Today, December 16, 2025, is Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. She was born December 16, 1775.

It was once thought that I had a much closer connection with Jane Austen, via my ancestor Elizabeth Lane, wife of John Hine. They are my maternal 9th great-grandparents. In many trees it lists her as the daughter of John Lane and Sarah Barnard. She was not their daughter, and the maiden name of Sarah as Barnard is in question, and it is via this unproven Barnard line that links up with Jane Austen. If this was the case, Jane Austen would be my 7th cousin, six times removed.

It is thought instead that Elizabeth Lane was the daughter of John Lane and Katherine Tuttle. This would link us as descendants of Charlemagne several times, and to early English Royalty, and a possible very distant connection to Jane Austen. More work needs to be done on the parentage of Elizabeth Lane Hine.

But alas, not to worry, we are still related to Jane Austen, but it’s much further back and much more distant! I descend on both sides of my tree from John, King of England aka John Lackland. As does Jane Austen. My two lines are via children he had with royal mistresses or concubines.

My first connection is via Richard FitzRoy, Baron of Chilham, a child of John with his mistress Adela de Warenne. This is on my paternal side. Armstrong-Fay–Doughty–Gooden–Watts-York-Thomas-Davis-Matheney-Wentworth-Calverley-Markenfield-Sothill-FitzWilliam-Cromwell-Bernacke-Marmion-de Dover-FitzRoy-King John.

My second connection is via Joan (Joanna) Plantagenet, Lady of Wales, a child of John with his mistress Clemence le Boteler. This is on my maternal side. Cole-Prindle-Doman–Davison-Cunningham-Tyler-Stent-Ives-Yale-Lloyd-ap John-ap Maredudd Llwyd-ap Llwelyn-ferch Dafydd Llwyd-ap Gruffudd-ferch Maredudd-ap Leuan Goch-ap Dafydd Goch-ferch Dafydd Llwyd-ap Cynwrig-ap Llyweln-ap Dafydd-Joan (Joanna) Plantagenet, Lady of Wales-King John.

Jane Austen is descended from John, King of England and his wife Isabella of Angoulême. This is so far back, and so many millions of people on this planet are descendants of John, King of England, it has been stated that most people with English ancestry are probably connected to Jane Austen.

As a Janeite, Austenite, an ardent Austen enthusiast, I still adore the fact that I have this connection to her! 🙂

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