Letter Fourteen, Post Nineteen

3 October 2014
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "-Perhaps I may stay at Manydown as long as Monday, but not longer." - Jane Austen Wednesday 19 December 1798

Manydown Park had been home to the Bigg-Wither family since 1789 and remained so until it was demolished in 1965. It was six miles from Steventon.

Manydown Park

Jane and Cassandra were friends with Elizabeth, Catherine and Alethea Bigg which might be the reason for her visit to Manydown.

Their brother Harris Bigg-Wither proposed marriage to Jane in December 1802. She accepted. Harris Bigg-Wither was to inherit at least this estate and one other, Wymering, near Cosham, Hants, that I know of. She thought about it and withdrew her acceptance the next morning. I suppose she just could not marry without love.

Wymering Manor

Wymering Manor is known as "Britain's Most Haunted House." Just think, if Jane would have married Harris her books might have taken quite a different tone. Perhaps Mr. Darcy might really have had fangs and General Tilney might really have been hiding his wife's ghost in the upstairs bedroom, you just never know.

An interesting fact is that Wymering Manor is linked with St Peter & St Paul Church and churchyard, which is where Jane's brother Vice Admiral Sir Francis Austen and his family are buried.

Jane and Cassandra remained friends with Elizabeth, Catherine and Alethea even after Jane declined Harris' offer.

A few fun facts from just one sentence.

I hope you enjoy your day today!

Terrie

Letter Fourteen, Post Eighteen

2 October 2014
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "Mary went to Church [p. 4] on Sunday, & had the weather been smiling, we should have seen her here before this time." - Jane Austen, Wednesday 19 December 1798

She is referring to Mary Lloyd Austen, James' wife. She had given birth to James Edward-Austen Leigh on November 17, 1798. Jane was letting Cassandra know that Mary was doing well attending church just a month after giving birth.

Silhouette of Mary Lloyd Austen around 1825, probably done by her son James Edward Austen Leigh.

I have written a bit about Mary Lloyd Austen so I will not repeat myself.

http://allthings-jane-austen.blogspot.com/search?q=mary+lloyd+austen+

I hope you enjoy your day today!
Terrie

Letter Fourteen, Post Seventeen

1 October 2014
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "-Wednesday.- I have changed my mind, & changed the trimmings of my Cap this morning; they are now such as you suggested;- I felt as if I should not prosper if I strayed from your directions, & I think it makes me look more like Lady Conyngham now than it did before, which is all that one lives for now.-I believe I shall make my new gown like my robe, but the back of the latter is all in a peice with the tail, & will 7 yards enable me to copy it in that respect?" - Jane Austen, Wednesday 19 December 1798

This entry is very great evidence of the famous quote from Mrs. Austen, "if Cassandra’s head had been going to be cut off, Jane would have hers cut off too." Cassandra did have a great influence on her.

Lady Elizabeth Conyngham (31 July 1769 – 11 October 1861), became the last mistress of George IV.

Lady Elizabeth Conyngham

It is said, "she was considered vulgar, shrewd, greedy, and a voluptuous woman by aristocratic society, on account of her common background; however, she attracted lovers and admirers, including the Tsarevitch of Russia, the future Nicholas I."

And, Princess Dorothea Lieven, whose husband was the Russian Ambassador to London, dismissed her with contempt as having "not an idea in her head...not a word to say for herself, nothing but a hand to accept pearls and diamonds, and an enormous balcony to wear them on." Do you think she might not have been referring to a balcony with a view? (Sorry, I could not resist; a Mrs. Elton moment I think.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Conyngham,_Marchioness_Conyngham

This letter was written in December 1798. Lady Conyngham had become The Rt Hon. The Countess Conyngham on 27 December 1797 so that might be why Jane Austen would have made this sarcastic reference to her.

Can you imagine walking around in 7 yards of fabric all day?

Well, I hope you enjoy your day!
Terrie

Letter Fourteen, Post Sixteen

Wednesday 19 March 2014
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "James Digweed has had a very ugly cut-how could it happen?-It happened by a young horse which he had lately purchased, & which he was trying to back into its stable;-the Animal kicked him down with his forefeet, & kicked a great hole in his head;- he scrambled away as soon as he could, but was stunned for a time, & suffered a good deal of pain afterwards.-Yesterday he got up the Horse again, & for fear of something worse, was forced to throw himself off.-" - Jane Austen, Tuesday 18-Wednesday 19 December 1798

This is just a fun fact, but the Miss Lyford mentioned in the last post would eventually marry James Digweed in June 1803-even with the "great hole in his head."

James Digweed was born in 1774 so he was about twenty-four at this time. Jane may have given us a little insight into James Digweed's personality when she wrote in letter number fifteen, "We are to have Company to dinner on friday; the three Digweeds and James.-We shall be a nice silent party I suppose." I believe James would have been her brother, James. It is said he was reserved.

 The Digweeds were tenants of Steventon manor-house and estate. The estate was owned by Edward Austen Knight, Jane Austen's brother.

I suspect this is what the manor house looked like in Jane Austen's time. It has been demolished four times since then. The following link has some interesting information:

http://hantsgtrg.pbworks.com/w/page/16630138/Steventon%20Manor

Steventon Manor

I believe this is what it looks like today. It is a beautiful house.

I hope you enjoyed your day today!
Terrie

Letter Fourteen, Post Fifteen

Tuesday 18 March 2014
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "Miss Lyford is gone into Suffolk with her Brother & Miss Lodge-. Everybody is now very busy in making up an income for the two latter. Miss Lodge has only 800L of her own, & it is not supposed that her Father can give her much, therefore the good offices of the Neighbourhood will be highly acceptable.-John Lyford means to take pupils.-" - Jane Austen, Tuesday 18-Wednesday 19 December 1798

Miss Lyford was Mary Susannah Lyford (1772-1840) of Basingstoke. She was the sister to Reverend John Lyford (1769-12 June 1799) and Charles Lyford (1778-1859). Charles followed in his father's footsteps and became a surgeon.

Reverend John Lyford is the brother mentioned here and I believe the occasion for their leaving Basingstoke was his upcoming marriage to Miss Lodge. He and Miss Jane Lodge married 19 April 1799. Miss Lodge was the daughter of John Lodge of Great Blakenham near Ipswich, Suffolk. She had 800 pounds of her own, which seems like quite a bit for that day, but I am no expert. It seems like I read somewhere that Mr. Austen made just under 700 pounds a year with farming, teaching, and being the rector of two churches. I don't know, but it is very sweet for everyone to be busy making up an income for them.

For some reason this entry made me think of Cranford. We rented it from Netflix. It is a mini-series about a rural English village in the 1840's. It is just a very sweet story of a neighborhood-very similar to the feel of, how I imagine, Jane Austen's neighborhood would have been. If you have not seen it I would recommend it. Judi Dench is in it, need I say more?

The Ladies of Cranford

I hope you enjoy your day today!

Terrie

Letter Fourteen, Post Fourteen

Friday 7 March 2014
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "The third Miss Irish Lefroy is going to be married to a Mr Courtenay, but whether James or Charles I do not know." - Jane Austen, Tuesday 18-Wednesday 19 December 1798

The notes in the back of the book say Capt. Thomas Courtenay married Sarah Lefroy 9 May 1799. This information must have come from Madame Lefroy or someone of the neighbors in the Lefroy family.

Sarah was actually the fourth sister.

Do you remember the scene towards the end of Becoming Jane when Jane asks Tom how many brothers and sisters he had back in Limerick? Well, here is the answer.

Tom Lefroy had quite a few brother's and sisters.
1. Lucy Lefroy (1January 1768 to May 1853)
2. Phoebe Lefroy (15 April 1770 to 5 December 1839)
3.Catherine Lefroy (18 September 1771 to 3 September 1805)
4. Sarah Lefroy (18 March 1773 to 1836)
5. Thomas Lefroy (8 January 1776 to 4 May 1869)
6. Anthony Lefroy (19 October 1777 to 7 September 1857)
7. Elizabeth Lefroy (17 April 1780 to 22 July 1867)
8. Benjamin Lefroy (born 5 May 1782)
9. Christopher Lefroy (26 June 1784 to 14 February 1805)
10. Anne Lefroy (born 26 January 1786)
11. Henry Lefroy (5 May 1789 to 29 January 1876)

I just found a book I have to get.

This one will become required reading. It came out in 2007. I do not know how I missed it. I have read that some of Mrs. Austen's letters have survived; but I often wonder if any of Cassandra's have survived except for the letter's she wrote concerning Jane's death. Her letter's would be interesting to read also.

I hope you enjoyed your day today!
Terrie

Letter Fourteen, Post Thirteen

Tuesday 4 March 2014 (already!)
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "My Mother continues hearty, her appetite & nights are good, but her Bowels are still not entirely settled, & she sometimes complains of an Asthma, a Dropsy, Water in her Chest & a Liver Disorder." - Jane Austen, Tuesday 18-Wednesday 19 December 1798

Poor Mrs. Austen! She had been ill since Mr. Austen, she, and Jane left Godmersham the 24th of October. I noticed Jane capitalized all of her conditions - I wonder if that was consciously done?

Cassandra Leigh Austen - Jane Austen's mother

Jane Austen's mother was born in 1739. She was from the Leigh's of Adlestrop, Glos.

Aldestrop Park owned by the Leigh's since 1553. Some people say this house was the inspiration for Mansfield Park.

Adlestrop House where Jane Austen's second cousin, Reverend Thomas Leigh (1734-26 June 1813), was the rector.

 Mrs. Austen was the daughter of Reverend Thomas Leigh (1696-1764) and Jane Walker (1704-1768). Her father was the rector of Harpsden near Henley-on-Thames, Oxford.

St. Margaret's Church, Harpsden, Oxford

Mrs. Austen grew up in Oxford which is how she met Mr. Austen. He went to Oxford University. They married on 26 April 1764. Mrs. Austen would have been thirty years old, or close to it, when she married Mr. Austen. Interesting, since Anne Elliot would have been considered past the marrying age at twenty-seven in Persuasion. This was also the year Mrs. Austen's father died.

I will not make another list of their children. I am sure you are familiar with them by now.

Mrs. Austen passed away 17 January 1827.

I hope you enjoy your day today!

Terrie