Ten proud and completely unprejudiced facts about Jane Austen
Most of us are familiar with the works of Regency author Jane Austen, whether we have read one of her six classic novels or watched one of the many adaptations. Maybe you swoon over Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, or spend hours discussing whether you’re more an Elinor or Marianne from Sense and Sensibility. But the life story of this literary icon is less well known than her fictional creations.
On Radio 4’s hit podcast You’re Dead To Me, host Greg Jenner is joined by historian and broadcaster Dr Lucy Worsley and actor Sally Phillips to learn all about Austen’s life. Here’s what they found out...
1. Little Jane grew up on a farm
Jane Austen was born in 1775 to George and Cassandra Austen. But unlike some of her characters, she didn’t grow up on a grand estate. The Austen family relied on farming for their income, alongside the school for boys that they ran. They reared sheep for wool and meat, grew corn, and also kept dairy cows. The name of this farm? Cheesedown.
2. Austen’s father was one hot priest
Jane’s father, George, was a clergyman and scholar. He was also known to be very handsome. Tall, slim and good-looking, with chestnut brown hair and bright hazel eyes.
3. Austen had a somewhat eclectic education
George Austen had an enormous library of over 500 volumes, and unusually for the time he let his daughters have the run of it.
Jane read Greek and Roman classics, history, poetry and philosophy, alongside contemporary novels. She also attended several boarding schools, including the Abbey School at Reading. Here, she was taught French, history, needlework, drawing, music and dancing. Quite the diverse skill set.
4. As a teenager, Jane had a naughty sense of humour
Between the ages of 11 and 17, Jane started writing seriously – everything from parodies of popular novels to sketches, short plays and adventure stories. Many of these early scribblings show Jane’s penchant for errant, self-confident young heroines who get into all manner of naughty scrapes: fighting, stealing, drinking, eating too much and stealing each other’s lovers!
5. Jane knew what it was like to have a holiday fling...
In 1795, Jane met an Irishman named Tom Lefroy in Hampshire. They spent a few weeks together attending Christmas parties and balls, but her letters to her sister, Cassandra, suggest it was only ever a bit of festive fun.
6. ...and had the shortest engagement in history!
Austen was however engaged briefly to a family friend with the incredible name of Harris Bigg-Wither. In December 1802, when Jane was 27, he proposed, and she accepted. By the next morning she had reconsidered and sent him a polite but firm letter explaining why she wouldn’t be marrying him.
7. Austen’s books were published out of order – and not under her name
The first book that Jane sold to a publisher was Northanger Abbey, which she wrote around 1799. But it wouldn’t be released until 1817, when Jane’s brother bought back the copyright and had it published posthumously alongside Persuasion.
The public didn’t get to read any Austen until Sense and Sensibility was published in 1811, followed over the next four years by Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and then Emma. Yet the author’s name was never revealed. On the covers, Austen was referred to only as ‘A Lady’.
8. Jane had strong opinions on her female characters
For Austen, Elizabeth Bennet, the feisty heroine of Pride and Prejudice, was “as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print”. In contrast, she admitted that Emma Woodhouse, star of Emma, is a woman “whom no-one but myself will much like.”
9. Austen knew what it was like to be the poor relation
George Austen died in 1805, and Jane and her mother were forced to rely on the kindness of friends and family. For a while they lived in Southampton with an acquaintance, before Jane’s rich brother, George, found them a small cottage on his estate at Chawton. Jane lived there until she died, on 18 July, 1817.
10. Some of Austen’s secrets went up in flames
We know much about Austen’s life thanks to the numerous letters she wrote to friends and family. Yet the period from 1801 to 1804 remains something of a mystery. Why? Because after her death, her sister Cassandra burned the letters from those years.
