Adlestrop
st. Mary Magdalene church
The Cotswold village of Adlestrop was the birthplace of Mrs Austen's father, Thomas Leigh on 16th December 1696. He was baptised in this church a few days later.
Mrs Austen's cousin, Reverend Thomas Leigh, held the living of the church from 1763 until 1813. He was godfather to Henry Austen; his sister, Elizabeth Leigh, was godmother to Cassandra Austen.
Photos: St Mary Magdalene Church, Adlestrop, Gloucestershire.
Reverend Leigh would often call in to visit the Austens at Steventon on his travels. He was popular with the children as he always tipped them some coins.
A stone inside the church marks his burial place and that of his wife and sister.
Photo: St Mary Magdalene Church, Adlestrop, Gloucestershire.
Photo: View of the rectory from St. Mary Magdalene Church, Adlestrop, Gloucestershire.
Several members of the Austen family stayed with Reverend Leigh and his wife in their rectory opposite the church.
In our novel, Mrs Austen, Cassandra and Jane stayed there in July 1794.
To the side of the church is Adlestrop Park, a Gothic-style mansion, also built for the Leigh family. It features landscaped gardens designed by the renowned landscape architect, Humphry Repton.
Photos: View toward Adlestrop Park from St Mary Magdalene Church.
daylesford
Daylesford House was the country estate of Warren Hastings. He purchased it in 1788 when he returned to England from India. He made many improvements to the buildings and gardens based on Indian designs and it became his permanent residence after the conclusion of his Westminster Trial in 1795.
Philadelphia Hancock and Eliza de Feuillide were frequent guests here, as was Henry Austen after his marriage to Eliza in December, 1797. Mr and Mrs Hastings had a close relationship with the Leighs of Adlestrop; both households called upon each other as neighbours.
Photos: Public roads, Daylesford, Gloucestershire.
Today, the estate is private property. A report by Andrew Ginger for The Georgian Group Report and Journal provides information about the history of Daylesford House and Warren Hastings. Click here to read the document.
Adlestrop extract
If you would like to read an extract from The Austens of Steventon, where the events take place in Adlestrop, click here.
REFERENCES
1. Ancestry. co. uk (2023) 'Thomas Leigh' in ' The Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1813. ENTRY DETAILS: 'Thomas, Son of Theophilus Leigh Leigh: Monday, December 21st 1696:Adlestrop 1678-1700'. Gloucestershire Archives.
2. Austen-Leigh W., Austen-Leigh R.A. and Le Faye D. (1989) Jane Austen: A Family Record. London: The British Library, pp.41-42.
3. Huxley, V. (2013) 'Jane Austen & Adlestrop: her other family.' Moreton in Marsh: Windrush Publishing Services.
4. Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1794 – July 2, Wednesday’ in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.167.
5. The Clergy Database (2023) 'Search - Leigh, Thomas (1758 - 1814)'. Available at: https://theclergydatabase.org.uk/jsp/persons/CreatePersonFrames.jsp?PersonID=35088