Caroline Jane Knight

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Caroline Jane Knight is an English author who has written about her relative, 19th century author Jane Austen.[1][2]

Jane Austen had no children, but she lived the last decade of her life in a cottage on the estate of her brother, Edward Austen-Knight, known as Chawton. She had close relationships with her brother's children. Caroline Jane Knight is a lineal descendant of Jane Austen's brother Edward.[2]

Caroline Jane Knight grew up on the Chawton estate, until she was 17, when her grandfather's death forced its sale.[1][2]

Caroline Jane Knight founded the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation.[2]

Family history

Jane and Edward grew up in a large family.[1] Their father, a clergyman, was appointed to his parish by his wealthier cousins, of the Knight family. The Knight cousins had no children, and adopted Edward, the second oldest son in the Austen family, and made him the heir to Knight estate. Edward inherited the Knight estate in 1809. His income then was 15,000 pounds per year -- 1.5 times the 10,000 pounds per year of Mr Darcy, the wealthiest of the fictional heroes Jane Austen created.

Caroline was the youngest relative of Jane Austen to grow up on the Chawton Estate.[1][2]

Jane and Me: My Austen Heritage

Caroline Jane Knight published a memoir, Jane and Me: My Austen Heritage, in which she describes the conflict she felt over being related to Jane Austen, when she was child and young woman.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Caroline Jane Knight (2017). "Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage". Evans Family Trust. ISBN 9780648080510. https://books.google.ca/books?id=QOLaswEACAAJ&dq=%22Jane+%26+Me:+My+Austen+Heritage%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y. Retrieved 2021-08-19. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Lauren Day (2017-07-19). "Jane Austen's Australian connection". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-19/jane-austens-australian-connection/8709726. Retrieved 2021-08-19. "After leaving Chawton she went through a painful period of not wanting to talk about her past or connection to Austen."