Chronology of Mansfield Park

This is Chapman and MacKinnon's chronology of Mansfield Park, based on the only "full" date (day, month, and day of week) given in the book -- the ball at Mansfield Park, on Thursday, December 22nd. (December 22nd fell on a Thursday both in 1808, several years before Jane Austen began writing the book, and also in 1814, the year in which the novel was first published.)

See also Ellen Mood's alternative calendar for Mansfield Park.

Appendix to Chapman's edition of Mansfield Park

In the calendar which follows, dates actually stated are printed in italic; the rest (unless the contrary is indicated) are inferred with certainty. I begin with the ball. The earlier chronology is clear and consistent, but the nature of the narrative did not require precision.

1808-1809

Thurs. 22 Dec.

The ball at Mansfield Park.

Fri. 23 Dec.

Edmund goes to Lessingby, "to receive ordination in the course of the Christmas week".

Henry and William go to town.

Fri. Sat. Sun., 30 Dec.-1 Jan.

Edmund does not return, though his week was up.

Mon. 2 Jan.

Mary makes her way to the Park. Henry returns.

Tues. 3 Jan.

He sits with Lady Bertram and Fanny.

Wed. 4 Jan.

He tells Fanny of William's promotion, and makes his offer.

Thurs. 5 Jan.

Fanny's interview with Sir Thomas.

Fri. 6 Jan.

Henry's interview with Sir Thomas.

Mon. 9 Jan. or Tues. 10 Jan.

Edmund returns, after an absence of more than a fortnight.

Tues. 10 Jan. or Wed. 11 Jan.

Henry dines at the Park.

Thurs. 12 Jan.

Edmund dines at the Parsonage.

Fri. 13 Jan.

Edmund and Fanny discuss her affairs, and his.

Sat. 14 Jan.

Fanny expects Mary's visit.

Sun. 15 Jan.

Mary says good-bye to Fanny.

Mon. 16 Jan.

The Crawfords leave Mansfield. (Edmund had stayed away more than a fortnight from 23 Dec., and if he had stayed five or six days longer would have returned on that very Monday.)

? Sat. 28 Jan.

William arrives on ten days' leave.

Mon. 6 Feb.

Three weeks after the Crawfords' departure Fanny and William leave Mansfield Park and sleep at Newbury.

Tues. 7 Feb.

They reach Portsmouth in daylight.

Sat. 11 Feb.

The Thrush sails "within four days".

Thurs. 16 Feb.

Mary writes to Fanny that Henry went to Norfolk ten days ago, perhaps "for the sake of being travelling at the same time that you were".

Sat. 25 Feb.

Edmund goes to London. (See below, under 25 March.)

Tues. 28 Feb.

Mrs. Rushworth opens one of the best houses in Wimpole Street.

Sat. 4 March.

Fanny had been nearly four weeks from Mansfield. Henry walks into the room.

Sun. 5 March.

They walk on the ramparts, in April weather though it was really March. Accused of having been in Portsmouth a month, Fanny says: "Not quite a month. -- It is only four weeks tomorrow since I left Mansfield." "You are a most accurate and honest reckoner. I should call that a month." "I did not arrive here till Tuesday evening."

Mon. 6 March.

Henry leaves for London.

Wed. 8 March.

Mary's letter (written no doubt on Tuesday) reaches Portsmouth. Henry, she says cannot be allowed to go to Norfolk again "before the middle of next week, that is, he cannot any how be spared till after the 14th, for we have a party that evening".

Tues. 14 March.

Mrs. Frazer's party.

Sat. 18 March.

Edmund returns to Mansfield.

? Sat. 25 or Sun. 26 March.

Fanny receives Edmund's letter. On this day "seven weeks of the two months were very nearly gone" -- they would be up on Mon. 27 March. At latest therefore it is Sun. 26 March. The Saturday, therefore, on which Edmund returned to Mansfield is 18, not 25, March. He was in London three weeks, which would make his arrival there Sat. 25 Feb. He was not in London when Mary wrote on 16 Feb.; and about 4 March Fanny was supposing him to have been there a week. He had not seen Henry since 14 March.

Mon. 27 March.

The Grants leave for Bath. A few days later Fanny receives Lady Bertram's letter announcing Tom's illness. Some days after this -- for her aunt writes "again and again" -- comes the news of his being at Mansfield. About a week later comes the letter from Edmund revealing the truth. "Such was the state of Mansfield, and so it continued, with scarcely any change till Easter", which was "particularly late this year". Easter came, and Fanny had no prospect of leaving Portsmouth. "The end of April was coming on; it would soon be almost three months instead of two that she had been absent".
[Easter was on April 2nd in 1809 and March 26th in 1815, neither especially late. In 1810, Easter was on April 22nd.]

? Fri. 21 April.

Mary's letter inquiring about Tom's chances of recovery. Mrs. Rushworth is at Twickenham for Easter.

Fri. 28 April.

About a week later, Mary's letter about the "scandalous, ill-natured rumour".

Sat. 29 April

[This day] brought no second letter. Fanny "had, indeed, been three months there".

Sun. 30 April, Mon. 1 May.

"Nothing happened the next day, or the next".

Tues. 2 May.

The third day brings Edmund's letter. "I shall be at Portsmouth the morning after you receive this." (Sir Thomas and he had been in London two days, when he wrote on 1 May).

Wed. 3 May.

Edmund arrives, and they leave Portsmouth, sleeping at Oxford.

Thurs. 4 May.

They reach Mansfield Park. "It was three months, full three months, since her quitting it."

Sun. 7 May.

Edmund opens his heart.

See also Ellen Mood's alternative calendar for Mansfield Park.

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