Hi Everyone!
Today I have a bit of a different post as I have written a small biography of Jane Austen! It is currently Jane Austen July and I haven't mentioned it on this blog before but I am taking part in it though very low key but I thought it would be fun to research more of her life. I love Jane Austen so much and her life is also fascinating. Enjoy!
Jane Austen was born in Steventon on December 16th 1775 to George and Cassandra Austen. Her father was rector in Steventon. Jane was particularly close with her only sister, Cassandra but also had six brothers. This is a list from Wikipedia (though crossed referenced with other websites) with all the Austen siblings in order and with their birth and death years.
James (1765–1819)
George (1766–1838)
Edward (1768–1852)
Henry Thomas (1771–1850)
Cassandra Elizabeth (1773–1845)
Francis William (Frank) (1774–1865)
Jane (1775–1817)
Charles John (1779–1852)
Jane Austen only went to school during two short periods. When Jane was 7, she was sent to a school in Oxford alongside Cassandra but at some point later the girls both came down with typhus and were brought back to Steventon. Luckily, they both survived. When she was 9 they attended the Abbey School in Reading. But not long after joining they had to leave because their father could no longer afford the tuition fees.
A few years later, Jane wrote what is now considered her juvenilia. This includes the novella Lady Susan and several other short stories she wrote for her family's entertainment. She then started a novel called 'Elinor and Marianne' which became Sense and Sensibility, 'First Impressions' which became Pride and Prejudice and 'Susan' which became Northanger Abbey.
In 1801, her father announced that they would be moving to Bath. Jane opposed the idea but they moved and Jane struggled to fit into Bath's society. She also infamously was proposed to by a certain Harris Bigg-Wither around this time and accepted, only to change her mind the following day!
On 21st January 1805, George Austen (her father) died. This left the women of the family relying on the hospitality and generosity of friends. There is a letter I recently read that was the letter Jane sent to Frank to announce the news. It was a very special letter and I love it.
They then moved to Chawton to live alongside Edward Austen-Knight, the third Austen child. He had inherited the house off the Knight family, who he lived with because he was adopted by them as a child.
Jane was most productive here and after editing and publishing Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, she set to work on Mansfield Park followed by Emma. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published after her death. She did also start 'Sanditon' but never got to finish it. It remains unfinished to this day and there are many speculations on how she intended the novel to end.
Jane and Cassandra were particularly close, as mentioned previously, and remained best friends throughout their whole lives. Jane was also very close with Martha Lloyd and many of her surviving letters are with either of these correspondents.
She died on July 18th, 1817 with her sister by her side. As you may have noticed in the list above, she was the first Austen sibling to pass away but was followed shortly by James.
I hope you all find her life as interesting and inspirational as me. There are many other stories such as her secret lover who she met on holiday in Sidmouth but if you want to find out more then there are plenty of articles online and biographies of her life. I would love to one day read a biography of her, though I'm not sure which one, any recommendations?
Happy Reading!
 |
| Jane Austen painted by her sister Cassandra |
Comments
Post a Comment