Remembering Jane Austen: 208 Years After Her Death, Her Legacy Lives On
On this day 208 years ago we lost Jane, but her legacy keeps giving
Hello my friends,
Today marks 208 years since we lost Jane Austen. On 18th July 1817, at just 41 years old, the woman who would become one of literature's most beloved voices drew her final breath in a modest lodging house at 8 College Street, Winchester. Though her life was cut tragically short, the ripples of her legacy continue to touch hearts around the world.
The spring of 1817 found Jane increasingly unwell, though she continued writing with characteristic determination. Her health had been declining for months (we are not certain of her illness) but she persevered with her final novel, Sanditon, until just weeks before her death.
By May 1817, it became clear that Jane needed medical attention beyond what could be provided at home in Chawton. She made the decision to travel to Winchester, where she could be under the care of Giles King Lyford, a respected surgeon. On 24th May, Jane and her devoted sister Cassandra took lodgings at 8 College Street, a simple terraced house just yards from Winchester Cathedral.
Those final weeks were marked by both suffering and grace. Jane's letters from Winchester reveal her enduring wit and concern for others, even as her strength ebbed away. She wrote to her nephew James Edward, "I will not boast of my handwriting; neither that, nor my face have yet recovered their proper beauty."
On 18th July 1817, Jane Austen slipped away peacefully in the early hours of the morning, with Cassandra by her side. She was buried in Winchester Cathedral six days later, though the inscription on her tomb made no mention of her literary achievements.
A brass plaque recognising Jane as the author of her novels was installed in Winchester cathedral over 50 years later, with some of the proceeds of James Edward Austen Leigh’s A Memoir of Jane Austen.
In this remarkable 250th birthday year, Winchester College has opened 8 College Street to visitors for a limited time, giving us a rare opportunity to stand in the very room where Jane spent her final weeks. The house itself is modest, much as it would have been in Jane's time.
Jane's death has been marked by significant commemorations over the years, each generation finding new ways to honour her memory. The 150th anniversary in 1967 brought special tributes, including the issue of a commemorative envelope by the Jane Austen Commemoration Committee. One of these envelopes was posted to my grandfather at Chawton House, on my family’s ancestral estate where Jane herself lived and wrote, addressed simply to "Edward Knight Esq, Chawton House, Alton, Hampshire."
For years, this piece of family history had vanished from our possession. I had never seen it, never even known of its existence. But, after reading my book Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage, particularly the chapters about my distant relationship with my grandfather despite our sharing the same home, and my regret at not having a deeper connection with him, historian and collector Hazel Mills did something wonderful. For years, Hazel has scoured charity shops, dealers, and specialist fairs, collecting Austen-related books and memorabilia. When she found this 1967 commemorative envelope addressed to my grandfather, she bought it to add to her collection.
One day, without warning or fanfare, it simply arrived in my post. No advance notice, just Hazel's conviction that this piece of my family's history should be with me. Her accompanying note was simple: she knew I had to have it.
I was overwhelmed by her generosity and the profound thoughtfulness of her gift. Here was a tangible connection to my grandfather.
The 200th anniversary of Jane's death in 2017 brought an unprecedented celebration of her life and work. Television programs, documentaries, articles, and events filled the year, introducing Jane to new generations while deepening the appreciation of longtime devotees. It was the year I published Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage, adding my own family's record of Chawton, Jane and her legacy.
As we mark this anniversary in Jane's 250th year, her influence continues to ripple outward in ways she could never have imagined. From the scholar who spends years collecting memorabilia to ensure it reaches the right hands, to the millions of readers who find comfort and wisdom in her pages, to the visitors who make pilgrimages to Winchester and Chawton to walk in her footsteps.
Jane Austen died young, but she did not die forgotten. And 208 years later, her legacy is more vibrant than ever creating connections, inspiring generosity, and reminding us all that the best of human nature is worth celebrating, preserving, and sharing.
Today, as we remember the woman we lost on 18th July 1817, we also celebrate everything she gave us that can never be lost: stories that endure, characters who feel like family, and the assurance that wit, wisdom, and love will always triumph in the end.
Caroline
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I am going to visit College Street in August
A spirit so rare.