A music book belonging to Jane Austen and bearing her signature and a page of hand-written notation has been found after going missing for more than 40 years.

The celebrated author's 1790 volume of Domenico Corri’s Select Collection of Choice Music for the Harpsichord or Piano Forte was discovered after the death of a distant relative, who died in March this year.

The “treasured” volume had previously been held in the library at Chawton House, Hampshire - the ancestral home of the novelist's elder brother Edward - but had last been seen in 1978 and recorded as lost by university researchers.

Now the book has been recovered after being found on a shelf amongst the possessions of the late Jenyth Worsley, a composer who was the author's great great great niece. It has been donated back to Chawton House by her family and will go on display for the first time to the public later this month as part of a special exhibition.

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Austen experts say it sheds new light on the Pride and Prejudice author's close relationship with music which featured in many of her best-known works.

Emma Yandle, curator of Chawton House, said: “It’s hard to convey the feeling of turning the page and coming across that unmistakable signature of one of literature's most beloved figures. It was probably the most thrilling and extraordinary moment in my career, holding something that was hers and she used.

“Upon examination, I found a missing page replaced with a hand-written copy of the music, which we believe is Jane Austen’s own hand. This surprising discovery makes the volume even more special, bringing us closer to Jane Austen's world.

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“The volume bears the stamp, ‘Chawton House, Alton, Hants’ so it’s wonderful to see it returned to its former home.”

Jeanice Brooks, professor of music at the University of Southampton who runs the Austen Family Music Books project, said: “This important rediscovery underlines music’s significance to Austen’s life and work, offering a new window on her artistic world.

“Putting this work together with Austen’s other albums provides glimpses at the extraordinarily varied and vibrant musical culture that nourished the novelist’s brilliant imagination and underpinned the musical scenes in her novels.”

How the volume came to be in Ms Worsley’s possession is unclear, but experts believe it was likely handed down from generation to generation.

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Edward Austen Knight, Jane’s older brother, inherited the Chawton estate - located in the same village as the house in which she lived - from childless relatives and it was the home of his descendants until 1987.

The last time the music book was consulted was by composer and musicologist Patrick Piggott in 1978 but it had disappeared by the time American composer and multi-instrumentalist Jon A. Gillaspie examined the collection in 1987.

When the University of Southampton digitised the known Austen Family music books in 2016, the volume was noted as “lost”.

It turned up earlier this year following the death of Oxford-based Ms Worsley, a composer who worked at the pioneering BBC Radiophonic Workshop in the 1960s.

Philanthropist and tech entrepreneur Sandy Lerner purchased the lease for Chawton House in 1993 and has turned it into a centre of research for early women’s writing.

In 2003 it opened its collection of first editions, rare works, manuscripts and portraits to the public.

CEO Katie Childs said: “In the last 20 years, Chawton House has flourished as a significant cultural institution. From our award-winning educational programme, to huge theatrical performances and artistic responses by inspired visitors of all ages, sharing the arts with everyone is at the heart of what we do.

"This donation is testament to our reputation as an enriching place of creative influence that once inspired Jane Austen. Music had a profound impact on her life and writing, as did Chawton House, which she frequently visited and referred to as the ‘Great House’.

"Her music book will take its place amongst the literary treasures in our collection, inspiring everyone who walks through the door or joins us online.

"In the wake of this donation, we will create a public programme inspired by Jane’s beloved music book. This lost treasure returns to us at a significant time: twenty years of being open to the public.

"We look forward to sharing this find with the public as part of our 20th-anniversary celebrations.”

Jane Austen’s music book will be on display in the library as part of Chawton House’s 20th anniversary weekend, taking place from July 14-16.