John Toke retired to Canterbury in 1800 leaving his son Nicholas at Godinton, which he inherited when his father died in 1819.
Nicholas was known as a translator of Greek and corresponded with leading antiquaries of the time. His marriage to an heiress gave him more money than his ancestors to spend on his estate. He rebuilt his mansion to reflect the new romantic revival and used carvings and stained glass collected on his travels around the UK and Europe.
He met the author Jane Austen when she visited neighbouring houses and the author wrote in 1800 to her sister Cassandra that “there are few people whom I like better”.
Nicholas died in 1837.
For more info on Jane Austen’s links with Kent, please visit http://www.visitkent.co.uk/pdfs/jane-austen-website-page.pdf
Godinton House and Gardens, near Ashford, are open to the public on certain days each year – for details please visit www.godintonhouse.org.uk. The KSY Museum trustees are delighted to have received a donation to our museum from the Godinton Trust.