chawton
The village of Chawton may hold great significance for the Austens during their later lives, but during the time of our novel, it was relevant only as the Hampshire estate of Mr and Mrs Knight.
Photos: Chawton, Hampshire.
Chawton house
Photos: Chawton House, Hampshire
Chawton House belonged to Thomas Knight II and it was here that Edward Austen was taken as a young boy when he accompanied Mr and Mrs Knight on their wedding tour in the summer of 1779.
It was also where Mr Knight died unexpectedly from a paralytic stroke on 23rd October 1794, aged 59. His body was taken back to his principal estate of Godmersham Park in Kent for burial.
Photos: Chawton House, Hampshire
Chawton House is one of the prime sites to be visited if you are an Austen fan, and today is home to The Centre for the Study of Early Women's Writing, 1600–1830. You can find more about the exhibitions and opening times on the Chawton House website here.
Caroline Jane Knight shares a fascinating insight into the history of Chawton House in an article she wrote for the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation. It is entitled 'Chawton Ancestors 'inherited' by the Austens' and you can read it here.
st. nicholas' church
The church of St Nicholas stands next to Chawton House on its long driveway entrance. It is where the Knight family would have worshipped during their stays there.
There have been some modernisations to the structure since then as it suffered considerable fire damage in 1871.
This was the living that Henry Austen was bequeathed in the will of Thomas Knight II if the rightful successor (Mr Papillon) did not want to take it up. For many months Edward Austen and Madam Lefroy intervened on Henry's behalf, offering Mr Papillon a financial reward to give up the living. After much negotiation, Mr Papillon decided to take it for himself and Henry returned to the army.
Photos: St. Nicholas Church, Chawton, Hampshire.
Mrs Austen and Cassandra are both buried in the churchyard and you can find their gravestones today at the back of the church. There are also many burial plots for members of the Knight family.
A statue of Jane Austen stands as a tribute to the author on the grounds.
Brenda S. Cox, author of Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England, made a tour of many churches linked to the Austen family when she visited England. She has written an excellent article about St. Nicholas' Church, Chawton for the Jane Austen's World blog, which you can read here.
jane austen's house
This house is a 'MUST VISIT' site for any Austen fan passing by Chawton.
It was where Mrs Austen, Cassandra, Jane and Martha Lloyd all lived from 1809 onwards. It is still of interest to our novel as there are many artefacts on display that belong to our timeline. It is a wonderful museum, lovingly devoted to the Austen family.
For more information on how to visit and what you can see there, the Jane Austen's House website is here.
Photos: Jane Austen's House, Chawton.
Photos: Painting of the young Edward Austen and an extract from Martha Lloyd's 'Cookery Interest'. Both displayed at Jane Austen's House, Chawton, Hampshire.
The Visit Hampshire website has lots of useful information about visiting Chawton. You can find out more here.
chawton extract
If you would like to read an extract from The Austens of Steventon, where events take place in Chawton, click here.
REFERENCES
1. Austen-Leigh W., Austen-Leigh R.A. and Le Faye D. (1989) Jane Austen: A Family Record. London: The British Library, pp. 40 & 81.
2. Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1794: October 23, Thursday’ in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p 169.
3. Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1794: November 3, Monday’ in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.170.
4. Sense of Place South East (1976) 'Chawton Church'. Available at: http://www.sopse.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=query&p=gateway&f=generic_objectrecord_postsearch.htm&_IXFIRST_=33212&_IXMAXHITS_=1&m=quick_sform&tc1=i&tc2=e&s=FwSLvZtHjBi
5. Townsend, T. (2014) 'Jane Austen's Hampshire'. Somerset: Halsgrove. pp. 122-136.