Interesting Facts about Thomas Lefroy, The Man Who Inspired The Creation of Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy

Even though Jane Austen never admitted it, scholars speculate that the Irish judge and politician Thomas Langlois Lefroy was the man who inspired the creation of Mr. Darcy in ‘Pride and Prejudice.’

What we know is that Lefroy and Austen spent some time getting to know each other and pursued a short-lived romantic relationship. Almost a year after the death of Lefroy in 1869, his nephew wrote a letter to Austen’s nephew suggesting that his late venerable uncle expressed his love for Jane in many different ways. However, he also certified his confession as ‘boyish love.’ Let us find out more about this mysterious man.

He was a famed Irish politician.

Born on January 8, 1776 (a year after Austen), in Ireland’s Limerick, Thomas Lefroy enjoyed a long life. He passed at the age of 93. On the other hand, Austen died in 1817 - she was only 41 years old. During his lifetime, he was the Chief Justice of the Court of the Irish Queen’s Bench and also served as a member of the Parliament for 11 years at Dublin University.

He met Austen while he was on a break from law school.

Lefroy graduated from Dublin’s Trinity College in 1795 and relocated to London to study law at Lincoln's Inn. However, at some point, he decided to seek a break from his studies, and needed some rest. With the new term starting in January 1796, Lefroy sought a few weeks' break in 1795’s December to visit his aunt and uncle in Ashe. During this stay, he met Austen, and they spent some time together, attending a couple of Christmas balls, and the writer mentioned Lefroy in some of her letters to her sister Cassandra – but she did not confess about immortal love.

Lefroy got married, but Austen never did.

If the couple was so well suited to one another, why didn't they get married? The consensus suggests that Austen did not possess enough wealth, and this aspect played a role. But Lefroy got married to Mary Paul in 1799, and she came from a wealthy family.

He named his first daughter after Jane.

Lefroy and Mary had eight beautiful children, and they named their first daughter and second child Jane. While most of us would love to believe that Lefroy’s daughter was named after the writer he was once in love with (we do not know for sure), it is also possible that she was named after his maternal grandmother, Lady Jane Paul.

Lefroy's grave is open to visitors.

If you are in Dublin and wish to pay a tribute to Lefroy for his influential role in Austen’s life, which probably resulted in the creation of Mr. Darcy and Pride and Prejudice, you can visit his grave at Mount Jerome Cemetery and Crematorium.

So, do you really think Lefroy influenced the creation of Mr. Dracy?