Objects belonging to Jane Austen
Writing desk & spectacles
Jane's father Rev George Austen bought her this portable writing desk from Ring Brothers, Basingstoke in December 1794 for his daughter. He always encouraged Jane in her writing and had an extensive library of books for her to read.
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The desk has a long drawer with space for an inkwell, penknife as quills, and also space for correspondence, spectacles, string, manuscripts and sealing wax. So we can imagine that she didn't just use the desk for writing her novels, but also for writing letters.
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The desk was passed down the generations via Jane Austen's niece Caroline, and was placed in the care of the British Library in 1999 by Joan Austen-Leigh. In the drawer of the desk were three pairs of spectacles. Tests by Birmingham Optical show that she was long-sighted, requiring the glasses for close up work, so we can imagine her wearing them whilst writing or reading. Jane complains in one of her letters about her "weak" eyes.
Writing table
As well as having a portable writing table, Austen family tradition is that Jane wrote daily at this small table at Chawton Cottage (now Jane Austen House Museum).
The table was given to the museum in 1957, but only the table top is original. Underneath the table there was a handwritten note attached, written by Montague G. Knight, which reads: "This table was bought by Montague G. Knight of Chawton House, from a grandson of James Goodchild, who lived in Chawton village in Jane Austen's time."
James Goodchild's brother-in-law, William Littleworth, had been a servant for Mrs Austen, Jane's mother. When he became too old to work, Mrs Austen furnished a cottage for him, hence why the table claimed to be in his possession. He claimed that he often saw Jane Austen writing at the little table.
Turquoise ring
This ring is thought to have been created between 1750 and 1800, and it is not confirmed if the stone is definitely turquoise. It is thought that it could be Odontalite, which was used as a cheaper alternative to turquoise.
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The ring hit the news in 2012 when it was put up at auction by Sotheby's, having been passed down through the Austen family from Jane's sister Cassandra Austen. It was purchased by American singer, Kelly Clarkson, for over £150,000. An export ban was put on the ring to stop it leaving the country and after generous donations from the public and private funders, Jane Austen's House Museum were able to purchase the ring in 2013.
Topaz cross
The two topaz crosses were given to Jane and her sister Cassandra Austen as a gift by their youngest brother Charles. Jane wrote to her sister in May 1801 to tell her about the gifts. Charles was an officer in the Navy and bought the crosses with prize money he had won from the capture of an enemy ship. Jane included the event in her novel Mansfield Park when William Price, a sailor, gives his sister Fanny an amber cross.
We do not know exactly which of the crosses belonged to which sister. Perhaps they shared the crosses?
Locks of hair
It seems strange to us now, but at the time, people would cut off locks of their loved ones hair to keep in a locket or brooch. Cassandra did this with Jane after her death. This didn't just happen after someone's death as we see with Marianne and Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility.
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It is not clear who these pieces belonged to, but they must have held Jane close to their hearts. You can see the hair colour is different from what we picture Jane as, with brown hair.
Music book
Jane Austen was a keen pianist as well as a writer and it is said that she practiced for an hour every morning. When the family did not own a pianoforte, she would rent one.
Sheet music was expensive and so people would lend each other sheet music to copy out. Eight of Jane Austen's copied out book collections survive today.
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