Jane lived at what is now Jane Austen’s House Museum for the last eight years of her life. She moved here in 1809 with her mother, sister Cassandra and friend Martha Lloyd after a period spent living in lodgings. The house was owned by Jane’s brother Edward, who had been adopted by the wealthy Knight family and had since inherited the Chawton Estate. The house – a 17th century building – was offered to the women rent-free for life.
In May 1817, after a period of ill health, Jane Austen left the village to seek medical treatment in Winchester. She died two months later on 18 July 1817. Jane’s mother and sister continued to live at the house for the rest of their lives. In 1845 the house was split into three dwellings to provide homes for staff on the Chawton estate and the building remained in this state until it was put up for sale in 1947.
- Client: The Poetry Business
- Date of Completion: 2017
- URL: http://poetrybusiness.co.uk