Austen and her family were part of what is often referred to as the \u2018pseudo- gentry\u2019. While they had connections to wealthier families and established gentry, their own financial status was sometimes unstable. Austen\u2019s brother Edward was adopted by a wealthy childless couple, the Knights, who owned the Chawton estate in Hampshire, and the two sisters didn\u2019t have large marriage dowries, which were important during the Regency period. So, although the family wasn\u2019t impoverished, money was occasionally a concern. But Austen enjoyed an artistically and culturally rich life, with access to her father\u2019s extensive library of over 300 books, and she and her siblings were encouraged to read widely. Her early writings, known as her juvenilia<\/em>, offer an interesting reflection of the society in which she mixed, with its expectations for women, concerns about financial stability, and the role of marriage as a tool for security.<\/p>\n Marriage during the late 18th and early 19th centuries was a complex affair. Although marriage for love was becoming more common, many married for stability, and some, especially the upper classes, married to guard their fortunes and assets, and to strengthen political alliances. In Austen\u2019s six published novels, she presents a variety of these concerns; we see romance, but it often comes with caveats. While I can\u2019t claim to know the marriage patterns of everyone during this period, it\u2019s safe to say that unions between different strata of the upper class \u2013 as with Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice<\/em> \u2013 did happen, albeit with much consideration given to dowries, connections, and other factors. There were also several real-life cases of people marrying between completely different classes, including Emma Hamilton, who rose from humble beginnings to marry wealthy collector William Hamilton and then went on to have an affair with Lord Nelson. So, societal boundaries were fluid, depending on the right circumstances.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n If we consider inflation alone, Mr Darcy\u2019s wealth today would be around \u00a31m a year. But if we look at it in terms of the assets that he owned, I\u2019ve seen research suggesting that his wealth would be equivalent to about \u00a312m annually, so it\u2019s no wonder Mrs Bennet thinks that he would be a good catch for her daughters!<\/p>\n In general, I think people had a fair understanding of others\u2019 wealth. They may not have known all the assets someone possessed, but would have had a good idea. As demonstrated by the period drama Bridgerton, for instance, we can see that wealth was often discussed through scandal sheets and gossip, which would have definitely played a part in public knowledge about an individual\u2019s wealth, including the properties they claimed to own.<\/p>\n Furthermore, there were situations where people were thought to be wealthy, but were actually just managing their assets discreetly. We see this exemplified in Austen\u2019s Persuasion<\/em>, where Sir Walter Eliot, a spendthrift, has exhausted all his funds at Kellynch Hall, forcing him to rent it out. Yet he continues to rely on his status as a baronet to maintain appearances. It\u2019s also important to note as well that a great deal of wealth was derived from land ownership at this time.<\/p>\n Austen\u2019s writing often features women in situations similar to her own \u2013 or those who are slightly more affluent \u2013 as these were the circles she was familiar with and operated within. In Mansfield Park<\/em>, we get a brief glimpse of the lower classes through Fanny Price\u2019s family, which is significantly less well-off than the wealthy Bertrams who adopt her. Portsmouth\u2019s living conditions, particularly the Prices\u2019 overcrowded house, are a stark contrast to Austen\u2019s own environment. Similarly, in Emma<\/em>, we meet Harriet Smith, a girl of uncertain parentage whose schooling is funded by a benefactor.<\/p>\n Although such glimpses are rare, they provide fascinating insights into the lives of the lower classes. And while such lives may have been more labour-intensive, there is no reason to suggest that they were any less fulfilling. In fact, women from these parts of society would have likely had more personal freedom and opportunities to earn their own income and engage in different professions. They would have also been less restricted by property-related constraints.<\/p>\n Although Austen died just over a century before (some) British women got the vote in 1918, women\u2019s rightswere already under discussion. During Austen\u2019s own lifetime, we see the publication of influential works by Mary Wollstonecraft, including A Vindication of the Rights of Woman<\/em> and Thoughts on the Education of Daughters<\/em>, the latter being published in 1787. And there was a surge of discourse about women\u2019s rights during this period, which emerged from the intellectual era known as the Enlightenment, generally regarded as spanning the 18th century.<\/p>\n A growing number of thinkers began to contemplate women\u2019s knowledge, their potential for learning, and their possible roles in society, and these discussions led to a variety of intriguing opinions, too numerous to encapsulate here. The crucial point, though, is the increased volume of writing focusing on women during this period. Many of these texts resonate with our contemporary understandings, which perhaps explains why figures like Wollstonecraft remain respected in the history of women\u2019s writing. Her advocacy for equality, urging women to recognise and demand equal standing, is timeless. Mapping Jane Austen\u2019s life against this historical backdrop makes her journey through these transformative 41 years all the more intriguing.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I think it largely depended on the circles in which these individuals moved, but there were several very well respected female authors during this period. As I\u2019ve mentioned earlier, Mary Wollstonecraft was one, but Austen herself was also a great admirer of the satirical novelist Frances Burney \u2013 we even find Austen\u2019s name on the subscription list of one of Burney\u2019s novels \u2013 and she was also a big fan of Ann Radcliffe, who helped pioneer the genre of Gothic fiction.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to mention the \u2018Bluestockings\u2019 in this context \u2013 an 18th-century circle of female writers, artists and thinkers led by an aristocratic woman named Elizabeth Montagu. They received considerable acclaim, despite the inevitable controversy that sometimes surrounded women who led in such pursuits.<\/p>\n A testament to the recognition of the Bluestockings is a 1777 print by the English artist Richard Samuel, known as The Nine Living Muses of Great Britain, <\/em>which celebrates its nine female subjects for their intellectual prowess and gives us a surprisingly pleasant glimpse into contemporary attitudes towards women\u2019s achievements during this period.<\/p>\n Today, Bath is most commonly associated with the Romans \u2013 and Jane Austen. However, considering her lack of literary output during her time there, it\u2019s clear that Austen\u2019s stay in Bath was a period of highs and lows. Austen\u2019s time in Bath followed 25 years of happiness in Steventon, and it was during her stay in the city that her father passed away. She likely had a complex relationship with the city, primarily because it was the backdrop for some of her life\u2019s most significant sorrows and, as a creative individual, the marked decrease in her literary output whilstin Bath serves as a telling indicator of her state of mind.<\/p>\n Ill-health and consequent periods of confinement meant that Austen likely had ample time to write, and I believe \u2013 though this is merely speculation on my part \u2013 that her struggles with poor health might well have instilled in her a renewed sense of purpose and determination in her work.<\/p>\n It\u2019s commonly believed that Austen had Addison\u2019s disease [a rare disorder of the adrenal glands], a condition that is now considerably more treatable and manageable. Back then, however, without a proper diagnosis, her health challenges remained largely a mystery. This may have given her a heightened awareness of her aspirations and what she wanted to achieve, while at the same time making her conscious of her physical limitations.<\/p>\n Interestingly, we find instances of illness, often with a comedic twist, in her novels as well. The depiction of Mrs Bennet with her dramatic bouts of ill heath, nerves and hypochondria come to mind, suggesting that Austen managed to retain a sense of positivity despite her personal struggles.<\/p>\n Regency culture, with Dr Lizzie Rogers \u2013 watching time 12 mins<\/p>\n Becoming Jane Austen<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 reading time 4 mins<\/p>\n The Romantics: everything you wanted to know<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 listening time 39 mins<\/p>\n Mary Shelley\u2019s Frankenstein: the birth of a gothic monster<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 reading time 6 mins<\/p>\n How to survive a Regency marriage<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 reading time 7 mins<\/p>\n![\"HistoryExtra](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/HEXAcademy-Call-to-Action-4f473a5.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"HistoryExtra")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><\/a><\/p>\nWhat was the Austen family\u2019s position in Regency society?<\/h3>\n
Although marriage for love was becoming more common, many married for stability <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
What can Austen\u2019s work tell us about Regency attitudes towards marriage?<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/GettyImages-1431005378-7d212f4.jpg?quality=90&resize=293%2C413\" "\\"Mr")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>In Pride and Prejudice<\/em>, Mrs Bennet claims Mr Darcy has an income of \u00a310,000 a year. How aware were people of others\u2019 wealth?<\/h3>\n
What would life have been like for the lower classes in this period?<\/h3>\n
What were women\u2019s rights like at this time?<\/h3>\n
![\"Writer](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/GettyImages-515867696-569f31b-1.jpg?quality=90&resize=332%2C413\" "\\"Mary")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>Were female writers accepted and respected?<\/h3>\n
Austen\u2019s struggles with poor health may have instilled a renewed sense of purpose in her work <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
It\u2019s been suggested that, in Persuasion<\/em>, Anne Elliot\u2019s negative opinion of Bath reflects Austen\u2019s own views on the city. Is this the case?<\/h3>\n
What impact did Austen\u2019s ill-health have on her writing?<\/h3>\n
Explore more content from week two of our Regency course:<\/h4>\n
![\"HEXA](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/HEXA-Regency-Sq-c069802.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556\" "\\"HEXA")
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