North American Friends of Chawton House

20/08/2026

Sad news re: Misty Krueger.

We were saddened to hear of the death of Austen scholar Misty Krueger on 29 July 2026. Back in 2017, Misty was the Jane Austen Society of North America’s International Visitor to Chawton, and spent almost 2 weeks living in the converted stables, volunteering and researching. They blogged on their time at Chawton here: https://mistykrueger.com/2017/08/07/bittersweet-farewell-to-volunteering-at-jahm-and-chl/
More recently, Misty gave a wonderful paper at our Quills and Characters online conference in 2023, which we thought we'd share so that others can enjoy their scholarship ‘Jane Austen’s Strange Epistolary Scraps’ takes us on an enjoyable tour through some of Jane Austen’s more absurd juvenile writings. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/8BeFKbCjjrc
Our thoughts are with Misty’s family, friends, and colleagues.

17/08/2026

All sorts of information on new acquisitions and happenings at Chawton House in their latest newsletter here:

https://mailchi.mp/chawtonhouse/august-newsletter?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAac8FC7ylsX6FK8nS4Hq2Gi69DS8Epexlt0vkbJb4NSk7s-fHuWKD2lVTnz5FQ_aem_KzBarzykSVhcWor4-RVmtg

17/08/2026

More information on the upcoming exhibition "Dressing Up" starting on October 4th:

Our next exhibition explores the glamour, gossip and hidden rituals of Georgian nightlife What did it really take to enjoy a night out in Georgian Hampshire? The next major exhibition at Chawton House invites visitors to step into the glittering [...]

08/08/2026

08/08/2026

Join us for a Birds of Prey event at Chawton House on Thursday 13th August.

Come and get up close and learn all about these amazing predators while Anita from Hampshire Hawk Walks will be on hand to answer all your questions!

There will be owls, hawks and falcons, including two baby barn owls, for you to meet. Wilfred the barn owl will be available for photos along with lots of other members of the team.

Children enter the Gardens for free throughout the summer holidays. To book Adult Gardens or Adult House & Gardens tickets on this day, just head to www.chawtonhouse.org/whats-on/birds-of-prey-at-chawton-house-2/

24/07/2026

✨ New exhibition coming this autumn! ✨

Getting ready. Getting there. Getting entertained.

That's the journey at the heart of Dressing Up: Fashion and Nightlife in Eighteenth-Century Hampshire, our new exhibition, exploring the glamour of a Georgian night out. Opening 3 October, 2026.

Watch this space for more in the coming weeks.

24/07/2026

Beautiful video by Laura Klein, walking through Chawton House.

18/07/2026

The story of the treasure trove of new acquisitions at Chawton House by way of Oregon has made its way into the “Fine Books & Collections” newsletter!

Chawton House has acquired a first edition of Jane Austen's Sanditon, three handwritten letters by bestselling 19th century novelist Jane Porter, and materials from other 19th-century women writers from the Oregon-SW Washington (ORSWWA) region of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA).

13/07/2026

A fun lunch with Jane Austen Society of NA (JASNA) and Jane Austen's niece: Caroline Jane Knight, sharing her stories and her mission to capture family memories of Chawton House.

Having lunch in the Great Hall at Chawton House with the lovely members of the Jane Austen Society of North America, on their annual tour.

I was given such a warm welcome at the JASNA conference in Baltimore last October. It's an event like no other - 900+ enthusiastic Janeites, an exceptional program of speakers, events, a pop up museum, excursions and much more, over five days and very well organised.

It was a pleasure to welcome JASNA to Chawton. I've had a lovely time sharing stories of growing up at Chawton House, my family history, touring the gardens, visiting the church and talking about the work I am now doing to capture all the living memory of life at Chawton House into The Austen Knights of Chawton - A Family Archive.

It was a particular delight to see Betty Parker Ellis, who you can see in the bottom left of this photo. Being in Melbourne for the pandemic, I lived through over ten months of total lockdown. As an extrovert who usually does lots of events, I greatly missed the stimulation of meeting new people, hearing their stories and learning new things. So I picked a random person who liked a post I had also liked, reached out and asked her to zoom with me, just so I could talk to someone new (I didn't know she was a JASNA member). It was Betty, who is an absolute delight. She helped me stay sane in difficult circumstances and I am forever grateful 💛

I am meeting with the group again for dinner tonight, before I head back to Australia tomorrow.