In examining this wonderfully researched calendar, I'm having trouble with the trip to Rosings. Chapter 30: "In this quiet way, the first fortnight of her visit soon passed away.... Elizabeth had heard soon after her arrival that Mr. Darcy was expected there in the course of a few weeks...." Fact: Easter was on Sunday March 29 in 1812. Chapter 35: "The five weeks which she had now passed in Kent...." The day she receives Mr. Darcy's letter. Chapter 37: Elizabeth and the Collinses dine with Lady Catherine after Darcy & Col Fitzwilliam leave Rosings. Lady Catherine attempts to convince Elizabeth to extend her visit, but Elizabeth declines ("I must be in town next Saturday." Lady Catherine then complains, "Why, at that rate, you will have been here only six weeks." Chapter 38: Elizabeth and Maria Lucas leave Hunsford for London ("... they reached Mr. Gardiner’s house, where they were to remain a few days.") Chapter 39: "It was the second week in May, in which the three young ladies set out together from Gracechurch Street for the town of ——, in Hertfordshire...." The online calendar posits that Elizabeth arrived on Monday March 9. So the first fortnight ended Monday March 23, six days before Easter, while 3 weeks elapsed on the day after Easter when Darcy paid his first solo visit to the parsonage. This calendar skips ahead to April 14 as the proposal day, but calls it a Thursday and the 1812 calendars I've seen make it Tuesday. Regardless, the calendar then has the letter given out on Friday April 17, the next day's dinner at Rosings on Saturday April 18, and then the departure on Friday April 24, with Monday May 4 seeing the girls back in Hertfordshire. Counting up on this calendar, Week 6 of Elizabeth's visit began on Monday April 20. So that sort of fits with what Lady Catherine said, although that week almost ends before Elizabeth leaves. However, the earliest I can make the second week of May is Monday May 8. The online calendar puts 13 days between coming to London and arriving in Hertfordshire. That gap hardly seems "a few days." Am I missing something? Does anyone have any insight here? It's of course possible Austen made a mistake. Or are we? -- Signed a pedantic FF author spending far too much time puzzling over timelines.https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130644#msg-130644Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:45:31 +0100 Phorum 5.2.22 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130705#msg-130705 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130705#msg-130705
That calendar also sounds like it adds a few more days before Darcy's proposal, which was only a week and a half after Easter.]]> Suzanne O Tea RoomSun, 18 Sep 2022 21:57:50 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130664#msg-130664 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130664#msg-130664 Harvey Tea RoomThu, 25 Aug 2022 21:52:14 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130661#msg-130661 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130661#msg-130661
However, going back to 1793 and following it through to 1794, there are two important distinctions that make it the more likely date range. One is Easter, which in 1794 landed much later on April 29. This midpoint of Elizabeth's stay at Hunsford leads to a later departure, Saturday May 10. "A few days later" she then returns home Tuesday March 13, which works much better for the "second week in May" described in the novel.

Also, 1812 is a leap year. While the dates given by Austen aren't necessarily impacted and still line up OKish with those given in the novel, the days of the week change, creating some strategic differences that look to better fit the story (as makes since for the original writing versus quick later revision theory).

A prime example is the abbreviated vacation for Elizabeth and the Gardiners. Based on the passage of time listed as happening before and after certain key events, they should leave Longbourne around Tuesday July 14 if it's 1812, which gives them only four days of sight-seeing and one Sunday rest before they head for Pemberley. But in 1794, July 12 works out to the day of departure, which is a Saturday. Even with next day's Sunday rest, they get eight days to travel around (with at least one more Sunday off) before heading to Pemberley, which makes far more sense.

The only thing that doesn't really fit is Mr. Gardiner's express, dated "Monday August 2." The date and day of the week don't match up in either year. It looks a little better in 1812, simply because Mr. Darcy arrives at the Gardiner home on Saturday August 1, we might presume Mr. Gardiner began the letter on Sunday August 2, and then finished and sent it Monday August 3 (in such a hurry to post he forgot to change the date). We know from Mrs. Gardiner's later later the express was sent on a Monday, when everything was settled between Darcy and Mr. Gardiner.

In 1794, August 2 is the Saturday Darcy went to the Gardiner home, there was further negotiation on Sunday August 3, and the express was sent on Monday August 4. It's an odder epistolary mistake, since it presumes Mr. Gardiner began the letter on the very day of Mr. Darcy's arrival and then had two days before sending it (surely he could have revised the day?) But we can still chalk it up to the uncertainty and stress of the situation (and a rare flub on Jane Austen's part when concocting her timeline).

So I'm back to believing that 1792-1793 is the more correct period for P&P to reside (regardless of publication date).]]> MichelleRW Tea RoomThu, 25 Aug 2022 04:02:52 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130649#msg-130649 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130649#msg-130649 Ai Tea RoomFri, 19 Aug 2022 22:37:22 +0100 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130644#msg-130644 https://dwiggie.com/phorum/read.php?4,130644,130644#msg-130644calendar, I'm having trouble with the trip to Rosings.

Chapter 30: "In this quiet way, the first fortnight of her visit soon passed away.... Elizabeth had heard soon after her arrival that Mr. Darcy was expected there in the course of a few weeks...."

Fact: Easter was on Sunday March 29 in 1812.

Chapter 35: "The five weeks which she had now passed in Kent...." The day she receives Mr. Darcy's letter.

Chapter 37: Elizabeth and the Collinses dine with Lady Catherine after Darcy & Col Fitzwilliam leave Rosings. Lady Catherine attempts to convince Elizabeth to extend her visit, but Elizabeth declines ("I must be in town next Saturday." Lady Catherine then complains, "Why, at that rate, you will have been here only six weeks."

Chapter 38: Elizabeth and Maria Lucas leave Hunsford for London ("... they reached Mr. Gardiner’s house, where they were to remain a few days.")

Chapter 39: "It was the second week in May, in which the three young ladies set out together from Gracechurch Street for the town of ——, in Hertfordshire...."

The online calendar posits that Elizabeth arrived on Monday March 9. So the first fortnight ended Monday March 23, six days before Easter, while 3 weeks elapsed on the day after Easter when Darcy paid his first solo visit to the parsonage. This calendar skips ahead to April 14 as the proposal day, but calls it a Thursday and the 1812 calendars I've seen make it Tuesday. Regardless, the calendar then has the letter given out on Friday April 17, the next day's dinner at Rosings on Saturday April 18, and then the departure on Friday April 24, with Monday May 4 seeing the girls back in Hertfordshire.

Counting up on this calendar, Week 6 of Elizabeth's visit began on Monday April 20. So that sort of fits with what Lady Catherine said, although that week almost ends before Elizabeth leaves.

However, the earliest I can make the second week of May is Monday May 8. The online calendar puts 13 days between coming to London and arriving in Hertfordshire. That gap hardly seems "a few days." Am I missing something? Does anyone have any insight here? It's of course possible Austen made a mistake. Or are we?

-- Signed a pedantic FF author spending far too much time puzzling over timelines.]]> MichelleRW Tea RoomWed, 17 Aug 2022 02:02:36 +0100