A Timeline of the Life and Career of Jane Austen

The Wedding of George Austen and Cassandra Leigh

George Austen and Cassandra Leigh, Austen's parents, married on April 26, 1764, at St.Swithin's Church in Bath.

“Jane Austen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Sept. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Austen.

George Austen's Occupation

From 1773 until 1796, while living in Stevenson, George Austen supplemented his income by teaching three to four boys at a time who stayed in their home. George is believed to have received an annual income of £200, which speaks to the lower economic status of Austen's family at this time. Although they were considered a part of the gentry, his income was significantly lower than the average gentry income (£1,000 to £5,000). His occupation in teaching speaks to his love of academia and perhaps encouraged his passion for his sons' and daughters' education.

“Jane Austen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Sept. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Austen.

Birth

Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775, at Steventon Rectory in Hampshire England. Sources say she was born a month late to George Austen and Cassandra Austen (née Leigh). She was the youngest of seven children James (1765), George (1766), Edward (1767), Henry (1771), Cassandra (1773), Francis (1774), Jane (1775) and Charles John (1779). It's recorded that George suffered from seizures and was potentially blind and mute, so his parents put him into foster care.  

“Jane Austen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Sept. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Austen.

Jane Austen eats soup!!!

 On April 4, 1780, Jane Austen ate soup for the very first time! she loved it!

Boarding School

Jane (age 7) and her elder sister  Cassandra leave for boarding school in Oxford for education on April 1783.  The reason why she was sent off to school is unsure, but there are some speculations. One theory is that she wanted to go and accompany her elder sister Cassandra (age 10) and cousin Jane Cooper (age 12) to the Mrs.Cawley's school in Oxford. Due to a "putrid fever" epidemic, the schooling had to be relocated to Southampton in late August. Both Jane and Cassandra caught the illness and their mother was not informed by Mrs. Cawley. Instead, Jane Cooper wrote to her mother notifying her of the developments reagrding the sickness of her cousins to which Mrs. Cooper came to the rescue. Sources differ in understanding whether it was Mrs. Austen or Mrs. Cooper who came to pick the girls up but all agree that Jane Austen nearly died of this illness. 

Jane Austen visits Carolton House

Jane Austen's Emma was dedicated to a specific person, though this dedication was not entirely Austen's idea or pleasure. This person was the Prince Regent, a fervent admirer of Austen's work, who invited her to visit his residence in London on November 13, 1815. Emma is the only one of Austen's novels to be dedicated to anyone since Austen was not as ardent of an admirer of the Prince as he was of her. At this point in time, the Prince would have read Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and potentially parts of Emma. There are some speculations that Austen most likely wrote letters about this interaction and visit with the Prince to her sister Cassandra. But these letters no longer seem to exist due to their potential "anti-P.R sentiments" (Deb). Emma's dedication is as follows: 

"TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT,

THIS WORK IS, BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS’S PERMISSION,
MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,
BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS’S
DUTIFUL AND OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT,

THE AUTHOR" (Deb).

Deb, BookLady. “Jane Austen's Visit to Carlton House ~ November 13, 1815.” Jane Austen in Vermont, 13 Nov. 2015, https://janeausteninvermont.blog/2015/11/13/jane-austens-visit-to-carlt….