Jane Austen: Essential Biographies E-Book

Helen Lefroy

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Jane Austen's reputation rests on the six novels she wrote in her short life - enduringly popular novels which have become part of the fabric of English life, and which have reached new audiences through recent dramatisations on screen and stage. This book, which draws on her letters, describes Jane's life in the vicarage at Steventon and later at Bath and Chawton, and her relationships with family and friends - especially her beloved sister, Cassandra, and the engaging Tom Lefroy (who it was rumoured was the love of her life). It also describes the parties and balls in country houses and assembly rooms which she attended and the detail of nineteenth-century life which she so sharply observed and which provided the background to her novels. This book is a pleasure for anyone wanting to understand the life of one of our great novelists.

Leseprobe

Jane Austen

Jane Austen

HELEN LEFROY

First published 1997

Reprinted 1999

This edition published 2009

The History Press

The Mill, Brimscombe Port

Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

This ebook edition first published in 2011

All rights reserved

© Helen Lefroy 1997, 1999, 2009, 2011

The right of Helen Lefroy, to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

EPUB ISBN 978 0 7524 7402 1

MOBI ISBN 978 0 7524 7401 4

Original typesetting by The History Press

With gratitude for memories of Jane Austen’s great-great-nieces, my godmother Louisa Langlois Lefroy and her sisters, Cousin Jessie and Cousin Isabel

CONTENTS

Chronology

Introduction

1 STEVENTON – THE EARLY YEARS

2 STEVENTON – THE LATER YEARS

3 BATH

4 LYME REGIS

5 SOUTHAMPTON

6 CHAWTON – THE EARLY YEARS

7 CHAWTON – THE LATER YEARS

8 THE LAST YEARS

9 AUNT JANE AND HER NIECES AND NEPHEWS

10 WHY DID JANE AUSTEN NOT MARRY?

11 AFTER JANE’S DEATH

Jane Austen’s Works

Bibliography

Notes

CHRONOLOGY

1764

The Revd George Austen and Cassandra Leigh married in Walcot Church, Bath

1765

James, their first child, born

1766

George, the handicapped son, born

1767

Edward born; he took the name Knight in 1812

1768

The Austens move into Steventon Rectory

1771

Henry Thomas born

1773

Cassandra Elizabeth born

1774

Francis (Frank) William born

1775

16 December, Jane born

1779

Charles John, the Austens’ last child, born

1783

Cassandra, Jane and their cousin Jane Cooper go to Mrs Cawley in Oxford for lessons

1784–8

Amateur dramatics at Steventon Rectory

1785

Cassandra and Jane join Jane Cooper at the Abbey School, Reading, but return home at the end of 1786

1787–93

Jane busy writing stories and sketches

1791

Edward marries Elizabeth Bridges

1792

James marries Anne Mathew Cassandra becomes engaged to the Revd Tom Fowle

1795

James’s wife Anne dies; his daughter Anna is taken to live at Steventon Rectory

1795–6

Tom Lefroy in Hampshire for Christmas and New Year

Jane begins writing ‘First Impressions’, the first draft of Pride and Prejudice

1797

Mr Austen writes to a London publisher offering to send the manuscript of ‘First Impressions’; the offer is refused Tom Fowle dies of yellow fever in the West Indies

1799

Mrs Leigh Perrot (Mrs Austen’s sister-in-law) charged with larceny and committed to gaol

1800

Mrs Leigh Perrot tried and acquitted

1801

Mr and Mrs Austen, Cassandra and Jane move to Bath

1802

In December Harris Bigg Wither proposes to Jane; he is accepted but turned down next morning

1803

Copyright of ‘Susan’ (Northanger Abbey) sold to publisher for £10

The Austens holiday in Lyme Regis

1804

The Austens have a second holiday in Lyme Regis

1805

Death of Mr Austen

1806

The Austens leave Bath, and after a round of visits join Frank and his bride in Southampton

1809

Mrs Austen, Cassandra, Jane and Martha Lloyd move to Chawton in Hampshire

1811

Jane at work on Mansfield Park Sense and Sensibility published

1813

Pride and Prejudice published

1814

Jane begins writing Emma Mansfield Park published

1815

Jane begins writing Persuasion Jane is invited to see round Carlton House, the Prince Regent’s London house, and to dedicate to him her next novel – Emma – published in December

1816

Henry negotiates purchase of manuscript of ‘Susan’ from dilatory publisher; it is published posthumously as Northanger Abbey