To Cassandra, from Rowling, "Lady Hales, with her two youngest daughters, have been to see us. Caroline is not grown at all coarser than she was, nor Harriet at all more delicate." - Jane Austen, Thursday 1 September 1796
The Hales family were baronets of Bekesbourne, Kent. Lady Kent's husband, Sir Thomas-Pym Hales was a 4th baronet. He died in 1773. Lady Hales died in 1803. Harriet and Caroline, who apparently had not changed since the last time Jane saw them, were both unmarried at this time. Harriet was born in 1770 and Caroline in 1772; so they were both a little older than Jane. Harriet never married. Caroline married Col. the Hon. William-John Gore in 1798.
The Hales family were related to Edward Austen Knight through Lady Hales' second eldest daughter, Jane Hales, who was born in 1766, and married Revd Brook-Henry Bridges in 1795. Revd Brook-Henry Bridges was Elizabeth Bridges Austen's brother. Elizabeth was married to Edward Austen Knight, Jane Austen's brother. Confusing? Yes, well, anyway...
Sir Thomas-Pym Hales was the fourth baronet and when he died the baronetcy passed to his brother, Sir Philip Hales, the fifth baronet.
According to The Beauties of England and Wales: or, Delineations..., Volume 8, Part 2, page 1096, Howletts in Bekesbourne was a former seat of the Hales family and was purchased of Sir Philip Hales by Isaac Bough, Esq, who rebuilt the mansion and sold it, along with 300 acres of land in 1799.
What is interesting is that Howletts is now Howletts Wild Animal Park. The mansion still stands on the location.
This is a link to information about the zoo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howletts_Zoo
Interesting how things change, yet, stay the same.
I hope you have a great day!
I am very affectionately yours,
Terrie
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