For decades this controversial painting commanded attention in the worlds of art and literature. It's called "Rice" not because of its artist, who allegedly was Ozias Humphry, but because it has been passed down in Jane Austen's family for more than 200 years and the more recent owners, surnamed Rice, are descendants of the famous author's younger brother, Edward.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) is best described as an English literary giant whose works are among the most widely read in the English language. Some have been dramatized on television, wining new fans for an author who did not live long enough to enjoy fame.  She penned romantic fiction characterized by stringent social commentary, a favorite theme being the dependence of women on husbands as a means of survival.  These themes are the background of such works as Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Northanger Abbey.

THE RICE PORTRAIT

When Henry Rice was growing up, this portrait of a young girl hung over the mantelpiece in the family home. It was, he was told, the sister of his ancestor, Edward Austen. Rice is reportedly the sixth generation descendant of Edward. He had no reason to doubt then that the portrait was of Jane Austen and continues to believe it now. But while his own faith remains undiminished, the market has apparently decided otherwise.
 

Henry Rice, then 78 and living in Dorset, put the so-called Rice portrait up for auction at Christie's in New York in 2007, but no bidder reached his offering price. Despite enormous interest, it was almost as if the comparatively modest estimate of $400,000 to $800,000 confirmed the doubts that have besieged the work for decades.

HISTORY OF A PORTRAIT 

This painting has long been one of the most controversial in literary portraiture. The National Portrait Gallery in London, which would be its natural home if it proved to be Jane, says it has spent more time on the work in the past 15 years than on any other in a private collection. Its experts roundly reject it as a representation of Austen. Their decision leaves a poor sketch produced by Jane Austen's sister Cassandra as the gallery's only contemporary likeness of the Pride and Prejudice author.

But there are other voices who, in the wake of the failed auction, believe that the time has come for a scholarly assessment of the evidence. Jane Austen is, after all, one of Britain's most popular literary treasures.

The history that was commonly accepted for years suggested that the portrait was painted in around 1788-89 when Jane was not yet 14. It is believed to have been commissioned from the artist Ozias Humphry by her great-uncle, Francis Austen, a wealthy lawyer. Jane's brother Edward, who had just returned from the Grand Tour of Europe, and her sister, Cassandra, were also painted. For the girls, the pictures may have been an attempt to promote good marriages.

A MATTER OF DRESS

Wedding bells failed to ring. And for whatever reason, the painting of Jane fell to the ownership of Colonel Thomas Austen of Sevenoaks, Francis Austen's grandson and Jane's cousin and contemporary. The work continued to be handed from one member of the large Austen clan to the next and came to prominence in 1884, nearly 70 years after the author's death, when it was used as the frontispiece to the first published collection of her letters.

The Christie's catalogue said: "This provenance and the fact that it was considered a portrait of her by members of her own family, as far back as the year of her death, gives enormous credibility to the identification of the sitter in the Rice Portrait as Jane Austen."

The chief naysayers claim the clothes worn in the portrait belong to a later period, but they overlook the fact that young Jane had relatives living in France, where the empire fashion was in vogue when the portrait was painted. There are various other arguments on both sides.

What does seem fairly conclusive is this. On the basis of its one-time ownership by Thomas Austen (who knew Jane during her lifetime), the knowledge and interest of the Harding-Newmans (who also knew Jane), and the testimony of collateral descendants to the existence of a portrait of the young Jane Austen, Lord Brabourne concluded that the portrait was authentic and used it as a frontispiece for his 1884 edition of Austen's letters. If it was declared authentic then, it should remain so now.

When your reader read about this portrait, she began a search for these English Rices. One of the first results is this quote from a letter Jane Austen wrote to her sister Cassandra: 

We had a very pleasant day on Monday at Ashe; we sat down fourteen to dinner in the study, the dining-room being not habitable from the storms having blown down its chimney. Mrs. Bramston talked a good deal of nonsense, which Mr. Bramston and Mr. Clerk seemed almost equally to enjoy. There was a whist and a casino table, and six outsiders. Rice and Lucy made love, Mat. Robinson fell asleep, James and Mrs. Augusta alternately read Dr. Finnis' pamphlet on the cow-pox, and I bestowed my company by turns on all. 
 

The Rice descent is via Jane's brother, Edward. As was a fairly common custom, he was "adopted" by relatives who had no children so their estate could be kept in the family. Edward Austen adopted their surname, which was Knight, and thereafter appears in records as Edward Knight. It is his daughter, Elizabeth Knight, who married into the Rice family. Here are the details.   

Elizabeth Knight was born on 27 January 1800.^1,2 She was the daughter of Edward Austen/Knight and Elizabeth Bridges and in 1818 became the wife of Edward Royds Rice, son of Captain Henry Rice.  Elizabeth died on 27 April 1884 at age 84.^1,2  

Newton, the Welsh home of the Rices, is located near the ancient ruins of Dynevor Castle. The Victorian facelift disguises the much older manor house within.

Capt. Henry Rice is from the Welsh Rices of Carmarthenshire, from whom sprung the Barons Dynevor. The title entered the Rice family in 1756 when Rt. Hon. George Rice married Cecile de Cardonnel (Talbot), Baroness Dynevor and daughter of William Talbot, first Earl Talbot, and Mary de Cardonnel.

George, his son, George, and his grandson George, all served in Parliament, as did the elder George's father, Edward, and his grandfather, Griffith., making five generations who represented their district of Wales in Parliament. Another illustrious ancestor in this line is Sir Walter Rice (ca. 1562-1636). As a young man, he became High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire. He also represented Carmarthen in Parliament for several terms and was knighted in 1603. 

ABRAHAM RICE was born ca. 1584 at Repton, Derby, England. His wife Helen was born there ca. 1588. Abraham was buried at Repton July 20, 1649.

Children:(All born at Repton, England)

 Elizabeth Rice, christened July 7, 1610

 William Rice, christened April 15, 1615

 Alice Rice, christened Dec. 21, 1617

 Helen Rice, christened June 27, 1626

 Mary Rice, christened June 13, 1638

(Information on this family was compiled in the 1950s by Lydia Wilson Heaton of Salt Lake City, Utah. Her source is the Repton parish register.)

ECOAT RICE, born ca. 1590, lived in St. Mary's Parish, Leicester, England. He married on Aug. 1, 1615 at St. Mary's Church, Elizabeth Browne of the same parish. She was born ca. 1594. (No further information is given on this family group sheet prepared in the 1950s by James H. Brown of Logan, Utah, whose source was p. 120 of the St. Mary's parish register, Leicester, England.)

GEORGE RICE, b. ca. 1590, lived at St. Edmunds, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. He was married there Dec. 23, 1615, to Joane Davis, b. ca. 1594. (Data submitted ca. 1950s by Peter Melvin Petersen of Salt Lake City, whose chief source was the marriage record of George and Joane.)

JEREMY RICE of Frocester, Gloucestershire, England, was b. ca. 1598. He married on Feb. 1, 1623 at Frocester, Judith Wilkins of Frocester, who was b. ca. 1602. (Information submitted in 1959 by Stella Richards of Vernal, Utah, on behalf of Victor Wilkins. The source is Gloucestershire marriage records.)

JOHN RICE of Toddington, Beds., England, b. ca. 1542, married there in 1567 Dorothy Taylor, who was b. ca. 1546. Their son, Henry Rice, was christened in 1571 at Toddington. (Info submitted in the 1950s by Mrs. Elbert V. Call of Parma, Idaho, whose source is Vol. 23 of F. G. Emmison's Befordshire Parish Registers.)

JOHN RICE of St. Paul, Belchamp, Essex, England, was born ca. 1551 and wed in 1576 Joan Brown of Belchamp. (Information submitted in the 1950s by Bertha F. Kirk Jones of Los Angeles, California, whose source was Vol. 2, pg. 120 of Essex Records.)

OHN RICE of Barnstaple, Devon, England, was born ca. 1570 and married there on May 5, 1595, Agnes Gille of Barnstaple, born ca. 1574. (This data was submitted in the 1940s by F. M. Skinner of Safford, Arizona, whose source was Barnstaple parish registers.)

JOHN RICE of Glemsford, Suffolk, England, was born ca. 1587 and was buried June 26, 1629. He married at Glemsford on Sept. 24, 1612, Katherine Wyatt of Glemsford, b. ca. 1591 and buried Jan. 10, 1630.

Children: (Born at Glemsford)

Frances Rice, b. July 4, 1613; d. Nov. 10, 1633

Katherine Rice, b. Sept. 27, 1615

John Rice, b. June 6, 1620

Alice Rice, b. June 9, 1622

Rose Rice, b. March 2, 1625

Anne Rice, b. Nov. 18, 1627

(Data supplied in the 1950s by Theresa Snow Hill of Logan, Utah, who consulted Glemsford parish registers.)

17th Century Rice Families in England

EDWARD RICE was born ca. 1614 and lived at Walton-on-Hill, Lancashire, England. On Aug. 12, 1639, at Walton-on-Hill, Edward married Ann Hey, who was born ca. 1618. (No children are listed in this information prepared prior to 1970 by Edith Fearnley Hatch of Centerville, Utah, whose source is the published records of Walton-on-Hill.)

GEORGE RICE was born ca. 1653 and on Nov. 24, 1678 married, at St. Cleer, Cornwall, England, Ann Symons. She was born ca. 1657. (This information is from a family group sheet submitted in the 1950s by Florence S. Glines of Mesa, AZ, whose source was the marriage record for George and Ann.)

GEORGE RICE, b. ca. 1677, m. at Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, England, March 7, 1702, Frances Thompson, b. ca. 1681. (Info submitted many years ago by Mary J. B. Behunin of Salt Lake City, Utah.)

JAMES RICE was born ca. 1692 at Hargrave, Northampton, England and married Elizabeth Brown of Hargrave July 2, 1717. She was born ca. 1696. (Information furnished in the 1950s by Harry E. Shrives of Franklin, Idaho who lists as his source Ira W. Mount's Hargrave Records.)

JEREMIAH RICE was born ca. 1606 at Bath, Somerset, England. On July 2, 1631, he married Mary Webb, who was born ca. 1610 at Bath.

Children: (Born at Bath Abbey)

 Jeremy Rice, b. Dec. 9, 1631; d. July 13, 1635

 Jane Rice, b. June 15, 1634; d. July 14, 1635

 William Rice, b. Jan. 24, 1636; d. Oct. 28, 1641

 John Rice, b. Nov. 21, 1637

 Rebecca Rice, b. Feb. 2, 1639

 Jeremy Rice, b. April 10, 1642

 William Rice, b. Nov. 24, 1644

 James Rice, b. ca. 1646; d. Oct. 19, 1649

(Information given in the 1950s by Joseph E. Seamons of Logan, Utah, whose chief source was the Bath Abbey parish registers.)

JOB RICE of Derby, England, was born ca. 1681. He married on Aug. 4, 1706 at All Saints Church in Derby, Sarah Gaskin of Derby, who was b. ca. 1685. (Information submitted in the 1950s by Bertram John Coombs of Rosemary, Alberta, Canada, whose sources include Nottingham parish registers.)

JOHN RICE of Pilton, Somerset, England, was born ca. 1604 and married Amy _(?)_, who was born ca. 1608. Their daughter, Amy Rice, was christened May 22, 1636 at Pilton, England. (Ethel Blair and O. S. Johnson of Salt Lake City, Utah, extracted this information from Vol. 2, pg. 178 of Somerset records.)

JOHN RICE of Petworth, Sussex, England, was b. ca. 1632. He and his wife (name not known) had several children.

Children: (Born at Petworth, England)

John Rice, christened July 27, 1658

Thomas Rice, chr. June 13, 1660; d. Jan. 27, 1662

John Rice, chr. Nov. 23, 1662

Nicholas Rice, chr. Jan. 8, 1665; d. Sept. 23, 1666

Elizabeth Rice, chr. Dec. 31, 1666; d. June 10, 1667

Thomas Rice, chr. July 1, 1668

Edward Rice, chr. Aug. 25, 1670

Ann Rice, chr. Dec. 4, 1672

Mary Rice, chr. March 31, 1675; d. April 19, 1675

George Rice, chr. June 23, 1676

(This data submitted in the 1960s by Erold Clark Wiscombe of Brigham City, Utah, whose source was the parish records of Petworth.)

JOHN RICE of Normanton, Notts., England, was born ca. 1670 and married Dec. 17, 1695 at Stanford-on-Soar, Notts., Catherine Mansfield of Sheephead, Leicester, England, b. ca. 1674. (Information submitted in the 1950s by Bertram J. Coombs of Rosemary, Alberta, Canada. His source was unspecified parish registers.)

JOHN RICE of St. Thomas, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, was b. ca. 1674. He m. Oct. 8, 1699 at St. Thomas, Alice White of that place, b. ca. 1678. (Submitted many years ago by Josephine Olsen Openshaw and Stella Richards of Vernal, Utah, who cite Salisbury parish registers as their source.)

JOHN RICE of Markshall, Essex, England, was b. ca. 1680 and m. there in 1705 Mary Sewell of Markshall, b. ca. 1684. (Submitted in the 1940s by Bessie R. Rogers of Clearfield, Utah, whose source was Essex records.)

JOHN RICE of Sutton Bonnington, Notts., England, was born ca. 1681. He married March 25, 1706 at St. Ann's Church in Sutton Bonnington, Catherine Noble. (Information retrieved in the 1920s from Notts. parish registers by Bertram J. Coombs of Rosemary, Alberta, Canada.)

JOHN RICE of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, was b. ca. 1684. His marriage license is dated May 7, 1709 at Portsmouth, where he wed Mary Johnson of Portsmouth, b. ca. 1688. (Extracted from Hampshire parish registers in the 1950s by Francis L. Cooke of Los Angeles, California.)

JOHN RICE of Inkberrow, Worcs., England, was born ca. 1693 and was buried at Inkberrow April 3, 1741. He wed Mary _(?)_. She was b. ca. 1697 and was buried April 3, 1741.

Children:

Elizabeth Rice, christened Jan. 17, 1714, Kington, Worcs., England

Ann Rice, chr. Jan. 17, 1714, Kington

Mary Rice, chr. Dec. 27, 1717, Kington

William Rice, chr. Nov. 11, 1719, Inkberrow

Jeremiah Rice, chr. March 7, 1721, Inkberrow

Samuel Rice, chr. Oct. 11, 1724, Inkberrow

George Rice, chr. Aug. 27, 1729, Inkberrow; buried Feb. 5, 1768. (See his family under 18^th Century Rices in

   England.)

Elizabeth Rice, chr. Oct. 25, 1730, Inkberrow 

Thomas Rice, chr. July 7, 1734, Inkberrow

(Information submitted in the 1960s by Mrs. Freida Duncan of Farmington, Utah, from the Inkberrow parish register and from the Bishop's Transcripts of Inkberrow and Kington.)

18th Century Rice Families in England

ABRAHAM RICE was born ca. 1708 at Wormingford in Essex, England where he married May 2, 1733, Frances Pettit. She was born about 1712. (Data on this family was compiled in the 1950s by Vera B. Pettit of Layton, Utah, whose sources included Essex Marriages, Vol. 1, p. 90.)

ALEXANDER RICE was born in 1793 at Bristol, England. He was a carpenter and married Lucy Allen, the widow of John Allen. Lucy was born July 6, 1812 at Githot-de-Graves Farm, Walsall, Staffordshire, England, the daughter of Daniel and Harriet (Martin) Allen. Lucy died Dec. 15, 1882.

Children:(born at Walsall, England)

Thomas Anthony Rice, christened May 10, 1848

Daniel Allen Rice, christened Sept. 1, 1850

(Data compiled by Mrs. Marian G. Condie of Preston, Idaho. Her sources include the Walsall parish registers, the 1851 census of Walsall, and Daniel Allen's will.)

ANDREW RICE, born ca.1751, married May 29, 1776, at St. Nicholas, Durham, England, Elizabeth Turnbull, believed to have been born ca. 1755. At the time of their marriage both Andrew and Elizabeth were called "of St. Nicholas, Durham, England" (No further information is given in this data compiled ca. 1951 by Lucy A. C. Robinson of Salt Lake City, Utah, on behalf of Robert S. Henderson Watson, who is listed as being a "relation-in-law" of Andrew and Elizabeth (Turnbull) Rice. The source is given as Durham, England records.)

ARON/AARON RICE, who was born ca. 1775, married in 1800 Elizabeth Cross, who was born ca. 1779. When their marriage took place at Tinton St. James, Somerset, England, Aron and Elizabeth were referred to as being of that place. (No further information is given on the family group sheet prepared in the 1940s by Ann J. Loveless of Payson, Utah, who gave as her source "Boyd's Marriage Index," Vol. 14, Somerset. She prepared this information for Arthur Judd, who had Cross family ancestry.)

DAVID RICE, who was born ca. 1785, wed Mary Saunders April 6, 1810. She was born ca. 1789. They were married at Sherston Magna, Wiltshire, England. (No other info is given with this data compiled prior to 1960 by Eoline S. Andersen of Logan, Utah, whose source is the parish records of Sherston Magna.)

GEORGE RICE, born ca. 1726, was buried Feb. 5, 1768 at Inkberrow, Worcester, England. He married Sept. 17, 1751 at Inkberrow, Eleanor Goore, who was born ca. 1730.

Children: (All christened at Inkberrow)

John Rice, christened May 27, 1752

Mary Rice, chr. Aug. 28, 1753

Joseph Rice, chr. Oct. 1, 1755

Thomas Rice, chr. April 10, 1758

Samuel Rice, chr. April 20, 1760

(This family group sheet was submitted in the 1960s by Mrs. Freida Duncan Child of Farmington, Utah, whose source was the parish registers of Inkberrow.) SEE HIS FATHER, JOHN RICE, B. CA. 1693

GEORGE RICE, b. ca. 1774, married April 15, 1799, at Cheddon Fitzpaine, Somerset, England, Sarah Cross, b. ca. 1778. (Data compiled many years ago by Ann J. Loveless of Payson, Utah.)

GERVAS RICE was born ca. 1721 and lived at Horsley, Derby, England, where on Nov. 16, 1746 he m. Elisabeth Shaw of Horsley, b. ca. 1725. (Information submitted in 1950 by Mary B. Russell of Oakland, California, whose

source was Derbyshire marriage records.) ALSO SEE GERVASE RICE UNDER 19^th CENTURY

HUGH RICE of Burrington, Devon, England was born ca. 1721 and in 1746 married Ann Turner/Turnar of Burrington. She was b. ca. 1725. (Information submitted in 1950s by Lillian Felt of Brigham City, Utah, who cited as her source records of Devon, England.)

HUGH RICE of Taunton, England, was born ca. 1770 and wed June 3, 1795 at Taunton, Mary Chappell of Taunton. She was born ca. 1774. (Information submitted many years ago by Alice Maughan of Colville, Washington, whose information came from Mrs. J. M. Broadhead of Beazer in Alberta, Canada.)

ISAAC RICE was b. ca. 1736 at Groton, Suffolk, England, where he was buried March 19, 1785/6. He married at Groton, Feb. 16, 1761/2, Grace Cook, daughter of John and Mary (Beare) Cook. She was b. at Groton in 1745.

Children: (born at Groton)

Ann Rice, chr. Nov. 29, 1767

Cook Rice, christened Aug. 19, 1762; m. Mary Crane 

Mary Rice, chr. March 3, 1765; d. Dec. 28, 1823; m. Sept. 30, 1788, William Ellingford

(Information given in the 1940s by Henriette E. Davidson of Salt Lake City, Utah, whose source was a copy of the Groton parish register found in a library at Ipswich, England.)