Pelisse, said to have been owned by Jane Austen, woven in silk on a brown gold ground with all over pattern of oak leaf motif in yellow. Dating from around 1814.
The pelisse has long sleeves gathered at the head but close fitting below the elbow, a high standing collar, and is open at centre front with no fastenings. The front is edged on both sides with bright yellow cord which also appears at the wrists. This example is of good quality silk in a twill weave, woven with a small repeat pattern of oak leaves in a golden straw colour on a warm brown ground. The shape of the bodice and skirt, the size of the sleeve heads and the ruched decorative trim suggest a date of c1813-15.
The gown over which it would have been worn would have shown several inches below the pelisse hem, as well as at centre front and at the cuffs. It is lined throughout with white silk and is, of course, entirely hand made. It is not known where the silk for the pelisse was woven or purchased. The oak leaf motif was a popular one at the time and symbolised the strength of the Navy and the nation, especially at a time when the country was at war with France.
'Pelisse' was the contemporary term for this garment, which was popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Changing fashions led to differences in length and cut, but essentially the pelisse was worn over a dress or gown, either as an outdoor garment or for indoor or evening wear depending on the season and the materials from which the pelisse was made. Sadly, there is no definitive link between the pelisse and Jane Austen, although the family association is quite strong.
When Jane died unmarried in 1817, she left the bulk of her estate to her sister, Cassandra, who took charge of her papers and other belongings. She eventually distributed them amongst other members of the family. One of Jane Austen’s older brothers, Edward, had been adopted by a distant cousin, Thomas Knight, who had no children and therefore nobody to whom he could have bequeathed the family estates at Steventon and Chawton in Hampshire as well as Godmersham in Kent. Edward Austen first took the name of Knight in addition to his own, but formally adopted the surname Knight in 1812. Of his eleven children, his daughter Marianne never married but lived at Godmersham with her father until his death in 1852, then with two of her brothers in turn, at Chawton till 1867 and Bentley till 1878, before ending her days with a niece in Ireland. In around 1875 Marianne Knight was visited by a family friend, Miss Eleanor Glubbe, later Mrs Steele. Marianne Knight gave the pelisse to her friend during the visit.
Mrs Steele wished to return the pelisse to the Austen family and sent it to Mrs Winifred Jenkyns, a great granddaughter of James Austen, Jane’s eldest brother, with a note that reads “I missed the little coat for a long time but lately it turned up. I cannot remember if it was 'Jane's’, but it seems probable".
This pelisse was presumably given to Edward by Cassandra, and it would no doubt have brought back vivid memories of Jane wearing it. It was handed down to his daughter, who also loved Jane and spent considerable time with her. When she passed it to her friend, Miss Glubbe (Mrs. Steele), she wanted to make sure that it was returned to the Austen/Knight family and argues an acknowledged obligation on her part. The pelisse was then handed down through the family until 1993, when it was given to the Hampshire Museums Service where it is cared for to this day.
