A Subject Guide to the Le Faye Edition of Jane Austen's Letters

Introduction

This subject guide is an index to Jane Austen's Letters, edited by Deirdre Le Faye (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1995). The index is the creation of Del Cain, a retired librarian living in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Cain is not associated with Oxford University Press or Ms. Le Faye. In creating the index, Mr. Cain wished to benefit readers and scholars of Jane Austen and her work.

Notes on the Index

Writers and their work:

Personal information about Jane Austen is listed under "Austen, Jane" (examples: "Clothing & Dresses," "Dancing at Balls," "Illnesses").

Reference Books used in explicating the Letters

Internet: Advanced Book Exchange (www.abe.com), (for book titles).

Titles for the ranks of Nobility were taken from Webster's Biographical Dictionary. G. & C. Merriam, c. 1976.

Index Terms

Arrowroot - was not merely a thickener in cooking but was used as a food in its own right.

(the) Chair - the name for a small, unpretentious carriage.

Hunting - the term should delineate Hunting as the mounted pursuit of foxes and stags and Shooting as the pursuit of wildfowl, hares and rabbits on foot.

Sea Fencibles - were a groups of local men recruited for coastal defense against a French invasion. They were commanded by a naval officer. Jane Austen's brother, Frank, was at one time in command of a group of Sea Fencibles based at Ramsgate.