Jane had been ill for about a year and as her condition gradually worsened, she was advised by her Alton Apothecary William Curtis, to go to Winchester to consult Dr Lyford. He was a surgeon at a new hospital on Parchment Street and a friend of the family. He was also the cousin of Susannah Digweed who married Jane’s friend James.
Galloping Through the Rain
Jane’s family escorted her by horseback and carriage from Chawton to Winchester on a particularly gloomy and rainy day on 24 May 1817. Her friend Elizabeth Bigg had married and living in the Cathedral Close. She arranged for Cassandra and Jane to stay at the lodgings at 8 College Street. Their rooms were on the first floor with the bow window.
A Lasting Poem to St Swithin
On 15 July, three days before Jane died, she wrote several lines of comic verse dictating them to Cassandra. Henry Austen refers to these verses in his biographical introduction of Jane’s Memoirs. “The day preceding her death she composed some stanzas replete with fancy and vigour.”
The poem was about St Swithin and the revellers of Winchester who would rather spend a day at the races than worship their Saint. It is said that if it rains on St Swithin’s Day, it will rain for the following 40 days and 40 nights.
An Untimely Death
Although Dr Lyford visited often, he could not cure Jane as she was suffering from what is thought to be Addisons disease. In the early hours of 18 July she died in her sister Cassandra’s arms, at forty-one years old.
Jane lay in her coffin for a week on the ground floor of the house before being taken by cart on July 24th to Winchester Cathedral. She was buried in the morning before the services began.
Jane’s brothers Edward, Frank and Henry attended the short service with her nephew Edward standing in for Jane’s brother James who was ill. Her other brother Charles was too far away in Eastbourne to attend.
It was not considered proper for ladies to attend funerals, so Cassandra and Mary could only watch from the bow window as Jane was wheeled along the street and around the corner out of sight forever.
Cassandra wrote in a letter to their niece Fanny about her loss of Jane,
I have lost a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed. She was the sun of my life, the gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow; I had not a thought concealed from her, and it is as if I had lost a part of myself. I loved her only too well.
Winchester Cathedral
Jane is buried in north aisle of the nave, and the inscription was a family affair. Henry wrote out the text they wanted on her stone, and gave it in to Winchester Cathedral to pass to the stonemason.
Her gravestone talks of Jane’s sweetness and kind heart, and the irreparable loss felt by her family. There is no mention of Jane as a writer. The inscription simply says,
In Memory of
JANE AUSTEN
youngest daughter of the late
REV GEORGE AUSTEN
formerly Rector of Steventon in this County
she departed this Life on the 18th July, 1817
aged 41, after a long illness supported with
the patience and the hopes of a Christian.
The benevolence of her heart,
the sweetness of her temperment
the extraordinary endowments of her mind
obtained the regard of all who knew her and
the warmest love of her intimate connections
Their grief is in proportion to their affection
they know their loss to be irreparable
but in their deepest affliction they are consoled
by a firm though humble hope that her charity,
devotion, faith and purity have rendered
her soul acceptable in the sight of her
REDEEMER
Jane Austen Brass Plaque
It was years later as Jane’s fame as a writer steadily grew that her family felt that Jane’s talent as a writer should be celebrated. In 1870, her nephew Edward wrote a memoir about his Aunt Jane and used the proceeds to finance the brass plaque you can see today. It is mounted on the wall next to Jane’s gravestone, and is inscribed,
Jane Austen
Known to many by her
writings, endeared to
her family by the
varied charms of her
Character, and ennobled
by Christian Faith
and Piety, was born
at Steventon in the
county of Hants Dec
wvi mdcclxxv and buried
in this Cathedral
July xxiv mdcccxvii
“She openeth her
mouth with wisdom
and in her tonuge is
the law of kindness”
Prob xxxi vi xxvi
Jane Austen Memorial Window
By 1900, Jane was famous enough for a memorial window. It was made by Charles Eamer Kempe (1837-1907) and sits above the brass plaque and Jane’s gravestone.
The top panel features Saint Augustine reminding us of Jane’s own name Austen, and on either side the Austen family coat-of-arms. King David is holding his harp high as he plays. On the four outer panels are the sons of Korah holding scrolls of Psalm texts.
Saint John sits at the bottom of the window holding a scroll that simply says, “In the beginning was the Word“.
Your Visit to Winchester
To find 8 College Street from the Cathedral, face the front doors and go down the side passageway on the right into The Close. You will pass Elizabeth’s impressive house on your right, Number 11. Keep walking diagonally towards the old houses and then turn right to go through the walled gates, then turn left through under St Swithuns archway.
(The church is above and the bookshop is underneath). Turn left and walk down College Street and you will see Number 8 on your right. It is just past P&G Bookshop where George Austen purchased his books.
To visit Winchester Cathedral there is a charge although your ticket gives you access for a year. You can attend a service free of charge. It opens daily, though closes frequently for events so it is worth checking the website before you set out.
Visiting Winchester Today
Winchester is a very walkable city with a beautiful river path full of flowers, birds and insects. The town itself has period housing and a thriving high street. A railway station at the top of the high street and a bus station at the bottom allows easy access to the city. Consider a morning visit to avoid the crowds. There are lots of eateries, though the Cathedral Shop and Cafe found across the from Cathedral with its own high walls sheltering the outdoor seating is extra special. A convenient car park is a short drive from the M3 motorway and there is a park-and-ride.
Further Reading
You can read Jane’s poem about St Swithun in full on Jane Austen on St Swithin. It can be spelt both ways, as in Swithun as well as Swithin so you will often see the spelling interchanged.
Read Cassandra’s letter to their niece Fanny in full: Cassandra Austen Letter to Fanny Knight 24 July 1817
Anniversary of Jane Austen’s Death on 18th July 2017
Jane Austen 200: Celebrating her life 200 years after her death
If you want to read more about Jane Austen and the anniversary of her death, why not buy the Jane Austen 200: Celebrating Her Life 200 Years After Her Death.
Jane Austen 200 Who was the Mysterious Jane Austen? A quiet country girl who was fond of retail, romance and dancing? Or a strong-minded woman of war, empire and business, who chose to remain unmarried, write novels and settle for nothing less than her own Mr Darcy. See six portraits of Jane displayed together for the first time, her pelisse coat, her letters and poems, the manuscript of Sanditon, and the ‘other’ ending to Persuasion. Filled with unseen photographs and commentary taking you on a journey 200 years after her death.
Available at Amazon ~ Nook ~ Kobo ~ Apple Books ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Author Direct ~ All Other Retail
