Edward Austen

Okay.

And this new project is called "The Austen-Knights of Chawton, a Family Archive." And this is really about, I've been t- talking to you today and sharing stories and talking about the knowledge that exists in the family.

And I've ended up with a huge informal archive of photographs.

I've got, I mean, I've got hundreds of photographs of Chawton House and over the generations.

And then of course, Chawton House up, you know, the, the top of the village, the big house, that changed very little.

You know, the Austen Knight family lived there for so many years, and so little of that changed.

And then I think when you discover that in, like villages in Hampshire, they're very similar to the way they were 200 years ago in many respects.

And then when you go to Bath and you see that as a World Heritage Site, they sort of allowed it to be a bit frozen in time.

There was none that I couldn't look at, but the one that I used to run past, his portrait used to be outside my grandmother's bedroom, Edward Knight.

Edward II, Edward Austen's eldest son, changed his name to Edward Knight to inherit Chawton, hence why our name's Knight and not Austen.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Welcome to Hidden Heroines of History.

I'm your host, Gaben Powers, a published author, award-winning screenwriter, and storyteller, who brings women's history to life.

[gentle music] Caroline Jane Knight is the fifth great-niece of Jane Austen.

Following a childhood steeped in family heritage and tradition in the heart of Jane's literary legacy, Caroline shares her childhood in Chawton and her famous great aunt at events around the world, both in person and virtually, while preserving her family heritage for future generations through the Knight Family Archive.

And then we move probably, I think, to the brother without whom we'd never have the novels.

We move to Edward is the next in age.

Edward, lucky Edward, who's adopted and not legally adopted, but he is made.

Not adopted in the sense of a parent taking on a kid, but in his teenage years, he is formally made the legal heir of three vast estates, Steventon, Godmersham and Chorton.

Lucky Edward, without whom I do not think we would have the novels.

But we move forward now to Jane Austen's favourite brother, Henry.

Some people think when we meet Frank Churchill in Emma, who's a bit roguish and a bit naughty, some people think she based Frank Churchill on what is said to be her favourite brother, Henry.

But let's just talk about Anne Sharp.

My black cap was openly admired by Mrs. Lefroy, and secretly I imagine by everybody else in the room.

Poor Edward.

It is very hard that he, who has had everything else in the world that he can wish for, should not have good health too.

But I hope with the assistance of stomach complaints, faintnesses, and sicknesses, he will soon be restored to that blessing likewise.

Glad shall I be to hear that it is over.

That you are forever in our thoughts you will not doubt.

I see your mournful party in my mind's eye under every varying circumstance of the day, and in the evening especially figure to myself its sad gloom, the efforts to talk, the frequent summons to melancholy orders and cares, and poor Edward, restless in misery, going from one room to another, and perhaps not seldom upstairs, to see all that remains of his Elizabeth.

Dearest Fanny must now look upon herself as his prime source of comfort, his dearest friend, as the being who is to gradually supply to him, to the extent that is possible, what he has lost.

1799, Jane's wealthy Edward, sorry, let me start again.

1799, Jane's wealthy elder brother, Edward, was convinced that he was suffering from gout.

And so he decided that what he would do is come to Bath and and take a cure.

That is, bathe in and drink copious quantities of the naturally occurring hot mineral water.

My black cap was openly admired by Mrs. Lefroy, and secretly I imagine by everybody else in the room.

Poor Edward.

It is very hard that he, who has had everything else in the world that he can wish for, should not have good health too.

But I hope with the assistance of stomach complaints, faintnesses and sicknesses, he will soon be restored to that blessing likewise.

That you are forever in our thoughts, you will not doubt.

I see your mournful party in my mind's eye under every varying circumstance of the day, and in the evening especially figure to myself its sad gloom.

The efforts to talk, the frequent summons to melancholy orders and cares, and poor Edward, restless in misery, going from one room to another, and perhaps not seldom upstairs, to see all that remains of his Elizabeth.

Dearest Fanny must now look upon herself as his prime source of comfort, his dearest friend, as the being who is to gradually supply to him, to the extent that is possible, what he has lost.