The first electric lamp, a carbon-arc lamp, was not invented until 1801, and Jane Austen lived her life without electricity. So how were rooms lit in her time?

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Matches were not widely available and were significantly more dangerous than today's safety matches. Phosphorous was discovered in 1669, and chemists created matches using it in the 17th century. However, it cost the equivalent of several hundred pounds per ounce and was highly unstable so early matches were too expensive and dangerous for wide use like today. 

 

In 1781 a phosphoric candle or ethereal match was developed, which consisted of a small sealed glass tube containing a twist of paper tipped with phospohrus. The person would break the glass exposing the phosphorous to oxygen and igniting it. However, these were still expensive and still dangerous. It wasn't until 1826 that a friction match, similar to todays, was created. 

 

It is known from letters that the Austens bought pure beeswax candles from Penlington's in London by mail order. In service areas, tallow dipped candles, usually made from mutton fat were used. As you can imagine, these smelt very strong, but were very economical as opposed to the pure beeswax candles. 

 

Candles by themselves do not produce very bright lights so methods were used to try to brighten the light. One method was to use glass globes filled with water in front of the flame. Candles were used sparingly due to the cost. Within homes, certain other tricks were used, such as lots of mirrors as they would reflect the light back around the room. Oil lamps were also used at the time, with a wick drawing on a spermaceti (whale oil) or vegetable oil. 

 

Individuals would often have candle holders called chamber candlesticks, which had a wide base to prevent dripping wax and a handle to make it easy to carry as they used it to light their way to their bedroom. Some would have a snuffer attached so they could put the flame out before bed, and others had a shield on the opposite side to prevent them from being blown out from a breeze in the corridor. It was expensive to light a corridor not in constant use, not to mention dangerous, so candles were only used when required.

Candles didn't just light a room or guide the way, they also provided entertainment by, when carefully placed, casting a shadow on a piece of paper so they could draw the person's likeness. Silhouette drawing was a popular party piece but isn't mentioned in Jane Austen's novels. However, there are silhouettes of the Austen family. 

 

Candles and lamps were of course not the only way to make a room brighter at night. In Sense and Sensibility, Sir John Middleton tells us that "it was moonlight and every body was full of engagements". This was a habit in the Regency period as though the moonlight is much less bright than the sun, it made in particular travel a lot easier at night. This is on the assumption that the evening was not cloudy or overcast of course!

 

There were no street lights in the regency period in rural areas so a lantern would be required when travelling at night to light the way. However, in London oil lamps were common to light streets and by 1807 gas lights had been introduced.