Jane Austen was a novelist who originally released her works using the name 'A Lady'. Her nephew makes clear that servants and visitors did not know she wrote, though she shared her writing with her immediate family, not all of whom approved her writing. As Deborah Kaplan says in Jane Austen Among Women (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins UP, 1992)

One of Jane's strengths was her ability to capture the character of each of the different characters in her books. The themes of her novels are, marriage, family and everyday country life. The novels are very witty with strong heroines, such as Emma from the book Emma and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.  When Jane’s niece tried her hand at writing a novel Aunt Jane advised her to stick to what she knew, advice which Jane herself always followed.

Jane Austen was born on the 16th December 1775 in the town of Steventon, Hampshire, England. Steventon was where her father, the Reverend George Austen was the vicar. Jane's mother was Cassandra (nee Leigh). Jane had six brothers and one sister, they were:

• 1st    James, educated for the clergy.
• 2nd    George, suffered fits and did not live with the family.
• 3rd    Edward, adopted by relatives, the Knights, whose name he took and whose property Godmersham he inherited in Kent. Godmersham is now a business park. Edward provided the cottage in 1809 in Chawton for his sisters and mother.
• 4th    Henry, he helped Jane to get her works printed. Henry was a soldier, banker, went bankrupt, then became a clergyman. Henry married his cousin Eliza de Feuillade, who was a widow of a French nobleman who was guillotined after the French Revolution.
• 5th    Frank, an admiral in the navy.
• 6th    Charles, also an admiral in the navy.
• 7th    Cassandra, named after her mother.
• 8th    Jane.

The Austen family had a coat of arms that consisted of a stag standing on top of a Crown, as shown to the left of this page.

Jane wrote a total of 6 novels and a couple that were never completed along with some short stories.  The novels were Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, and Sanditon.

Jane may have had a relationship with a Tom Lefroy. This possibility was made into a popular film title 'Becoming Jane' staring Ann Hathaway.

Although Jane's books received positive reviews and were enjoyed by prominent figures such as the Prince Regent, she was never a popular writer during her lifetime. The total amount of money earned from her novels, while she was still alive was 700 pounds, the equivalent of less than two years money for her, Cassandra and their mother to live on.

Jane died after a long illness on the 18th July 1817 aged 41 years in the town of Winchester, Hampshire, England. Jane was buried at Winchester Cathedral. Jane's memorial at the Church reads:

In Memory of
JANE AUSTEN,
youngest daughter of the late
Revd GEORGE AUSTEN,
formerly Rector of Steventon in this County.  She departed this Life on the 18th of July1817, aged 41, after a long illness supported with the patience and hopes of a Christian.

The benevolence of her heart,
the sweetness of her temper, and
the extraordinary endowments of her mind obtained the regard of all who knew her and the warmest love of her intimate connections.

Their grief is in proportion to their affection.  They know their loss to be irreparable,
but in their deepest affliction they are consoled by a firm though humble hope that her charity, devotion, faith and purity have rendered her soul acceptable in the sight of her REDEEMER.

Related Links: Timeline of Jane Austen's works, Novels by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Review, Dramatisation of Jane Austen's works,  Regency Period, Jane Austen Shop for unique gift ideas and memorabilia.

Quote from Pride and Prejudice:

"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."