Letter #10, Post #9

Monday 30 April 2012
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "Your letter was chaperoned here by one from Mrs. Cooke, in which she says that Battleridge is not to come out before January; & she is so little satisfied with Cawthorn's dilatoriness that she never means to employ him again." - Jane Austen, Saturday 27-Sunday 28 october 1798.

Mrs. Cooke was Cassandra Leigh Cooke, Mrs. George Austen, Jane's mother's, cousin. She was the author in the family before Jane Austen. She wrote Battleridge, an historical tale founded on facts. By a lady of quality.


It can still be bought on Amazon new and used.


http://www.amazon.com/Battleridge-historical-founded-volumes-quality/dp/1170654142

Mr. Cawthorn, of Cawthorn & Hutt, 24 Cockspur Street, London, was the publisher. The book came out in 1799.

Here is a link to a Public Overview screen by the Orlando Project by Cambridge University Press.

http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=cookc2

This brings to mind that Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility was published under the authorship of A Lady. I wonder if she was influenced?

I hope you had a good day today!
Terrie

Letter 10, Post #8

Monday 30 April 2012
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "-Almost every thing [p. 3] was unpacked & put away last night;-Nanny chose to do it, & I was not sorry to be busy.-I have unpacked the Gloves & placed yours in your drawer.-Their colour is light & pretty, & I beleive exactly what we fixed on.-" - Jane Austen, Saturday 27-Sunday 28 October 1798

Somehow, I just cannot see Caroline Bingley, Mary Crawford, or even Emma helping the maidservant put their clothes away. Of course, Emma never went anywhere, so she would have been saved from this task.

                           Kelly Reilly as Caroline Bingley, Pride and Prejudice, 2005

                            Haley Atwell as Mary Crawford, Mansfield Park, 2007

I hope you have a good day today,
Terrie

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

Letter #10, Post #6

Tuesday 24 April 2012
"To Cassandra, from Steventon, "While my Mother & Mr Lyford were together, I went to Mrs Ryders, & bought what I intended to buy, but not in much perfection.-There were no narrow Braces for Children, & scarcely any netting silk; but Miss Wood as usual is going to Town very soon, & will lay in a fresh stock.-I gave 2s/3d a yard for my flannel, & I fancy it is not very good; but it is so disgraceful & contemptible an article in itself, that its' being comparatively good or bad is of little importance. I bought some Japan Ink likewise, & next week shall begin my operations on my hat, on which You know my principal hopes of happiness depend."-Jane Austen, Saturday 27-Sunday 28 October 1798

Braces for Children threw me, but thanks to the World Wide Web I now know that the term braces is the British term for what we Americans call suspenders, ;) pretty cool. I wonder who she wanted to buy the braces for.

In my research I discovered that braces come in different widths and materials. Who knew? Here is a link to a website that sells them. I found it interesting.

http://www.suspendersformen.com/

                                 This brace is made from handwoven silk.

Japan Ink is a high quality black ink that remains shiny when it dries. I hope she was happy with her hat as so much was depended upon it.

And, I hope you enjoyed your day today!
Terrie

Letter #10, Post #5

Monday 23 April 2012
to Cassandra, from Steventon, "We met with no adventures at all in our Journey yesterday except that our Trunk had once nearly slipt off, & we were obliged to stop at Hartley to have our wheels greazed." - Jane Austen, Saturday 27-Sunday 28 October 1798

Hartley Wintney is 9.5 miles or 15 kilometers west of Basingstoke.

Author Adelle Bradford posted this picture and wrote the following about Harley Wintney:

“The present community of Hartley Wintney was built around the London-Exeter coach road (now the A30) in the 18th Century.  The part timbered building in the photograph is one of several coaching inns in the village from that period. It is called the Lamb Hotel, and I managed to reside there for a few days.

“The name recorded in the 13th century as Hertleye Wynteneye means ‘the clearing in the forest where the deer graze by Winta's island’. Winta was probably a Saxon who held an island in the marshes of the Hart valley where a priory of Cistercian nuns was founded in 1190. One of Hartley Wintney's best known features are the Mildmay Oaks. These were planted by Lady St John Mildmay in response to the call, in 1807, by Admiral Collingwood following the Battle of Trafalgar for landowners to plant Oaks to provide timber for Naval ships.”

                     A photograph of Hartley Wintney in 1904.

I hope you enjoyed your day today!
Terrie

Queen Victoria

This is so very cool! They have started a website about Queen Victoria for her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Please take time to check it out. I love Queen Victoria. She still influences us today.

http://www.queen-victorias-scrapbook.org/index.html

                                A painting of Queen Victoria as a young girl. Painted by Richard Westall in 1830.

Enjoy your day!
Terrie

Letter #10, Post #4

Saturday 21 April 2012
To Cassandra, from Steventon, [p. 2] James seems to have taken to his old Trick of coming to Steventon inspite of Mary's reproaches, for he was here before Breakfast, & is now paying us a second visit.-Mary is quite well he says, & uncommonly large;- they were to have dined here to day, but the weather is too bad. I have had the pleasure of hearing that Martha is with them; -James fetched her from Ibthrop on Thursday, & she will stay with them till she removes to Kintbury.-" - Jane Austen, Saturday 27-Sunday 28 October 1798

James Austen, Jane Austen's eldest brother, married Mary Lloyd as his second wife, on 17 January 1797. Mary was, at this time, eight months pregnant with their son, James-Edward Austen who was born at Deane on 17 November 1798.

On 30 December 1796, the Austen's cousin, Eliza de Feuillide, wrote to a mutual cousin, Philadelphia Walter, this description of Mary, then Lloyd, also then commonly spelled Floyd:

"Has Cassandra informed You of the Wedding which is soon to take place in the family? James has chosen a second Wife in the person of Miss Mary Floyd who is not either rich or handsome, but very sensible & good humoured- you have perhaps heard of the family for they occupied my Uncle's house at Dean six or seven years since, and the eldest Sister is married to Mr. Fulwar Fowle who is Brother to Cassandra's intended; Jane seems much pleased with the match, and it is natural she should having long known & liked the Lady."

James had asked Eliza to marry him before he married Mary. It is said she refused him because he was a clergyman, (sound like Mary Crawford?). In fact, she wrote to her cousin, Philadelphia Walter on 13 December 1796, "... -Lord S's card has this moment been brought me which I think very ominous considering I was talking of Matrimony, but it does not signify, I shall certainly escape both Peer & Parson." Parson meaning James.

Martha Lloyd was Mary's sister. She lived at Chawton with Mrs. Austen, Cassandra and Jane after her mother died.

It is 4.82 miles or 7.75 Kilometers from Deane to Steventon, so it was not too far for James to travel to visit Steventon; with Martha at Deane he probably felt a little freedom.

                                            Ibthrop

                                   Deane Manor

I hope you enjoyed your day today!
Terrie