] Chawton- marriage prospects over. No money, and Frank, who had been housing them is heading back out to sea. So Edward offers Mrs A the choice of a fairly respectable house on the Godmersham estate, or a rather scruffy old former Inn/gatekeeper's house next to the duckpond in Chawton. Why on earth did Mrs A pick the Chawton one? was it because Edward himself wanted to move back to Hampshire (why, for heaven's sake? Godmersham is a way, way bigger house!) Was it the Austen family drawing back in on itseslf? To be nearer James, poor George and uncle Thomas?

Since you pose the question, Caroline, about George, I thought I'd ask here (risking that I missed a thread earlier on.)

Again, I end up thinking of the Nokes bio since that's the only one "I read, but I almost the impression that the only siblings to ever even have known George may have been James and Edward. But George was removed from the family by the time Cassandra was born (maybe before Henry was born?), and never returned, and so I even wonder whether Jane ever even met her brother, George. Any thoughts on that? Would she have ever met uncle Thomas?

] Edward did do quite a lot to the house to make it a bit posher- put in new windows, reapaired the roof, etc. And it's actually a cute house- JAne liked it's ramblingness and multiple levels.
] Why did it take Edward all that time to make the decision- shouldn't he have housed them earlier? Or couldn't he?

I'm all questions...need to look this one up...
Was Edward's adoptive mother still alive when Rev. Austen died in Bath? Is it possible that Edward didn't want to favor Mrs. Austen until he really felt he had free reign on his inheritance from the Knights? It seemed perhaps convenient for a while for Frank to maintain his sisters and mother and at the same time have people to keep his wife company while he was away at sea. When his wife got more used it, that was a good time to transition Mrs. A and sisters to another abode, and maybe Frank and Edward came to an agreement at that point that it was time for Edward (who had the most means) to find something permanent. Seems logical to me.