Eliza de Feuillide

Eliza was born Eliza Hancock in Calcutta, India in 1761. Her mother, Jane's aunt, Philadelphia Austen, moved to India in 1752 with her dowry in search of a husband. Philadeplhia married Tysoe Saul Hancock, but after several years the couple remained childless. It is rumoured that Eliza was the natural child of her godfather Warren Hastings, who gave Eliza £10,000 trust and later became Governer General of India.

 

In 1768, Eliza and her mother returned to England, whilst Tysoe remained in India to finance them. After his death in 1775, Eliza and her mother moved to Paris, France a few years later where living expenses were significantly cheaper. Though they were fortunate and attended Royal events during this time. At the age of 20, Eliza married Jean-François Capot de Feuillide, who later became a French Count making Eliza Comtesse de Feuillide.

 

Eliza visited the Austen family at Steventon in 1786, with her mother and newborn son Hastings (presumably named in honour of her godfather). Jane was just 11 on this visit. Despite being 10 years her junior, Eliza became close with Henry Austen and is said to have flirted constantly with him. Eliza returned permanently to England in 1790 with her mother and son after the outbreak of the French Revolution. Sadly Eliza's husband remained behind and was guillotined in 1794.  

 

Eliza was close to Jane and wrote to her often as she was based in London. Jane dedicated her book Love and Friendship (included in her Juvenilia) to Eliza. In 1797, Eliza married Henry Austen, though the two had no children. It is assumed that Eliza convinced Henry to go into banking, dissuading him from following in his father's footsteps.

 

Jane remained close to Eliza and was present at her bedside when she died in 1813. She suffered from a long illness and Jane visited regularly in her final years to assist with nursing.

 

Anna Austen 

Daughter of Jane's eldest brother James, Anna was close to Jane and was keen on writing herself. Anna stayed with Jane and Cassandra at Steventon for two years until her father remarried. Jane and Anna wrote to each other often, and Jane offered Anna advice on life and love.

 

Anna became attached to the Lefroy family when she married Tom Lefroy's cousin Benjamin in 1814. There is no record of Jane's opinion of the match, but she visited them often so it is thought she approved.  

 

Although Anna did not achieve the fame of her aunt, she was an accomplished writer and published the novella Mary Hamilton and two children's books The Winter's Tale and Springtide. She tried to complete Jane's unfinished novel Sanditon but was unable to.

 

Anna wrote a letter of her memories of her aunt Jane for Edward Austen-Leigh's memoir. Anna described Jane as having a tall, elegant figure and a quick firm step. Anna also gave her description of Jane's appearance:

 

“Her complexion of that rather rare sort which seems the peculiar property of light brunettes. A mottled skin, not fair, but perfectly clear & healthy in hue; the fine naturally curling hair, neither light nor dark; the bright hazel eyes to match, & the rather small but well shaped nose.”

 

Fanny Austen

Fanny Austen, born in 1793, was the eldest daughter of Edward Knight (Austen). She was another of Jane's favourite nieces and the two were close. Jane thought of her as "almost another sister". Jane dedicated several of her Juvenilia to Fanny.

 

After the death of Fanny's mother, Jane and Cassandra became more involved in the lives of their nephews and nieces. Cassandra in particular spent a lot of time with the family (the watercolour of Fanny to the right is by Cassandra) and in a letter from Jane to Cassandra, she advised that Fanny should provide comfort for her father and take on the role of her mother.

 

As with Anna, Jane wrote to Fanny often and gave her advice on love and life. When Edward inherited Chawton and Jane moved to Chawton cottage, the two were able to deepen their intimacy. Sadly Jane died before she could see Fanny marry in 1820 to Sir Edward Knatchbull, 9th Baronet, a widower several years older than herself, with six children. Fanny went on to have nine children herself.

 

Although Jane and Fanny were considered close, Fanny did write an unfavourable account of Jane in a letter to her sister Margaret:

 

Yes my love it is very true that Aunt Jane from various circumstances was not so refined as she ought to have been from her talent, and if she had lived fifty years later she would have been in many respects more suitable to our more refined tastes. They were not rich & the people around with whom they chiefly mixed, were not at all high bred, or in short anything more than mediocre & they of course tho’ superior in mental powers & cultivation were on the same level as far as refinement goes–but I think in later life their intercourse with Mrs. Knight (who was very fond & kind to them) improved them both & Aunt Jane was too clever not to put aside all possible signs of ‘common-ness’ (if such an expression is allowable) & teach herself to be more refined at least in intercourse with people in general. Both the aunts (Cassandra and Jane) were brought up in the most complete ignorance of the World & its ways (I mean as to fashion etc.) & if it had not been for Papa’s marriage which brought them into Kent, & the kindness of Mrs. Knight, who used often to have one or other of the sisters staying with her, they would have been, tho’ not less clever and agreeable in themselves, very much below par as to good society and its ways. If you hate all this I beg yr’ pardon, but I felt it at my pen’s end & it chose to come along & speak the truth.