Lucy Worsley explores how the houses Jane Austen moved around to impacted her work.  Severton, Bath, Lyme, and the various houses live on in her novels.  Although many of the houses Jane lived in or visited don't exist any more their spirit still lives on in her novels.

Worsley kicks off the episode with visiting Severton and the site of the Jane Austen's childhood home.  She talks about how she grew up.  The people she met and the story with Tom LeFroy.  Growing up, good conversation revolved around music and books.  She talks about how her brother was adopted by a rich family and how that impacted Jane's life. 

Jane was the poor relation in the family as her, her father, her mother and her sister moved around to various houses.  She was expected to earn her keep by entertaining the family when they stayed with the rich relations.  The family moved around to various homes after her father retired, eventually stayed in Bath.  After her father died, her brother took her, her mother, and sister in.  Worsley also takes care to discuss Austen's loves and her career as a writer as well as where she wrote her novels.

I know this is a history blog, but documentary would be very appropriate for an English Literature class, especially if there is a sub in the room.  Even if you don't use it in class, then you can share it with a student who is doing a paper on Jane Austen.

For use in the classroom: just highlight, copy and paste into a word document or a google document for use in the classroom.  You can easily format these questions to your specifications.

The Video is available at this YouTube Link.

Jane Austen Behind Closed Doors Questions:

1. Where did Jane Austen originally grow up?
2. What was her father’s occupation?
3. How did Mr. Austen supplement the family income?
4. How young did Jane Austen start writing?
5. What was a big part of Austen’s social life?
6. Who did Jane meet at Deane House?
7. What was all the rage at the time?
8. Where did the Austen’s vacation on the seaside?
9. Where did the Austen’s permanently move?
10. Where didn’t Jane and her mother want to live in Bath?

Jane Austen Behind Closed Doors Answers:

1. Where did Jane Austen originally grow up? - Steventon
2. What was her father’s occupation? - Rector at the church
3. How did Mr. Austen supplement the family income? - Farming and Boys boarding school
4. How young did Jane Austen start writing? - 11
5. What was a big part of Austen’s social life? - Music
6. Who did Jane meet at Deane House? - Tom LaFroy
7. What was all the rage at the time? - Home Theatricals
8. Where did the Austen’s vacation on the seaside? - Lyme Regis
9. Where did the Austen’s permanently move? - Bath
10. Where didn’t Jane and her mother want to live in Bath? - Trim Street

I was introduced to Lucy Worsley through her documentary Harlots, Housewives, and Heroines and try to watch her every chance I get.  She would be an excellent addition to the classroom library whether it's on DVD or on live streaming.   If you can't show the full documentary then use clips from her series for a lecture in order to flush out history better.  I'm thrilled PBS is showing her royal documentaries so American audiences can get to know her.  You'll quickly discovered that she loves dressing up in period costume.

Tudor History
Secrets of the Six Wives: Amazon
Lucy Worsley dives head first into Tudor Court Life as she explores the women behind Henry VIII.  She explores the early marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, their hard divorce; his relationship with Anne Bolyen; the birth of his son by Jane Seymour; the smarts of Anne of Cleves; Catherine Howard, his teenage bride; and finally Catherine Parr, a nurse with her own convictions on religion.  This DVD is a great addition to a teacher's collection on Tudor History or even your personal collection on Tudor History.  After David Starkey's Six Wives of Henry VIII, this is a fantastic edition to Tudor History and if you can't find Starkey's work, then use this series in the classroom.

Twelve Days of Tudor Christmas: Amazon
Lucy Worsley celebrates Christmas like a king, as in King Henry VIII.  She goes through each day of the 12 days of Christmas partying like a Tudor.

Royal History
Tales of the Royal Wardrobe: Amazon
Lucy Worsley explores Royals and what they wore and how royal fashion and an impact on how the people looked at them.  She starts off with Elizabeth I and ends with Elizabeth II.

Tales of the Royal Bedchamber: Amazon
Lucy Worsley explores what happens in the royal bedchamber.  It was once a public place where the people could talk politics with the king or queen but over the centuries turned into a private sanctuary for royals.

Royal Myths and Secrets: Amazon
Lucy Worsley explores the myths surrounding Elizabeth I, Queen Anne and Queen Marie Antoinette.  In the next series, Lucy Worsley explores the myths surrounding the Regency, French Revolution and the Russian Revolution.

Empire of Tsars: Romanov Russia: Amazon Prime
Lucy Worsley takes a tour of Russia during the Romanov Period, introducing us to Peter the Great, Catherine II and the final Tsar Nicholas II.  She explores the changes that were under the rule of Peter the Great, the assassination Tsar Alexander II what how Russia Tsars kept the autocracy going while other monarchies were shifting towards democracy.

Royal Palace Secrets: Amazon
Explore the palaces like never before with Lucy Worsley.  Due to COVID, these historic royal palaces were closed to the public.  So this was a lifetime opportunity to create this documentary while they were closed to the public!

Victoria and Albert: The Wedding: Amazon
Lucy Worsley and several historians restage the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, each taking a piece of the ceremony such as the music, fashion, the placement of the guest and the wedding breakfast.

General History
A Very British Murder: AmazonPrime
Lucy Worsley explores the history of the British interest in murder.  She starts with the second half of the 19th Century, discusses the Victorian's interest in murder, and finally the Edwardian obsession with murder.

Jane Austen: Behind Closed Doors: YouTube
Lucy explores the houses that inspired Jane Austen and her writing.  She starts with Austen’s childhood home and concludes with the home she died in.

A Very British Romance
Lucy Worsley explores the history of British Romance and its impact on society over a two hundred year period. 

If Walls Could Talk: Episode 1  Episode 2  Episode 3  Episode 4
Worsley explores the history of the home through its four rooms: Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom and Living room.  She takes us on how each room developed historically and what changes have been made in the modern period.  She even makes a working model of the toilet Sir John Harrington invented in order to show that it worked, gets scolded by a cook for not properly taking care of a stove and gets her hair done in a 1920's style before taking a bath.

Elegance and Decadence: History of the Regency: Episode 1  Episode 2  Episode 3
Lucy Worsley narrates the Regency Period, explaining the Prince Regent's complicated relationship with his father and Napoleon as well as Jane Austen and the changes England underwent during this period.