Farmhouses In The English Landscape

In this superbly illustrated book, R.J. Brown examines the changing role of the traditional farmhouse. He shows it at the center of the economic, social, and farming life of the community, and the many buildings which have lost their lands and have since been modified for other uses. Profusely illustrated with the author's fine pen-and-ink drawings, this volume is an authoritative guide to one of the most characteristic and well-loved aspects of the English countryside.

Jane Austen was the daughter of a clergyman, the sister of two others and the cousin of four more. Her principal acquaintances were clergymen and their families, whose social, intellectual and religious attitudes she shared. Yet while clergymen feature in all her novels, often in major roles, there has been little recognition of their significance. To many readers their status and profession is a mystery, as they appear simply to be a sub-species of gentlemen and never seem to perform any duties. Mr Collins in "Pride and Prejudice" is often regarded as little more than a figure of fun. This work demonstrates the importance of Jane Austen's clerical background in explaining the clergy in her novels, whether Mr Tilney in Northanger Abbey, Mr Elton in Emma, or a less prominent character such as Dr Grant in Mansfield Park. In the book, the author draws on a range of knowledge of the literature and history of the period to describe who the clergy were, both in the novels and in life: how they were educated and appointed; the houses they lived in and the gardens they designed and cultivated; the women they married; their professional and social context; their income, their duties, their moral outlook and their beliefs. The discussion uses the facts of Jane Austen's life and the evidence contained in her letters and novels to give a portrait of the contemporary clergy.

Jane Austen was the daughter of a clergyman, the sister of two others and the cousin of four more. Her principal acquaintances were clergymen and their families, whose social, intellectual and religious attitudes she shared. Yet while clergymen feature in all her novels, often in major roles, there has been little recognition of their significance. To many readers their status and profession is a mystery, as they appear simply to be a sub-species of gentlemen and never seem to perform any duties. Mr Collins in Pride and prejudice is often regarded as little more than a figure of fun. Astonishingly, Jane Austen and the Clergy is the first book to demonstrate the importance of Jane Austen's clerical background and to explain the clergy in her novels, whether Mr Tilney in Northanger Abbey, Mr Elton in Emma, or a less prominent character such as Dr Grant in Mansfield Park. In this exceptionally well-written and enjoyable book, Irene Collins draws on a wide knowledge of the literature and history of the period to describe who the clergy were, both in the novels and in life: how they were educated and appointed the houses they lived in and the gardens they designed and cultivated; the women they married; their professional and social context; their income, their duties, their moral outlook and their beliefs. Jane Austen and the Clergy uses the facts of Jane Austen's life and the evidence contained in her letters and novels to give a vivid and convincing portrait of the contemporary clergy.

During the Agricultural Revolution, the landowners of Britain constructed an enormous range of picturesque or classical buildings on their farms, inspired by Enlightenment ideals. These model farms, a phenomenan unique to Britain, are a significant yet largely undiscovered aspect of our heritage. This book is richly illustrated with interior and exterior photographs, most of them specially commissioned, as well as plans, paintings and historic photographs. It examines the architecture and landscape context of the farmsteads themselves and considers the motives of the people who built them, drawing on the first comprehensive national survey of model farms, recently completed by English Heritage.