Quickstep Travel Guide

For Jane Austen fans who want to follow in Jane's footsteps and have fun doing it!

Jane Austen Travel

The Amazing Fanny Palmer

Frances Fitzwilliam “Fanny” Palmer Austen

Born

The Wife of Captain Charles Austen

23 June marks the 244th birthday of Captain Charles Austen, Jane Austen’s youngest brother.

Charles married his first wife Fanny Palmer in Bermuda on 19 May 1807.  Fanny bravely lived onboard the warship HMS Namur alongside her husband from 1811 to around 1814.

Fanny was the youngest daughter of the late Attorney-General of Bermuda and together they had three children.

Fanny had a close relationship with her sister-in-law Jane, and was an inspiration for Jane’s novel Persuasion.  in the novel, Jane describes how the heroine’s love interest’s sister is married to a senior Navy officer who lived with him aboard some of the ships he commanded.

Officer’s wives rarely lived aboard their husband’s ships, and Fanny was seen as one of the outliers, and it is thought that she inspired the character Sophie Croft in Persuasion.

Fanny’s first child, Cassandra Esten, was born on 22 December 1808, when Charles was in command of HMS Indian, on the North American and Caribean Station. Her second child, Harriet Jane, was born on 19 February 1810.

Fanny came to England in 1811 and found that she and Jane had many things in common, including a love of the sea. During 1812 and 1813, John Grove Palmer, Fanny’s father, arranged a holiday at Southend in Essex.

It was during the 1813 visit that Fanny spent July to September with her family, and the following month she and Charles with two of their children visited brother Edward’s house at Godmersham Park in Kent.

Jane Austen was also staying at Godmersham at the same time, and they got on well, both having a love of the sea.  Fanny’s descriptions of Southend may have inspired Jane’s novel Sanditon.

Fanny’s third child, born on 1 December 1812, when Charles was in command of the much larger HMS Namur, was named after her, Frances, Palmer. Fanny gave birth to her fourth child, Elizabeth, on board the Namur, on 31 August 1814.

She developed post-natal complications, and died six days after the birth. Elizabeth also died, before she was a month old.

Charles was devastated and he sent his daughters home to be cared for by their Aunt Harriet.

Charles later married Fanny’s sister in 1820 which was contrary to the law at the time.  They had four children together, and one of their sons followed in Charles footsteps and joined the Navy.

Another Wonderful Letter Writer

Fanny wrote many letters in her lifetime, like Jane, and they reveal a rare and honest account of the challenges she faced, and describes what it was like to be a naval wife and mother living at sea during the later years of the Napoleonic Wars.

They also show a glimpse into day to day life, and how she undertook the unusual task of making a family home for Charles and their young daughters on board a warship.

Fanny Palmer Austen Profile
Fanny Palmer Austen’s Silhouette by John Meirs

Dedication to a Wonderful Wife

Fanny’s burial stone reads:

Sacred to the Memory of
FRANCES FITZWILLIAMS AUSTEN,
wife of
Capt. Charles John Austen, (of the Royal Navy),
who Died in Child Bed, Sept 6th, 1814,
Aged 24 years.
Stop, Passenger and Contemplate!
A Child whom Nature’s God had taught the Way,
Her Parents’ dictates ne’er to disobey;
A Sister in whom Center’d every Love,
To Charm the Angels in the Realms above,
A Loving Wife, a Parent Truly dear,
A Pious Christian and a Friend sincere,
Reader! Example take, let you and I
Live as She liv’d, and like Her learn to Die.
Sleep on dear fair One, wait the Almighty’s will,
Then rise unchang’d and be an Angel Still.
Also their infant Daughter ELIZABETH,
who Died 20th September, 1814. Age 21 days.

Fanny Palmer Austen is buried at Kentish Town St John the Baptist

Further Reading

Jane Austen’s Transatlantic Sister: The Life and Letters of Fanny Palmer Austen by Sheila Johnson Kindred.

Based largely on correspondence from 1810-1814, and on Fanny’s diary, Sheila concludes that Fanny, who spent two and a half years living aboard ship with her husband, Captain of HMS Namur, was the basis for Mrs Croft, the wife of Admiral Croft in her novel Persuasion.

Sheila has a wonderful website that features a blog post – Fanny, Jane and Seaside Watering Places

See the wonderful video put together by Chatham Dockyard that features Fanny as part of their Hidden Heroins at Sea series.

Fanny Palmer Austen, a 19th Century Hidden Heroine of Chatham Dockyard

Jane Austen’s Friend, Madam Lefroy

BORN 1 March 1749 – 16 December 1804

Madam Lefroy was born Anne Brydges on 1 March 1749 in Wootton Court, near Canterbury. Jane greatly admired her, and tragically she died on Jane’s 29th birthday.

Madam Anne Lefroy (nee Brydes) Friend of Jane Austen

As inscribed on the border of the gold frame of her miniature, Anne Lefroy died from a fall from her horse on the 16 December 1804.

Their lives would intertwine over the years as Jane’s niece married Anne’s son Ben, Jane fell in love with her nephew Tom, they were both published authors, and tragically, Anne died on Jane’s birthday.

Oil painting on canvas, ‘The Pastor’s Fireside’: the Family of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 6th/10th Baronet of Colomb-John (1787-1871) being read to by the Vicar of Silverton by Henry Singleton,(London 1766 – London 1839), circa 1820.

The Lefroy and the Austen Families

As Ashe was a short distance from Steventon, the Lefroy and Austen families saw each other often. George Austen and George Lefroy were both clergymen, and cared a great deal about their flock which they impressed upon their children. Literature was important, and although Mrs Austen and James wrote many plays, Mrs Lefroy and her brother were both published.

Anne married Reverend George Lefroy on 28 December 1778 and they took up residence at Ashe Rectory in 1783. They had four children named Jemima Lucy, John Henry George (who succeeded his father at Ashe), Christopher Edward and Benjamin Langlois (who later married James Austen’s daughter Anna).

A Love of Literature

Although Anne was 26 years older than Jane and had six children, the two became good friends, sharing a love of writing, literature and poetry.  Anne would let Jane access her extensive library, and they would often discuss the latest novels and publications.

Anne was known for her sophisticated tastes and manners, and also for writing poems and literature. Anne had two poems published in The Poetical Register and Repository of Fugitive Poetry.  This was arranged by her brother Egerton Brydges, who was a famous poet and rented the Manor House close to the rectory.

Anne was attractive and kind, and was known affectionately as Madame Lefroy to the villagers.  She loved entertaining and had a wide social circle.  She took her role as the wife of a reverend seriously, and opened a school for poor children and taught them to read, as well as vaccinated people against smallpox.

A Love in Jane’s Life

Anne was the aunt of Tom Lefroy who visited Ashe Rectory in December 1795 after his graduation from Trinity College, Dublin. She organised the ball on the evening 15 January 1796 before Tom returned to London where he and Jane flirted outrageously.

Jane later wrote to Cassandra, ‘You scold me so much in the nice long letter which I have this moment received from you, that I am almost afraid to tell you how my Irish friend and I behaved. Imagine to yourself everything most profligate and shocking in the way of dancing and sitting down together.‘

Anne was also the one that sent Tom away after the flirtation as she thought there was no future for a match.

An Untimely Death

Anne was only 55 years old when she died after falling heavily from a bolting horse. Jane’s brother James conducted the funeral service for her burial on 21 December, and she is laid to rest in the churchyard of Holy Trinity & St Andrew.

Holy Trinity and St Andrew Church, Ashe

Anne’s brother Samuel wrote a lengthy obituary which appeared in several publications including the December 1804 edition of the Gentleman’s Magazine.

To do justice to the character of Mrs Lefroy would require a command of glowing and pathetic expression far beyond the powers of the writer of this article. She was alike the delight of the old and the young, of the lively and of the severe, the rich and the poor. She received from Nature an intellectual capacity of the highest order; her perceptions were rapid; her memory was tenacious; her comprehension was extensive; her fancy was splendid; her sentiments were full of tenderness; and her language was easy, copious, and energetic.

Jane’s Poem for Madam Lefroy

Four years later, Jane still missed her friend and wrote a long tribute poem to her. The opening lines read,

The day returns again, my natal day;
What mix’d emotions with the Thought arise!
Beloved friend, four years have pass’d away
Since thou were snatch’d forever from our eyes.

Further Reading

Read the full poem that Jane wrote for Madam Lefroy here

Who was Tom Lefroy? talks of Jane’s first loved who may have inspired Mr Darcy

Read a Book Review of The letters of Mrs Lefroy : Jane Austen’s beloved friend edited by Helen Lefroy and Gavin Turner

For further reading, I can recommend Jane Austen’s Inspiration: Beloved Friend Anne Lefroy by Judith Stove.

Jane Austen’s Poem for Madam Lefroy

BORN 1 March 1749 – 16 December 1804

Jane Austen’s friend Anne Lefroy was born on 1 March 1749 and tragically died after a fall from a horse on Jane’s 29th birthday.

Four years later Jane still missed her friend and wrote a long tribute poem to her memory.

To the Memory of Mrs Lefroy who Died Dec:r 16 – My Birthday

The day returns again, my natal day;
What mix’d emotions with the Thought arise!
Beloved friend, four years have pass’d away
Since thou wert snatch’d forever from our eyes. –

The day, commemorative of my birth
Bestowing Life and Light and Hope on me,
Brings back the hour which was thy last on Earth.
Oh! bitter pang of torturing Memory! –

Angelic Woman! past my power to praise
In Language meet, thy Talents, Temper, mind.
Thy solid Worth, they captivating Grace! –
Thou friend and ornament of Humankind! –

At Johnson’s death by Hamilton ’twas said,
‘Seek we a substitute – Ah! vain the plan,
No second best remains to Johnson dead –
None can remind us even of the Man.’

So we of thee – unequall’d in thy race
Unequall’d thou, as he the first of Men.
Vainly we wearch around the vacant place,
We ne’er may look upon thy like again.

Come then fond Fancy, thou indulgant Power, –
– Hope is desponding, chill, severe to thee! –
Bless thou, this little portion of an hour,
Let me behold her as she used to be.

I see her here, with all her smiles benign,
Her looks of eager Love, her accents sweet.
That voice and Countenance almost divine! –
Expression, Harmony, alike complete. –

I listen – ’tis not sound alone – ’tis sense,
’Tis Genius, Taste and Tenderness of Soul.
’Tis genuine warmth of heart without pretence
And purity of Mind that crowns the whole.

She speaks; ’tis Eloquence–that grace of Tongue
So rare, so lovely! – Never misapplied
By her to palliate Vice, or deck a Wrong,
She speaks and reasons but on Virtue’s side.

Hers is the Energy of Soul sincere.
Her Christian Spirit ignorant to feign,
Seeks but to comfort, heal, enlighten, chear,
Confer a pleasure, or prevent a pain. –

Can ought enhance such Goodness? – Yes, to me,
Her partial favour from my earliest years
Consummates all. – Ah! Give me yet to see
Her smile of Love. – the Vision disappears.

’Tis past and gone–We meet no more below.
Short is the Cheat of Fancy o’er the Tomb.
Oh! might I hope to equal Bliss to go!
To meet thee Angel! in thy future home! –

Fain would I feel an union in thy fate,
Fain would I seek to draw an Omen fair
From this connection in our Earthly date.
Indulge the harmless weakness – Reason, spare.

Jane Austen Treasures: Topaz Cross

Jane was living in Bath when she and Cassandra received Topaz Crosses from their younger brother Charles.

In a letter Jane wrote to Cassandra dated 26-27 May 1801, Jane tells her sister that she had been ‘to the very top of Kingsdown and had a very pleasant drive, -one pleasure succeeds another rapidly’.

Upon her return home to Sydney Terrace, two letters were waiting for her on the hall table.  One was from their youngest brother Charles who was serving with the Navy.  He wrote about his reward for capturing an enemy privateer.  

The other letter was from Cassandra, and Jane added the news of his gift into her reply,

He had received £30 for his share of the privateer and expects £10 more -but of what avail is it to take prizes if he lays out the produce in presents to his Sisters.  He has been buying Gold chains and Topaze Crosses for us; -he must be well scolded.

Although Charles talked about buying gold chains with the crosses, he sent the crosses without chains as you see them below. Jane owned the cross on the left.

Jane Austen Topaz Crosses © Jane Austen Centre

Jane was so touched by the gift from Charles that she wrote it into her novel Mansfield Park ten years later.  

Fanny’s brother William was a naval midshipman, and he gives Fanny “a very pretty amber cross” which he “had brought her from Sicily”.

Where are they now?

You can see both Topaz Crosses when you visit the Jane Austen’s House Museum at Chawton. They are permanently on display with Jane’s ring and bracelet.

Want your own Topaz Cross?

Do you want to wear your own Jane Austen Topaz Cross?  I bought mine from the Jane Austen Centre Bath.

Jane Austen Topaz Cross Replica © Jane Austen Centre Bath

Reference:
Jane Austen’s House Museum
Jane Austen Centre Bath Shop