Timelines are fun!

 Part of the fascination of writing biographies is researching the timeline. As one writer friend pointed out, it's like the plot is already written for me. There's also the delight of finding tiny details, like which books they read as children or what people ate for breakfast in their day.

I'll be sharing more over the next few weeks, but here's a timeline I've put together...

Timeline

1764	26 April –Rev. George Austen married Cassandra Leigh.
1765	13 February – James Austen born.
1766	26 August – George Austen born..
1767	7 October – Edward Austen born.
1768	July – The Austen family moves to Steventon, Hampshire.
1771	8 June – Henry Thomas Austen born.
1773	9 January – Cassandra Elizabeth Austen born. Rev. Austen takes in pupils to live with the family.
1774	23 April – Francis (Frank) Austen born.
1775	16 December – Jane Austen born at Steventon Rectory.
1779	23 June – Charles Austen born.
1782	Time of Jane’s walking to New Down with Charles.
1783	Edward Austen became the heir of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Knight. Spring – Jane and Cassandra go to school with Mrs. Cawley.
1785	Spring – Jane and Cassandra start at the Abbey School.
1786	December – Jane and Cassandra leave the Abbey School.
1787	Jane begins writing Juvenilia.
1788	Summer – Austen family visits Kent and London. 23 December – Francis Austen sails to the East Indies.
1789	Publication of James’s periodical The Loiterer (to March 1790). Jane works on Jack and Alice.
1790	Autumn – Edward Austen returns from the Grand Tour. Jane working on Love and Freindship and her History of England.
1791	Charles Austen enters the Royal Naval Academy. 27 December – Edward Austen marries Elizabeth Bridges.
1792	27 March – James Austen marries Anne Mathew. October – Jane and Cassandra visit the Lloyds at Ibthorpe. Winter – Cassandra engaged to Rev. Tom Fowle. Jane works on Lesley Castle.
1793	Jane begins to write a parody of Sir Charles Grandison. 23 January – Edward Austen's first child, Fanny, is born. 15 April – James Austen's first child, Anna, is born. 3 June – Jane writes last of juvenilia, the poem "Ode to Pity." Winter – Francis Austen returns home from the Far East. December – Jane visits cousins in Southampton.
1794	22 February – Eliza de Feuillide's husband executed in Paris. August – Jane and Cassandra visit Edward’s family at Rowling. September – Charles Austen goes to sea. Autumn – Jane working on Lady Susan. Jane receives book A Companion to the Altar.
1795	Jane begins Elinor and Marianne (Sense and Sensibility).  3 May – Death of James’s wife, Anne Autumn –Tom Fowle joins the West Indian campaign. December–Tom Lefroy visits Ashe rectory and meets Jane.
1796	January – Tom Fowle sails for the West Indies. August to October – Jane visits Edward’s family in Rowling. October – Jane begins First Impressions (Pride and Prejudice).
1797	17 January – James Austen marries Mary Lloyd. April – News arrives of Tom Fowle’s death from fever. August – Jane finishes First Impressions. 1 Nov. – Rev. Austen offers First Impressions to publisher. Nov. – Jane re-writes Elinor and Marianne (Sense and Sensibility.) November – Family visits the Leigh-Perrots in Bath. Winter – Rev. Samuel Blackall visits Ashe and meets Jane. 31 December – Henry Austen marries Eliza de Feuillide.
1798	August to October – Family visits Edward at Godmersham. August – Jane possibly begins writing Susan (Northanger Abbey). 9 August – Cousin Jane Williams killed in a road accident. 17 November – James Austen's son, James-Edward, born.
1799	March – Cassandra returns to Steventon from Godmersham. 17 May–June –Jane visits Bath with Edward’s family. End of June – Jane finishes Susan (Northanger Abbey). 14 August – Jane's aunt, Mrs. Leigh Perrot, charged with theft.
1800	End of Nov. to mid-Dec. – Jane visits the Lloyds at Ibthorpe. December – Revd. Austen decides to retire and move to Bath.
1801	January – Henry Austen sets up as a banker in London. May – Austen family settles in Bath and James’s family moves into Steventon rectory. Summer –Jane's romance may have occurred during holiday. 5 October – Austen family returns to Bath.
1802	April – James, Mary, and Anna visit the Austen family at Bath. Summer – Charles Austen joins the Austens for the holidays. 3 Sept. to 28 Oct. –  Jane and Cassandra visit  Godmersham. 25 Nov. to 2 Dec. – Jane and Cassandra visit the Bigg-Wither family at Manydown and Harris unexpectedly proposes marriage to Jane. Winter – Jane revises Susan (Northanger Abbey)
1803	Spring – Jane sells copyright for Susan to publisher for £10. 18 May – Henry and Eliza nearly trapped in France. September–October – Austen family stays at Godmersham. November – Austen family visits Lyme Regis.
1804	Jane begins The Watsons, (as it was later titled) but does not finish it. Spring – Mrs. Austen seriously ill. Summer – Austens, with Henry and Eliza, visit Lyme Regis. 25 Oct. – Austens move to 3 Green Park Bldgs. East in Bath. 16 Dec. –Mme. Lefroy killed in a riding accident.
1805	21 January – Jane’s father, Rev. George Austen dies suddenly. 25 March – Austen family moves to 25 Gay Street, Bath. June – Family with niece Anna visit Godmersham. 18 June – James Austen's daughter, Caroline, born. Summer – Martha Lloyd joins the Austen household.
1806	29 January – Mrs. Austen takes lodgings in Trim Street, Bath. Feb. to mid-March – Jane and Cassandra visit the Bigg sisters. 2 July – Family leaves Bath, and visit Adlestrop. 24 July – Francis Austen marries Mary Gibson. 5 Aug.– The Austens travel to Stoneleigh Abbey. October – Austen family takes lodgings in Southampton.
1807	March – Austen family moves into a house in Castle Square, Southampton with Frank and wife Mary. 19 May – Charles Austen marries Fanny Palmer in Bermuda. Sept. –Family gathering at Chawton Great House.
1808	January–March – Jane and Cassandra visit family and friends. 14 June to 8 July – Jane visits Godmersham. 10 Oct.– Edward’s wife, Elizabeth, dies after 11th childbirth.
1809	February – Cassandra returns to Southampton. 5 April – Jane writes to Crosby to ask about publishing Susan. 15 May – Mrs. Austen and her daughters visit Godmersham. 7 July – Austen family moves to Chawton Cottage.
1810	July–August – Jane and Cassandra visit friends and family. Winter – Sense and Sensibility accepted for publication.
1811	February – Jane starts planning Mansfield Park. Mar. – Jane (in London) corrects proofs of Sense and Sensibility. August – Charles Austen and family return to England. 30 October – Sense and Sensibility published anonymously. Winter – Jane revises First Impressions (Pride and Prejudice).
1812	April – Edward Austen and Fanny visit Chawton. 9–25 June – Mrs. Austen and Jane visit Steventon 14 Oct. – Edward Austen changes surname to "Knight." Autumn – Jane sells copyright of Pride and Prejudice for £110.
1813	28 January – Pride and Prejudice published anonymously. 21 April to Sept. – Edward’s family at Chawton Great House 22-25 April – Jane takes care of cousin Eliza (de Feuillide) Austen. July –Jane finishes Mansfield Park. November – Second editions of first two novels released. November – Mansfield Park probably accepted for publication.
1814	1 January – Jane begins Emma. 1 March to April – Jane visits Henry in London. April to June– Edward’s family at Chawton Great House 9 May – Mansfield Park published anonymously by Egerton. August – Frank’s family at Chawton Great House for 2 years. 6 September – Charles's wife Fanny dies in childbirth.
1815	29 March – Emma finished. 8 August – Jane begins Persuasion (called The Elliots). 4 October – Jane moves to London to nurse Henry. 13 November – Jane visits the Prince Regent's mansion. End of December – Emma published.
1816	Spring – Henry buys back manuscript of Susan and Jane changes heroine’s name to Catharine (Northanger Abbey). 18 July – First draft of Persuasion finished. 6 August – Jane revises final two chapters of Persuasion. Second edition of Mansfield Park published by Murray. December – Henry ordained and becomes curate of Chawton.
1817	27 Jan. to 18 Mar. – Jane works on novel The Brothers (Sanditon). 27 April – Jane makes her will. 24 May – Cassandra takes Jane to Winchester for medical care. 18 July – Jane dies early in the morning at her lodgings. 24 July – Jane buried in Winchester Cathedral in aisle of nave. End of December – Northanger Abbey and Persuasion published.
1833	Richard Bentley publishes the collected works of Jane Austen in an illustrated five volume series known as the Standard Novels. They remain in print to this day.
1869	Jane’s nephew Edward (James Edward Austen-Leigh) publishes the first biography: A Memoir of Jane Austen.
1925	The Brothers (Sanditon) is published under the title Fragment of a Novel.