To Cassandra, from Steventon, "Ask little Edward whether Bob Brown wears a great coat this cold weather.
Miss Austen,
Godersham Park." - Jane Austen, Sunday 25 November 1798
Little Edward was Edward and Elizabeth Austen's second child and eldest son. He was born 10 May 1794 so he would have been four years old at the time of this letter. He married (1) Mary-Dorothea Knatchbull in May of 1826. They had seven children. On 3 March 1840 he married Adela Portal. They had nine children, so little Edward had sixteen children altogether. He moved to the Chawton Great House in 1826 and died in Chawton 5 November 1879. It is pretty awesome that his descendants still own Chawton Great House; that is how it should be.
The notes in the back of the Jane Austen's Letters book say that perhaps Bob Brown was a manservant at Godmersham. He sounds rather like a character in a children's book to me. I could not find any information on him, but there is an interesting mention of him being a snowman which might be very possible. Whoever he was, he was known by Jane, Cassandra and little Edward Austen.
http://listserv.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind1102d&L=austen-l&T=0&F=&S=&P=992
The customary close at the end of this letter is missing.
Today we finished letter number twelve. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I did. I hope you have a great day today!
I wish you well,
Terrie
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