Jane Austen’s Will

I follow a number of social media websites and news feeds to find stories, pictures and other things to share with you guys. This showed up in my email earlier this week and I found it quite interesting as I had never seen it before. I figured if it was new to me, it might be new to other (newer) Jane Austen fans as well.

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Transcript from the British National Archives:

I Jane Austen of the Parish of Chawton do by this my last will & testament give and bequeath to my dearest sister. Cassandra. Elizabeth everything of which I may die possessed, or which may be hereafter due to me, subject to the payment of my Funeral expences, & to a Legacy of £50. to my Brother Henry, & £50 to Mde de Bigeon – which I request may be paid as soon as convenient. And I appoint my said dear sister the executrix of this my last will & testament.

Jane Austen
April 27 1817

We know that at this time Jane was ill and had been since 1816. She would die a little less than three months after the writing of her will in July of 1817.