Steventon
family home of james austen
St. Nicholas' Church
living of james austen then william knight
Photo: St. Nicholas' Church, Steventon
James Austen took over this living when his father died in 1805, and maintained it until his own death in 1819.
After James died, Henry Austen served there as a curate until 1822 to keep the living in the family until his nephew (Edward Austen Knight's son), William Knight, became the new incumbent.
William served there for the next 50 years.
James Austen had lived in Steventon almost his entire life, but was at risk of losing his living in 1814 when he was asked to move to the parish of Marsh Gibbon in Oxfordshire. He did not want to go, and fortunately did not have to in the end.
James recorded his relief in a 290 line poem entitled 'Lines written at Steventon in the Autumn of 1814, after refusing to exchange that living for Marsh Gibbon in the borders of Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire-'
The poem forms part of a wider collection: The Complete Poems of James Austen published by The Jane Austen Society, edited by David Selwyn.
Photo: Opening of the poem by James Austen
James's eldest daughter married Ben Lefroy here in November 1814, as did the runaway couple, Edward Knight II and Mary Dorothea in June 1826.
There were funerals too:
- James Austen on December 18th, 1819
- Mary Austen on August 11th, 1843.
Photo: St. Nicholas' church, Steventon
The graves of James and Mary are clearly labelled in the churchyard today, and there are tributes to them both inside the church.
Photos: memorials to James and Mary Austen at Steventon Church
William Knight suffered a personal tragedy whilst serving as rector when, in July 1848, a scarlet fever outbreak in the village killed three of his infant daughters in the same week. A memorial to them remains inside the church today, below one to William himself.
William Knight and some of his family are also buried in the churchyard.
Photos: Tributes to William Knight and his family at Steventon Church
steventon dig
archaeological dig at the former rectory site
In 2026, a new archaeological dig took place on the site of the former rectory in Steventon, childhood home of Jane Austen and her siblings.
For more details, including a virtual representation of what the rectory would have looked like, along with an artist's impression of the house, you can access the Archaeo website here.
Photo: archaeological dig in Steventon, 2026.
extract
If you would like to read an extract from The Austens of Chawton where the events take place in Steventon, click here.
REFERENCES
Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1814: November 8th, Tuesday’ in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.491.
Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1826: June 15th, Thursday’ in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.630.
Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1819: December 18th, Saturday’ in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.604.
Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1843: August 2, Wednesday’ in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.665.
Selwyn, D. (2003) The Complete Poems of James Austen: Jane Austen’s eldest brother. Chawton: The Jane Austen Society. pp 70-77