George Austen (1731–1805) was a
cleric
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
, rector of
Deane and
Steventon in
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
. He is remembered as the father of
Jane Austen
Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...
.
Early life
Austen was the son of William Austen, of
Tonbridge
Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated population ...
,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
.
He and his sister
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
were orphaned when George was nine years old, and he was taken under the wing of his wealthy uncle Francis Austen.
He attended
Tonbridge School
(God Giveth the Increase)
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public schoolIndependent day and boarding
, religion =
, president =
, head_label ...
and
St John's College, Oxford
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its founder, Sir Thomas White, intended to pro ...
.
After matriculating at St John's on 2 July 1747, aged sixteen, Austen graduated BA on 12 February 1751, promoted to MA by seniority in 1754. He was a proctor
Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another.
The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts:
* In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...
in 1759 and graduated as a Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...
in 1760.[
]
Career
In 1764, the living at Deane was purchased for Austen by his uncle Francis. The living at Steventon was "given to him by his cousin Mr. Knight".
Toward the end of 1800, Austen retired and the Steventon living was transferred to his son James. With his wife and daughters Cassandra and Jane he went to live in Bath, Somerset
Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 101,557. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, ...
, and died there in 1805.
His granddaughter Anna Lefroy later recalled:
Marriage and family
Austen met Cassandra Leigh while he was a student at Oxford.[ They married in 1764 and began their married life living in the rectory at Deane; in 1771 they moved to Steventon Parsonage, the birthplace of their daughter Jane. They had eight children:
# ]James Austen
James Austen was an English clergyman, best known for being the eldest brother of celebrated novelist Jane Austen. His father George Austen's living had been in Steventon, Hampshire, and James succeeded him in this position, in 1801.
Austen' ...
(1765–1819)
# George Austen (born 1766)
# Edward Austen Knight
Edward Austen Knight (born Edward Austen; 7 October 1767 – 19 November 1852) was the third eldest brother of Jane Austen, and provided her with the use of a cottage in Chawton where she lived for the last years of her life (now Jane Austen's ...
(1767–1852)
# Henry Thomas Austen
Henry Thomas Austen (8 June 1771 – 12 March 1850) was a militia officer, clergyman, banker and the brother of the novelist Jane Austen.Grey, David J. "Henry Austen: Jane Austen's "Perpetual Sunshine"." ''Persuasions Occasional Papers'', No. 1, ...
(1771–1850)
# (1773–1845)
# Sir Francis Austen
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Francis William Austen, (23 April 1774 – 10 August 1865) was a Royal Navy officer and an elder brother of the novelist Jane Austen. As commanding officer of the sloop HMS ''Peterel'', he captured some 40 ships, was ...
(1774–1865)
# Jane Austen
Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...
(1775–1817)
# Charles John Austen (1779–1852)
Their second child, George Austen, suffered from severe epilepsy, and did not grow up in the family home.[
Austen's wife came from a clerical family, with links to St John's College, Oxford,][ and was able to claim descent from one of the college founders, giving her sons the right to attend the college without paying for tuition, as founder's kin.] James and Henry Thomas Austen both attended St. John's College.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Austen, George
1731 births
1805 deaths
Austen family
Alumni of St John's College, Oxford
People educated at Tonbridge School
18th-century English Anglican priests
People from Steventon, Hampshire
People from Deane, Hampshire
English Protestant ministers and clergy
Jane Austen