Jane Austen's London
Jane's brother Henry lived for a time in London when he became a banker, and we know that Jane did visit Henry whilst he was there. She also visited the Prince Regent's library at Carlton House on invitation. Steventon and Chawton, the two homes where Jane lived for most of her lifetime, were not a great distance from London so it wasn't too far for her to travel.
Jane visited Henry and his wife Eliza in London in 1808 at St Michael's Place, Brompton, which she described as cramped. She also visited Henry whilst he lived at 64 Sloane Street in 1811, which was a more fashionable home. The front of the building is unrecognisable from when Jane visited, but the core of the house is the same as when it was built in 1790. The area is also vastly different from the time, as it was less urban than today. Eliza liked to throw parties at Sloane Street, and Jane liked to visit the theatre and shopping on her visits as well. She published Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility on her visits, so they were not just social visits. Henry assisted his sister in publishing her manuscripts. Her publisher was based in the fashionable area of Mayfair where the fashionable dandy Beau Brummell lived.
When Eliza died in 1813, Henry moved briefly above the bank at 10 Henrietta Street before later moving to 23 Hans Place. Jane visited Henry at both, not only keeping him company but also publishing Mansfield Park in 1814 and Emma in 1815. Unfortunately Henry became ill during Jane's visit between October and December, but it was through his attending apothecary that Jane ended up being invited to visit the Prince Regent's library. No further visits are recorded by Jane after her visit in winter 1815.
It is clear from Jane's novels that she was able to see or knew much of London. To find out more about the London Jane would have known, this is a great detailed blog: http://janeaustenslondon.com/.
