union Square & Co. with lush peacock feathers.
Paper Mill Press edition (Hardcover or Paperback).
Cranford Classics edition.
Union Square & Co. edition (2022) with subtle peacock feathers.
Wordsworth Edition with its peacock mates.
Easton Press collector’s reproduction edition with illustrations by Thomson.

Though the Easton Press leather-bound edition is pricey at $252, it might be worth it to those who want to have a beautiful and exquisitely-reproduced copy of Allen’s original “Peacock” edition with Thomson’s illustrations throughout. It’s truly a work of art in its own right with its “hubbed” spine, sewn pages, acid-free paper, and custom-crafted, clothbound slipcase.

250th Editions Featuring Peacocks

Finally, for the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, Austen fans can enjoy several new “Peacock”-inspired editions. These editions pay homage to the original Allen edition with an updated flair. Thus far, I’ve seen these new and upcoming editions advertised:

Plumleaf Press – Now Available from Barnes & Noble.
Union Square & Co. – Signature Gilded Edition (Sept 2025)

Proud as a Peacock

Whichever edition you enjoy reading, it’s clear that the peacock remains an enduring symbol of pride in the novel. As Elizabeth Bennet says about Mr. Darcy after he snubs her: “I could easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine.”

A copy of the original “Peacock” edition is worth a lot of money these days, but its impact is truly priceless. Allen and Thomson helped revive and sustain popular interest in Jane Austen’s work far beyond what they ever imagined.

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

Posted in Book review, Inspired by Jane Austen, Jane Austen Book Collecting, Jane Austen gifts, Jane Austen illustrators, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments »

The Language of Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings, Part 2

May 29, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

By Brenda S. Cox

“Lovely & too charming Fair one, notwithstanding your forbidding Squint, your greazy tresses & your swelling Back, which are more frightfull than imagination can paint or pen describe, I cannot refrain from expressing my raptures, at the engaging Qualities of your Mind, which so amply atone for the Horror with which your first appearance must ever inspire the unwary visitor.

“Your sentiments so nobly expressed on the different excellencies of Indian & English Muslins, & the judicious preference you give the former, have excited in me an admiration of which I can alone give an adequate idea, by assuring you it is nearly equal to what I feel for myself.”–“Frederic & Elfrida,” chapter 2, Jane Austen’s Juvenilia

A few days ago I began telling you about a linguistics conference focused on Jane Austen’s delightful efforts as a teenage writer. Besides the main talks, we got to explore many aspects of Austen’s brilliant use of language.

“Evelyn” is one of Jane Austen’s hilarious teenage stories, from her Juvenilia.

Jane Austen’s Grammar, Punctuation, and Education

Several talks reported on analyses of certain types of words, such as intensifiers (very, extremely, etc.), which are often used ironically in the Juvenilia. Phrases indicating prohibition, obligation, or permission are used more often by women than by men in Austen’s early works. One talk examined the language used in sister relationships, comparing Elizabeth and Jane Bennet’s conversations with Anne Elliot and Mary Musgrove’s discussions.

Two talks focused on education at the time. These traced Austen’s own experiences with two brief bouts in boarding school to the comments in her novels criticizing such schools. Austen repeatedly challenged the current systems of women’s education. For example, in Emma, Austen wrote:

“Mrs. Goddard was the mistress of a School-not of a seminary, or an establishment, or any thing which professed, in long sentences of refined nonsense, to combine liberal acquirements with elegant morality upon new principles and new systems—and where young ladies for enormous pay might be screwed out of health and into vanity-but a real, honest, old-fashioned Boarding-school, where a reasonable quantity of accomplishments were sold at a reasonable price, and where girls might be sent to be out of the way and scramble themselves into a little education, without any danger of coming back prodigies. Mrs. Goddard’s school was in high repute—and very deservedly.”–Emma

Jane Austen’s The History of England shows her awareness of the bias of all historians. One talk compared it with the serious Oliver Goldsmith textbook she parodies. Goldsmith moralizes, while Austen entertains.

Parentheses

I had never noticed how Austen used parentheses (also called round brackets) as stage directions. Victorina González-Díaz showed us that Austen used parentheses for body movement (smiling), attributions (said I), or both (said he with a saucy smile). Early on, Austen used parentheses in the Juvenilia mostly for speech attributions and combined forms. As accepted conventions changed, she moved to using them mostly for body movements in her mature novels. Specific characters, like Mrs. Elton, get parenthetical expressions to help characterize them. In Volume 2 of Emma, for example, Mrs. Elton says:

“The thing is determined, that is (laughing affectedly) as far as I can presume to determine anything without the concurrence of my lord and master.”–Mrs. Elton

Jane Austen’s Self-Editing

Another talk I appreciated was Breckyn Wood’s on “Jane Austen the Editor.” The original manuscripts of the Juvenilia show many editing changes that Austen made to her own work (Jane Austen: Teenage Writings, edited by Kathryn Sutherland, lists these edits). Wood showed how Austen’s editing process as she worked on her early writings helped her develop the style she used later in her novels.

Wood first pointed out, as van Ostade confirmed, that spelling and punctuation were not at all standardized in Austen’s time. The “errors” Austen made were similar to the spelling and punctuation of other great authors of her time, including Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott. (Did you know that we have six original examples of Shakespeare’s signature, and he spells his own name differently in each one??)

Love and Freindship uses a spelling acceptable at that time.

So when Austen wrote Love and Freindship, she wasn’t making a childish mistake. She was using an accepted alternate spelling.

Austen’s self-edits were made for various reasons. In one story, Austen changed “She began to fear” to “She began to tremble.” This is a modern writing convention, where we prefer to “show” rather than “tell”—she is showing the character’s fear, rather than telling us the character was afraid.

In another place Austen added alliteration (using the same initial sounds), changing “rouge” to “patches” in “Frederic & Elfrida,” resulting in:

“Charlotte . . . walked to Mrs. Fitzroy’s to take leave of the amiable Rebecca, whom she found surrounded by Patches, Powder, Pomatum, & Paint, with which she was vainly endeavouring to remedy the natural plainness of her face.”

“Frederic & Elfrida” shows Austen editing her own work to make it more fun.

In other cases, Austen increased the silliness of these spoofs. For example, she originally had a young man sending a large Newfoundland dog home to his family every year, but changed that to every month, to make it even more ridiculous.

Austen was careful in her choice of words and phrases throughout the Juvenilia, developing the wonderful style we see in the mature novels.

Language Change

My own talk was on language change in Jane Austen’s religious vocabulary. I focused on words that have changed meaning since Austen’s time, so that we may misunderstand them as readers today. Some, like rector, vicar, and curate, have changed because the Church of England’s structure has changed. Obvious religious words, like atone in the quote that opens this post, are used ironically. Others, like exert, duty, and principle, once had strongly religious meanings, but their emphasis has changed because of cultural changes. The Juvenilia uses these words mostly as satire, showing characters who had made sensibility into their own religion. My talk is posted on my blog.

Who knew that the science of linguistics could add so much to our understanding of Jane Austen’s work and world?

If you want to read or re-read the Juvenilia for yourself, you might try Jane Austen: Teenage Writings, edited by Kathryn Sutherland.  Or, you might go for some of the lovely illustrated volumes from Juvenilia Press. I’ve used some of those covers to illustrate this post. I have even bought some of those delightful storybooks for my grandchildren. They are available from Juvenilia Press in Australia or from Jane Austen Books in the US. 

“Cassandra smiled & whispered to herself ‘This is a day well spent.’”—”The Beautifull Cassandra,” Jane Austen’s Juvenilia

If you’ve read the Juvenilia, which story is your favorite, and why?

Online articles on Jane Austen’s use of language

(Note that for jstor, you can get an individual membership free and read many articles each month.)

The Language of Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings: Part 1

For abstracts of the conference talks, see “Linguistic Approaches to Jane Austen’s Childhood.”

This list is included in the Social Customs tab above, under Language and Linguistics.

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

Posted in Jane Austen's language, Jane Austen's World, Juvenilia | Tagged , , |

The Language of Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings, Part 1

May 26, 2025 by Brenda S Cox

“It was too pathetic for the feelings of Sophia and myself—We fainted alternately on a sofa.”–Love and Freindship, Letter the 8th, Jane Austen’s Juvenilia.

Frederic & Elfrida, one of Jane Austen’s hilarious juvenile stories, published by Juvenilia Press

Since I have a background in linguistics, I was intrigued when I was invited to present at a conference in Spain on “Linguistic Approaches to Jane Austen’s Childhood.”*

This conference, which took place in early May, focused on the language of Austen’s early letters and her Juvenilia, the stories she wrote in her teens for her own family and friends’ enjoyment. She wrote them up in three volumes, as if for publication, though they were not published until long after her death. Why is the language of these works important, or even interesting?

Austen’s Language

A fascinating article on “Jane Austen’s Subtly Subversive Linguistics,” by linguist Chi Luu,  claims that the best thing about reading Austen is her language. “Austen’s subtly subversive ironic language allows readers to receive her work in a layered way—romance, comedy, mystery.” We lose much of this linguistic brilliance in the movies, which tend to magnify the romance and ignore the intricacies of Austen’s language.

Luu says, “As [Austen’s] writing matured, her comedy became less overt and more nuanced.” We can enjoy the overt comedy of Austen’s Juvenilia, ranging from “The Beautifull Cassandra” whose “father was of noble Birth, being the near relation of the Dutchess of —-’s Butler,” to “Love and Freindship,” whose moral is “Run mad as often as you chuse; but do not faint.”

“The Beautifull Cassandra”  is one of Austen’s teenage stories. In twelve chapters of one to four sentences each, Cassandra has outrageous adventures.

Jane Austen Practicing

The conference started at noon in Spain, which was 6 AM for me in Georgia, USA, where I was participating online. Kathryn Sutherland opened with, “Jane Austen Practising: What Her Teenage Writings Can Teach Us.” Sutherland edited editions of the Juvenilia which reproduce the pages in Austen’s own handwriting with transcriptions. 

Sutherland gave a lively introduction to the Juvenilia, which she considers among the best comic writings in English. These stories are parodies of the novels and pulp fiction Austen enjoyed, as well as her schoolbooks on history and geography. Unlike in Austen’s mature novels, girls in the Juvenilia reject all advice on ladylike behavior. We see them overeating, drinking, stealing, accepting two offers of marriage, even involved in murder, sexual misdemeanors, and violence. The girls in the stories are tough, while the men are weak.

Austen experimented with exotic names for places, like “Crankhumdunberry” and “Pammydiddle,” and people, like “Jezalinda” and “Elfrida.” Sutherland called these kinds of names “multisyllabic confections.” She also said Austen was experimenting with what ingredients a novel needs. For example, does it need a hero? In “Jack & Alice,” Jack is only briefly mentioned as a drunk who died and made his sister rich:

“It may now be proper to return to the Hero of this Novel, the brother of Alice, of whom I beleive I have scarcely ever had occasion to speak; which may perhaps be partly oweing to his unfortunate propensity to Liquor, which so compleatly deprived him of the use of those faculties Nature had endowed him with, that he never did anything worth mentioning. His Death happened a short time after Lucy’s departure & was the natural Consequence of this pernicious practice. By his decease, his sister became the sole inheritress of a very large fortune”—”Jack and Alice,” chapter 7, Jane Austen’s Juvenilia [Variations in spelling and capitalization were common at this time.]

Are motivations and believable settings necessary? Austen’s Juvenilia characters act crazily and randomly. Are the boundaries set by society reasonable? These characters ignore them.

Catharine, or The Bower, shows Austen almost ready for her mature novels.

The last work of the third and final volume of the Juvenilia is Catherine, or The Bower. This is the longest work, and is realistic rather than comic. It includes political commentary and harsh criticism of restrictions on women. Catharine sets the stage for Austen’s later novels, which are set in her real world, with characters who need to live within social realities.

Spelling as Evidence

On the second day, Ingrid Tieken-Boon van Ostade gave the plenary talk, “Spelling as Evidence: from Jane Austen’s Juvenilia to The Watsons.” Van Ostade is the author of In Search of Jane Austen: The Language of the Letters, an in-depth analysis of the spelling, vocabulary, and grammar Austen used in her letters.

In Search of Jane Austen: The Language of the Letters explores Austen through her spelling, vocabulary, and grammar.

In this talk, van Ostade suggested dates for parts of Austen’s manuscripts based on different versions of Austen’s handwriting, different shades of ink, and different accepted spellings. She puts The Watsons at 1805-6 (family tradition suggests 1804), and “The Three Sisters” as an addition to the Juvenilia after 1804.

In “The Three Sisters,” a young lady agrees to marry a horrible man in order to spite her sisters. She haggles with him over what kind of coach they will get: she wants a blue one with silver spots.

One participant was working on a compilation of some letters of the period. Van Ostade encouraged such editors to include original spellings, capitalization, and punctuation, rather than “correcting” them. Such details contribute to our historical knowledge of the development and use of language in each time period. I would not have thought of that!

Spelling was not taught as a school subject in Austen’s time, though instructional texts were beginning to become available by the 1790s. Van Ostade says that throughout Jane Austen’s life, Austen was a “careful and consistent speller.” So the “mistakes” we see in her Juvenilia, such as “freindship” for what we would now spell “friendship,” were variations used at that time.

In a few days we’ll continue with more delights of Austen’s language.

“We are the sons as you already know, of the two youngest Daughters which Lord St Clair had by Laurina an italian opera girl. Our mothers could neither of them exactly ascertain who were our Father, though it is generally beleived that Philander, is the son of one Philip Jones a Bricklayer and that my Father was one Gregory Staves a Staymaker of Edinburgh. This is however of little consequence for as our Mothers were certainly never married to either of them it reflects no Dishonour on our Blood, which is of a most ancient and unpolluted kind.”–Love and Freindship, Letter the 15th, Jane Austen’s Juvenilia

What is a phrase from Jane Austen that you love?

To read more about Jane Austen’s brilliant use of language, check out the Social Customs tab above, and scroll down to Language and Linguistics.

*The conference was organized by Nuria Calvo Cortés at the Complutense University of Madrid.

Part 2: The Language of Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings

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

Posted in Jane Austen's language, Jane Austen's World, Juvenilia | Tagged , , | 4 Comments »

Book Review: Jane Austen’s Garden

May 17, 2025 by Rachel Dodge

Fellow Janeites, I have a new book review for you in honor of Jane’s 250th year: Jane Austen’s Garden: A Botanical Tour of the Classic Novels written by Molly Williams and illustrated by Jessica Roux. This new book pairs two of my favorite things: Jane Austen and gardening! I looked forward to its release for months and it now sits prominently on my shelves!

Photo by Rachel Dodge, ©2025

Book Review

I knew this book would be beautiful, and I confess that I preordered it based on how pretty it looked. I have another gorgeous book by Jessica Roux called Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers. I’ve always been drawn to the language of flowers and their meanings.

When I ordered it, I assumed Jane Austen’s Garden would mostly include drawings and tidbits of information. However, when it arrived, I discovered that it is filled with detailed information about the flowers, plants, trees, fruits, and vegetables mentioned in Austen’s novels and in her own garden and kitchen garden! There are even instructions about how to grow your own fruits and vegetables at home.

And don’t let the Table of Contents fool you. This book has a LOT to offer. The editor(s) merely listed the craft projects in the book in the Table of Contents, which does a great disservice to Williams’ painstaking research and intriguing information. Williams provides ample material for Jane Austen fans and has done a wonderful job of researching every detail of this book.

Order Your Copy Here:

Literary Landscapes and Illustrations

In each chapter, there is a section entitled “From the Literary Landscape.” This is the best part!! This is where Jane Austen fans can really dig into Williams’ research. She outlines the instances when various trees, fruits, or flowers are mentioned in the novels (or how the Austens used them in their everyday lives). Then, Williams goes into detail about what they signified and/or their history. As many of you know from my articles over the years, I love to look for specific items in the novels and research them.

Finally, the illustrations in this book are to die for. Truly, Roux is a most extraordinary artist. You can see more of her art HERE. I truly could look at it all day long!!!! I have a dream of writing a book with botanical illustrations one day, and I can’t imagine having someone like Roux do the artwork. She brings Williams’ research to life and captures the Regency imagination beautifully.

Book Description

An elegantly illustrated celebration of Jane Austen’s life and literature as told through the flowers, plants, and landscapes that inspired her.

Through explorations of the botanical inspirations and symbolism in Austen’s work and personal life, as well as historical information about the gardens and landscapes of the Regency Era, Jane Austen’s Garden will transport readers back in time to the lush English landscape of the early 1800s. Woven throughout are DIY projects to help you create a home garden worthy of a surprise visit from Lady Catherine de Bourgh or maybe just give your dining table a bit of historical flair. Accessible, entertaining, and enhanced by the enchanted illustrations of celebrated artist Jessica Roux, Jane Austen’s Garden is a fun twist on a familiar subject that will delight plant lovers and Janeites alike.

Book Contents

The Table of Contents is misleading as it only outlines the various DIY projects you can try at home. The book itself has a LOT more meat to it, so don’t let the overview dissuade you from purchasing it. In an effort to provide a fuller picture of all that Williams included, I created a full outline of the book:

Below are two examples of how Williams includes information about different flowers and plants in the novels, along with more illustrations from Roux:

About the Author and Illustrator

Molly Williams is the author of Killer Plants: Growing and Caring for Flytraps, Pitcher Plants and Other Deadly Flora, and Taming the Potted Beast: The Strange and Sensational History of the Not-So-Humble Houseplant, and she writes regularly for Apartment Therapy‘s gardening and horticulture section. She grew up on a flower farm and is now a professor of writing in New England. You can visit her online HERE.

Jessica Roux is a Nashville-based freelance illustrator and plant and animal enthusiast. She loves exploring in her own backyard and being surrounded by an abundance of nature. Using subdued colors and rhythmic shapes, she renders flora and fauna with intricate detail reminiscent of old-world beauty. She is the author and illustrator behind Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers, Ornithography: An Illustrated Guide to Bird Lore & Symbolism, and the Woodland Wardens Oracle Deck & Guidebook. You can visit her online HERE.

250 Years of Bookish Bounty

Books like these truly make the 250th celebration of Jane Austen’s life, writing, and legacy a true gift and a joy. I’m so thankful to the authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers who make books like this possible. The bounty of books releasing this year is a wonder to behold. I hope you’ll check this one out and add it to your bookshelves!

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

Posted in 18th C. Botany, 19th Century England, 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Book review, English Garden, Inspired by Jane Austen, Jane Austen illustrators, Jane Austen's enduring popularity, Jane Austen's World, Regency gardens | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments »

250 Years of Celebrating Jane Austen’s Natal Year: Admiral Francis Austen’s Candlesticks and His Biographical Manuscript

May 14, 2025 by Vic

Inquiring Readers

Helen Robson, Fine Art Administrator with Lacy, Scott, & Knight Auction Centre in Bury St Edmunds, UK, contacted this blog with information that is perfectly suited for our year long celebration of Jane Austen’s birth.

Our 14th June auction includes a pair of George III silver Egyptian pattern candlesticks engraved with an interesting inscription, the Austen family crest, and mentioned in a museum’s recently transcribed manuscript, which links the Napoleonic Wars, the East India Company and the brother of one of Britain’s most beloved novelists.

Ms Robson has generously encouraged us to use LS&K’s images and texts. My aim, always, is to link to the original source, in this instance their website. I have downloaded the PDF from the site of a quite extensive history about the Admiral entitled “Jane Austen’s brother, the Napoleonic Wars and the East India Company.”  The link to the information sits here.

Francis Austen as a young man

This link leads to the PDF Doc, which can be printed out.

As it happens, and coincidentally, Jane Austen’s House has placed the link to the Memoir of Admirals Sir Francis Austen, whose translation was completed in 2024 by volunteers — just in time on their site!

These two pieces of information regarding Austen’s slightly older brother (born 1774), help us to understand more about the family dynamics through Frank’s career as a sailor, captain and admiral. His Memoir, written in a slim journal consisting of 78 pages, gives us a personal perspective on his life

Related Sites:

Posted in Jane Austen's World | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

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