Sermons by Jane Austen’s Family

What do we know about Jane Austen's father and brothers as clergyman? What did they preach about?

Jane Austen’s Cousin Edward Cooper, Evangelical Clergyman, Part 2

Jane Austen did not always agree with her cousin Edward Cooper's Evangelical sermons.

Jane Austen’s Cousin Edward Cooper, Evangelical Clergyman, Part 1

Jane Austen was close to all three of her first cousins, including Evangelical clergyman Edward Cooper.

Mr. Elton, a Vicar, not a Rector

Why did it matter that Mr. Elton was a vicar, not a rector?

The Delights of Doctor Syntax

Jane Austen enjoyed the escapades of country curate Dr. Syntax, in Rowlandson's cartoons.

The Stereotype of the Self-Indulgent Clergyman (Rowlandson’s Parsonage)

Thomas Rowlandson's satirical cartoon, The Parsonage, shows one stereotype of the clergy in Austen's England.

Marriage by banns, common license, or special license

In Jane Austen's England, a couple who wanted to get married had several choices. They could wait about a month, while the parson announced the banns, for free. Or they could pay a bishop's representative two or three pounds for a common license and wait a week. Or, if they had the right connections and …

Jane Austen’s Clergymen

A whole range of clergymen appear in Austen's novels. Were they mostly good or bad clergymen? How was each one unique?

The Journal of a Georgian Gentleman: Richard Hall and the Baptists of Austen’s England

What was it like to be a Baptist in Austen's Anglican-dominated England?

Mr. Collins, Country Clergyman

Hugh Thomson drew delightful illustrations of clergyman Mr. Collins.