Of course there is one glaring omission from the letters relating to an incident of notorious family history. For nowhere is there a mention of Jane's Aunt Leigh-Perrots trial for larceny which took place during the time period covered by this section.

I've linked a really intersting article about the whole trial for you ,below.

Whatever her innocence ( or guilt!) I think one thing that redeems her a little is her reluctance to accept Mrs Austen's somewhat astounding offer of Jane and Cassandra's company while she was living in the Ilchester's Gaol Keeper's house awaiting trial.

Especailly given this description of life in that house,as written by Mrs Leigh-Perrot in a letter to her cousins, the Cholmeley family in Lincolnshire:

On of my greatest Miseries here (indeed my very first) is the seeing what my dearest husband is daily going through-Vulgarity,Dirt,Noise from Morning till Night. The People not conscious that this can be Objectionable to anybody, fancy we are very happy and to do them justice they mean to make us quite so...

This Room joins to a Room where the children all lie and not Bedlam itself can be half so noisy, besides which as not one particle of smoke goes up the chimmney except you leave the door or window open I leave you to judge of the Comfort I can enjoy in such a Room...

No! my Good Cousin,I cannot subject even a Servant to the suffering we daily expereince...My dearest Perrot with his sweet composure adds to my suffering we daly expereince...

Cleanliness has ever been his greatest delight and yet he sees the greasy toast laid by the dirty children on his knees, and feels the small beer trickle down his sleeves on its way across the table unmoved...

Mrs Scaddings( the keepers wife-JW) Knife well licked to clean it from fried onions helps me now and then- you may believe how the Mess I am helped to is disposed of-here are two dogs and three cats always full as hungry as myself

Mrs Montague Cholmely wrote to Mr Leigh -Perrot about Mrs Austen's astounding offer:

You tell me your good sister Austen has offered you one or both of her daughters to continue with you during your stay at that vile Place,but you decline the kind offer as you cannot procure them Accommodation in the House with you and you cannot let those Elegant Young Women be your Inmates in a Prison nor be subjext to the Inconveniences which you are obliged to put up with...

Goodness......