The Gentry
Jane Austen was the daughter of a gentleman and therefore part of the gentry, which made up part of the middle class. Being part of the gentry sounds fancy and lower members of the aristocracy were included, but there were many at the lower end of the class who did not have a vast wealth.
Pride and Prejudice shows the breadth of the gentry the most with Mr Bennet earning £2000 a year to Mr Darcy who earns £10,000 a year. Elizabeth Bennet explains to Lady Catherine de Bourgh that despite their financial differences, herself and Mr Darcy were very much of the same class: "In marrying your nephew, I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter; so far we are equal"
As we know, Jane very much wrote about what she knew, and so the majority of her characters were from the gentry. Groups of gentleman who were in respectable professions, such as businessmen, army and navy officers, lawyers, doctors and clergymen of the Anglican church were considered part of the gentry.
The gentry also included those who owned land, and were known as landed gentry, of which Jane's brother Edward Knight was included. As a landholder, a gentleman would need to maintain the estate and preserve the inheritance for the next generation. There were strict inheritance laws at the time and estates would pass to the nearest male relative/child. Within the gentry there were four main titles:
Baronet - King James I created this title in 1611. The title was passed down from father to son and meant the man could be addressed as "Sir". Sir Walter Elliot is a baronet in Persuasion
Knight - this title was originally given as a military honour (as with Jane's brother Frank), but was becoming more common as a reward for service to the crown as we know it today. Sir William Lucas has a knighthood from his success in trade in Pride and Prejudice. Unlike a Baronet, a knighthood could not pass from father to son
Esquire/squire - this was an informal title given to those of the landed gentry. It was often given to the principal landowner of the area
Gentleman - as aforementioned, a man was a gentleman when he had a high rank, a good profession, and/or wealth
A gentleman was expected to be well educated, speak well, and dress well. Although we see from Mr Hirst in Pride and Prejudice that this was not always the case!
