Rare Jane Austen manuscript sells for more than ?990K

London, July 15 (ANI): A rare manuscript of late English novelist Jane Austen has sold for 993,250 pounds at an auction in London.

The amount was three times what had been expected by auction house Sotheby's, which had originally put the value of the unfinished novel, entitled 'The Watsons', at 200,000-300,000 pounds.

The Bodelian Libraries of Oxford purchased the manuscript, which was originally owned privately.

It is thought Austen wrote the tale, about a young woman who returns home to her father's household after being brought up by a wealthy aunt, in 1804.

The work is particularly important because few of Austen's draft works have survived, with the exception of two draft chapters of Persuasion, Lady Susan, and Sanditon.

Sotheby's specialist Gabriel Heaton said this piece of Austen's work is "particularly informative" because it is "very much a working draft".

Every page is littered with crossings out, revisions and additional text between some of the lines.

"We are thrilled by the sale of the earliest surviving manuscript for a novel by Jane Austen today," the BBC quoted Heaton as saying.

Austen published six complete novels, including 'Pride and Prejudice' and died in 1817 at the age of 41. (ANI)