Edward Austen Knight

Edward was born in Deane, Hampshire, the third of eight children born to Rev. George Austen and Cassandra Leigh. He had five brothers: James (1765–1819), George (1766–1838), Henry Thomas (1771–1850), Francis William (Frank) (1774–1865), Charles John (1779–1852), and two sisters, Cassandra and Jane Austen.

He married Elizabeth Bridges (1773–1808), daughter of Sir Brook Bridges, 3rd Baronet on 27 December 1791, and together they had eleven children:[http://genealogy.links.org/links-cgi/readged?/home/ben/camilla-genealogy/current+c-knight58005+2-2-0-1-0 Genealogy Links][https://archive.org/stream/chawtonmanoritso00austuoft/chawtonmanoritso00austuoft_djvu.txt Chawton Manor and its owners: a family history p.172]

• Fanny Catherine (1793–1882) (one of Jane Austen's favourite nieces[http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janelife.html#janesibl Republic of Pemberly])
• Edward (1794–1879)
• George Thomas (1795–1867)
• Henry (1797–1843)
• Reverend William (1798–1873)
• Elizabeth (1800–1884), who married Edward Royd Rice, had issue Fanny, Countess of Winchilsea
• Marianne (1801–1896)
• Charles (1803–1867)
• Louisa (1804–1889), second wife of Lord George Hill
• Cassandra Jane (1806–1842), first wife of Lord George Hill
• Brook John (1808–1878)

For a period, some of Edward and Elizabeth's children were taught by a governess, Anne Sharp, who became a close friend of Edward's sister Jane. Though she was with the family for only two years, Jane Austen remained in touch with Anne and referred to her as "an excellent kind friend".{{cite book|title=The Real Jane Austen|author=Paula Byrne|publisher=William Collins|ISBN=9780007358342|year=2013|page=260}}

File:EdwardAustenPresentation.gif

When Edward was twelve years old he was presented to Thomas and Catherine Knight, who were relatives of his father and were wealthy.[http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/edward-austen-knight-a-tightwad-or-a-man-with-heavy-responsibilities/ Jane Austen World] Thomas had given George Austen the living at Steventon in 1761.[http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/explore/items/jane-austen-steventon Victoria Country History] They were childless and took an interest in Edward, making him their legal heir in about 1783.{{Cite web |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/auden/cgi-bin/auden/individual.php?pid=I21385&ged=auden-bicknell.ged |title=Stanford WH Auden Family Ghosts |access-date=25 November 2012 |archive-date=21 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021023701/http://www.stanford.edu/group/auden/cgi-bin/auden/individual.php?pid=I21385&ged=auden-bicknell.ged |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://famous.adoption.com/famous/knight-edward-austen.html |title=Famous Adoptions |access-date=25 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911115500/http://famous.adoption.com/famous/knight-edward-austen.html |archive-date=11 September 2017 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}[https://books.google.com/books?id=U_CvyAF3ko4C&dq=%22Edward+Austen%22+%22Thomas+Knight%22&pg=PA444 John Burke A genealogical and heraldic history of the commoners of Great Britain]

The Knights paid for Edward to go on a Grand Tour when he was 18 years old, and he recorded many of his experiences in his Journals.[http://www.jasna.org/bookrev/br213p24.html Jane Austen Society of North America] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729034053/http://www.jasna.org/bookrev/br213p24.html |date=29 July 2012 }} These have been edited by Jon Hunter Spence and published by the Jane Austen Society of Australia in 2004.[https://books.google.com/books?id=qsT2AQAACAAJ Google books]

File:Godmersham Hall - geograph.org.uk - 407850.jpg, Kent]]

When Thomas died in 1794 he left the Godmersham Park estate to his wife for her life, with the remainder going to Edward. She left Godmersham before her death to move to Canterbury, and gave up the estates to Edward.[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63421 British History Online]

Edward inherited three estates from Thomas Knight, in Steventon, Chawton and Godmersham (which included a manor at Wittersham). The libraries from these estates were used extensively by Jane Austen.[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Edward+Austen+Knight%27s+Godmersham+Library+and+Jane+Austen%27s+Emma.%28AGM...-a0179934391 The Free Library] When war broke out with France, Edward raised and was appointed Captain of the Godmersham and Molash Company of the East Kent Volunteers.Le Faye, Deirdre (1989), [https://books.google.com/books?id=iIjEPWg29PMC&dq=volunteers+jane+austen&pg=PA140 Jane Austen: A Family Record], Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|0-521-82691-8}} p. 140

In 1812 due to a stipulation in Catherine Knight's will, he legally changed his name to Knight.

The rectory at Steventon, where the Austen family had spent their time growing up, and Jane is said to have written the first drafts of several of her books, was severely damaged by flooding and was knocked down by Edward in about 1823,[http://austenonly.com/2011/12/18/the-parish-church-of-st-nicholas-steventon-part-one/ Austen Only]

and a new rectory was built by Edward for his son, William Knight, who had taken on the living.[http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/tag/edward-austen-knight/ Jane Austen’s World]

Edward made several improvements to Chawton House, including planting a walled garden, and forming new parkland to take advantage of the views from the house.

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Edward's silk coat:

• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/I6ivOhyvSv6IG8alT1VWpA BBC History]

Link to portrait:

• [https://archive.today/20121217114352/https://www.artfinder.com/work/edward-austen-knight/ Art Finder]

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Category:1767 births

Category:1852 deaths

Category:Austen family

Category:People from Steventon, Hampshire

Category:High sheriffs of Kent

Category:People from Chawton

Category:People from Godmersham

Category:People from Deane, Hampshire