A Modern Quest for Knowledge into a Past World of Literature;
or ... Why did Jane Austen write her Famous Strawberry Party Scene?
Jane Austen & her Own References
This web page functions as the appendix to Chapter 3 which deals with references in biographical materials to strawberries and other related topics.
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The following abbreviation is employed: DLF: Deirdre Le Faye's book: Jane Austen's Letters. 4th edt.
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The red font colour and underlining of the search terms are done by me, and are not included in the original texts.
Ch3/21: Straight from the Horse's Mouth
Letter 20, Sunday 2nd June 1799 (DLF p. 44) to Cassandra
[...] Flowers are very much worn & Fruit is still more the thing.—Eliz: has a bunch of Strawberries, & I have seen Grapes, Cherries, Plumbs, & Apricots—There are likewise Almonds & raisins, french plumbs and Tamarinds at the Grocers, but I have never seen any of them in hats.—A plumb or green gage would cost three shillings;—Cherries & Grapes about 5 I believe—but this is at some of the dearest Shops; [...]
Letter 53, 20-22nd June 1808 (DLF p. 136) to Cassandra
[…] I want to hear of your gathering Strawberries, we have had them three times here. […]
Letter 75, 6th June 1811 (DLF p. 202) to Cassandra
[…] Yesterday I had the agreeable surprise of finding several scarlet strawberries quite ripe;—had you been at home, this would have been a pleasure lost. […]
Letter 120, 29th September 1815 (DLF p. 303) to Anna Lefroy
[…] She will send the Strawberry roots by Sally Benham, as early next week as the weather may allow her to take them up.— […]
[she being Mrs Austen]