Jane Austen and the Clergy Irene Collins 1994 Patrick Cormack Provenance
 
Title & Bibliographic Details
Jane Austen and the Clergy
Irene Collins
Published by The Hambledon Press, London, 1994.
Second Impression, 1994. First published in 1993. ISBN 1 85285 114 7.
xiii + 242 pages, with illustrations, bibliography, notes and index.
Typeset by York House Typographic Ltd. Printed on acid-free paper and bound in Great Britain by Cambridge University Press.
 
About the Book
Irene Collins explores the important influence of Jane Austen's clerical family and social circle upon her life and writing. Clergymen feature prominently throughout Austen's novels, yet their social position, education, duties, incomes, homes, marriages and beliefs are often less familiar to modern readers.
Drawing on Austen's novels, letters and the historical evidence of the period, Collins examines the world inhabited by Austen's father and brothers and considers the real-life background to characters including Mr Collins, Mr Tilney, Mr Elton and Dr Grant.
The book is illustrated with portraits, engravings, family trees, views of houses and churches, and reproductions of contemporary title pages.
 
About the Author
Irene Collins was a historian and academic particularly interested in the relationship between history and literature. She taught at the University of Liverpool and wrote extensively on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britain and Europe.
 
Binding & Condition
The book is bound in original blue cloth with gilt lettering to the spine. The binding is intact, robust and in very good condition for its age, with only very light wear and very soft bumping to the lower rear corner. The cloth remains vibrant.
The original dust jacket is present and is in good condition for age, with light wear predominantly around the edges. It is not price clipped. Please refer to the photographs for a full impression of its condition.
The interior is exceptionally bright, neat and clean, with no significant creasing. The binding is tight and secure. All xiii preliminary pages and 242 numbered pages are present.
 
Provenance
The most significant feature of this copy is its documented provenance to Sir Patrick Cormack M.P.
Loosely inserted within the book is an original handwritten letter dated 26 June 1995, addressed to Sir Patrick Cormack M.P. at the House of Commons.
The letter thanks Cormack for a visit during which the writers watched a parliamentary debate and enjoyed strawberries, before explaining that they knew he loved Jane Austen and was interested in the church and clergy. They therefore presented him with this book as a token of their thanks.
The letter is signed Ann & Alwyn and has been retained with the book.
Sir Patrick Cormack (1939–2024) was a prominent British parliamentarian, historian and author. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010, was knighted in 1995 and later became Lord Cormack. He was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
The letter therefore provides unusually clear provenance, documenting both the recipient and the reason the book was presented to him.
This is an appealing association for collectors of Jane Austen, literary history, British political history and books with significant provenance.
 
Physical Details
Dimensions: approximately 24.1 x 16.2 x 2.4 cm
Weight: approximately 561g
 
Rarity & Collector Notes
The 1994 Second Impression is not a rare edition and ordinary copies remain readily available. What distinguishes this copy is the original handwritten presentation letter to Sir Patrick Cormack, which provides a documented personal association with a prominent British parliamentarian and Austen enthusiast.
A particularly interesting association copy for the Jane Austen or provenance collector.