CAROLINE JANE KNIGHT
The last of Jane Austen’s nieces to grow up in Chawton, where Jane herself lived and wrote
Caroline shares more than Jane Austen's name and DNA.
Hello! I am Jane Austen’s fifth great niece and the last of Jane’s nieces to grow up at Chawton House, on my family’s ancestral estate, where Jane herself lived and wrote. I shared the same rooms as Jane Austen, the same walks, family library, heirlooms and ancestors - we even ate from the same Wedgwood dinner service. My summers were spent working in Granny’s tearoom in the Great Hall, talking to Jane Austen lovers who had made the pilgrimage to her literary home. Growing up in Chawton was a privilege and great aunt Jane was a powerful role model for a young girl.
It is my personal mission to share my unique connection with Jane Austen and her legacy, my childhood in Chawton, our family history, traditions, heirlooms and stories. Sign up free to my newsletter to receive regular articles about my Austen heritage and my work with the global Austen community.
“I must keep to my own style and go on in my own way” - Jane Austen, 1816
Growing up in the heart of Jane Austen’s literary legacy, I shared my great-aunt Jane’s dream of independence. I left Chawton when I was 18 to forge my own path, building an international career in marketing and business as a CEO, director, entrepreneur and published author. I love storytelling and now leverage my Austen heritage and extensive business experience to create unforgettable connections to Jane Austen and help others find their independence.
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I walked the same paths, enjoyed the same cherished family library, and dined from the same Wedgwood dinner set as Jane Austen, at the same dining room table. Discover my unique connection to one of history’s most successful women. In her memoir and through my talks worldwide, I share my Austen Heritage and my own path to independence.
As CEO of The Austen Pathway, my business partner, Melissa Makarewicz (aka The Literary Assistant) and I help authors master their marketing for sustainable success with a blend of Jane Austen’s legacy of creative independence and modern business strategy.
As founder & chair of The Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, I have created a global network of Jane Austen lovers, readers and writers working together to give children in developing communities the gift of independence through literacy. 100% of donations is spent on literacy resources and activities.
JANE AUSTEN, CAROLINE AND CHAWTON
Chawton House was built by John Knight in 1588 and has been handed down through the generations. Jane Austen’s brother, Edward Austen Knight, inherited the Chawton estate towards the end of the 19th century, from the Knight family, on the condition he changed his name from Austen to Knight.
In 1809, Jane Austen moved into Chawton Cottage with her mother and sister, a short walk from what she fondly called Chawton ‘Great’ House, her brother’s Hampshire home. Settled in Chawton, Jane created her own pathway to achieve her dream of becoming a published and well-read author. During the eight years she lived in Chawton before her untimely death, she published Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. Unfortunately, she did not live to see the publication of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, both of which were published posthumously.
Jane earned £650 as a writer, no small feat for a woman of her time, and is one of the world’s most beloved authors. Her timeless characters, like Elizabeth Bennet, have inspired independence for centuries. Learn More
I am Edward Austen Knight’s fourth great granddaughter and lived at Chawton House for the first 18 years of my life, while it was still the private home of Edward’s descendants.