Steventon marriage register, 1755-1812
Matthew Goodwin from Hampshire Record Office tells Jon Bauckham about a parish register that fell into the hands of a young Jane Austen
Parish registers are one of the main building blocks of family history research. If you are tracing your tree prior to 1837, they should be able to provide crucial information about your ancestors’ major life events.
But every so often, these otherwise ordinary documents can throw up some interesting surprises. From evidence of plague outbreaks to crude remarks about the parentage of illegitimate children, a range of fascinating stories can be found hidden amongst the names and dates.
Thanks to the youthful antics of one of Britain’s best-loved novelists, a quite literal example of storytelling can be found in a parish register held at Hampshire Record Office, as archivist Matthew Goodwin explains…
Which document have you chosen?
I’ve chosen the Steventon marriage register for 1755-1812, which comes from the collections of parish records held at Hampshire Record Office, which is the home of Hampshire County Council’s Archives and Local Studies.
What is unique about this resource?
This marriage register is unique and intriguing as it includes at the front, among the ‘specimen entries’, examples of writing by a teenage Jane Austen, whose father – the Reverend George Austen – was rector of Steventon, near Basingstoke.
Having access to the register through her father, Jane created three fictitious marriage entries relating to three different men: banns of marriage between Henry Frederic Howard Fitzwilliam of London, and Jane Austen of Steventon; the marriage of Edmund Arthur William Mortimer of Liverpool and Jane Austen of Steventon; and a further marriage between a rather more ordinary Jack Smith and Jane Smith late Austen.
The entries are undated, but were most likely written circa 1790. There is no evidence to suggest that these men were real or featured in Jane’s life, but elements of their names would appear in Jane’s future literary creations.
Jane also acts as the witness to two real marriages recorded in the register, one dated 11 December 1792, the other from 17 October 1800. The latter is actually signed by the Reverend George Austen. However, the handwriting in the entry is very similar to Jane’s and was most likely written by her. Jane may have been helping her father with his parish duties as he grew older; he retired not long after the second marriage entry in 1801.
What does the register tell us about Jane Austen?
The register reveals a great deal about Jane and much can be inferred about her character from the few lines she wrote. It’s clear that Jane Austen had a mischievous side, having created these fictional men and marriages and daring to write them in an official register. We also see Jane’s creative nature and, perhaps, her burgeoning talent for writing fiction.
What else does the marriage register reveal about the lives of our ancestors?
The Steventon marriage register is an exceptional example from our collections. However, parish registers are an important resource for those studying their family history.
Census and civil registration records predominantly date back to no further than 1837. In comparison, Church of England
It’s clear that Jane Austen had a mischievous side, having created these fictional men and marriages
parish registers, which record baptisms, marriages and burials, can be found from as early as 1538. In theory, you could trace your family back to the time of Henry VIII.
Baptism entries may include the date of baptism, the names of the child and parents, parish of residence, the occupation of the father and occasionally the mother’s maiden name. Marriage entries include the names of the bride and groom, their marital status and parish residence. Lastly, burial entries record the date of burial and the name of the deceased, but may also include age, occupation and denomination.
Parish registers can also contain unexpected details, as shown by the Steventon register. A further example can be viewed within the Odiham marriage register, 1740-1754. The register contains the marriage of Mary Seamel to Charles Hambleton in 1748, but a surprise additional comment states that Charles Hambleton was “afterwards proved to be a woman”.
Parish registers can provide insights into dates of baptisms, marriages and burials and also into the lives of our ancestors and our past society.
Tell us more about your collections and what you are doing to mark the bicentenary…
Hampshire Archives and Local Studies holds a wealth of records covering over a thousand years of history, including a diverse range of documents relating to Jane Austen, her family, and the period that she lived in.
One notable document is the diary of Mary Austen, the wife of Jane’s brother, James. Mary was at the author’s bedside when she died and records her final hours, noting on 17 July 1817 that “Jane Austen was taken for death about ½ past five in the evening”. The following day she writes that “Jane breathed her last ½ after four in the morn; only Cass[andra] and I were with her”.
To mark the bicentenary of Jane Austen’s death, Hampshire Record Office will be hosting a special evening event on 19 July,
featuring a talk from Professor Emma Clery entitled ‘Jane Austen’s Banker Brother and Financial Scandal in Regency England’. Showcases of original documents concerning Jane and her family will also be on display, accompanied by performances of music from the Regency period. Who Do You Think You Are?
Magazine readers who wish to attend should book in advance by phoning 01962 846154. Tickets are priced £12 each.
The Steventon marriage register is currently on display in The Mysterious Miss Austen exhibition at Winchester Discovery Centre, which runs until 24 July. Admission is free.