Letter #10, Post #7

Thursday 26 April 2012
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "-I am very grand indeed;-I had the dignity of dropping out my mother's Laudanum last night, I carry about the keys of the Wine & Closet; & twice since I began this letter, have had orders to give in the Kitchen: Our dinner was very good yesterday, & the Chicken boiled perfectly tender; therefore I shall not be obliged to dismiss Nanny on that account." - Jane Austen, Saturday 27-Sunday 28 October 1798

With Jane's mother ill and Cassandra at Godmersham she would be the mistress of the house. It sounds like she was stepping up to the task.

Nanny was Anne 'Nanny' Littleworth. The notes in the back of Jane Austen's Letters by Deirdre Le Faye says she was "(perhaps the cook or the dairymaid), her husband, John was coachman to James Austen, and JA was godmother to their eldest daughter Eliza-Jane."

The family is mentioned as Littlewart in Jane Austen, Her Homes and Her Friends, by Constance Hill

"Presently we learn that our informant's grandfather, whose name was Littlewart, was coachman to Mr. James Austen, Jane's eldest brother. [Page 9] 

" I used to hear a deal about the Austens when I was a lad," continued our friend. "from my

SIGHT OF THE OLD PARSONAGE, STEVENTON

mother, for she was a god-daughter o' Miss Jane's. People tell me now that Miss Jane wrote some fine stories, and I've just seen her name in [Page 10] a newspaper. I'll go and fetch the paper for you to see." And the old man hurries into his cottage.

Whilst he is away I refer to a volume of Jane Austen's Letters which I carry under my arm, to see if, by chance, the name of Littlewart occurs in any of them. Yes! here it is in one dated November 1798. Jane is writing from Steventon to a sister-in-law, and after telling her that "their family affairs are somewhat deranged" owing to illness among the servants, she goes on to say "You and Edward will be amused, I think, when you know that Nanny Littlewart dresses my hair." It was evidently this Nanny Littlewart's daughter that was godchild to Jane Austen. So we have been actually talking to the son of her god-daughter!"

I hope you had a good day today!

Terrie