Jane Austen, who were you?
We know so little about Jane’s life that history mostly sums her up in a sentence: Jane Austen was a clergyman’s daughter, living a quiet life writing her novels in the country. We know there’s more, but the details elude us. Meanwhile, her family is splattered across the history books: Her aunt was accused of shoplifting, and her cousin’s husband was guillotined in the French Revolution. Jane, I suspect your life wasn’t so quiet after all! This month, to get a closer look at Austen, I’m diving into the colorful lives of her family.
Her father’s headmaster and employer was a murderer.
A child murderer, actually. And people say history is boring.
Jane’s father, George Austen, was orphaned at a young age and taken in by his wealthy uncle. George then attended Tonbridge School, where the controversial Reverend James Cawthorn was headmaster. Cawthorn was a strict disciplinarian, known for his humiliating and harsh punishments. The school’s records contain an account that he once locked a boy in a cupboard and forgot about him until the child starved to death. You can imagine how terrifying this was for the other boys–years later, students continued to tell stories about the ghost of Cawthorn, remorsefully roaming the halls and clanking his chain.
George Austen did okay at Tonbridge, though. He came out of the school with a scholarship to St. John’s College, Oxford—and then returned to Tonbridge after graduating to be Cawthorn’s Deputy. Apparently, Cawthorn was a mentor to some boys, George included.
Jane’s mother was related to a duke.
Jane’s mother, Cassandra Leigh Austen, had a grandfather who married the duke’s sister. This made Cassandra the great-grand niece of the first Duke of Chandos. Pretty fancy stuff! And there’s more—Cassandra was also distantly connected to a baron: Thomas, Second Baron Leigh of Stoneleigh.
These well-connected families inspired the names of Jane’s characters:
The Duke of Chandos’ wife’s name was Cassandra Willoughby.
Thomas, Second Baron Leigh of Stoneleigh, was married to Eleanor Watson and then later to Anne Wentworth.
Also in the Wentworth family was a Fitzwilliam and a D’Arcy, as well as a rich heiress named Emma Wodehouse.
Jane’s aunt was put on trial for shoplifting.
Jane Leigh-Perrot (Jane’s aunt), was wealthy, and she and her husband owned homes in Berkshire and Bath.
During one of her stays in Bath, Leigh-Perrot bought a card of black lace. Later that day, the shopkeeper approached her on the street and accused her of stealing a card of white lace…which was found concealed with her black lace! Leigh-Perrot said the clerk must have accidentally wrapped them together, but the shopkeeper went to the authorities.
Leigh-Perrot was arrested and put in jail, where she waited seven months for her trial. Because of her money and high social standing, she was not in public jail but instead confined in the jailer’s house, living with his family. Her husband also came to stay with her, even though he suffered from gout.
The consequences for a guilty verdict were severe: death or deportation to Australia for 14 years.
Did she do it? Hard to tell. Those supporting her say she was part of a blackmail plot, as she and her husband were wealthy. “Why would a rich woman steal lace?” the defense asked. Those against her claim she had a stealing compulsion. Years later, she attempted to get a discount on a plant and, when the shopkeeper refused, was caught concealing it under her cloak.
Either way, the jury deliberated for 15 minutes and came back with a verdict of not guilty. Her wealth and status contributed to this—she called 14 character witnesses at a cost of 2,000 pounds. The harsh punishments for the crime also left jurors hesitant to convict.
As a side note, it’s speculated that Leigh-Perrot was the inspiration for Lady Catherine and Miss Norris.
Jane’s cousin’s husband was killed by the guillotine in the French Revolution.
Eliza de Feuillide, Jane’s first cousin, moved with her family to France, where she met and married a French Army Captain, Jean-François Capot de Feuillide. Her husband called himself a Comte (or Count), even though his parents were not a Comte and Comtesse…and neither were any of his siblings. The self-proclaimed title stuck, and Eliza became Comtesse de Feuillide. (Does this really work, and can I be known from this day forward as Comtesse Kirstin? Ooh, that has a nice ring to it.)
When the French Revolution broke out, Comte de Feuillide was loyal to the monarchy. While we know that couldn’t have ended well, his downfall came when he tried to save the widow of an army colleague. The widow was accused of bribery and of planting crops to feed livestock (instead of humans) in the hopes of causing a famine that would weaken the Republic. To save her, the Comte tried to bribe an official. That worked out for no one, and both the widow and the Comte were sentenced to death by guillotine.
Eliza was not devastated by his death. She and her husband had married for monetary gain and social standing, and since both had misrepresented their assets to each other (I mean, he wasn’t really a Comte), they weren’t especially happy with each other. Eliza moved to England when the French Revolution broke out, and she was busy with caring for her disabled son and ailing mother.
Eliza’s influence lives on in Austen’s novels. Jane dedicated Love and Freindship to Eliza. Mary Crawford in Mansfield Park is believed to be based on Eliza: Both are vivacious, attractive, and flirtatious. Both play the harp. Plus, Eliza directed and performed in plays in the Austen family, perhaps inspiring the Mansfield Park play. Some even believe the manipulative widow, Lady Susan, is based on Eliza.
Two of Jane’s brother’s proposed to the same woman.
And that woman was…Jane’s cousin, Eliza de Feuillide.
After Eliza’s husband was guillotined, Jane’s eldest brother James proposed to Eliza. But Eliza saw they were not suited. He was a country clergyman, and Eliza was used to her life as a Comtesse in Paris. She also enjoyed her freedom as a widow, so she rejected his proposal.
Don’t feel too bad for him. He later proposed to Mary Lloyd, an Austen family friend, and was accepted.
Jane’s other brother, Henry, was in love with Eliza and pursued her for two years. Although she initially rejected him, she eventually agreed to marry him, citing that he had a comfortable income, an excellent “heart, temper, and understanding,” and an attachment to her son. She added that, “like a wise man he has no will but mine.” See, I knew I always loved that Mary Crawford!
And what about Jane?
Where is Jane in all of this? She’s hidden in the borrowed names, the character inspirations, the plot ideas. Ever elusive, but still there. And the colorful lives of her family make one thing obvious: She was more than a clergyman’s daughter, living a quiet life in the country.
*
I used these sites on Eliza de Feuillide when writing this post: The Comte, Model for Mary Crawford, and Eliza. I also used this site on Jane Leigh-Perrot, this one on Cassandra Leigh Austen, and this site on George Austen.
More to check out:
Does Jane Forgive Bingley Too Easily?
How Much Did Jane Austen Earn From Her Books?
Thanks for reading!
Leave a Reply to Kirstin OdegaardCancel reply