Jane Austen's Niece Weekly Stories
Jane Austen's untold family stories and secrets — from her Chawton home
This is the only place where Jane Austen's living family share stories, memories and insights that exist nowhere else.
I’m Caroline Jane Knight, Jane Austen’s fifth great-niece and the last of her nieces to grow up at Chawton House on my family’s ancestral estate where Jane herself lived, wrote, and published her most beloved works.
For the first eighteen years of my life, I was immersed in Jane’s world. Not through academic study or research, but by living it. I ran through the same halls Jane knew, sat at the very table where she dined, and ate from the same Wedgwood dinner service she accompanied her brother Edward Austen Knight, my fourth great grandfather, to select in 1813. I browsed the family library of books, explored the gardens that inspired her novels, and listened to the stories passed down through generations about “Great Aunt Jane.”
All summer long I watched countless visitors’ eyes light up as they visited Jane Austen’s House in the village and then stepped into our ancestral home, Chawton House, feeling Jane Austen’s world come alive around them.
This is where I share the family stories, memories, photographs, artifacts and insights from Jane Austen's living family that you won't find anywhere else.
What You’ll Discover Here
Every week I share what only Jane's Chawton family can tell you:
Family Stories & Life at Chawton: Personal stories and memories passed down through generations of Jane Austen’s family — my childhood at Chawton House, the rooms Jane knew, the gardens, the traditions, and the knowledge only her living family holds.
Jane Austen Fact or Fiction: Deep dives into the big questions about Jane — Was Tom Lefroy really the love of her life? What did Jane actually look like? Drawing on family records, the historical evidence, the latest Austen research and my own family knowledge, I separate truth from myth and tell you what I think.
Heritage & Heirlooms: The Wedgwood dinner service Jane ate from, the Knight Family Cookbook, family photographs and private artifacts — each with a story from Jane’s family that exists nowhere else.
From the Archive: New discoveries, previously unseen photographs, family memories as I gather them, and glimpses into the preservation work as it unfolds — bringing the Austen Knights of Chawton Family Archive to life.
Inside Jane’s World: Behind the scenes at Jane Austen Regency Week, my Chawton Tours, international speaking events and exclusive Austen gatherings — sharing the living world that Jane’s legacy has created.
Whether you’re a devoted Janeite or just discovering Austen’s world through her family, there’s a subscription or membership tier designed for you.
Choose from free monthly insights, exclusive weekly stories, or join our circle of Sustaining Members preserving this Jane Austen family heritage for future generations.
A Bit About Me
I am the luckiest person I know.
While the family fortune had depleted long before I was born, growing up at Chawton House was a privilege beyond measure. My childhood was spent surrounded by Jane’s world—her rooms, her landscapes, her books, her very table settings.
From my earliest memories, I watched thousands of visitors make their pilgrimage to Jane Austen’s House in our village. Working in the tearoom my grandmother ran from the Great Hall, I met Jane Austen enthusiasts from every corner of the world and witnessed her profound impact on humanity.
At eighteen, inspired by Jane’s spirit of independence, I left Chawton to build my own path and built a career as a marketing executive and CEO leading organizations globally.
In 2013, the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice brought me home to Jane’s legacy. I founded the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation (where I serve as Founder & Chair), wrote my memoir Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage, became Patron of Jane Austen Regency Week, and dedicated myself to sharing our family heritage in ways only I can.
Since 2017, I have been sharing my Austen family heritage at events around the world. Now I'm inviting you to discover Jane and her family's true story with me here at Jane Austen's Niece.
Why This Work Matters
We’re the last of Jane’s family descendants to grow up at Chawton House. The memories my family and I carry—of dining from the same Wedgwood service as Jane, hearing family stories passed down through fifteen generations, walking the same rooms and gardens that shaped her novels—are irreplaceable.
When we’re gone, these family insights disappear forever unless they’re preserved now.
Your subscription supports more than weekly articles. It enables vital heritage work: digitizing family photographs and documents, developing exhibitions of family artifacts, documenting oral histories before they’re lost, and ensuring Jane’s authentic family story survives for future generations.
This isn’t just about enjoying Jane Austen today—it’s about preserving her family’s legacy for tomorrow.
Step into Jane’s World
Free Subscription
Monthly insights into Jane’s world through family stories, childhood memories at Chawton House, and glimpses from our private archives.
Members/Paid Subscription - US$10/month or US$100/year
Weekly exclusive articles exploring Jane’s world through family stories, childhood memories at Chawton House, and rare artifacts from our private collection.
Full access to the last six months of Jane Austen's Niece articles — a rolling archive of my Weekly Stories, including the stories I am documenting for the Austen Knights of Chawton Family Archive.
Discover the truth about Jane Austen and Chawton home while supporting vital heritage preservation.
Sustaining Members - US$250/year
Preserving heritage for future generations.
Sustaining Members are cultural heritage supporters who make it possible to preserve Jane Austen’s family legacy for generations to come. As the last generation to grow up at Chawton House, my family and I hold irreplaceable memories and stories that will be lost when we’re gone.
In addition to everything in paid membership, your support includes exclusive benefits, annual gatherings (in Chawton and virtually), heritage supporter recognition, and the knowledge that you’re preserving an irreplaceable cultural legacy.
For more information about how you can help save Jane Austen’s family heritage for future generations, click here:
Choose Your Membership:
Free subscribers receive monthly insights. Paid subscribers get weekly exclusive access. Sustaining Members preserve heritage for future generations.
What Readers Say
“Caroline’s gift for storytelling makes each post a delight. She transports you through vivid family memories and anecdotes. Her childhood at Chawton and family artifacts bring Jane’s world to life in a way only someone who grew up in it could.” — Elizabeth M., Paid Subscriber
“The way Caroline weaves family stories with historical context brings Jane Austen to life in a way no biography ever could. This is the closest I’ll ever come to meeting Jane herself.” — Rachel R., Paid Subscriber
“As a lifelong Janeite, I thought I understood Jane Austen. Then I discovered Caroline and realized I was missing the living family perspective. I don’t just learn about Jane—I feel connected to her through her family and proud to support the preservation of their heritage.” — Sarah L., Sustaining Member
Welcome To The Family
Whether you’re a devoted Janeite or just discovering Austen’s world, you’ll find a warm welcome here.
This is an invitation to discover Jane and her family's true story—as only they can tell it.
I'm delighted you've found your way here.
Start with a free subscription or dive deeper with full access to my weekly stories.
With warm regards,
Caroline
