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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 5h

Jane Austen in the eighteenth century. 27 December 1832

Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

January 1727 The wedding record for Jane Austen’s grandparents, William Austen, surgeon, and Rebecca Walter, widow. This was a Clandestine Marriage, usually held in the environs of Fleet Prison for couples who wanted to marry in haste, or did not have permission from their families.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

An excellent, informative documentary about Jane Austen hosted by @thehistoryguy.bsky.social and @lucyworsley.bsky.social Well worth 27 minutes of your time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqgJ...

youtube.com

The Tragic Early Death Of Jane Austen

YouTube video by History Hit

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Watercolour of Jane Austen by her sister, Cassandra. Cassandra is also believed to have painted the portrait most associated with Jane Austen, and featured as the avatar on this account. However, the original sketch, according to relatives who knew Jane Austen well, was not a good likeness.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Dr Octavia Cox considers the similarities between Jane Austen and her character Emma Woodhouse. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbIV...

youtube.com

Austen & Emma Woodhouse: Imagination, Pictures of Domestic Life, & Novels— Jane Austen EMMA analysis

YouTube video by Dr Octavia Cox

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

“Above the wreath are two tucks of bias white satin. The hair is ornamented with an elegant aigrette of pearls. The necklace, earrings and bracelets are also of pearl.”

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Bridal Dress, a fashion plate from Ackermann's Repository, 1816. “A frock of striped French gauze over a white satin slip; the bottom of the frock is trimmed with a deep flounce of Brussels lace, which is surmounted by a single tuck of bias white satin and a wreath of roses.”

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Emma is the most static of Jane Austen’s stories with the heroine travelling no further than seven miles from her home in Highbury, a fictional town based, according to Jane Austen’s family, on Leatherhead. 🖼️ A View From Box Hill, c1840, reminiscent of a classic scene from Emma.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Jane Austen’s bedroom at Chawton. Chawton was her home from July 1809 until May 1817.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The marriage record of Jane’s parents, Rev George Austen and Cassandra Leigh, 26 April 1764, Walcot St Swithin, Somerset. Cassandra’s elder siblings, James Leigh-Perrot and Jane Leigh, were witnesses.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

September 1813 The Society for Promoting Christian Knowlege in Basingstoke and Alton. The Austens made contributions. Mrs Austen took out a subscription while Cassandra and Jane made donations.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

No, I am not. Thank you for the link.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

above were seven bedrooms, and three attics. The rooms were low-pitched, but not otherwise bad.” - Catherine Hubback (née Austen, 1818–1877), Jane Austen’s niece.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Jane Austen’s first home. “The parsonage (at Steventon) consisted of three rooms in front on the ground floor, the best parlour, the common parlour and kitchen; behind were Mr Austen’s study, the back kitchen and stairs;

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Jane Austen’s family tree - a work in progress. As you can see, Jane was descended from Barons, Baronets and Ladies. Her immediate family wasn’t rich, but her surroundings were comfortable and, crucially, she was offered an education.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Persuasion - Jane Austen’s finest novel? Sally Hawkins - giving the finest performance as a Jane Austen heroine? m.youtube.com/watch?v=uG38...

m.youtube.com

Captain Wentworth and Anne, Persuasion 2007

YouTube video by January's Moon

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

It would appear that the Austens regarded George as a burden, someone unwanted. What did Jane think about that? If we can uncover the answer, it would go a long way to understanding her personality.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

What to make of Rev George & Cassandra’s attitude to their son George? In their favour, you could say that their behaviour was standard for the time. Against this, we should weight the fact that the Austens were a Christian family - many became reverends - and their attitude hardly seems Christian.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

When Rev George died in 1805 and Cassandra in 1827 neither parent left money to their son George. When George died, aged 72, he was buried in an unmarked grave in All Saints Church, Monk Sherborne.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

While the Austens lived in relative comfort, Francis Cullum turned to crime. In 1809, he was prosecuted for sectioning off common land and claiming it as his own. A year later he was caught stealing manure from a neighbour’s plot, and fined 10 shillings.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Francis and Elisabeth already had eight children, all born to them. Furthermore, Cassandra’s brother Thomas Leigh also lodged with the Cullums. Like George, Thomas was disabled. It seems the Austens had a private arrangement with the Cullums and presumably paid them to look after George.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Rev George Austen and Cassandra placed their son George with Elisabeth Bye and her husband Francis Cullum, a parish clerk/agricultural labourer, in Monk Sherborne, a village near Basingstoke, Hampshire.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

From this letter, and the fact that Jane Austen “talked with her fingers”, modern writers have concluded that George suffered from epilepsy and was deaf. Whatever his condition, Rev George and Cassandra decided that their son should not live in the family home.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

George’s mother, Cassandra, wrote on 9 December 1770: “My poor little George is come to see me today. He seems pretty well, though he had a fit lately; it was near a twelvemonth since he had one before, so was in hopes they had left him, but must not flatter myself so now.”

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

“God knows only how far it will come to pass, but for the best judgement I can form at present, we must not be too sanguine on this head; be it as it may, we have this comfort, he cannot be a bad or a wicked child."

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

What was the nature of George’s disability? There are no medical records, so we don’t know, but the Austen family letters offer a clue. George’s father, Rev George, wrote on 8 July 1770, when George was four:

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

In his “A Memoir of Jane Austen” (1869), Jane’s nephew James Austen-Leigh wrote potted biographies of Jane’s brothers. However, he did not mention George. Indeed, he listed Edward as the second brother, erasing George. Why? Because George had a disability.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

However, if Jane had written something tender about George, surely Cassandra would have kept it?

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Jane Austen wrote extensively about her family, mainly to her sister Cassandra, yet it would appear that she did not mention her brother George. We can’t be sure that this is a fact because Cassandra destroyed most of the letters.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Incidentally, the parish baptism entry before George was his older brother James, and the entry after was his younger brother Edward.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🧵 George Austen (brother of Jane) Privately baptised on 26 August 1766 at Deane, Hampshire Parents Rev George Austen and Cassandra Received into the Church on 29 September 1766 A standard beginning to George’s life, but that pattern was to change

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The lives of all these people are well documented, except for George. Who was he? What became of him? Answers to follow…

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Jane Austen had seven siblings - six brothers and one sister, Cassandra. James (1765–1819) George (1766–1838) Edward (1767–1852) Henry Thomas (1771–1850) Cassandra Elizabeth (1773–1845) Francis William (1774–1865) Jane (1775–1817) Charles John (1779–1852)

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

“Even her fame may be said to have been posthumous: it did not attain to any vigorous life till she had ceased to exist.” - James Austen-Leigh on Jane Austen, 1870.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra were educated at home, along with their brothers. Jane and Cassandra also attended the Abbey Gate School, Reading, which was run by Sarah Hackett. Sarah changed her name to Mrs La Tournelle, despite being English and unmarried.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The north front of Steventon rectory. Jane Austen was born there on 16 December 1775. That winter was harsh with snowdrifts blocking roads. The bitterly cold temperatures also froze the urine in chamber pots. This engraving was made for James Austen-Leigh’s “Memoir of Jane Austen”, 1870.

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Jane Austen @jane-austen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Jane Austen’s baptism record. Jane. Daughter of the Rev’d Mr George Austen Rector of this Parish (Steventon) & Cassandra his Wife was privately Baptiz'd Dec 17th 1775 Received into the Church April 5th 1776.

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