28
AUSTEN—AUSTIN.
ing, had the good fortune to prevent a Turkish line-of-battle ship, of 80 guns, aground near the island of Aboukir, and totally dismasted, 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 Pacha, 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 13 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 29 Aug. 1801, he became Flag-Captain, in the Neptune 98, to his patron, Vice-Admiral Jas. Gambler, with whom he served until Oct. 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 appointed, 7 May, 1804, to the Leopard 50, flag-ship off Boulogne of the late Sir Thos. Louis. On subsequently accompanying the same officer into the Canopus 80, 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, in common with others, of both Houses of Parliament, and a vase, worth 100l, from the Patriotic Society at Lloyd’s. In June, 1806, Capt. Austen went on half-pay; but obtaining an appointment, 23 March, 1807, to the St. Albans 64, he continued to serve in that ship until 22 Sept. 1810. During that period he escorted a division of transports, with a reinforcement of 2000 troops, to the coast of Portugal, where they arrived on the eve of the battle of Vimeira – afterwards superintended the debarkation at Portsmouth of the remains of Sir John Moore’s army – and afforded protection, to and from the East, to several large convoys of Indiamen. 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 1000 guineas. On 3 Dec. 1810, he became, a second time, Flag-Captain to Lord Gambler, in the Caledonia 120, and was stationed off the coast of France during the continuance of that officer’s command. From 9 July, 1811, until 7 May, 1814, he commanded the Elephant 74, and was employed with Admiral Young’s fleet in the North Sea; also in cruizing 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. Capt. Austen was nominated a C.B. 4 June, 1815; and a Colonel of Marines (in the Woolwich division) 27 May, 1825. He became a Rear-Admiral 22 July, 1830; a K.C.B. 28 Feb. 1837; and a Vice-Admiral 28 June, 1838. He has held the chief command, since 27 Dec. 1844, on the North America and West India station, with his flag in the Vindictive 50.
Sir Fras. Wm. Austen married, first, in July, 1806, Mary, eldest daughter of John Gibson, Esq., of Ramsgate; and, secondly, in July, 1828, Martha, eldest daughter of the Rev. Noyes Lloyd, formerly Rector of Enbourne, Berks. He was again left a widower in Jan. 1843. By his first marriage, the Vice-Admiral has surviving issue, with three daughters, five sons, of whom the eldest and the fourth, Francis William and Herbert Grey, are both in the Navy – the one a Commander, the other a Lieutenant.
AUSTEN. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 18; h-p., 7.)
Francis William Austen, born 12 July, 1809, is eldest son of Vice-Admiral Sir F. W. Austen K.C.B.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College 11 Feb. 1822; and embarked, 20 June, 1823, as a Volunteer, on board the Revenge 78, Capt. Sir Chas. Burrard, flag-ship in the Mediterranean of Vice-Admiral Sir Harry Burrard Neale. After officiating for nearly four years as Midshipman on the same station, of the Seringapatam 46 and Pelican 18, Capts. Chas. Sotheby and Wm. Alex. Baillie Hamilton, under the former of whom he saw much anti-piratical boat service, Mr. Austen was appointed Mate, in Aug. 1828, of the Blonde 46, Capt. Edm. Lyons, and during his continuance in that ship was employed on shore in co-operation with the French army at the ensuing reduction of the Morea Castle, which surrendered after a siege of eight days. Attaining the rank of Lieutenant, 30 April, 1830, he afterwards joined in that capacity, on the North America, West India, and Africa stations, 22 Nov. following, the Gannet 18, Capt. Mark Halpen Sweny – 23 Feb. 1832, the Tweed 20, Capts. Allan Bertram and Henry Geo. Hamilton – 12 Oct. 1835, as Senior, the Wanderer 16, Capts. Thos. Dilke and Thos. Bushby – and, 1 March, 1841, as Lieut.-Commander, the Bonetta brigantine, of 3 guns. While in the Tweed, of which vessel he appears to have acted as Captain during a period of great mortality, Mr. Austen commanded her boats for the suppression of slavery off the Isle of Pines, and on one occasion had the misfortune, through the bursting of a powder-horn, to lose the use of the fore-finger and thumb of his right hand. He assumed his present rank 23 Nov. 1841; and since 10 Nov. 1845, has been in command of the Alecto steam-sloop, on the south-east coast of America.
Commander Austen married, 13 July, 1843, his cousin, Frances Palmer, third daughter of Rear-Admiral C. J. Austen, R.N., C.B. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
AUSTEN. (Lieut., 1841 f-p., 16; h-p., 1.)
Herbert Grey Austen, born in Nov. 1815, is fourth son of Vice-Admiral Sir F. W. Austen, K.C.B.
This officer entered the Navy (from the Royal Naval College), 25 June, 1830, as a Volunteer, on board the Talbot 28, Capt. Rich. Dickinson, employed at the Cape of Good Hope; became Mate, in 1834, of the Childers 16, Capt. Hon. Henry Keppel, successively stationed in the Mediterranean and off the coast of Africa; and, after a further servitude in the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings, and Medea steam-frigate, Capt. Fred. Warren, attached to the squadron in the Mediterranean, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 23 Nov. 1841. His appointments have since been – 30 Nov. 1841, to the Magicienne 24, Capt. Rich. Laird Warren, on the latter station – 30 Aug. 1844, again to the Excellent – and, 25 Jan. 1845, to the Vindictive 50, as Flag-Lieutenant to his father, on the North America and West India station, where he still serves.
AUSTIN, C.B. (Capt., 1838. f-p., 26; h-p., 8.)
Horatio Thomas Austin entered the Navy, 8 April, 1813, as Third-cl. Boy, on board the Thisbe 28, Capt. Thos. Dick, lying in the river Thames. Joining next, in April, 1814, the Ramillies 74, Capts. Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy and Chas. Ogle, he witnessed, as Fst.-cl. Vol. and Midshipman, some of the chief operations of the American war, including the attacks upon Washington, Baltimore, and New Orleans, and the bombardment of Stonington. During the three years immediately subsequent to the peace, he served off the coast of Africa in the Inconstant and Semiramis frigates bearing each the broad pendant of Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo; after which he became successively attached, on the Channel and South America stations, to the Camelion brig, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye, and Superb 74 and Creole 42, both the broad-pendant ships of Sir T. M. Hardy. His promotion, after acting for nine months as Lieutenant of the Alacrity 10, Capts. Hon. Fred. Spencer and Thos. Porter, meeting with official sanction, 9 Sept. 1822, Mr. Austin in the early part of 1823, rejoined Sir T. M. Hardy in the Creole, and for some time, we believe, officiated as his Signal Officer. He next
