Short and simple, the main section of Jane Austen’s will read: “I Jane Austen of the Parish of Chawton do by this my last Will & Testament give and bequeath to my dearest Sister Cassandra Elizth everything of which I may die possessed, or which may be hereafter due to me, subject to the payment of my Funeral Expenses, & to a Legacy of £50. to my Brother Henry, & £50. to Mde Bigeon — which I request may be paid as soon as convenient. And I appoint my said dear Sister the Executrix of this my last Will & Testament” (via The National Archives).
Read Related Also: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace: DoorDash Driver Kidnap, Rape; Suspect Shoots at Family
As laid out in the will, Cassandra was Austen’s sister, and Henry her brother. Per CBC, Mde Bigeon was the secretary of her brother Henry. In 1817, £50 was the equivalent of around £5,200 in 2023. In U.S. Dollars, this payment would be approximately $6,400. Aside from these monetary bequests, Austen left everything else she owned to her sister, a move that makes sense considering that the sisters shared a close bond throughout their lives.
