Sustaining Members
Preserving Jane Austen’s Family Heritage for Future Generations
You’re Invited to Become a Heritage Supporter
Sustaining Members are a select group of heritage supporters who believe Jane Austen’s family legacy must be preserved.
As Jane’s fifth great-niece and this generation’s voice, I’m preserving our family’s collective knowledge of life at Chawton House. My parents, brother, aunts, uncles, and cousins—the last generations to have lived at Chawton—hold artifacts, memories, stories, and insights that exist nowhere else on earth. When our generation is gone, this unique perspective disappears forever—unless it’s preserved now.
I am also the custodian of private family artifacts, heirlooms and collections that bring people into Jane’s world.
Your support as a Sustaining Member makes this Jane Austen family heritage work possible.
Why This Matters
Chawton is the heart of Jane Austen’s literary legacy. Jane arrived in Chawton at the age of 33, an unpublished author. It was from her Chawton home that Jane enjoyed the most productive period of her writing career, writing, revising, and publishing her most famous works.
Jane Austen’s family, my family, lived at Chawton House until 1988. It is no longer the residential home of the Austen Knight family—it is open to the public and loved by people from around the world.
As the last generation of Austens to live at Chawton House, we are the keepers of irreplaceable family knowledge:
Childhood memories of life at Chawton House across different decades and experiences
Stories and history passed down through fifteen generations
Personal knowledge of family artifacts, heirlooms, and their histories preserved by multiple family members
Legends and traditions that are not documented in studied archives, kept alive through oral family history
Perspectives on Jane and her legacy that only her family can provide—each generation adding their own understanding
This heritage is time-sensitive. Without preservation now, these stories, insights, and connections will be lost to history.
This heritage is irreplaceable. No scholar, historian, or institution can provide what only Jane’s Chawton family knows.
This heritage belongs to the world. Jane Austen’s legacy touches millions—your support ensures her family’s authentic story survives.
What Your Support Makes Possible
Sustaining Members enable me to work on this critical heritage mission:
Documentation & Archiving
Digitizing family photographs from multiple generations, recording oral histories with parents, brother, aunts, uncles, and cousins while we’re still here, documenting family stories and memories across our generation before they’re lost, and creating the most comprehensive multi-generational archive possible for future researchers and Austen lovers
Sharing Our Collections
Developing exhibitions of family artifacts, heirlooms, and collections, creating opportunities for the public to experience Jane’s world through authentic family pieces, and making our heritage accessible beyond my immediate circle
Creating Intimate Experiences
Hosting gatherings in Chawton, speaking in schools and at events around the world, creating virtual events with family insights, and building meaningful connections between Janeites and Jane’s authentic world
Ongoing Research & Storytelling
Researching family archives, gathering memories from multiple family voices, verifying historical details across generations, sharing weekly articles that preserve our collective family knowledge, and creating stories and content that bring Jane’s world to life through her family’s eyes—past and present
Your support gives me the opportunity to do this work properly—preserving our heritage with care and attention, rather than letting stories slip away.
Your Sustaining Member Benefits
Exclusive Welcome Gift
A beautiful hardback edition of Pride and Prejudice personally signed by me with a note of gratitude, arriving within two weeks of joining.
Annual Chawton Gathering
Invitation to join me in Chawton each June for an intimate experience exclusively for Sustaining Members. Each year features a different gathering—perhaps afternoon drinks at The Alton House Hotel, a walk through Chawton village sharing childhood memories, or an intimate afternoon tea with my family. Always small, always special, always in the heart of Jane’s world.
This exclusive event coincides with Jane Austen Regency Week, an annual 10-day festival in Chawton and neighbouring Alton, allowing you to extend your Austen experience while you’re there.
Annual Virtual Event
Private online gathering where I share family insights, answer your questions about Jane and our heritage, and give you exclusive previews of upcoming projects and discoveries.
Heritage Supporter Recognition
Your name listed as a valued heritage supporter in our annual Austen Heritage family report, celebrating the preservation work we’ve accomplished together (with your permission, of course—you may choose to remain anonymous).
Priority Access
Advanced notice and opportunity to book new experiences, exhibitions, and special offerings before they’re announced publicly.
Full Subscription Access
Everything included in Paid subscription—weekly articles with no paywalls and complete archive access.
The Annual Austen Heritage Family Report
Each January, my family and all Sustaining Members receive our annual report highlighting:
Heritage preservation milestones achieved
Stories and memories documented
Exhibitions and speaking engagements completed
Looking ahead to the year’s preservation priorities
This transparent reporting shows exactly how your support contributes to preserving Jane’s family legacy. You’ll see the tangible results of our work together.
What Our Members Say
“Knowing I’m helping preserve Caroline’s irreplaceable memories and family stories for future generations makes this so much more meaningful than just another subscription. This is about legacy.” — Sarah Willis, Sustaining Member
Join Our Circle of Heritage Supporters
Annual Investment: $250
Your $250 annual support directly enables the preservation, documentation, and sharing of Jane Austen’s family heritage for future generations.
You’re not just subscribing to Jane Austen’s Niece content—you’re becoming a partner in cultural preservation, ensuring that Jane’s authentic family story survives and thrives beyond my lifetime.
Alternatively, you may prefer:
Free Membership - Monthly insights into Jane’s world through family stories, childhood memories at Chawton House, and glimpses from our private archives.
Paid Membership - $10/month or $100/year for weekly articles exploring Jane’s world through family stories, childhood memories at Chawton House, and rare artifacts from our private collections. Full access to complete archive of Jane Austen’s Niece articles including family recipes from our 18th-century cookbook, heirloom spotlights, and insights only Jane’s family can share. Your subscription supports ongoing heritage work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Sustaining Membership different from Paid subscription?
Paid subscribers receive weekly access to content. Sustaining Members receive everything Paid subscribers get, plus exclusive benefits (signed book, annual gatherings, recognition), and most importantly, the knowledge that your support enables the heritage preservation work that ensures this legacy survives.
Can I upgrade from Paid to Sustaining Member?
Absolutely! Many of our Sustaining Members started as Paid subscribers. Simply select Sustaining Membership and your account will be upgraded. Your welcome gift will be sent right away.
What if I can’t travel to Chawton for the June gathering?
The annual virtual event ensures every Sustaining Member worldwide has the opportunity to connect with me directly. The June gathering is a wonderful bonus for those who can attend, but it’s not the only exclusive benefit. You’ll also have your signed book, virtual event access, priority booking, and most importantly, the satisfaction of knowing you’re preserving Jane’s heritage.
Is my contribution tax-deductible?
Sustaining Membership is not tax-deductible. You are supporting the private preservation work of Jane Austen’s family.
Can I give Sustaining Membership as a gift?
Yes! Sustaining Membership makes a meaningful gift for the devoted Janeite in your life. Contact me directly and I’ll help arrange a beautiful presentation of their membership, including the signed Pride and Prejudice.
What happens when all 100 spots are filled?
When we reach 100 Sustaining Members, enrolment will close to preserve the intimate nature of this circle. I will create a waitlist for those interested in joining when a spot becomes available.
Questions?
If you have questions about Sustaining Membership or the heritage preservation work, I’d be delighted to hear from you.
Simply reply to any email from Jane Austen’s Niece, and I’ll respond personally to prospective Sustaining Members.
With warm regards and gratitude,
Caroline
Caroline Jane Knight
Jane Austen’s Fifth Great-Niece
Creator of Jane Austen’s Niece
Patron of Jane Austen Regency Week
Author of Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage
Founder & Chair, Jane Austen Literacy Foundation