Who would marry Mr Collins? Jane Austen’s Clergymen and Their Wives

Who would marry Mr Collins? Jane Austen’s Clergymen and Their Wives

Who would marry Mr Collins? In Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte Lucas famously does - but was becoming a clergyman’s wife really such a bad bargain? Mary Crawford obviously thinks so. From charming Henry Tilney and serious Edmund Bertram to ambitious Mr Elton and unforgettable Mr Collins, Jane Austen filled her novels with clergymen — and with women whose love, marriage and financial security were often entwined with a gentleman’s prospects.

Moving between Jane Austen’s life and her novels, Emma Darlington explores themes of love, money, marriage, and life in the parsonage — and asks whether Charlotte Lucas might, after all, have known exactly what she was doing.

Talk followed by a Q&A.

Each attendee will receive a Jane Austen Prayer Card and copies of Emma's latest book Jane Austen A Portrait In Prayer will be available after the talk.

About

Emma Darlington wanted to be an explorer and live her life at sea, until she discovered that dusty old books, churches, and museums are generally found on land. She writes both fiction and non-fiction books, and is passionate about Jane Austen, the Regency period, carriages, and corsets, and has written five books on the subject including Jane Austen’s Prayers, the first time Jane’s handwritten prayers have appeared in print.

Location

This talk is being held in the BRLSI building on Queen's Square, five minutes walk and opposite to the Jane Austen Centre. Please follow the Jane Austen Festival signs.