Bowood House & Gardens is hosting a series of special events to commemorate 250 years since the birth of author Jane Austen. The Lansdowne family that owns and manages Bowood Estate shares a little-known connection to the world-renowned author. In 1806, the 2nd Marquess of Lansdowne was Austen’s landlord while she lived in Southampton, shortly before she moved to Chawton and began writing her most famous works.