Her Life
Forty-one years, eight of them in print. Austen's life looks quiet on paper — Hampshire, Bath, Southampton, Chawton — and was anything but quiet on the page. Start with the biography, or go straight to the questions everyone asks.
How Did Jane Austen Die?
Jane Austen died on 18 July 1817 in Winchester, England, at age 41. The exact cause remains debated: Addison's disease is the classic theory, with Hodgkin lymphoma and disseminated tuberculosis as leading alternatives. She was buried in Winchester Cathedral, her gravestone famously silent about her novels.
Jane Austen's Family: Parents, Siblings & Family Tree
Jane Austen was the seventh of eight children born to Rev. George Austen and Cassandra Leigh Austen. Her closest companion was her only sister, Cassandra; her brothers included a naval admiral, a banker, a country squire, and the clergyman who first revealed her authorship after her death.
Jane Austen Timeline: A Life in Dates (1775–1817)
A complete timeline of Jane Austen's life, from her birth at Steventon in 1775 to her death at Winchester in 1817 — including her schooling, the marriage proposal she refused, the moves through Bath and Southampton to Chawton, and the year-by-year publication of all six novels, four in her lifetime and two after her death.
What Did Jane Austen Look Like? Every Known Portrait
No portrait of Jane Austen was painted from life except a small, unfinished sketch by her sister Cassandra around 1810. Every other image — the 1870 "Victorianized" engraving, the Rice Portrait, waxworks, and banknote design — is a later artist's interpretation, not a documented likeness.
Where Did Jane Austen Live? Every Home, from Steventon to Winchester
Jane Austen was born at Steventon rectory in Hampshire in 1775 and lived there for 25 years, then moved through Bath, Southampton, and finally Chawton — where she wrote or revised all six novels — before dying at Winchester in 1817. Two of her homes survive and can be visited today.
Who Was Jane Austen? A Life in Brief
Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist whose six novels of manners — including Pride and Prejudice and Emma — reinvented the domestic novel. Published anonymously in her lifetime, she is now recognized as one of the greatest writers in the English language.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Jane Austen?
Jane Austen (1775–1817) was an English novelist whose six novels — including Pride and Prejudice and Emma — pioneered the modern novel of manners and remain among the most read books in English.
Did Jane Austen ever marry?
No. She accepted a proposal from Harris Bigg-Wither in December 1802 and withdrew her acceptance the next morning. She remained unmarried, living with her sister Cassandra.
When and where was Jane Austen born?
She was born on 16 December 1775 in the rectory at Steventon, Hampshire, the seventh of eight children of Rev. George Austen and Cassandra Leigh Austen.