Henry Austen, Jane's brother, moved here to 23 Hans Place in 1814 a year after his wife Eliza died. When Jane was visiting him he fell ill. Jane wrote that she had called in a Mr Haden 'the apothecary from the corner of Sloane Street'. In fact Mr Charles Haden was something more than an apothecary having studied medicine at Edinburgh and London and in Paris, after his election to the Royal College of Surgeons. Henry, nursed by Jane and her niece, recovered slowly and Mr Haden continued to call and would dine with them: 'To-morrow Mr Haden is to dine with us. There's happiness! We really grow so fond of Mr Haden that I do not know what to expect.' Which, with other similar comments, caused her sister Cassandra to express surprise at an apothecary being so interesting. Jane responded to that with:
'You seem to be under a mistake as to Mr H. - you call him an Apothecary; he is no Apothecary, he has never been an Apothecary...he is a Haden, a sort of wonderful nondescript creature on two legs, something between a Man and an Angel - but without the least spice of an Apothecary.'
When Henry was fit to go back to work Jane was to go back to her home in Chawton. At the time of her leaving she wrote to him returning some books 'As we were out ourselves yesterday evening we were glad to find you had not called - but shall depend upon your giving us some part of this evening. I leave Town early on Saturday, and must say 'good-bye-' to you.' It is not thought that Jane revisited Chelsea. Charles Haden married Miss Emma Harrison in 1816.

O/S Co-ords:2779.7928
Source(s):

Chelsea