#lady bertram

[lynburnlegagy123]

How different Jane Austen couples would react to the Emma/Knightley situation

I.e. getting to marry but only if the husband moves into his wife's house and lives with her family.

Elinor/Edward and Marianne/Brandon: I think space would be an issue, especially if it's both couples in the cottage at the same time, but personality wise this would probably be fine. 

Elizabeth/Darcy: definitely worse. Space is an issue again but now the personalities are the far greater one. You can definitely be settled too near your family. If the Wickhams also live there I'm not sure Longbourn will remain standing.

Fanny/Edmund: Lady Bertram's ideal scenario. They both lived here with everyone (plus Maria and minus Susan) for years before they married. They'll be fine. Now, Edmund having to move to the Prices' house, or the Rushworths living at Mansfield Park… I don't know how that would go.

Emma/George: yeah they're good.

Catherine/Henry: I can kinda see them doing this. Like, Henry lives half the year at his parsonage and half the year at Northanger Abbey, if the relationship with General Tilney remained strained I could see them spending equivalent time with the Morlands. In the situation everyone's getting of full time habitation, I think it would be kinda lovely honestly. Not an issue at all. Impractical with the living though.

Anne/Frederick: Hell. No one would enjoy this. The main perk of the eight year separation is that they weren't dealing with this instead.

[janeaustengeeks]

[mysunfreckle]

Mansfield Park, February 6th 1809

My dear Maria,

I am very glad you find London so agreeable, and the house so exactly to your tastes. Wimpole Street is a fine situation to be sure, but I was never fond of London, there is always such a great deal of noise about one in a town. You will be surprised, however, at how little quiet we have had at Mansfield. Indeed, a great many things have happened since you came away.

William Price has spent another ten days with us, to celebrate his promotion with dear Fanny. He is a very deserving young man, and I daresay will make a very good lieutenant. I hope that he may go to the East Indies now, that he may get me a shawl. He took leave of us yesterday, and  took Fanny back with him to Portsmouth this morning, which I cannot like at all, but Sir Thomas considered it very proper and intends for her visit there to be two months complete. I do not like to miss her at such a time as this, now only Edmund remains with us; but as your dear father says, I must fortify my mind against the loss, for it is not likely Fanny will much longer have Mansfield for her home. This will surprise you, I know, but I shall tell why; Mr Crawford has made her an offer, is not that extraordinary? I was never so pleasantly surprised in my life; but I shall tell you how it came about.

We had the ball in December, as I wrote you word, to give pleasure to William and Fanny. They were both in very good looks, and I was very glad of it, for I declare that all the neighbourhood was collected within our walls. Fanny was in the fine white gown Sir Thomas gave her for your wedding; I sent Chapman to her to help her dress after she had done arranging my hair and she did appear to uncommon advantage. Mr Crawford opened the ball with her and I am sure I am sure the mischief was done that evening. I am so very pleased, I cannot think of anything more agreeable that has happened here since your own marriage, my dear Maria. What a very fine thing for our Fanny, I do believe she was quite overcome by the prospect of such a match. She was not brought up to it, so I do not wonder at her being taken unawares by the application; but she has really grown into a pretty girl and once she has adjusted her ideas is sure to accept him.

I do think she must be married from Mansfield, and when she is, I hope you and Julia can be with us again. It is a great comfort to know that you can be together at such a time as this, but you are very much missed, I am sure, and when Fanny leaves me I shall want you all about me.

Give my fondest love to Julia and to your husband. You shall be busy preparing for your party, I know, but I hope you shall write to me soon.

Your affectionate mother,

M. Bertram

For @janeuary-month day 24: letters~

[janeaustenpolls]

Ok it's been a hot minute and I haven't decided on the next big round of polls so let's do something Fun 💖 and by fun I mean Fight To The Death In The Notes 💖

Who should Fanny Price have ended up with?

Edmund Bertram

Henry Crawford

Tom Bertram

Mary Crawford in some kind of lavender marriage situation

Someone else who appears in Mansfield Park

Someone else but no one from MP

No one, she should stay on as Lady Bertram's companion forever

No one, but I have a different idea in mind of where/how she'd live

See results

Voting ended onAug 22, 2025

[ysabeausfrenchtwist]

Lindsay Duncan is such a brilliant actress. That's it!

[ladybertrams-pug]

The least problematic Jane Austen character:

[bethanydelleman]

Hello Inspiration for Lady Bertram from Mansfield Park:

Much as Wollstonecraft disliked Caroline’s use of rouge and her affected ‘infantine lisp’, she was especially distressed to see her lavishing affection upon her six lapdogs while apparently neglecting her children’s moral and emotional welfare. Lisping and lapdogs would feature in Wollstonecraft’s disapproving anecdotes about an unnamed lady of her personal acquaintance in Chapter 11 of A vindication of the rights of woman. Source

(Mary worked for Lady (Caroline) Kingsborough as a governess)

To the education of her daughters Lady Bertram paid not the smallest attention. She had not time for such cares. She was a woman who spent her days in sitting, nicely dressed, on a sofa, doing some long piece of needlework, of little use and no beauty, thinking more of her pug than her children, but very indulgent to the latter when it did not put herself to inconvenience, guided in everything important by Sir Thomas, and in smaller concerns by her sister. Had she possessed greater leisure for the service of her girls, she would probably have supposed it unnecessary, for they were under the care of a governess, with proper masters, and could want nothing more.

Mansfield Park, Ch 2

[anghraine]

Hi! Your Austen blogging is wonderful; I enjoy it so much!! I’ve been going through your Gardiner-related posts (because they are great <3) and they are/were among your top 5 Austen couples. However, my ask is not actually about them, but Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, who were also on your list. I (kind of) like them individually, but I was wondering what you enjoy about them as a couple?

Thank you very much!

I think that list must have been really old. I definitely wouldn't put Sir Thomas/Lady Bertram there now.

I primarily liked their relationship, as far as I recall, by contrast to the relationship between Mr and Mrs Bennet. Lady Bertram isn't exactly an intellectual giant, and Sir Thomas has his commonalities with Mr Bennet despite being far more humorless, yet the dynamic is really different. I just find that intriguing—the ways in which Austen re-uses tropes but from different angles or by rearranging pieces of them.