JANE AUSTEN AT LYME 231 



Lyme Mary Anning, the fossilist. In the month of 

 August, 1800, four years before the visit of Jane 

 Austen, a party of equestrians were performing in a 

 meadow, since known as " wreck-field," situated at 

 the back of Church Street, when a terrific thunder- 

 storm burst over the town. The spectators fled for 

 the nearest shelter. Three women, one of them carry- 

 ing a baby, took refuge under an elm-tree. A flash of 

 lightning split the tree, and laid the three women dead 

 upon the sward. Strange to say, the infant was un- 

 injured, and from having been a dull and heavy child 

 she became from that moment, we are told, light and 

 intelligent. That infant was Mary Anning. Her 

 father was a mechanic a stonemason or carpenter 

 one Richard Anning, who was also a vendor of 

 curiosities. 



His little shop, with shells and ammonites in the 

 window, was situated in Broad Street, and Jane 

 Austen must have often passed that way. In search- 

 ing for fossils he seems to have fallen down the cliffs, 

 and to have badly injured himself. He died in 1810, 

 leaving his family in a state bordering on destitution. 

 One Sunday morning, shortly after the funeral, Mary 

 strolled along the shore seeking for " curiosities." She 

 picked up an ammonite, which the night's storm had 

 washed out of the cliff, and this she afterwards sold to 

 a lady for half-a-crown. Delighted with her success 

 Mary spent most of her time hunting for fossils be- 

 neath the weather-beaten cliffs. Four months later 

 she was now of the mature age of eleven she dis- 

 covered the first remains of the great Saurian reptiles. 

 This splendid skeleton, which may now be seen in the 

 British Museum, was sold for 23, and Mary's career 

 in life was finally determined. 



