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.
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.
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
