A WINCHESTER author has turned the spotlight on the period of Jane Austen for his latest book.

Barry Shurlock is a well-known local historian, who has written several books on Hampshire’s past.

The chance discovery of a pile of letters between an 18th century husband and wife led him to write about the Georgian period – a time of wigs, grand balls and classical architecture.

The book is based on the exchanges from 1780-87 between Sarah Williams (circa 1757-87) and her husband, Philip (1742-1830), who was Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Sarah was a mother of four living in Winchester while Philip was London-based and a ten-hour coach journey away.

The letters stop abruptly in 1787 because Sarah died in childbirth.

They capture the spirit of the times when Winchester was described as a town of “opulence and gentility”.

It also sheds light on the fear of smallpox, schoolboy rebellions, taxes on maid servants, raucous sessions of cards and a small boy in his first trousers ‘exhibiting a piddling’ to astonished onlookers.

Mr Shurlock was re-searching the history of a ‘lost’ church in Abbots Worthy when indirectly he heard about the cache of letters held in the archives at Winchester College.

“It was an accident, really,” he said.

Now The Speaker’s Chaplain and the Master’s Daughter: A Georgian Family and Friends has been published.

The archive comprises about 500 items and has never been so thoroughly researched.

The book includes a cast of colourful characters, including Philip’s lifelong friend Lovelace Bigg-Wither, who was father to daughters who were good friends with Jane Austen.

Alas, there is no evidence that Rev Williams met the famous novelist.

Mr Shurlock, 71, of Marston Gate, Hyde, said he is interested in the 18th century when many of the foundations of modern society were in place.

“It was a period of the Enlightenment with all the elements of the modern world. We were not living in a medieval theocracy but of science, reason and rational thought.

"There was a modern feel to life. People were more free than in Victorian times. People were quite joyful.”

He hopes the book will kindle more interest in the period.

“It is quite difficult to get into people’s minds of a period.

"The thing about letters, and diaries, is the authors don’t think anybody else is going to read it so you get into their thoughts, ideas and feelings.

“I hope the letters and book will show what it was like to be reasonably well-off in the Georgian period.

The book is available, price £25, from Winchester publisher, Schol-arly Sources (scholarlysourcesuk @gmail.com).