The Players- Martha Lloyd- Martha, Martha, Martha

My Dearest Janeite-

A light mist has been falling for the past two days. The heavy fog brings to mind a different Jane who navigates her way through the Moors. I sit on a bench between two hedge rows and stare out over the countryside,  Jane Austen's Letters by Dierdre Le Faye finished for the first (but most certainly not last) time. My mind turns away from a different Jane or the English Moors or even dear Austen herself. Instead, I wonder at some of the bigger players in the great authoress' life. Yes, it is evident that her family, especially sister Cassandra, niece Fanny, and brother Henry, played an important part in her everyday life and writing career (and I will get to the family eventually). Today, though, I wish to turn my thoughts to Martha Lloyd.

I tend to agree with the Austen experts who claim that Martha was the third musketeer to Jane and Cassandra. She is referred to by Jane as like a sister. In Letter 58, upon the death of Elizabeth, Edward Austen Knight's wife, Jane writes:

"With what true sympathy our feelings are shared by Martha you need not

be told; she is the friend and sister under every circumstance."

 

 

Much has been said of this close friendship, such as the evidence that Martha was quite privy to the writings of Austen long before she had them published. In Letter 21, written in 1799, Austen writes of "First Impressions" (later titled Pride & Prejudice), saying:

"I would not let Martha read "First Impressions"[4] again upon any

account, and am very glad that I did not leave it in your power. She is

very cunning, but I saw through her design; she means to publish it from

memory, and one more perusal must enable her to do it. As for

"Fitzalbini," when I get home she shall have it, as soon as ever she

will own that Mr. Elliott is handsomer than Mr. Lance, that fair men are

preferable to black; for I mean to take every opportunity of rooting out

her prejudices."

 

 Ibthorpe.

 

 

 The Lloyd family began at Ibthorpe, and then moved to Deane. Martha would join the Austens in Bath and live with the Austen ladies during their time in Southampton and Chawton.

 

One of the most interesting bits about Martha from Jane's letters comes in 1809. Apparently Martha has a bit of a flirtation with a married man. Jane being the wit that she was, it is sometimes difficult to decipher when she is serious or joking, but this passage (to me) seems to elude to Martha's behavior not being what it should. In Letter  65 to Cassandra, Jane writes:

 

"Martha and Dr. Mant are as bad as ever; he runs after her in the street to apologise for having spoken to a Gentleman while she was near him the day before. Poor Mrs. Mant can stand it no longer; she is retired to one of her married Daughters."

 

In her next letter to Cassandra, Jane remarks to the effect that Martha was a little less than pleased about what Jane had said, while Jane writes:

 

"& as Dr. M is a clergyman their attachment, however immoral, has a decorous air."

 

Jane's willingness to jest about Martha's love life so openly does reveal just how close they were. I know many lament not having more of Cassandra's letters to Jane, but, given the choice, I think I would much rather have a nice long diary of Martha Lloyd's to read. What would you rather have?

 

Until next time, Your most humble servant-

 

A Lady