Letter 13, Post 17

Friday 11 January 2013
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "Sunday.-My father is glad to hear so good an account of Edward's pigs, and desires he may be told, as encouragement to his taste for them, that Lord Bolton is particularly curious in his pigs, has had pigstyes of a most elegant construction built for them, and visits them every morning as soon as he rises.

Affectionately yours,

J. A.

Miss Austen,

Godmersham Park,

Faversham." - Jane Austen, Saturday 1-Sunday 2 December 1798

This must have given Edward a pretty good laugh.

Reverend Austen seems like he was an amiable, witty man does he not? This quote from Pride and Prejudice, chapter 57, spoken by Mr. Bennett, came to mind when I read this, "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?''

Lord Bolton was Thomas Orde (1746-1807) who married Jane-Mary Powlett in 1778. I believe she was from the same illegitimate line as the Charles Powlett we discussed a few posts back, as they are both associated with Hackwood Park. Jane-Mary Powlett became the heiress of the 5th Duke of Bolton and Thomas Orde was created Baron Bolton on 20 October 1797. They inherited Hackwood Park, which would explain why Reverend Charles Powlett took so many "family livings" and why his neighbors took "a most lively interest in the state of his finances."

Hackwood Park is about 10.2 miles from Reverend Austen's church, St. Mary's. So, he would have been privy to this sort of information :),

Hackwood Park is still such a pretty estate. Unfortunately, I did not find any images of those elegant pigstyes; that would have been quite a find!

This is a link to some information about Hackwood Park. Thomas Orde is mentioned in it if you are interested.

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&tbo=d&biw=1366&bih=659&tbm=isch&tbnid=hDYmpoJ2mqq7TM:&imgrefurl=http://www.friendsofwillis.hampshire.org.uk/story_of_hackwood.htm&docid=cGqe1LR4iXnSvM&imgurl=http://www.friendsofwillis.hampshire.org.uk/images/back.jpg&w=640&h=522&ei=7mXwUIWJCOvPigLWoYCQCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1072&vpy=124&dur=5911&hovh=203&hovw=249&tx=110&ty=108&sig=104619338646503358704&page=1&tbnh=143&tbnw=204&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:100

Well, today we finished letter thirteen. It has been fun. I hope you enjoyed it.
Enjoy your day today!
Terrie

Happy Birthday Cassandra!

Wednesday 9 January 2013
Today is Cassandra Elizabeth Austen's 240th birthday! She was Jane Austen's older sister, best friend, confidant, protector, and in the end, executrix. She was born Saturday 9 January 1773.

                               Cassandra Elizabeth Austen

The oldest of Jane Austen's known letters, which was written to Cassandra on Saturday 9-Sunday 10 January 1796 begins:

"In the first place I hope you will live twenty-three years longer. Mr. Tom Lefroy's birthday was yesterday, so that you are very near of an age." - Jane Austen, letter number one.

So, Happy Birthday Cassandra!

Happy Birthday Mr. Tom Lefroy!

Tuesday 8 January 2013
Today is Mr. Tom Lefroy's 237th birthday! So, Happy Birthday Tom!

By now anyone interested in Jane Austen knows who Mr. Tom Lefroy is, but do we really need an excuse to watch Becoming Jane just one more time? I don't. I am always ready and willing.

In the oldest known letter Jane Austen wrote to Cassandra, on Saturday 9-Sunday 10 January 1796:

"Mr. Tom Lefroy's birthday was yesterday, so that you are very near of an age." - Jane Austen, letter number one.

Jane was joking. Cassandra was really three years older than Tom. Mr. Lefroy was born on Monday 8 January 1776. So, he was actually a few weeks younger than Jane herself.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Tom!

Letter 13, Post 16

Monday 7 January 2013
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "We are very much disposed to like our new maid; she knows nothing of a dairy, to be sure, which, in our family, is rather against her, but she is to be taught it all. In short, we have felt the inconvenience of being without a maid so long, that we are determined to like her, and she will find it a hard matter to displease us. As yet, she seems to cook very well, is uncommonly stout, and says she can work well at her needle." - Jane Austen, Saturday 1-Sunday 2 December 1798

It seems the maid at Steventon would have multiple duties and be rather like a family member.

Jane Austen gave Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper of Pemberley House, the duty of introducing Mr. Darcy in a different light to Elizabeth Bennett as the person who knew him as a little boy into an adult.

I hope you enjoyed your day today.
Terrie

Letter 13, Post 15

Saturday 5 January 2013
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "Charles Powlett gave a dance on Thursday, to the great disturbance of all his neighbours, of course, who, you know, take a most lively interest in the state of his finances, and live in hopes of his being soon ruined." - Jane Austen, Saturday 1-Sunday 2 December 1798

Charles Powlett was brought up mostly by his Uncle Percy Powlett at the ducal home of Hackwood Park in Basingstoke, where 'he became acquainted with rank and fashion in abundance, which somewhat unsettled him for the sphere to which his ill-starred fortunes destined him'. He entered Cambridge but did not graduate, held various Bolton family livings as the rector and at one point he took in students.

He married Anne ('Nancy') Temple in 1796 and they had several children.

He passed away in 1834, but "a premature obituary notice for Revd Charles Powlett appeared in the GM for 1830, ii, 471; while acknowledging that he was 'cheerful, benevolent, conscientious, and virtuous', the anonymous biographer added that 'His person was diminutive, and his limbs not well formed. He had a quick apprehension, and an excellent memory; but he was somewhat deficient in judgment and profundity. His opinions were apt to run to extremes, and to be lightly taken up, and lightly abandoned. He was a little too free of his advise, which was given with a self-sufficiency not always well received,'. This might explain the opinion of his neighbors.

The Lefroys and Lyfords are mentioned in a number of his letters that survive.

                                   Hackwood Park

The following link shows pictures of the current day Hackwood Park. It is a beautiful estate and it is up for sale. Take a look.
http://www.carterjonas.co.uk/properties-for-sale/basingstoke/hampshire/PET120036.html

I hope you enjoy your day today!
Terrie

Letter 13, Post 14

Happy New Year Everyone!
Tuesday 1 January 2013
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "I shall write to Frank tomorrow." - Jane Austen, Saturday 1-Sunday 2 December 1798

The first post for this letter was about Frank as "He was at Cadiz, alive and well, on October 19..."

Here is a link if you missed it.
http://allthings-jane-austen.blogspot.com/2012/09/letter-13-post-1.html

                                              Vice-Admiral Sir Francis William Austen

I hope you enjoy the first day of 2013!
Terrie