Cassandra Austen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cassandra Austen
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Silhouette of Cassandra Austen
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| Born | 9 January 1773 Steventon, Hampshire, England
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| Died | 22 March 1845 (aged 72) Portsdown Lodge near Portsmouth, Hampshire
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Cassandra Elizabeth Austen (born January 9, 1773 – died March 22, 1845) was an English artist. She was known for her beautiful watercolour paintings. Cassandra was also the older sister of the famous writer Jane Austen.
The many letters they wrote to each other are very important. They help historians understand a lot about Jane Austen's life.
Contents
Growing Up
Cassandra was born in 1773 in a village called Steventon, in Hampshire, England. Her father, George Austen, was a rector, which is a type of church leader. Her mother was also named Cassandra.
There were eight Austen children in total. Cassandra and Jane were the only girls. Because of this, they were extremely close throughout their lives. More than 100 letters from Jane to Cassandra still exist today. These letters give us many details about Jane Austen's life.
In 1783, the sisters went to school with their uncle's sister, Mrs. Cawley. They first lived in Oxford, then in Southampton. When a sickness spread in Southampton, the girls went back home.
From 1785 to 1786, they attended the Reading Abbey Girls' School. Jane was thought to be too young for boarding school. But she insisted on going with Cassandra. Their mother famously said, "if Cassandra's head had been going to be cut off, Jane would have hers cut off too." This shows how much Jane looked up to her older sister.
Her Art
Both Cassandra and Jane were taught drawing and piano at home. In 1791, Cassandra drew a series of round pictures of British kings and queens. These drawings were for Jane's handwritten book, The History of England. People noticed that the drawings looked more like members of the Austen family than actual royalty!
Cassandra Austen also drew two portraits of her sister Jane. One was painted in 1804. It shows Jane from behind, sitting by a tree. The other is an unfinished drawing from around 1810. A family member once said this drawing didn't look much like Jane. This sketch is now kept at the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Later Years
Cassandra's father, George Austen, was not a rich man. He earned extra money by teaching students who were preparing for Oxford University.
In 1794, one of his former students, Thomas Fowle, became engaged to Cassandra. Thomas needed money to get married. He went to the Caribbean as a chaplain (a religious leader) with a military group. Sadly, he died there from yellow fever in 1797. Cassandra inherited £1000 from him. This gave her some money of her own. However, like her sister Jane, Cassandra never married.
After her father died in 1805, Cassandra, Jane, and their mother moved. They lived in Southampton with their brother Francis and his family for five years. In 1809, they moved again to a small house in the village of Chawton. This house was on their brother Edward's land.
Jane Austen died in 1817. Cassandra sadly destroyed about two-thirds of Jane's letters in 1843. This was a couple of years before Cassandra herself passed away. She gave the remaining letters to family members as special memories.
Cassandra continued to live in Chawton. First, she lived with her mother and a family friend named Martha Lloyd. Her mother died in 1827. Martha then left to marry Cassandra's brother Frank in 1828. Cassandra lived alone in the cottage but often visited friends and family.
In March 1845, while visiting her brother Frank, Cassandra had a stroke. Frank was an Admiral in the Royal Navy. He had to leave to command a ship, so he left Cassandra at his home with another brother, Henry. Cassandra died there a few days later, on March 22, 1845, at age 72. She was buried in her home village of Chawton, next to her mother.
Film Portrayals
Cassandra Austen has been shown in several films and TV shows:
- Lucy Cohu played Cassandra in The Real Jane Austen (2002).
- Greta Scacchi played Cassandra in the BBC drama Miss Austen Regrets (2007).
- Anna Maxwell Martin played Cassandra in the movie Becoming Jane (2007).
See also
In Spanish: Cassandra Austen para niños
