FRANCIS WILLIAM AUSTEN. [1]Born April 23rd 1774 at Steventon. Account of his career from O'Byrne's Naval Biographical Dictionary: Obtaining his first commission 28th December 1792, he afterwards served on the Home station, chiefly as Senior Lieutenant, in the 'Despatch' armed brig, 'Lark' sloop, 'Andromeda' of 32 guns, 'Prince George' and 'Glory' – each of 98 guns, 'Shannon', 'Triton' and 'Seahorse' frigates and the 'London' of 98 guns; under Captains John Whitby, Thos. Le Marchant Gosselin, Josias Rowley, Wm. Ogilvy, Thos. Sotheby, Wm. Taylor, Jas. Bowen, Alex. Frazer, John Gore, Edward Jas. Foote and John Childe Purvis; until promoted to the command, 3rd February 1799, of the 'Peterel' sloop of 24 guns – including 8 carronades, and 120 men. He had, during that period, escorted the Princess Caroline of Brunswick from Cuxhaven to England, assisted at the evacuation of Ostend and Nieuport, and been present in Sir Hugh Christian's celebrated hurricanes. While in command of the 'Peterel' Capt. Austen, among numerous other services which exposed him to a constant fire from the enemy's batteries, effected the capture and destruction of upwards of forty vessels of various descriptions; and, on June 19th 1799, participated in Lord Keith's capture of a French squad under Rear-Admiral Perrée. On March 21st 1800 he inexpressibly signalised himself in an encounter of Marseilles with three French national vessels, two of which (the one of 14, the other of 6 guns) he drove on the rocks – and succeeded although close in shore and within point-blank shot of the batteries, in capturing the third, 'La Ligurienne', a brig of 16 guns and 104 men; after a running fight of an hour and a half, the whole being accomplished without the loss of a man to the 'Peterel' – 30 of whose crew, with the First Lieutenant and gunner, were at the time absent in prizes. At the blockade of Genoa in the May following, Capt. Austen displayed his wonted energy, and for the zeal he evinced in resolutely maintaining for a considerable period a position within less than three miles of the Mole head, received the thanks of Lord Keith. The 'Peterel' shortly afterwards joined Sir Sidney Smith's squadron on the coast of Egypt, and, on August 13th following, had the good fortune to prevent a Turkish line-of-battle ship of 80 guns, aground near the island of Aboukir, from falling into the hands of the French, 300 of whom had already commenced the work of plunder – but were driven off and their prize set on fire. The Capitan Pasha not long afterwards testified the sense he entertained of the performance by presenting Capt. Austen with a handsome sabre and pelisse. In October of the same year (having been promoted to Post-rank on the 13th of the previous May, in consequence of the action off Marseilles) the subject of this memoir resigned the command of the 'Peterel' and returned home, where, on August 29th 1801 he became Flag-Captain in the 'Neptune' of 98 guns – to his patron Vice-Admiral Jas. Gambier, with whom he served until October 1802. At the renewal of hostilities in 1803 we find him employed at Ramsgate in raising a body of Sea Fencibles, the command of which he retained until May 7th 1804 when he was appointed to the 'Leopard' of 50 guns, flag-ship off Boulogne of Sir Thos. Louis. On subsequently accompanying the same officer into the 'Canopus' of 80 guns, he shared in Lord Nelson's celebrated pursuit of the combined squadrons to the West Indies – and for the part he eventually bore in the action off St Domingo was presented with a gold medal, the thanks of both Houses of Parliament (in common with others) and a vase worth £100 from the Patriotic Society at Lloyds. In June 1806 Capt. Austen went on half-pay; but obtaining an appointment on March 23rd 1807 to the 'St. Albans' of 64 guns, he continued to serve in that ship until September 22nd 1810. During that period he escorted a division of transports with a reinforcement of 2,000 troops to the coast of Portugal, where they arrived on the eve of the battle of Vimiera [Vimeiro] – afterwards superintended the debarkation at Portsmouth of the remains of Sir John Moore's army – and afterwards afforded protection to and from the East to several large convoys of merchant men. For his gallant exertions in the Autumn of 1809, in bringing to a successful issue a dispute with the Chinese, he was honoured with the approval of the Admiralty, and was presented by the East India Company with the sum of 1,000 guineas. On December 3rd 1810 he became, for the second time, Flag-Captain to Lord Gambier, in the 'Caledonia' of 120 guns – and was stationed off the coast of France during the continuance of that officer's command. From July 9th 1811 to May 7th 1814 he commanded the 'Elephant' of 74 guns, and was employed with Admiral Young's fleet in the North Sea; also in cruising off the Western Islands with the 'Phoebe' and 'Hermes' under his orders; and finally, on the Baltic Station, where he captured the American privateer 'Sword Fish' of 12 guns and 82 men. Appointed a Colonel of Marines (in the Woolwich division) on May 27th 1825. From the end of Sir Francis Austen's biography, pages 174 & 175: 'Here is a slight, but to me interesting link with Aunt Jane. My step-mother, Lady Matilda Rice, daughter of Admiral Sir George Seymour, used to tell me that in her youth she had been taken by her father to visit Sir Francis Austen, brother of Jane Austen, a distinguished Admiral then retired and living in Portsmouth. She said he was 'very old and feeble.' I think these visits took place more than once, but my step-mother did not seem to remember much about them. My interest, however, was great, for there was I in daily contact with one who had seen or spoken to Aunt Jane's beloved brother Frank. It seemed to bring her quite near to me!' Admiral of the Fleet Sir Francis William Austen G.C.B., R.N., died August 10th 1865, at the age of 91 – and was buried at Wymering, Hampshire. (Epitaph page 250) Portrait (1) of Sir Francis William Austen previous page [124-128] |