The campaign is over and won!
UPDATE about online donation: Alert Janeite Cinthia sent along the news that the Museum is now accepting online donations at http://www.justgiving.com/jamt/Donate. The donation amounts appear to be in your local currency (for me, it appeared in US Dollars) so if you want to check how much the Museum will actually get, use a currency converter. (Google “currency converter” and one will pop up at the top of the page.)
YES! Jane Austen’s House Museum has announced a fundraiser to raise money to purchase Jane Austen’s turquoise ring from Kelly Clarkson (see our previous post and the lively discussion that followed). We will contact the Museum and try to get more information. Let’s do this, Janeites!
UPDATE: We heard from Louise West, the director of the museum. She sent us a donation form. She said for international contributors, it will be better to use a credit card; with a check, they will lose money because of the exchange rate. For UK contributors, we imagine a cheque will be the best way to donate. Please download, print, and post your contribution–do not send a credit card number by email!
Also, if they do not receive enough money to purchase the ring, they will keep your donation for the operation of the museum, unless you let them know differently. (Seriously, just let them keep it. The Museum does great work and is a wonderful place to visit.)
Louise also sent the following statement about this fundraising effort:
We do want to stress that we are not wanting to buy the ring because we don’t approve of Kelly Clarkson’s ownership. Indeed we are very encouraged that someone who is young and very popular wants to own the ring; it says a lot about Jane Austen’s reputation among young people. We are trying to buy it now because we wish to keep the ring at Jane Austen’s home as we feel this is the most appropriate place. We tried to raise money before the auction but didn’t have enough time. Hopefully we now have.
Everyone please donate! Don’t forget to use airmail postage if necessary. Take the time to go to your local post office and make sure you have the right amount of postage. Let’s do this!
Press release after the jump:
Jane Austen’s House Museum
Museum launches campaign to keep Jane’s ring close to home.
Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton, Hampshire, today launches a campaign to raise £152,450 (excluding VAT) to try to “bring home” a gold and turquoise ring once owned by Jane Austen (1775-1817)
The ring is in excellent condition, and is accompanied by papers documenting the history of the ring within Jane Austen’s family. The ring passed first to her sister Cassandra, who, as soon as she heard of her engagement, gave it to her sister-in-law Eleanor Austen, second wife of the Revd. Henry Thomas Austen (brother of Jane and Cassandra). It has remained in the family ever since.
When the ring was sold at auction last year, the museum was unable to raise sufficient funds in the time available to meet the hammer price. It is now the subject of an export ban and the museum has until the end of September to show a serious expression of interest to buy the ring. They would aim to raise the entire sum by the end of December. The buyer at auction was Kelly Clarkson, American pop idol, who is known to be an Austen fan. Even if the museum raises the money to buy the ring they hope to cultivate a relationship with the singer.
The museum, also known as Chawton Cottage, was the home of the writer for the last 8 years of her life and was where she wrote and revised all of her 6 completed novels. This year they are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. Should the museum’s fundraising be successful it is hoped that the ring will have pride of place alongside the two other known pieces of jewellery owned by the writer, a turquoise bracelet and a topaz cross.
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said:
“Jane Austen’s modest lifestyle and her early death mean that objects associated with her of any kind are extremely rare, so I hope that a UK buyer comes forward so this simple but elegant ring can be saved for the nation.”
Turquoise was a December birthstone (Austen’s birth month) and symbolises wisdom and spiritual journeys.
Those wishing to make a donation should follow the link on the website http://www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk , or contact the museum on 01420 83262
AustenBlog 
Good one!!!!
£1 each, and we will do it!!!
There MUST be enough of us.
All the best,
Tony
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The problem with microdonations is that the fee to collect them is more than the donation. We have to figure out a way to get international donations. Writing a check might work in the UK, but will cost them money for international checks. There are always fees involved with credit cards.
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This may be a stunningly ignorant question but…any way to use something like paypal for international donations?
So glad to hear this. Hopefully, the word gets out to enough people. It’s such a large amount to raise. They’ll need all the awareness possible!
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KJ, PayPal has fees, too.
I received a response from the museum and am waiting for some answers to follow-up questions. They are saying right now that checks and credit cards are okay. I’m trying to find out which would work better for international donations.
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Well, I want to donate and soon, but a form is not the best solution for all of us abroad. If they say do not send the credit card numbers through e-mail, then are they asking to send the form through snail mail? That would not work for many of us. I sincerely hope they set the link at the Just Giving site they mentioned in their Facebook page as that way Mastercard, Visa an Paypal are accepted. I will be awaiting you follow up, Mags, as my e-mail message to the House has not been replied so far.
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Yes–they do mean to send it via snail mail. I can follow up and see if a link and/or PayPal will be added.
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Thanks, Mags. Can you tell I have not much experience at fund raising?????
Just got back from a few days holiday in Newquay , in Cornwall. Watched the Atlantic waves crashing against the beach at Newquay. They were holding the Boardmasters,, music and surfing festival on Fistral Beach.. It was amazing. All these young tanned surfers with their very pretty girlfriends. It’s Ok.. I had Marilyn and my youngest, Abigail with me. I had two very pretty women with me too!!!!!!.
Also had a meal at Jamie Olivers restaurant called FIFTEEN, right on the beach surrounded by cliffs at Wadebridge just north of Newquay. ALSO visited Port Isaac where the “Dr Martin,” series was filmed.
On the way back to London, yesterday we stopped at Lyme Regis for a couple of hours and did some sunbathing on the beach.
Yes, of course we walked on The Cobb!!!
Took loads of pictures. What threw me was that they have cosen an old 18th century cottage near the harbour and placed a plaque on it that reads something along the lines of.” “Jane Austen and her family probably stayed here.”. I don’t know about you Mags,, but i always thought the most likely site for the cottage the Austens stayed in no longer has a cottage on it. I think it is telling that they use the word.”probably,” because the cottage they have chosen is ,”probably,” not THE cottage. ha! ha! People will do anything to attract the visitors!!!!!!!!
Anyway, I took loads of pictures of everything. I’ll write a post when I have the time.
Have a great day,
Tony
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I’m in Virginia, USA. I would def make a contribution if PayPal were involved.
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I’d like to donate but the donation form provided by this blog does *not* provide an address!
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Jerry, I’m so sorry I was a little late in updating the post. See above for a link for online giving. I think that will be a lot easier for international contributors.
But if you still want to mail the form, just send it to the Museum. The address is all the way at the bottom of the page–there isn’t a street address. Chawton isn’t that big of a place. 😉
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