I did not originally create this timeline - I came across this years ago on the internet, and can now no longer find the source. If this looks like your work, please contact me so I can credit you. I can not vouch for the complete accuracy of the information, but as an attempt to place the events of Jane Eyre in a time frame, this looks pretty accurate to me.
Sarah Gibson is born (?)
Jonas Mason, a merchant, and Antoinetta, a Creole, are married in Jamaica (?)
Richard Mason is born (?)
Bertha Antoinetta Mason is born (?)
Grace Poole is born (?)
Edward Fairfax Rochester is born
Mr. and Mrs. Rivers marry; Hannah comes to Moor House
St. John Rivers is born
Blanche Ingram is born
Diana Rivers is born (?)
Mary Rivers is born (?)
Mary Ingram is born (?)
Mr. Reed and Sarah Gibson marry
John Reed is born
Helen Burns is born
Eliza Reed is born (?)
Late: Jane Reed marries Mr. Eyre; she is disowned by her family
Georgiana Reed is born
August (?): Jane Eyre is born
Early: Mr. Eyre and Jane Reed Eyre die of typhus fever within a month of each other
Mr. Reed dies
Mr. Fairfax dies
Edward Rochester goes to Jamaica
October 20th, Thurs.: Edward Fairfax Rochester marries Bertha Antoinetta Mason
Rowland Rochester dies
Bertha Mason is diagnosed insane
Old Mr. Rochester dies
Early: Edward Rochester leaves Jamaica, installs Bertha at Thornfield
Rochester tours Europe madly
Late: Edward Rochester makes Celine Varens his mistress
Autumn: Mrs. Reed takes John out of school for a month or two
Early November: Jane is locked inside the Red Room and takes ill
December: Adele Varens is born
Last week: Mrs. Reed writes to Mr. Brocklehust
John Eyre loses Mr. Rivers’ fortune
January:
Week of the 8th: Bessie’s mother visits her at Gateshead
Monday, 15th: Mr. Brocklehurst visits Gateshead before proceeding to a visit to the archdeacon
Friday, 19th: Jane leaves for Lowood in the morning, arrives that night
Saturday, 20th: Jane meets Helen Burns
February:
Saturday, 10th: Mr. Brocklehurst comes to Lowood; Jane is called a liar
March: Lowood girls can go beyond the garden walls
April: Typhus hits Lowood
June:
Early: Helen Burns dies
Rochester discovers Celine’s affair with the Vicomte, the next morning, Rochester duels the vicomte and shoots him in the arm.
John Eyre visits Gateshead, departs for Madeira
Rochester has a three-month affair with Giacinta, an Italian, and a longer affair with Clara, a German, after which he sets her up in business.
Early: Bessie Lee marries Robert Leaven
Early: Bobby Leaven is born
John Reed is expelled from college; in the next three years he is jailed twice.
John Eyre writes to Gateshead asking for Jane; he is told she is dead.
Jane Leaven is born
Early: Jane becomes a teacher at Lowood
St. John takes the living at Morton, opens a boy’s school
Late (?): Celine Varens abandons Adele, runs away to Italy with a musician or singer, Adele goes to live with Mme. Frederic and her husband.
November-February: nobody comes to Thornfield
Winter: Mrs. Reed and Georgiana go to London; Eliza prevents Georgiana from eloping with Lord Edwin Vere
St. John Rivers decides to be a missionary
Late July: Rochester takes Adele from France to England
Last week July/first week August: Rochester, Adéle, and Sophie spend a week in London
August:
Early: Adéle comes to Thornfield
Maria Temple marries the Rev. Mr. Nasymth and moves to a distant county
Next day: Jane writes and sends her ad
Thursday: The ad is published
Late August/Early September: “a week later” Jane gets the letter from Thornfield
Late September/Early October: Jane sends her references
October:
Six days after reply is received: Bessie visits Jane at Lowood
Next day: Jane leaves Lowton at 4 am, arrives in Millcote at 8pm, arrives at Thornfield late
Next morning: Jane meets Adele
January: Mr. Rochester arrives at Thornfield
February: Bessie has her third baby
March:
First week (?): Rochester tells Jane about Céline Varens
Early next morning: the fire and dousing of the bed; after breakfast Mr. Rochester goes to the Leas
April:
Week of the 9th: John Reeds comes to Gateshead and demands his inheritance
Monday, 20th: a letter from Mr. Rochester announcing his party.
Wednesday, 22nd: John Reeds dies, likely committed suicide
Thursday, 23rd: Rochester arrives at Thornfield with the Ingrams, Eshtons, Lynns, and Dents
Friday, 24th: Jane and Adele are presented to the party
Mrs. Reed hears of John’s death, has a stroke
Tuesday, 28th: Mrs. Reed seems better
Wednesday, 29th: Bessie understands Mrs. Reed; she asks for Jane
Richard Mason arrives from Jamaica; the gypsy incident; Crazy Bertha attacks Mason.
Thursday, 30th: Jane attends to Mason in the morning, he leaves; in the afternoon Robert Leaven arrives from Gateshead.
May:
Friday, 1st: Jane leaves Thornfield, reaches Gateshead at 5pm, speaks to Mrs. Reed
Friday, 8th: Thornfield party disperses; Mr. Rochester goes to London
Tuesday, 12th (?): Mrs. Reed tells Jane about her uncle in Madeira, dies at midnight
Saturday, 23rd (?): Georgiana goes to London
Sunday, 31st: Jane leaves Gateshead
June:
Monday, 1st: Eliza goes to a convent near Lisle
Jane arrives at Thornfield
Tuesday, 23rd: Midsummer Eve: Edward Fairfax Rochester proposes to Jane Eyre; they come in at midnight, the chestnut tree is struck by lightning.
July:
Saturday 11th-Tuesday,14th: Mr. Rivers dies
Tuesday, 21st: Rochester is away on business; Bertha tears Jane’s veil
Wednesday, 22nd: Rochester returns; Jane spends the night with Adéle
Thursday, 23rd: The wedding; Bertha is revealed; Jane runs away in the night
Friday, 24th: Early in the morning, Jane boards the coach
Sunday, 26th: Jane arrives at Whitcross, spends the night in the heath
Monday, 27th: Jane enters Morton at 2pm, sleeps in the woods
Tuesday, 28th: Jane comes to Marsh End/Moor House
Wednesday, 29th-Friday, 31st: Jane cannot move or speak
August: Mr. Rochester sends Adele to school, Mrs. Fairfax to live with friends
Saturday, 1st: Jane rises
John Eyre dies
Saturday, 22nd: Jane learns she has the Morton school job
Sunday, 23rd: Letter arrives announcing the death of John Eyre
Monday, 24th: Jane goes to Morton
Tuesday, 25th: Diana and Mary leave for B--- (Bath?)
September:
Tuesday, 1st: St. John and Hannah move back to the parsonage
Wednesday, 2nd (?): Morton’s girl’s school opens, Rosamund Oliver returns from S---.
Thornfield burns down; Bertha Rochester dies; Rochester moves to Ferndean
October: Rosamund Oliver meets Mr. Granby, grandson of Sir Frederic Granby, in
S—
Week of 30th: Jane gets a letter from Diana and Mary
Late October/Early November: Jane begins Rosamund’s portrait.
November:
Thursday, 5th: St. John and Jane discuss Rosamund Oliver; he discovers Jane’s real name.
Friday, 6th: St. John reveals fortune and cousinship to Jane
Jane writes to Mrs. Fairfax
December:
Thursday, 17th: Jane leaves the Morton school, moves into Marsh End/Moor House
Thursday 17th-Thursday 24th: Jane and Hannah clean and cook
Thursday 24th: Diana and Mary arrive at Moor House; St. John reveals that
Rosamund Oliver is engaged to Mr. Granby
January: Jane writes to Mrs. Fairfax again
March: St. John begins teaching Jane Hindustani
May:
Monday, 24th: Jane cries over the Hindustani; St. John Rivers proposes to Jane Eyre, she refuses
Tuesday, 25th: St. John defers his departure for Cambridge
Monday, 31st: St. John again tries to persuade Jane to India; Jane hears Mr. Rochester’s cherished voice across the moorland skies
June:
Tuesday, 1st: St. John goes to Cambridge; Jane leaves Marsh End/Moor House at 3pm
Thursday, 3rd: Jane arrives at the Rochester arms, goes to Thornfield, returns to the inn and hears what has happened; before dark she arrives at Ferndean and reunites with Mr. Rochester.
Friday, 4th: near 4pm Edward Rochester proposes to Jane Eyre again.
Monday, 7th: Jane Eyre marries Edward Fairfax Rochester
Monday, 14th: St. John returns from Cambridge
Sunday, 20th: St. John sails for India
Soon after marriage: Jane rescues Adele, places her in another school nearby
July:
Sunday, 7th: St. John reaches India
December: St. John writes to Jane
Spring: Edward Rochester regains some sight
Later: A son is born to Jane and Edward Rochester
Helen Burns’ grave is marked
Diana Rivers marries Captain Fitzjames
Mary Rivers marries Mr. Wharton
Georgiana Reed marries a wealthy man
Eliza Reed becomes Superior of her convent
Summer: Jane writes her autobiography
Soon after (?): St. John Rivers dies