Anne Lefroy (–1804)

Anne Brydges Lefroy, wife of the Rev. George Lefroy, rector of Ashe, was a neighbour and close friend -- almost a second mother -- to Jane Austen. She influenced Jane's tastes, helped mould her character, and encouraged her literary ambitions. Mrs. Lefroy was admired by her contemporaries as a woman of great beauty and culture, and was beloved by the people of her husband's parish for her devotion to their welfare. She was a published poet in her lifetime, though most of her works were published posthumously after her sad death in a riding accident at age 55. Jane Austen never got over the loss.