_Removal from Steventon--Residences at Bath and at Southampton--Settling
at Chawton_.
The family removed to Bath in the spring of 1801, where they resided
first at No. 4 Sydney Terrace, and afterwards in Green Park Buildings. I
do not know whether they were at all attracted to Bath by the
circumstance that Mrs. Austen's only brother, Mr. Leigh Perrot, spent
part of every year there. The name of Perrot, together with a small
estate at Northleigh in Oxfordshire, had been bequeathed to him by a
great uncle. I must devote a few sentences to this very old and now
extinct branch of the Perrot family; for one of the last survivors, Jane
Perrot, married to a Walker, was Jane Austen's great grandmother, from
whom she derived her Christian name. The Perrots were settled in
Pembrokeshire at least as early as the thirteenth century. They were
probably some of the settlers whom the policy of our Plantagenet kings
placed in that county, which thence acquired the name of 'England beyond
Wales,' for the double purpose of keeping open a communication with
Ireland from Milford Haven, and of overawing the Welsh. One of the
family seems to have carried out this latter purpose very vigorously; for
it is recorded of him that he slew _twenty-six men_ of Kemaes, a district
of Wales, and _one wolf_. The manner in which the two kinds of game are
classed together, and the disproportion of numbers, are remarkable; but
probably at that time the wolves had been so closely killed down, that
_lupicide_ was become a more rare and distinguished exploit than
_homicide_. The last of this family died about 1778, and their property
was divided between Leighs and Musgraves, the larger portion going to the
latter. Mr. Leigh Perrot pulled down the mansion, and sold the estate to
the Duke of Marlborough, and the name of these Perrots is now to be found
only on some monuments in the church of Northleigh.
Mr. Leigh Perrot was also one of several cousins to whom a life interest
in the Stoneleigh property in Warwickshire was left, after the extinction
of the earlier Leigh peerage, but he compromised his claim to the
succession in his lifetime. He married a niece of Sir Montague Cholmeley
of Lincolnshire. He was a man of considerable natural power, with much
of the wit of his uncle, the Master of Balliol, and wrote clever epigrams
and riddles, some of which, though without his name, found their way into
print; but he lived a very retired life, dividing his time between Bath
and his place in Berkshire called Scarlets. Jane's letters from Bath
make frequent mention of this uncle and aunt.
The unfinished story, now published under the title of 'The Watsons,'
must have been written during the author's residence in Bath. In the
autumn of 1804 she spent some weeks at Lyme, and became acquainted with
the Cobb, which she afterwards made memorable for the fall of Louisa
Musgrove. In February 1805, her father died at Bath, and was buried at
Walcot Church. The widow and daughters went into lodgings for a few
months, and then removed to Southampton. The only records that I can
find about her during those four years are the three following letters to
her sister; one from Lyme, the others from Bath. They shew that she went
a good deal into society, in a quiet way, chiefly with ladies; and that
her eyes were always open to minute traits of character in those with
whom she associated:--
_Extract from a letter from Jane Austen to her Sister_.
'Lyme, Friday, Sept. 14 (1804).
'MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I take the first sheet of fine striped paper to
thank you for your letter from Weymouth, and express my hopes of your
being at Ibthorp before this time. I expect to hear that you reached
it yesterday evening, being able to get as far as Blandford on
Wednesday. Your account of Weymouth contains nothing which strikes me
so forcibly as there being no ice in the town. For every other
vexation I was in some measure prepared, and particularly for your
disappointment in not seeing the Royal Family go on board on Tuesday,
having already heard from Mr. Crawford that he had seen you in the
very act of being too late. But for there being no ice, what could
prepare me! You found my letter at Andover, I hope, yesterday, and
have now for many hours been satisfied that your kind anxiety on my
behalf was as much thrown away as kind anxiety usually is. I continue
quite well; in proof of which I have bathed again this morning. It
was absolutely necessary that I should have the little fever and
indisposition which I had: it has been all the fashion this week in
Lyme. We are quite settled in our lodgings by this time, as you may
suppose, and everything goes on in the usual order. The servants
behave very well, and make no difficulties, though nothing certainly
can exceed the inconvenience of the offices, except the general
dirtiness of the house and furniture, and all its inhabitants. I
endeavour, as far as I can, to supply your place, and be useful, and
keep things in order. I detect dirt in the water decanters, as fast
as I can, and keep everything as it was under your administration . .
. . The ball last night was pleasant, but not full for Thursday. My
father staid contentedly till half-past nine (we went a little after
eight), and then walked home with James and a lanthorn, though I
believe the lanthorn was not lit, as the moon was up; but sometimes
this lanthorn may be a great convenience to him. My mother and I
staid about an hour later. Nobody asked me the two first dances; the
two next I danced with Mr. Crawford, and had I chosen to stay longer
might have danced with Mr. Granville, Mrs. Granville's son, whom my
dear friend Miss A. introduced to me, or with a new odd-looking man
who had been eyeing me for some time, and at last, without any
introduction, asked me if I meant to dance again. I think he must be
Irish by his ease, and because I imagine him to belong to the honbl
B.'s, who are son, and son's wife of an Irish viscount, bold queer-
looking people, just fit to be quality at Lyme. I called yesterday
morning (ought it not in strict propriety to be termed
yester-morning?) on Miss A. and was introduced to her father and
mother. Like other young ladies she is considerably genteeler than
her parents. Mrs. A. sat darning a pair of stockings the whole of my
visit. But do not mention this at home, lest a warning should act as
an example. We afterwards walked together for an hour on the Cobb;
she is very converseable in a common way; I do not perceive wit or
genius, but she has sense and some degree of taste, and her manners
are very engaging. She seems to like people rather too easily.
'Yours affectly,
'J. A.'
Letter from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra at Ibthorp, alluding to
the sudden death of Mrs. Lloyd at that place:--
'25 Gay Street (Bath), Monday,
April 8, 1805.
'MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--Here is a day for you. Did Bath or Ibthorp ever
see such an 8th of April? It is March and April together; the glare
of the one and the warmth of the other. We do nothing but walk about.
As far as your means will admit, I hope you profit by such weather
too. I dare say you are already the better for change of place. We
were out again last night. Miss Irvine invited us, when I met her in
the Crescent, to drink tea with them, but I rather declined it, having
no idea that my mother would be disposed for another evening visit
there so soon; but when I gave her the message, I found her very well
inclined to go; and accordingly, on leaving Chapel, we walked to
Lansdown. This morning we have been to see Miss Chamberlaine look hot
on horseback. Seven years and four months ago we went to the same
riding-house to see Miss Lefroy's performance! {75a} What a different
set are we now moving in! But seven years, I suppose, are enough to
change every pore of one's skin and every feeling of one's mind. We
did not walk long in the Crescent yesterday. It was hot and not
crowded enough; so we went into the field, and passed close by S. T.
and Miss S. {75b} again. I have not yet seen her face, but neither
her dress nor air have anything of the dash or stylishness which the
Browns talked of; quite the contrary; indeed, her dress is not even
smart, and her appearance very quiet. Miss Irvine says she is never
speaking a word. Poor wretch; I am afraid she is _en penitence_. Here
has been that excellent Mrs. Coulthart calling, while my mother was
out, and I was believed to be so. I always respected her, as a good-
hearted friendly woman. And the Browns have been here; I find their
affidavits on the table. The "Ambuscade" reached Gibraltar on the 9th
of March, and found all well; so say the papers. We have had no
letters from anybody, but we expect to hear from Edward to-morrow, and
from you soon afterwards. How happy they are at Godmersham now! I
shall be very glad of a letter from Ibthorp, that I may know how you
all are, but particularly yourself. This is nice weather for Mrs. J.
Austen's going to Speen, and I hope she will have a pleasant visit
there. I expect a prodigious account of the christening dinner;
perhaps it brought you at last into the company of Miss Dundas again.
'_Tuesday_.--I received your letter last night, and wish it may be
soon followed by another to say that all is over; but I cannot help
thinking that nature will struggle again, and produce a revival. Poor
woman! May her end be peaceful and easy as the exit we have
witnessed! And I dare say it will. If there is no revival, suffering
must be all over; even the consciousness of existence, I suppose, was
gone when you wrote. The nonsense I have been writing in this and in
my last letter seems out of place at such a time, but I will not mind
it; it will do you no harm, and nobody else will be attacked by it. I
am heartily glad that you can speak so comfortably of your own health
and looks, though I can scarcely comprehend the latter being really
approved. Could travelling fifty miles produce such an immediate
change? You were looking very poorly here, and everybody seemed
sensible of it. Is there a charm in a hack postchaise? But if there
were, Mrs. Craven's carriage might have undone it all. I am much
obliged to you for the time and trouble you have bestowed on Mary's
cap, and am glad it pleases her; but it will prove a useless gift at
present, I suppose. Will not she leave Ibthorp on her mother's death?
As a companion you are all that Martha can be supposed to want, and in
that light, under these circumstances, your visit will indeed have
been well timed.
'_Thursday_.--I was not able to go on yesterday; all my wit and
leisure were bestowed on letters to Charles and Henry. To the former
I wrote in consequence of my mother's having seen in the papers that
the "Urania" was waiting at Portsmouth for the convoy for Halifax.
This is nice, as it is only three weeks ago that you wrote by the
"Camilla." I wrote to Henry because I had a letter from him in which
he desired to hear from me very soon. His to me was most affectionate
and kind, as well as entertaining; there is no merit to him in _that_;
he cannot help being amusing. He offers to meet us on the sea coast,
if the plan of which Edward gave him some hint takes place. Will not
this be making the execution of such a plan more desirable and
delightful than ever? He talks of the rambles we took together last
summer with pleasing affection.
'Yours ever,
'J. A.'
_From the same to the same_.
'Gay St. Sunday Evening,
'April 21 (1805).
MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I am much obliged to you for writing to me again
so soon; your letter yesterday was quite an unexpected pleasure. Poor
Mrs. Stent! it has been her lot to be always in the way; but we must
be merciful, for perhaps in time we may come to be Mrs. Stents
ourselves, unequal to anything, and unwelcome to everybody . . . . My
morning engagement was with the Cookes, and our party consisted of
George and Mary, a Mr. L., Miss B., who had been with us at the
concert, and the youngest Miss W. Not Julia; we have done with her;
she is very ill; but Mary. Mary W.'s turn is actually come to be
grown up, and have a fine complexion, and wear great square muslin
shawls. I have not expressly enumerated myself among the party, but
there I was, and my cousin George was very kind, and talked sense to
me every now and then, in the intervals of his more animated fooleries
with Miss B., who is very young, and rather handsome, and whose
gracious manners, ready wit, and solid remarks, put me somewhat in
mind of my old acquaintance L. L. There was a monstrous deal of
stupid quizzing and common-place nonsense talked, but scarcely any
wit; all that bordered on it or on sense came from my cousin George,
whom altogether I like very well. Mr. B. seems nothing more than a
tall young man. My evening engagement and walk was with Miss A., who
had called on me the day before, and gently upbraided me in her turn
with a change of manners to her since she had been in Bath, or at
least of late. Unlucky me! that my notice should be of such
consequence, and my manners so bad! She was so well disposed, and so
reasonable, that I soon forgave her, and made this engagement with her
in proof of it. She is really an agreeable girl, so I think I may
like her; and her great want of a companion at home, which may well
make any tolerable acquaintance important to her, gives her another
claim on my attention. I shall endeavour as much as possible to keep
my intimacies in their proper place, and prevent their clashing. Among
so many friends, it will be well if I do not get into a scrape; and
now here is Miss Blashford come. I should have gone distracted if the
Bullers had staid . . . . When I tell you I have been visiting a
countess this morning, you will immediately, with great justice, but
no truth, guess it to be Lady Roden. No: it is Lady Leven, the mother
of Lord Balgonie. On receiving a message from Lord and Lady Leven
through the Mackays, declaring their intention of waiting on us, we
thought it right to go to them. I hope we have not done too much, but
the friends and admirers of Charles must be attended to. They seem
very reasonable, good sort of people, very civil, and full of his
praise. {80} We were shewn at first into an empty drawing-room, and
presently in came his lordship, not knowing who we were, to apologise
for the servant's mistake, and to say himself what was untrue, that
Lady Leven was not within. He is a tall gentlemanlike looking man,
with spectacles, and rather deaf. After sitting with him ten minutes
we walked away; but Lady Leven coming out of the dining parlour as we
passed the door, we were obliged to attend her back to it, and pay our
visit over again. She is a stout woman, with a very handsome face. By
this means we had the pleasure of hearing Charles's praises twice
over. They think themselves excessively obliged to him, and estimate
him so highly as to wish Lord Balgonie, when he is quite recovered, to
go out to him. There is a pretty little Lady Marianne of the party,
to be shaken hands with, and asked if she remembered Mr. Austen: . . .
'I shall write to Charles by the next packet, unless you tell me in
the meantime of your intending to do it.
'Believe me, if you chuse,
'Yr affte Sister.'
Jane did not estimate too highly the 'Cousin George' mentioned in the
foregoing letter; who might easily have been superior in sense and wit to
the rest of the party. He was the Rev. George Leigh Cooke, long known
and respected at Oxford, where he held important offices, and had the
privilege of helping to form the minds of men more eminent than himself.
As Tutor in Corpus Christi College, he became instructor to some of the
most distinguished undergraduates of that time: amongst others to Dr.
Arnold, the Rev. John Keble, and Sir John Coleridge. The latter has
mentioned him in terms of affectionate regard, both in his Memoir of
Keble, and in a letter which appears in Dean Stanley's 'Life of Arnold.'
Mr. Cooke was also an impressive preacher of earnest awakening sermons. I
remember to have heard it observed by some of my undergraduate friends
that, after all, there was more good to be got from George Cooke's plain
sermons than from much of the more laboured oratory of the University
pulpit. He was frequently Examiner in the schools, and occupied the
chair of the Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy, from 1810 to 1853.
Before the end of 1805, the little family party removed to Southampton.
They resided in a commodious old-fashioned house in a corner of Castle
Square.
I have no letters of my aunt, nor any other record of her, during her
four years' residence at Southampton; and though I now began to know,
and, what was the same thing, to love her myself, yet my observations
were only those of a young boy, and were not capable of penetrating her
character, or estimating her powers. I have, however, a lively
recollection of some local circumstances at Southampton, and as they
refer chiefly to things which have been long ago swept away, I will
record them. My grandmother's house had a pleasant garden, bounded on
one side by the old city walls; the top of this wall was sufficiently
wide to afford a pleasant walk, with an extensive view, easily accessible
to ladies by steps. This must have been a part of the identical walls
which witnessed the embarkation of Henry V. before the battle of
Agincourt, and the detection of the conspiracy of Cambridge, Scroop, and
Grey, which Shakspeare has made so picturesque; when, according to the
chorus in Henry V., the citizens saw
The well-appointed King at Hampton Pier
Embark his royalty.
Among the records of the town of Southampton, they have a minute and
authentic account, drawn up at that time, of the encampment of Henry V.
near the town, before his embarkment for France. It is remarkable that
the place where the army was encamped, then a low level plain, is now
entirely covered by the sea, and is called Westport. {83} At that time
Castle Square was occupied by a fantastic edifice, too large for the
space in which it stood, though too small to accord well with its
castellated style, erected by the second Marquis of Lansdowne,
half-brother to the well-known statesman, who succeeded him in the title.
The Marchioness had a light phaeton, drawn by six, and sometimes by eight
little ponies, each pair decreasing in size, and becoming lighter in
colour, through all the grades of dark brown, light brown, bay, and
chestnut, as it was placed farther away from the carriage. The two
leading pairs were managed by two boyish postilions, the two pairs
nearest to the carriage were driven in hand. It was a delight to me to
look down from the window and see this fairy equipage put together; for
the premises of this castle were so contracted that the whole process
went on in the little space that remained of the open square. Like other
fairy works, however, it all proved evanescent. Not only carriage and
ponies, but castle itself, soon vanished away, 'like the baseless fabric
of a vision.' On the death of the Marquis in 1809, the castle was pulled
down. Few probably remember its existence; and any one who might visit
the place now would wonder how it ever could have stood there.
In 1809 Mr. Knight was able to offer his mother the choice of two houses
on his property; one near his usual residence at Godmersham Park in Kent;
the other near Chawton House, his occasional residence in Hampshire. The
latter was chosen; and in that year the mother and daughters, together
with Miss Lloyd, a near connection who lived with them, settled
themselves at Chawton Cottage.
Chawton may be called the _second_, as well as the _last_ home of Jane
Austen; for during the temporary residences of the party at Bath and
Southampton she was only a sojourner in a strange land; but here she
found a real home amongst her own people. It so happened that during her
residence at Chawton circumstances brought several of her brothers and
their families within easy distance of the house. Chawton must also be
considered the place most closely connected with her career as a writer;
for there it was that, in the maturity of her mind, she either wrote or
rearranged, and prepared for publication the books by which she has
become known to the world. This was the home where, after a few years,
while still in the prime of life, she began to droop and wither away, and
which she left only in the last stage of her illness, yielding to the
persuasion of friends hoping against hope.
[Chawton Church: ChawtonChurch.jpg]
This house stood in the village of Chawton, about a mile from Alton, on
the right hand side, just where the road to Winchester branches off from
that to Gosport. It was so close to the road that the front door opened
upon it; while a very narrow enclosure, paled in on each side, protected
the building from danger of collision with any runaway vehicle. I
believe it had been originally built for an inn, for which purpose it was
certainly well situated. Afterwards it had been occupied by Mr. Knight's
steward; but by some additions to the house, and some judicious planting
and skreening, it was made a pleasant and commodious abode. Mr. Knight
was experienced and adroit at such arrangements, and this was a labour of
love to him. A good-sized entrance and two sitting-rooms made the length
of the house, all intended originally to look upon the road, but the
large drawing-room window was blocked up and turned into a book-case, and
another opened at the side which gave to view only turf and trees, as a
high wooden fence and hornbeam hedge shut out the Winchester road, which
skirted the whole length of the little domain. Trees were planted each
side to form a shrubbery walk, carried round the enclosure, which gave a
sufficient space for ladies' exercise. There was a pleasant irregular
mixture of hedgerow, and gravel walk, and orchard, and long grass for
mowing, arising from two or three little enclosures having been thrown
together. The house itself was quite as good as the generality of
parsonage-houses then were, and much in the same style; and was capable
of receiving other members of the family as frequent visitors. It was
sufficiently well furnished; everything inside and out was kept in good
repair, and it was altogether a comfortable and ladylike establishment,
though the means which supported it were not large.
I give this description because some interest is generally taken in the
residence of a popular writer. Cowper's unattractive house in the street
of Olney has been pointed out to visitors, and has even attained the
honour of an engraving in Southey's edition of his works: but I cannot
recommend any admirer of Jane Austen to undertake a pilgrimage to this
spot. The building indeed still stands, but it has lost all that gave it
its character. After the death of Mrs. Cassandra Austen, in 1845, it was
divided into tenements for labourers, and the grounds reverted to
ordinary uses.