Jane Austen Quote of the Week 165

This week's quote in honor of Jon Spence comes from "A Century of Wills from Jane Austen's Family 1705-1806" with introductions by Jon Spence.

From his introduction for Jane Leigh (born Walker) (1704-1768), Maternal grandmother of Jane Austen:

After Jane Walker's death [the maternal grandmother of our Jane Austen], her daughter Cassandra (by this time married to George Austen) [mother of our Jane Austen] purchased £3350 in South Sea Securities, which we may assume represents Cassandra's [our Jane Austen's mother] share of her mother's estate.

I have tried to simplify the complexity by adding information in brackets [] due to so many of the family having the same name.

What is interesting is to learn that Jane's mother did have some income/property. I am beginning to think that they were not all that desperately poor. Another interesting fact to discover is what exactly are "South Sea Securities". If anyone can shed more light on this subject, please do.

Linda the Librarian

Pic: Mrs Austen (Julie Walters) and Mr Austen (James Cromwell) in Becoming Jane (2007)

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 164

This week's quote is from "Jane Austen's Brother Abroad" edited by Jon Spence and in Jon's honor. It is from Jon's introduction where he says:

I have implied here that the Jane Austen Society of Australia has decided to publish Edward's journals because he was Jane Austen's brother and assumed that admirers of Jane Austen would be curious to know more about him. In annotating the journals this assumption has been my guide; Historians and social historians might find interest in who Edward met, what he ate, where he stayed, how he travelled; art historians in what works of art he saw (and liked) and where he saw them; scholars with a special interest in the Grand tour in all the details of his time abroad; economists in what he paid.

And Jon was quite correct. We are interested in all those things. That is a very good reason to be grateful for all his editing work to get the Grand Tour published. Thank you dear Jon.

Linda the Librarian

Pic: Edward Austen Knight, from Jane Austen's World

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 163

In honor of Jon Spence, this week's quote is from "Becoming Jane Austen" in Chapter 4 where he is discussing Jane's story in her Juvenilia named "Evelyn":

'Evelyn' is dedicated to Mary Lloyd, who with her widowed mother and elder sister Martha had been living at Deane parsonage since 1789. The hyperbolic graciousness of the Webb family in the story seems to be Jane's unsentimental, satirical way of thanking the Lloyds for their kindness to her at Deane.

This passage is especially interesting to me for Jane's use of the surname 'Webb' because that happens to be my maiden name. Jane also uses that name in Pride and Prejudice when she write of the "Miss Webbs". Because Jon mentions the Webb family, I went in search of the story 'Evelyn' since it was not in the paperback I have of the juvenilia. I did find it on line here: Evelyn

This nugget of information illustrates to me that we can never be sure of what treasure awaits us in some book or other.

Linda the Librarian

Pic: cover to 'Becoming Jane Austen' by Jon Spence

Jane Austen Quote of the Week 162

Jon Hunter Spence born July 30, 1945, died June 20, 2011.

In tribute to Jon Spence, who wrote the biography "Becoming Jane Austen" we wish to dedicate our August quotes to him and his Jane Austen works. His book was the inspiration for the movie and this web site. We are saddened to learn of his passing and extend our condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed in the world of all things 'Jane Austen'.
You may read about him in the following two newspaper articles:

The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) and The Telegraph (London)

I was surprised and touched to learn that he and I are of almost the same age and are (US) Southerners which renders a feeling of 'kinship'. Also, he received an MA from Tulane University in New Orleans and I spent 4 years working in New Orleans many years ago. It's an awesome feeling to find that you have something in common with someone so accomplished.

May he rest in peace.

In honor of him, this week's quote is from "Becoming Jane Austen" in Chapter 4 where he is discussing Jane's story in her Juvenilia named "Evelyn":

'Evelyn' is dedicated to Mary Lloyd, who with her widowed mother and elder sister Martha had been living at Deane parsonage since 1789. The hyperbolic graciousness of the Webb family in the story seems to be Jane's unsentimental, satirical way of thanking the Lloyds for their kindness to her at Deane.

This passage is especially interesting to me for Jane's use of the surname 'Webb' because that happens to be my maiden name. Jane also uses that name in Pride and Prejudice when she write of the "Miss Webbs". Because Jon mentions the Webb family, I went in search of the story 'Evelyn' since it was not in the paperback I have of the juvenilia. I did find it on line here:

Evelyn

This nugget of information illustrates to me that we can never be sure of what treasure awaits us in some book or other.

Linda the Librarian

Pic: Jane Austen Evelyn

Rest in Peace, Jon Spence...

I cannot believe my eyes when I read Linda's email (dated two days ago but I didn't read it until just now).

Jon Spence, author of 'Becoming Jane Austen', the basic literature source for Becoming Jane the movie, had died at the end of July 2011. Forgive us for not knowing this earlier.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/austen-expert-the-best-of-company-20110729-1i4c1.html

The article stated that Mr Spence took his own life. While we will never know what actually happened, we thank Mr Spence for his ideas and thoughts that shaped our current knowledge about Jane Austen, and Tom Lefroy.

In all honesty, I don't think this site would exist without Jon spending his days and nights writing Becoming Jane Austen. In many ways, we owe him a lot.

Rest in peace, Jon...

Pic: Jon Spence, from the Sydney Morning Herald