Second son of John Austen (1657-1704) and his wife Elizabeth Weller, born 25 February and baptised at Horsmonden, 15 March 1697/8. Educated at Sevenoaks School. Established a legal practice in Sevenoaks 'with £800 and a bundle of pens' in 1722; became a specialist in land law, with a practice in Clifford's Inn, of which he was at one time Principal, in addition to his firm in Sevenoaks; Under-Sheriff for Kent from 1733; Clerk of the Peace for Kent, 1753-73; Governor of Sevenoaks School; trustee of eleven turnpike trusts and many similar posts in Kent. After the death of his brother William, he acted almost as a surrogate father for his nephew, Rev. George Austen (father of the novelist, Jane Austen), paying for him to attend University, and he continued to take a keen interest in his nephew's career and family; his second wife acted as one of Jane Austen's godparents at her christening in 1776, and Jane and her sister were taken to stay with him at Sevenoaks in 1788. He married 1st, 2 January 1746/7 at Tonbridge, Anne, daughter and heiress of Thomas Motley, and 2nd, 19 August 1758 at St Dunstan in the West, London, Jane (c.1715-82), the daughter of [forename unknown] Chadwick and widow of Samuel Lennard of West Wickham (Kent).
Second son of John Austen (1657-1704) and his wife Elizabeth Weller, born 25 February and baptised at Horsmonden, 15 March 1697/8. Educated at Sevenoaks School. Established a legal practice in Sevenoaks 'with £800 and a bundle of pens' in 1722; became a specialist in land law, with a practice in Clifford's Inn, of which he was at one time Principal, in addition to his firm in Sevenoaks; Under-Sheriff for Kent from 1733; Clerk of the Peace for Kent, 1753-73; Governor of Sevenoaks School; trustee of eleven turnpike trusts and many similar posts in Kent. After the death of his brother William, he acted almost as a surrogate father for his nephew, Rev. George Austen (father of the novelist, Jane Austen), paying for him to attend University, and he continued to take a keen interest in his nephew's career and family; his second wife acted as one of Jane Austen's godparents at her christening in 1776, and Jane and her sister were taken to stay with him at Sevenoaks in 1788. He married 1st, 2 January 1746/7 at Tonbridge, Anne, daughter and heiress of Thomas Motley, and 2nd, 19 August 1758 at St Dunstan in the West, London, Jane (c.1715-82), the daughter of [forename unknown] Chadwick and widow of Samuel Lennard of West Wickham (Kent).
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