Lentune Probus Ladies Club met today and enjoyed a really unusual and interesting talk. 

Jane Glennie presented herself in the character of Martha Lloyd, complete with mobcap and cotton frock. We heard she was a companion and housekeeper for Jane Austen, her sister Cassandra and mother in Castle Street, Southampton and then Chawton. She described her work as experimental housekeeping and had been chosen by Jane for her mature wisdom and sense of humour. 

The family and Martha moved to the peaceful village of Chawton which enabled Jane to write her novels without disturbance. From here she managed to get her novels published and we heard theories of how the titles were chosen. 

Martha related personal histories of people involved in their lives, read from Jane’s letters and allowed the audience to try her homemade skin cream. 

After our speaker reverted to her own character, she told us that Martha went on to marry Jane’s widowed brother Frank, helped to bring up some of his eleven children and died in her sixties. 

 Lunch was much enjoyed after this talk and people chatted about what they had done through the summer break and caught up with old friends. 

Members can read a fuller account of this talk on the members only page!

Lentune Ladies Probus Club invites membership applications from ladies who would like to share our lively, fun, interesting meetings and social events. Contact Pauline Lightbody, Club Secretary on 07900 576752 for details.