A small dark green crochet purse with gold metal beads interwoven throughout. At the top there is a patterned ornamented gold frame and clasp that connects the crochet by being interwoven into the pre-made holes. The purse is accentuated with a larger decorative gold bead which hangs down at the bottom. The pattern was worked in beads, by Jane Austen herself, according to family tradition. In terms of the date of when this was made, that remains unknown, however, we do know that the crochet purse was made later than the beaded bag (LH 868.3).
This item, along with a spool etui case and a beaded purse, were brought into the collection from Jane Austen’s great-niece, Edith Austen (1857-1942). She was related to Jane through her father’s side, as her grandfather was Jane’s younger brother Charles John Austen (1779-1852.) The naval links remained throughout the family as Edith herself, in 1885, married Captain John Stokes, Royal Navy issue.
Charles John Austen was a Rear Admiral in the British Navy, who served in both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Keen readers of Austen’s novels, particularly Mansfield Park (1814) and Persuasion (1816), know that the Navy features heavily within their plots. It is no surprise then that Charles, along with her other brother Francis (1774-1865), helped Jane particularly in Mansfield Park by providing the names of some ships on which they both served. Charles also served as inspiration for William Price, Fanny’s brother in Mansfield Park. With the share of the prize money Charles received from the capture of an enemy ship, he brought Jane and Cassandra a gold chain and a topaz cross, something which William gave his sister as a gift from Sicily in Volume II, Chapter VIII of Mansfield Park.
These crosses are now on display at the Jane Austen House Museum in Chawton, but before then they appeared on a list with the objects in our collection in the Times Literary Supplement. An article by R. W. Chapman from 1926 lists mostly manuscripts and some other relics that were available and given to various libraries and institutions in the UK. After Jane’s death most objects were distributed through the family by Cassandra which then made its way down to their descendants. Edith’s sisters Jane (1849-1928) and Emma Florence (1851-1939) also received assistance from R.W. Chapman to sell other letters and items of memorabilia, however, what they were and their whereabouts today are still to be investigated.
This item is currently on display at the Winchester City Museum
With thanks to The Bead Society of Great Britain for their help in researching this object.
This object was audited and researched as part of the Heritage Funded Data Hunters and Story Gatherers project.
