Family Archives - Jane Austen Quickstep Travel Guide

Jane Austen 250 News: The Watsons at The Art of Writing Exhibition

30 November 2024

I shall retreat in as much secrecy as possible to the most remote corner of the house, where I shall order a barrel of oysters, and be famously snug.
Jane Austen, The Watsons

At the heart of this exhibition is the manuscript of Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, The Watsons. It is very fragile so rarely on display, so a real treat to see the manuscript highlighted here at Jane Austen’s House Museum.

Spotlight on The Watsons Explores Jane Austen’s Abandoned Novel

According to Jane’s great-niece Fanny, Jane began writing The Watsons.. “Somewhere in 1804… but her father died early in 1805 and it was never finished.”

The story follows Emma Watson, who is forced to return to her birth family after the rich uncle who adopted her dies without leaving her an inheritance. Only five chapters, around 17,500 words, were ever completed.

When Jane’s sister, Cassandra, showed the manuscript of this work to some of her nieces, she also told them something of the intended story.

“Mr. Watson was soon to die, and Emma would be dependent on sister-in-law and brother for a home. She was to decline an offer of marriage from Lord Osborne, and much of the interest of the tale was to arise from Lady Osborne’s love for Mr Howard, and his counter affection for Emma, whom he was finally to marry.”

Along with Sanditon, other creators have finished their own novel of The Watsons, including Austen’s niece Catherine Hubback, and Jane’s great-great-niece Edith Brown.

As Margaret Drabble writes, “One feels that through [Emma] Jane Austen was expressing the indignation of a whole class of women, to which she herself belonged.”

The History of the Manuscript

The original manuscript was 80 pages long and inherited by Jane’s sister Cassandra upon Jane’s death. She divided up the pages in 1915. It was untitled, so the fragment was published in 1871 under the title of The Watsons, chosen by Jane’s nephew (James) Edward Austen-Leigh.

A small section is now held by the Morgan Library & Museum in New York and the remaining 68 pages by the Bodleian Library in Oxford. They bought the rare manuscript, which features paper patches used by the economical author for making revisions, for almost £1 million ($1.64 million) at Sotheby’s in 2011.

By Jane Austen – https://pod.museoteca.com/oxford//img/web/images/00016.jpg. Public Domain.

The Watsons on Show

The manuscript is written into 11 booklets, one of which will be on display at Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton at their permanent exhibition Jane Austen and the Art of Writing.

“This is a rare opportunity to glimpse Jane Austen at work and her fiction as she created it. Jane Austen’s art is famously frugal. The densely filled and patched small pages of The Watsons manuscript offer us a precious insight into that rich and mysterious frugality.” Museum trustee Kathryn Sutherland told the BBC.

The novels on display alongside Jane’s treasures are in a specially made glass case with eight sides, that mirrors Jane’s own eight-sided writing table. It is a wonderful exhibition and another reason to visit the museum this holiday season if you can.

Photograph Courtesy of Smithsonianmag.com

The Watsons in Film

Professor Kathryn Sutherland examines the manuscript and discusses her thoughts and insights into Jane’s creative processes.

The film is available from 28 November 2024 online, and visitors to the Jane Austen House Museum can see the film about The Watsons as part of a new permanent exhibition, Jane Austen and the Art of Writing.

The rare books on display alongside are part of the museum’s preparations for Jane’s 250th birthday celebrations in December 2025.

Links

Jane Austen House Museum The Art of Writing Exhibition

The Watsons manuscript at the King’s College Library Project

Jane Austen Travel: Stoneleigh Abbey

31 August 2024

“Under Mrs Rushworth’s guidance were shown through a number of rooms, all lofty, and many large, and amply furnished in the taste of fifty years back, with shining floors, solid mahogany, rich damask, marble, gilding, and carving, each handsome in its way.

Stoneleigh Abbey in Warwickshire offers a compelling journey into the world that inspired one of Jane’s most impressive houses, Sotherton in Mansfield Park.

This splendid estate, situated beside the tranquil River Avon, and invites visitors to step back in time and experience the elegance and serenity that shaped Jane’s literary imagination.

For over four centuries, Stoneleigh Abbey was the residence of Jane Austen’s maternal relatives, the distinguished Leigh family. Jane’s mother, Cassandra Leigh, was related to the Brydges family (Dukes of Chandos), a family with notable titles and wealthy estates in Warwickshire. Her father was one of thirteen children, so there were many cousins and distant relations to inherit, as usual, by male family members.

In August 1806, Jane, along with her sister and mother, stayed at the Abbey. They made the journey from Adlestrop Rectory with Mrs Austen’s cousin, Reverend Thomas Leigh. The news of Rt Hon Mary Leigh’s death had revealed news of a potential inheritance. This prompted Reverend Thomas to consider claiming the estate, and he invited the Austen ladies to accompany him.

Jane would have arrived at Stoneleigh in a carriage, driven down the long lane flanked with oak trees planted evenly down either side. She passed through the arched gate to see the grandeur of the large house with its 46 windows facing the evening sun.

Flanked by the River Avon and surrounded by fields and forests as far as the eye could see, it’s an impressive sight.

Stoneleigh Abbey with its Orangery overlooking the River Avon

Inside, the layout of the house and furniture would have looked similar and reflected the family’s wealth. There is a large ballroom overlooking the lawn where balls were held and many rooms for guests to stay in. The library in a wing of the house is large and cosy, and is one of the most special rooms in the house.

It must have been easy to get lost inside, as Mrs Austen noted, “The house is larger than I could have supposed. We cannot find our way about it.”

As the ladies became more comfortable, Jane began with prayers each morning in the “handsome chapel” an experience that would later influence her writing of Mansfield Park.

Fanny’s imagination had prepared her for something grander than a mere spacious, oblong room, fitted up for the purpose of devotion: with nothing more striking or more solemn than the profusion of mahogany, and the crimson velvet cushions appearing over the ledge of the family gallery above.

Their visit also impressed Mrs Austen. She wrote a long letter to her sister-in-law Mary where she touches on praying in the chapel, and then talks a lot more about the sumptuous food for breakfast!

We say our prayers in a handsome chapel, of which the pulpit is now hung with black. Then follows breakfast, consisting of chocolate, coffee, and tea, plum cake, pound cake, hot rolls, cold rolls, bread and butter, and dry toast for me.

Jane’s Visit

The wonderful thing about visiting Stoneleigh is that Jane stayed here for a time and wrote it into her novel Mansfield Park. In the novel, the party visit Sotherton and gives their opinions about the private chapel with the same crimson velvet cushions. Jane rarely used real places and people, which shows the impact Stoneleigh had on her. It must have been a shock to discover that her mother’s relations were very wealthy and lived in huge houses such as Stoneleigh.

The timing of this visit was poignant. It came after the death of Jane’s father, when the Austen ladies had left Bath and were on their way to Southampton to share a home with Frank and his wife Mary. In Jane’s commentary in Mansfield Park, she gives the view that people say they follow God and his work, though do not act in a charitable way. She may have felt it unjust that Mrs Austen had to leave her relatives at Stoneleigh with no inheritance, and live with limited means without Mr Austen’s pension.

Your Visit

Today, you can visit Stoneleigh Abbey on a timed tour with a guide. You can buy this in advance on the website or when you arrive. During the tour of house you will see many family portraits and Mrs Austen’s family tree. You will also visit to the family chapel, where the rich crimson velvet cushions and elegant mahogany details are as Jane described, offering a timeless link into her world.

The Orangery on the far side of the house is now a cafe, with beautiful views over the river and surrounding countryside. This is a lovely place to enjoy a cup of tea and cake whilst waiting or when you have finished your tour.

Planning Your Journey

Stoneleigh is in the county of Warwickshire, just southeast of Birmingham. Unfortunately, the beautiful village of Stoneleigh with its thatched cottages is affected by construction of the failed HS2 rail project. There are many roadworks, hills being dug into, and roads closed. I was genuinely shocked, so please check your route before you set out and follow the detour signs. The old village is worth seeing, as it’s so quintessentially English and even has a Community Orchard.

LINKS:

Book your ticket through the Stoneleigh website

Find out some lesser known facts about Mansfield Park

~~~~~~~~~~

Mrs Austen’s Letter to Mary (her daughter-in-law.) dated 13 August 1806

MY DEAR MARY, – The very day after I wrote you my last letter, Mr Hill wrote his intention of being at Adlestrop with Mrs Hill on Monday, the 4th, and his wish that Mr Leigh and family should return with him to Stoneleigh the following day, as there was much business for the executors awaiting them at the Abbey, and he was hurried for time. All this accordingly took place, and here we found ourselves on Tuesday (that is yesterday night) eating fish, venison, and all manner of good things, in a large and noble parlour, hung round with family portraits.

The house is larger than I could have supposed. We cannot find our way about it – I mean the best part; as to the offices, which were the Abbey, Mr. Leigh almost despairs of ever finding his way about them. I have proposed his setting up direction posts at the angles. I had expected to find everything about the place very fine and all that, but I had no idea of its being so beautiful. I had pictured to myself long avenues, dark rookeries, and dismal yew trees, but here are no such dismal things. The Avon runs near the house, amidst green meadows, bounded by large and beautiful woods, full of delightful walks.

“At nine in the morning we say our prayers in a handsome chapel, of which the pulpit, &c. &c., is now hung with black. Then follows breakfast, consisting of chocolate, coffee, and tea, plum cake, pound cake, hot rolls, cold rolls, bread and butter, and dry toast for me. The house steward, a fine, large, respectable-looking man, orders all these matters. Mr. Leigh and Mr. Hill are busy a great part of the morning. We walk a good deal, for the woods are impenetrable to the sun, even in the middle of an August day. I do not fail to spend some part of every day in the kitchen garden, where the quantity of small fruit exceeds anything you can form an idea of. This large family, with the assistance of a great many blackbirds and thrushes, cannot prevent it from rotting on the trees. The gardens contain four acres and a half. The ponds supply excellent fish, the park excellent venison; there is great quantity of rabbits, pigeons, and all sorts of poultry. There is a delightful dairy, where is made butter, good Warwickshire cheese and cream ditto. One manservant is called the baker, and does nothing but brew and bake. The number of casks in the strong-beer cellar is beyond imagination; those in the small-beer cellar bear no proportion, though, by the bye, the small beer might be called ale without misnomer. This is an odd sort of letter. I write just as things come into my head, a bit now and a bit then.

Now I wish to give you some idea of the inside of this vast house – first premising that there are forty-five windows in front, which is quite straight, with a flat roof, fifteen in a row. You go up a considerable flight of steps to the door, for some of the offices are underground, and enter a large hall. On the right hand is the dining-room and within that the breakfast-room, where we generally sit; and reason good, ’tis the only room besides the chapel, which looks towards the view. On the left hand of the hall is the best drawing-room and within a smaller one. These rooms are rather gloomy with brown wainscot and dark crimson furniture, so we never use them except to walk through to the old picture gallery. Behind the smaller drawing-room is the state-bedchamber – an alarming apartment, with its high, dark crimson velvet bed, just fit for an heroine. The old gallery opens into it. Behind the hall and parlours there is a passage all across the house, three staircases and two small sitting-rooms. There are twenty-six bedchambers in the new part of the house and a great many, some very good ones, in the old.

There is also another gallery, fitted up with modern prints on a buff paper, and a large billiard-room. Every part of the house and offices is kept so clean, that were you to cut your finger I do not think you could find a cobweb to wrap it up in. I need not have written this long letter, for I have a presentiment that if these good people live until next year you will see it all with your own eyes.

Our visit has been a most pleasant one. We all seem in good humour, disposed to be pleased and endeavouring to be agreeable, and I hope we succeed. Poor Lady Saye and Sele, to be sure, is rather tormenting, though sometimes amusing, and affords Jane many a good laugh, but she fatigues me sadly on the whole. To-morrow we depart. We have seen the remains of Kenilworth, which afforded us much entertainment, and I expect still more from the sight of Warwick Castle, which we are going to see to-day. The Hills are gone, and my cousin, George Cook, is come. A Mr. Holt Leigh was here yesterday and gave us all franks. He is member for, and lives at, Wigan in Lancashire, and is a great friend of young Mr. Leigh’s, and I believe a distant cousin. He is a single man on the wrong side of forty, chatty and well-bred and has a large estate. There are so many legacies to pay and so many demands that I do not think Mr. Leigh will find that he has more money than he knows what to do with this year, whatever he may do next. The funeral expenses, proving the will, and putting the servants in both houses in mourning must come to a considerable sum; there were eighteen men servants.

Jane Austen’s Brother James

23 July 2024

Jane Austen’s eldest brother James was the oldest sibling in the family, and the first published author in the family.

Reverend James Austen, Jane Austen’s Brother (Public Domain)

Born 13 February 1765 died 13 December 1819 (Age 54)

Although Jane was known as the writer in the family, James was the first to have his magazine The Loiterer published, and also his written papers and poems.

Following his father, he became a clergyman, living in and around Hampshire for the duration of his life. He died almost two years after Jane of a similar complaint in his childhood home of Steventon Rectory, and is buried at St Nicholas church at Steventon alongside his first wife and children.

Although his life is well documented as the brother to Jane Austen, I have listed ten things you may not know about James Austen.

1. He was the first Austen child

Born at Deane Rectory on 13 January 1765, James Austen was the first born son of Reverend George and Cassandra Austen. He was christened on 17 March at Deane church with his Godparents in attendance, Francis Austen (his father’s uncle) and Jane Leigh (his grandmother).

James was the eldest brother to George, Edward, Henry, Cassandra, Francis, Jane and Charles, and the first of three boys born at Deane. He was 10 years old when Jane was born. James was his mother’s best-loved child and in a letter to her sister-in-law, she described him as sweet and gentle.

2. James was quite the athlete

All the Austen boys liked to ride and hunt and James was no exception. He would often take his horse and visit his friends in the villages close by, including those who lived at The Vyne. He even rode out with the Prince of Wales (later the Prince Regent) in Kempshott Park near Basingstoke. James was athletic and liked to play sport, and often enjoyed a game of cricket with his brothers and later with his own son, Edward.

3. He was a clever man

Jane described her brother as ‘so good & clever a Man’ and his influence on Jane must have been great as he excelled at writing and poetry. He was an intellect like his father, and at the age of fourteen was sent to study at Oxford University followed by St John’s. As well as studying, he loved reading the classics and enjoyed writing poetry that he would often read out loud to his family.

4. James had writing talent

Although Jane was known as the writer in the family, James was the first to achieve success and published various papers and poems. He also founded a magazine with Henry called The Loiterer, a comical weekly paper for Oxford students that ran from 1789-1790. In issue No.9, it is thought that Jane penned a letter objecting to the lack of a female perspective in the articles published, and signed it Sophia Sentiment.

When James was in his twenties and the rest of the family were living at Steventon, James wrote various plays that were performed by the Austen children and family friends. These amateur theatricals were said to have inspired those Jane wrote about in her novel Mansfield Park.

James best poems he wrote were for his children. He wrote two well-known poems for Edward about the death of his first pony and the Lime Tree planted at Steventon Rectory. Two poems were for Caroline about her cat, Tyger’s Letter to Caroline and Address to Tyger, who stole a steak chop from the table!

5. Although a man of the cloth, he took a Grand Tour

At 21 years old, James embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe, visiting Spain, Holland, and his relatives in France. He arrived in France to visit to his cousin Eliza only to discover that she had already left the country, and was in fact at his home at Steventon!

6. He took Holy Orders

James followed his father and became a clergyman. He was ordained at St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, which led to a position as curate to the surrounding villages including Stoke Charity.

St Nicholas Church, Steventon (Public Domain)

James took over the livings for Deane and Steventon from his father when he retired, and moved back to live at Steventon Rectory. In 1805 when his father died, James was the first to offer his mother and sisters £50 to help cover their living costs.

7. His first wife was a Spinster

General Edward Mathew lived at the Old Manor House at Laverstock. He was considered a bit of a tyrant and is thought to be the inspiration for General Tilney in Jane’s novel Northanger Abbey. His daughter Anne was considered a spinster at age 30, though was rather elegant which appealed to James who asked for her hand in marriage.

James and Anne were married by his father in 1792. A year later on 15 April Jane’s fondest niece Anna was born and was christened Jane Anna Elizabeth. The family lived in the nearby village of Overton before moving to the parsonage at Deane.

On 3 May 1795, Anne took ill and died a few hours later of what doctors described as a liver complaint. Her two year old daughter Anna was so stricken, she was sent to live with her grandmother and aunts at Steventon for the next few years.

8. James married Jane’s childhood friend Mary Lloyd

By 1796, James was dancing at a Ball at Ashe with his sister Jane and looking for a second wife. He firstly proposed to their cousin Eliza who was a widow and wealthy in her own right. She declined and chose to marry his brother Henry in December of that same year.

Eliza de Feuillide, Jane Austen’s Sister-In-Law as Wife of Henry Austen (Public Domain)

James then proposed to a family friend Mary Lloyd, the sister of Jane’s childhood friend Martha. They were married on 17 January 1797. James then took his daughter Anna back to live back with them at Dean until the family moved to Steventon Rectory upon his father’s retirement in 1801.

It was said to be a strained marriage as she and her step-daughter Anna did not get along. Mary also complained about James visiting his mother so often which Jane wrote about in her letters. James and Mary had two children together, James Edward (who was Jane’s fondest nephew) born in 1798, and Caroline Mary Craven born in 1805.

9. After Jane’s death he wrote a Poem for his sister Jane

The Austen siblings were shocked and saddened by Jane’s early death. James was too ill to attend her funeral, suffering himself with symptoms similar to his sister Jane that would later take his life. He wrote a poem for Jane after her death.

In her, rare union, were combined
A fair form & fairer mind;
Hers, Fancy quick & clear good sense
And wit which never gave offence;
A Heart as warm as ever beat,
A Temper, even, calm & sweet:
…

And to one line she ever wrote
Which dying she would wish to blot;
But to her family alone
Her real, genuine worth was known.

10. James also died an early death like his sister Jane

James lived out his days at Steventon Rectory and often suffered with ill health. He died of similar symptoms almost two years after Jane’s death on 13 December 1819 age 54. James was buried five days later at St Nicholas Church in Steventon alongside his first wife Anne.

Mrs Austen was 80 years old when James died, and she often remember her fondest son who excelled at Classical Knowledge, Literary Taste, and the power of Elegant Composition.

Exhibition Review: Chawton In Stitches

20 July 2024

Chawton House Library
13 May to 26 August 2024

This exhibition showcases the work of award-winning graduate of the Royal School of Needlework Emily Barnett, whose degree project took inspiration from the gardens and collection at Chawton House. Her final show stopping piece comprises three beautifully embroidered panels, focusing on:
~ the Orchard and the Knight family cookbook
~ the Rose Garden and Elizabeth Blackwell’s Curious Herbal
~ the Library Terrace and the women’s writing collection.

Chawton In Stitches

Jane was skilled at needlework, particularly cross-stitch, as her brothers often noted when she made shirts for them. You can see the consistent neatness of her stitching in the quilt and shawl on display at the Jane Austen’s House Museum, and in the needle case she made for her niece.

Good light is needed, and good eyesight, and Jane probably wore one of the two pairs of spectacles kept in her travel writing desk. She was no doubt taught by her mother, Mrs Austen, who continued to sew in the front room of Steventon Rectory as visitors came and went.

Jane also loved gardens and flowers, and often talked of ‘improvements’ in her novels. She walked through the fields of Hampshire every day, and often visited Edward and his family at Chawton House and even advised him on a wall or two!

It was lovely then to see a demonstration of sewing mastery during Regency Week. I was part of a group watching a young girl sewing beautiful lilac petals onto a silk cloth. We discovered that she was the artist who inspired ‘Chawton In Stitches’, the current exhibition at Chawton House, and this inspired me to find out more.

Exhibition Visit

I enjoy visiting Chawton House, with its large open rooms and staircases, and looking through the window where Jane would watch the comings and goings through the village.

The exhibition rooms are on the top floor, and Emily’s work is interspersed throughout, along with a history of needlework and various examples of stitching from the 18th and 19th century. You can see how the curator has pulled together the items, including needlework in its form, the attitude to women who sew, and how needlework was seen as a talent rather than a necessity.

Countryside Framed Wall Sampler

I was not disappointed when the first item that caught my eye was this beautiful sampler, sewn by Mary Pennington, aged ten in 1830. The stitches are tiny and delicate, and there is a lot of detail with leaves, flowers and animals. She has also stitched in that she was ‘Instructed by Mrs Stubbs’ who no doubt made sure she got a mention!

Close up of Wall Sampler. Photograph ©Emma Darlington Courtesy of Chawton House

Embroidery was taught to girls from a young age. They were instructed in the making of samples as a pastime, with the end pieces seen as artworks in a style that was popular in the Georgian period. They were large enough, and good enough to be framed and decorate a wall, and I suspect that this sampler took pride of place in their household.

Map of England and Wales

Another fascinating item in this room is an embroidered map of England and Wales that dates to the 18th century. A popular form of sampler in the Georgian period involved the reproduction of maps. This cloth is stitched plainly and clearly, so was probably used for learning. The writing almost looks as though it is written in pen, and the detail is amazing.

Oh that Mary Wollstonecraft!

On the opposite wall is an interesting collection of books where women authors have extolled the virtues of needlework. Some of the books show needlework projects and instructions on delicate pages that fold out, and it’s amazing that they are in such good condition.

In contrast, Mary Wollstonecraft looks upon the ‘work’ as a way of controlling women. The guide explained that she is really saying that she thinks women should be educated like men instead. A much better use of their time.

A real feminist of her day, though what Lady Catherine would say, I do not know!

Showcase of Books for Women including Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (London, 1792) Photograph ©Emma Darlington Courtesy of Chawton House

In the next room there are some of Emily’s working boards on display, where she has taken images and photographs from the garden to use for inspiration. They are in clusters, and you can see the results hanging on the opposite wall.

Photograph ©Emma Darlington with thanks to Chawton House

Petals on Panels

The working boards are represented on three large long panels mounted on the wall. The flowers almost look real and the petals are finely sewn and raised from the fabric, with author names appearing amongst the greenery. I looked at them for a long time, and I am still fascinated as to how the flowers and greenery is raised so neatly from the fabric.

Although this is a small exhibition, it’s a sweet one. I can’t help thinking as I walk away about the ladies in Jane’s novels, and how needlework was instantly produced and worked upon when a male visitor appears!

It’s definitely worth a visit and included in the entry fee. We’ve got a beautiful day, so it’s down to the courtyard for some sunshine, tea and lemon drizzle cake!

Needlework Events

Chawton House are hosting a series of embroidery workshops that you can find on their events page

The book JANE AUSTEN EMBROIDERY by JENNIE BATCHELOR and ALISON LARKIN was on display as part of the exhibition, and you can find a review on the books page

Eight Little Known Things About Edward Austen

7 April 2024

8 Things you may not know about Jane Austen’s Brother Edward Austen Knight

Born 7 October 1767 – Died 19 November 1852

Edward Austen died peacefully at his Godmersham home at the age of eighty-five and is buried beside his wife in Godmersham Church.

One could say that Edward Austen had been lucky in life. Although his birth year is often reported as 1768, he was actually born the previous year on 7 October 1767 as clearly written in the Parish Register.

Born into a loving, fun and intelligent family, they affectionately called him ‘Neddy’.

Edward was described as being good, amiable, and sweet-tempered. This probably brought him to the attention of Thomas Knight who was a cousin of his father’s who had no children of his own. He and his wife Elizabeth looked around the family for an heir and chose to adopt Edward.

He was presented to them when he was around fifteen years old, and to mark the occasion, Thomas commissioned a silhouette by William Wellings of London (who was known for painting Pitt the Younger) which shows George Austen presenting his son to the Knights with Mrs Knight’s mother.

William Wellings Silhouette of Edward Austen Presented to Knight Family (Public Domain 1783

Unlike his brothers, Edward did not go to University. Instead, he was taught at home as a country gentleman to take on the duties of the estates. Edward loved the countryside, and enjoyed horse riding and hunting with the boys in the surrounding villages.

He went on a Grand Tour of the Continent between 1786 and 1790 when he was 18 years old which included a year spent in Dresden, then on to Italy and Rome.

As a memento of his tour, Edward’s full length portrait was painted when he was twenty-one. A fragment of broken marble and a ruined temple can be seen in the background, as though it was painted in Italy!

Edward Austen, Anonymous portrait painted in 1789 during the Grand Tour © Chawton House ©Emma Darlington Phtograph Courtesy of Chawton House

Edward wrote journals and illuminating letters home showing his writing talents matched those of his siblings. They are still in existence today, and show that he loved to describe his surroundings and experiences in great detail.

When he returned from his Grand Tour, he met and married Elizabeth Bridges on 27 December 1791. She was a local beauty and the daughter of Sir Brook Bridges of Goodnestone Park near Wingham.

They lived in Rowling House after their marriage, a short walk from Goodnestone. According to Jane’s letters she walked from Rowling to Goodnestone Park on most days. “We were at a Ball on Saturday. We dined at Goodnestone and in the Evening danced two Country Dances and the Boulangeries. I opened the Ball with Edwd Bridges … We supped there, and walked home at night under the shade of two Umbrellas.‘

They later moved into Godmersham Manor which was larger and could accommodate their growing family.

Jane made the stagecoach journey from her Hampshire home many times to stay for long periods and help look after her nieces and nephews. It has been speculated that Godmersham was inspiration for Mansfield Park, and moving in wealthy circles gave Jane ideas for the characters in her novels.

Upon the death of Edward’s adoptive father Thomas Knight in 1794, Godmersham Park was inherited by his wife Elizabeth with the remainder of his estate going to Edward. She gave it to Edward and moved to a house in Canterbury until she died in 1812. Edward then took the name ‘Knight’ in appreciation of their generosity.

Although there were two estates included in his inheritance, Godmersham Park in Kent and Hampshire, Edward also inherited a third estate in Wittersham, also in Kent. He kept himself busy managing the estates and was made High Sheriff of Kent in 1801.

Godmersham Park Painting also used on the Jane Austen £10 Bank Note (Public Domain)

Edward’s first child Fanny Catherine was born in 1793, the first of eleven children. She would become Jane’s fondest niece whom she thought of ‘as another sister’. Jane would often advise her later in life when it came to marriage and matters of the heart, and it was one of Jane’s last pleasures to re-read Fanny’s letters before she died.

On 10 October 1808, Cassandra was visiting Godmersham and Jane was at Southampton when the news arrived that Elizabeth had died. It was shortly after the birth of her eleventh child, and she was only 35 years old. It was a shocking blow to the family.

After his wife’s death, Edward spent more time in Hampshire to be closer to his family, and Cassandra often visited to take care of his children.

Edward was a bit of a hypochondriac like his mother, and possibly the management of such large estates and money worries brought on stress. He would often complain of stomach disorders and gout.

Jane almost lost the right to live in Chawton Cottage after there was a claim on the estates. His inheritance was challenged through an earlier will linked to his adoptive mother Elizabeth. If the will was upheld, he would have lost the Hampshire estate. It dragged on for years and Edward ultimately settled out of court which shows the seriousness of the claim. In order to pay their claim, Edward had to chop down trees and sell the wood from Chawton Woods. This created a hole in the forest that you can still see today.

Edward lived at Godmersham until his death on 19 November 1852, spending most of his time with his children and grand-children. He had been in good spirits on his usual drive around the countryside the day before.

On the morning of his death, he woke early and asked his servant to leave him to rest, and when the servant returned he had passed away.

One of his relations said afterwards,

It strikes me as a characteristic end of his prosperous and placid life, and he will certainly leave on the minds of all who knew him an image of Gentleness and quiet Cheerfulness of no ordinary degree.

A Sister’s Love: Cassandra Austen

9 January 2024

Born 9 January 1773 – Died 22 March 1845

Cassandra Austen is well known as the most treasured sister of Jane Austen. They were born almost three years apart and were inseparable from birth.

Their mother Mrs Austen said that,

If Cassandra was to have her head cut off, Jane would insist on sharing her same fate.

From being very young, Jane looked up to her sister and often spoke of her virtues. Jane dedicated History, part of her Juvenilia she wrote around aged 12 to Cassandra, and said she was,

..a Pheonix. Your taste is refine, your sentiments are noble, & your Virtues innumerable.

Even before then, Jane was only 7 years old when she followed Cassandra to boarding school. First to Oxford, then to Reading and Southampton. And when Cassandra returned home, Jane did too. They shared a room all their lives, and told each other everything. They gossiped, as sisters do, and had insider jokes, and wrote to each other almost every day whilst apart.

Whilst Jane’s life is well known, and her talents as a writer have been acknowledged. It was made possible by her sister Cassandra.

A silhouette of Cassandra Austen

Silhouette of Cassandra Austen (Public Domain)

Cassandra was described as ‘handsome’ by some, although in this silhouette she looks very pretty. Eliza described her cousins as, ‘two beauties’, and some said Cassandra was prettier than Jane. This silhouette was done whilst Cassandra was alive, in contrast to the one we have of Jane created after her death.

Cassandra was a talented artist and painted the only portrait of Jane we have, including a back view

Cassandra was a wonderful water-colourist, and where Jane was known as a writer, Cassandra was known as a painter.

When Jane put together her Juvenilia, Cassandra painted the characters inside the notebooks. It is thought that the royal characters look more like the Austen family than the royal family, and that Jane posed for this picture of Mary Queen of Scotts.

I have seen Jane’s Juvenilia, and as I looked at the portraits on each page, I was amazed at how detailed they were, and it really does show how talented an artist Cassandra was.

BAL3837 Mary Queen of Scots, c.1790 (w/c) by Austen, Cassandra
(c.1772-1845) Private Collection English (Public Domain/Out of Copyright)

We can also thank Cassandra for the portrait of Jane looking out to the sea whilst on holiday in Lyme Regis in 1804. Jane has her ribbons untied, so quite racy at the time.

Jane Austen by Cassandra Austen at Lyme Regis (Public Domain)

This frontal portrait of Jane was painted around 1810, although Jane’s relatives had mixed reviews as to whether it looked like her. It is the one you can find in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Portrait of Jane Austen dated to 1810 (Public Domain)

Cassandra was engaged only once in her life to Thomas Fowle

Cassandra knew Tom well as he lived at the Rectory as a pupil of her father George Austen. They became engaged in 1795 when Cassandra was 22 years old. Needing money to marry, Tom went to the Caribbean to be a Military Chaplain. He would never return. He caught yellow fever and died in 1797, and was buried at sea on 13 February, although Cassandra did not receive this terrible news until the April of that year.

Cassandra took the news of Tom’s death with great ‘self-command’, and it must have seemed so unfair that her future happiness was cut short.

Cassandra often stayed with Tom’s family in Kintbury in Berkshire, which is 25 miles from Steventon, and upon her marriage would live in Wiltshire, 60 miles away. Letters from this period when Cassandra was staying at Godmersham have not survived. Jane may have been a little jealous of her sister, though probably more upset that they would be parted. This could account for her flirting so outrageously with Tom Lefroy.

Jane wrote to Cassandra on her birthday and dates her letter ‘Saturday 9 – Sunday 10 January 1796’.

In the first place I hope you will live twenty three years longer...

Jane then continues with a long gossipy letter that includes a visit to Madam Lefroy and her infatuation for her nephew, Tom Lefroy.

Cassandra would have been related to Martha Lloyd through marriage

Jane’s brother James married his second wife Mary Lloyd (Martha’s sister) in 1797. Their youngest sister Eliza Lloyd married Fulwar Craven Fowle a year later. His brother Tom Fowle (Martha’s brother-in-law) was engaged to Cassandra, and had they married, been related through marriage.

Cassandra was a wonderful childminder and often called on to help

Being single, Cassandra could drop everything and go where she was needed. Cassandra and Edward were close, and she spent many months at Godmersham Park over the years, as Edward and his wife Elizabeth’s family grew to eleven children.

Godmersham Park in Kent (Photograph ©EmmaDarlington)

Cassandra would often help his wife Elizabeth, especially when she was due to give birth. Sadly, Elizabeth became ill after the birth of their eleventh child, and died a few days later. The family were devastated, and as the children were still young, Cassandra spent many months helping Edward and his family.

Elizabeth Austen, Edward Austen’s Wife and Cassandra’s Sister-in-Law (Public Domain)

Cassandra inherited Mrs Austen’s good housekeeping skills

Whilst living at Chawton Cottage, Cassandra would buy supplies, allocate duties to the servants, arranging the cooking, cleaning, and generally keep the house running efficiently. This meant that Jane was free to write and practice her piano playing which she did every morning.

Mrs Austen herself was a good housekeeper and had taught Cassandra well. Whilst at Steventon Rectory she had milked cows, planted vegetables, cooked, mended, sewed, and kept the house running smoothly. With four boys at home, plus the pupils her husband tutored and her own two girls, she was very busy indeed.

After Jane had died, visitors to the cottage felt it somehow cold and sad, and Cassandra’s life without her beloved sister must have been lonely at times. Anna Lefroy, their niece, said that their relationship, ‘passed the common love of sisters; and it had been so from childhood.‘

Cassandra had a dog named Scout

Ten years after Jane’s death in 1827, Cassandra was 54 years old when Mrs Austen died. She was now living alone in Chawton Cottage, got a dog and named him Scout. To the amusement of the villagers, he would carry the milk from Chawton House in a pail with the handle between his teeth!

None of Cassandra’s Letters have survived

In 1843, two years before her own death, Cassandra burned most of Jane’s letters and only 160 or so have survived. She felt the contents were too personal to them both, and she was probably right. Jane was such a private person, and as her fame increased, Cassandra probably wanted to protect her memory.

Cassandra also burned her own letters to Jane, so although we can read some of Jane’s correspondence to Cassandra, we are missing the other half.

Cassandra spent her dying days with her two brothers, Frank and Henry

Whilst visiting Frank at Portsdown Lodge, high above Portsmouth, Cassandra had a stroke. In his twilight years at 71 years old, Frank had to leave Cassandra to join his ship for a North America posting.

It was brother Henry that came to look after Cassandra in the last days of her life. After his bank failed he took Holy Orders, and I would like to think that Cassandra died in his arms, just as Jane had died in hers.

Cassandra’s Brother Henry Thomas Austen (Public Domain)

Cassandra has her own memorial tablet inside St Nicholas Church

Cassandra is buried on the Chawton Estate her brother Edward inherited. You can find it inside on the left side of the church, and Mrs Austen’s is on the right side. It is sad to see that there is no mention of Mrs Austen’s daughter Jane on her memorial stone, as she predeceased her.

Cassandra Austen’s Memorial Stone Inside St Nicholas Church (©EmmaDarlington)

The tablet is faded now, and reads:

IN MEMORY OF
CASSANDRA ELIZABETH 
AUSTEN
DAUGHTER OF THE LATE
REVEREND GEORGE AUSTEN
RECTOR OF SEVENTON
IN THIS COUNTY
DIED 22 OF MARCH 1845
BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WE HAVE
PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD
JESUS CHRIST     Rom V.I.

Cassandra is buried with a previous resident of Chawton Cottage

In the churchyard at Chawton, Cassandra rests between her mother and Bridger Seward. He was Edward Austen’s bailiff who moved out of Chawton Cottage so the Austen ladies could move in. His faded gravestone shows he died in 1808 at 90 years old.

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