Jane Austen’s Father: Reverend George Austen

Gentle Reader: This Father’s Day weekend, I salute Jane Austen’s father, George Austen. This post, which I wrote three years ago, has been resurrected and updated for this occasion. Rev. George Austen was by all accounts a handsome man. Anna LeFroy, Jane’s niece wrote, I have always understood that he was considered extremely handsome, and [...]

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Jane Austen’s Last Days … Never was a human being more sincerely mourned

July 18th (today) marks the anniversary day of Jane Austen’s death in a rented house in College Street, Winchester. Her life was all too short (December 16, 1775 – July 18, 1817), and her output all too meager for those who wish she had written more novels. This post consists of a series of recollections [...]

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Jane Austen’s Final Hours

Mary Austen nee Lloyd, the wife of James Austen, was present at Jane’s death. She wrote the following passage in her diary (See image below) 17 July 1817 “Jane Austen was taken for death about ½ past 5 in the Evening” 18 July 1817 Jane breathed her last ½ after four in the morn; only [...]

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On the anniversary of Jane Austen’s death

Jane Austen, 1775-1817: 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 [...]

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Jane Austen’s Will

The website, Treasures from the National Archives, UK, links to a copy of Jane Austen’s Will which she wrote at Chawton just months before she died. Also find William Shakespeare’s Will on this site. Here is the transcript of Jane’s Will: I Jane Austen of the Parish of Chawton do by this my last will [...]

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