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This Jane Austen blog brings Jane Austen, her novels, and the Regency Period alive through food, dress, social customs, and other 19th C. historical details related to this topic.

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Admiral Croft in His Gig: Jane Austen’s Persuasion

July 20, 2010 by Vic

Crofts arrive in the gig, Persuasion 1995

In Persuasion, Jane Austen depicts the Crofts as the happiest couple imaginable. Sophy, who is also Captain Wentworth’s sister, follows her Admiral across the seas, sacrificing her looks in the process. She is only 38 years old, but her complexion is ruddy and has obviously been affected by the sun. Jane Austen writes about the couple in a realistic way, and like all happily married folks, these two exhibit their own idiosyncracies. Admiral Croft, it turns out, is a bad driver. Captain Wentworth says about his brother-in-law to Louisa:

“What glorious weather for the Admiral and my sister! They meant to take a long drive this morning; perhaps we may hail them from some of these hills. They talked of coming into this side of the country. I wonder whereabouts they will upset to-day. Oh! it does happen very often, I assure you–but my sister makes nothing of it–she would as lieve be tossed out as not.”

“Ah! You make the most of it, I know,” cried Louisa, “but if it were really so, I should do just the same in her place. If I loved a man, as she loves the Admiral, I would always be with him, nothing should ever separate us, and I would rather be overturned by him, than driven safely by anybody else.”

The party stops to talk to the Crofts

During their return walk from Winthrop, the party from Uppercross, which includes Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth and a number of the Musgroves, encounter Admiral and Mrs. Croft in a gig. They offer a seat to one of the party. Everyone declines, except for Captain Wentworth, who has noticed Anne’s fatigue. He whispers something to his sister, then encourages Anne to join the Crofts in their two-seater for the rest of the way back to Uppercross (about one mile.) Anne is grateful for his thoughtfulness. But as she rides in the carriage, she hears Mrs. Croft warn her husband:

The Crofts and Anne Elliot crowded in a 2-man gig

My dear admiral, that post!–we shall certainly take that post.”

Jane Austen goes on to write:

But by coolly giving the reins a better direction herself, they happily passed the danger; and by once afterwards judiciously putting out her hand, they neither fell into a rut, nor ran foul of a dung-cart; and Anne, with some amusement at their style of driving, which she imagined no bad representation of the general guidance of their affairs, found herself safely deposited by them at the cottage.

The happy admiral is more than willing to allow his wife to steer the carriage alongside him, which many of us who have driven with “back-seat driving” spouses know is a rare attitude indeed!

In this famous scene by Jane Austen, the Crofts moved over to make room for Anne. Mary Musgrove would rather die from fatigue than be seen crowded in a humble gig, but Anne could only feel gratitude. She is beginning to understand that while Captain Wentworth is unable to forgive her for rejecting him, he is still a kind and decent man. He knows her well enough to see that she was tired and made arrangements for her. In these small observable progressions (as with taking the child Walter from her without comment), we see the Captain’s love for Anne come to the surface. It will take a little longer for his anger at her rejection to recede. See also Shopping and Milsom Street, Bath

Light weight gig

About Gigs: Gigs were two-wheeled carriages equipped for one horse only. They were designed for two people, one of whom was the driver, and were considered carriages for the middle class, or for the “poorer” classes, who paid less duty on them. Because these carriages were light in weight and springy, they could be easily turned over, especially by a poor driver like Mr. Croft. Gigs were used by doctors, travelers, and people who made short journeys that would not fatigue the horse. Gigs evolved into cabriolets (early versions of cabs) Dennet, Stanhope, and Tilbury. The Stanhope was designed by Fitzroy Stanhope, the second son to the Third Earl Stanhope. This carriage became popular towards the mid-19th century for short trips between Town and the suburbs.

Road to a fight, detail by Henry Alken, 1821

The two men in this high perch phaeton show how precarious a light two-wheeled vehicle can be. One can see the difference between this “sporty” more expensive vehicle and the humble gig (above).

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Posted in jane austen, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's World, Persuasion, Regency Life, Regency Period, Regency style, Regency Transportation, Regency Travel, Regency World | Tagged Admiral and Mrs. Croft, Anne Elliot, Captain Wentworth, the Musgroves, Uppercross, Winthrop | 8 Comments

8 Responses

  1. on July 20, 2010 at 11:17 Cora Harrison

    Jane Austen’s cousin, Jane Cooper, (whom I renamed Jenny Cooper in my book ‘I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend’) was killed while driving a whisky ( a small gig) on the Isle of Wight. It was sad because she was young and fairly newly married.


    • on July 20, 2010 at 11:27 Vic

      Thank you, Cora. I had no idea how precarious these gigs were until I started to read about them. I knew this about Phaetons, which were built for speed, but I thought that gigs were safe little vehicles.


  2. on July 20, 2010 at 12:08 Lauren

    Makes me wonder how Marianne ever survived Willoughby’s driving as portrayed in the Ang Lee Sense & Sensibility.


  3. on July 20, 2010 at 16:45 Rebecca

    I really enjoyed this article and I adore your gem of a Jane Austen website. One of the members of The Boston Jane Austen Book Club I belong to sent a link to this article as we just began reading Persuasion for our August meeting. I’ll have to read the related articles soon – they look just as interesting as this writing.


  4. on July 23, 2010 at 02:19 Austenacious » Anne Elliot: Alternate universe pirate queen?

    […] Today’s post over at Jane Austen’s World reminds me that, even before Anne and Wentworth come around, Persuasion already has a ridiculously happy couple, and that I love them dearly. And not even in a moony, melancholy, hopeful way! With Admiral Croft and his cheerfully hardcore wife Sophy, it’s all fun and games (and a good dose of common sense)—and a literary mirror for our star semi-naval couple. […]


  5. on July 29, 2010 at 22:39 Janeen

    You had me at Persuasion… sigh…

    Lurve the gigs!


  6. on July 31, 2010 at 18:13 Melanie

    This scene is my favorite of the whole book! Actually, I love all the bits with Sophy and the Admiral. They are presented as equals in their marriage. The Admiral acknowledges Sophy’s gifts and talents. He recognizes her strengths and is not threatened by them. I think the Crofts have the most perfect marriage of any of Jane’s couples.


  7. on April 25, 2012 at 10:38 The Difficulties of Travel and Transportation in Early 19th C. Britain « Jane Austen's World

    […] Admiral Croft in his Gig […]



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