Charles Austen
Charles John Austen | |
|---|---|
British Burma | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Ireland |
| Service/ |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1791–1852 |
| Rank | Rear-Admiral of the Blue |
| Commands held | |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath |
| Spouse(s) |
Frances Palmer
(m. 1807; died 1814)Harriet Palmer (m. 1820) |
| Relations |
|
Family and early life
Charles was born in 1779 as the sixth and youngest son of the Reverend
After transferring to Endymion he helped in the driving into Hellevoetsluis of the Dutch ship of the line Brutus. As a result of the latter action Austen was promoted to lieutenant on 13 December 1797, and appointed to HMS Scorpion.[4] He was aboard Scorpion long enough to be present at the capture of the Dutch brig Courier, after which he transferred to HMS Tamar.[4] Aboard Tamar, Austen was frequently involved in attacks and engagements with gunboats and privateers out of Algeciras. He returned to the Endymion in April 1800. On one occasion he set off in a small boat in a gale with only four other men, and succeeded in boarding and taking possession of the 18-gun Scipio, with 149 men aboard.[Note 1] He kept control of her until the following day when Endymion could complete the capture.[4][Note 2] After his continued good service under Captain Charles Paget, the Admiralty promoted Austen to commander and he took command of the sloop HMS Indian on 10 October 1804.[4][7]
Command
Austen spent the next five years serving on the
Austen was appointed to the 46-gun
Flag rank and death
Austen was advanced to rear-admiral on 9 November 1846,[4] and was appointed commander-in-chief in the East Indies and China Station on 14 January 1850, hoisting his flag the following day.[4] He commanded the British expedition during the Second Anglo-Burmese War but died of cholera at Prome on 7 October 1852, at the age of 73.[4][10] On 30 April 1852 Austen had been thanked for his services in Burma by the Governor-General of India, The Marquess of Dalhousie, who subsequently also formally recorded his regret for Austen's death.[10]
Austen is buried in the Esplanade Cemetery, in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka[11][12] his grave was rediscovered in 1984/1985.[13][14][15]
It is presumed that the monument at the Esplanade burial ground in Trincomalee, is merely a cenotaph (as per J. Penry Lewis - ‘List of Inscriptions on Tombstones and Monuments in Ceylon’ 1913). Because records do not indicate any last rites being given to Austen, thus it may appear that he was given a Burial at sea with full naval honours, and subsequently had his remains transported to Trincomalee.
There is also a memorial at St. Anne’s Church in Portsmouth for Austen.[16]
Family and issue
Austen married Frances Palmer, the youngest daughter of the late Attorney General of Bermuda, in 1807. The two had three children together.[4] After the death of Frances in 1814, Charles married his late wife's sister Harriet Palmer in 1820, which was at that time contrary to church law and illegal in England, remaining so until the passage of the Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907 . The couple produced four children, two of them sons, and one of whom followed his father into the Navy.[4] Austen was close to his older sister Jane, and is said to have offered naval vocabulary to help her revise the second edition of Mansfield Park.[17]
Footnotes
Notes
- ^ Endymion captured Scipio in early 1800.[5]
- ^ His sister, the famed novelist Jane Austen, wrote "Charles has received £30 for his share of the privateer, and expects £10 more; but of what avail is it to take the prizes if he lays out the produce in presents to his sisters? He has been buying gold chains and topaz crosses for us. He must be well scolded."[6]
Citations
- required.)
- ^ "Stanford – WH Auden Ghosts". Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
- ^ Burke. A Genealogical and Heraldic History. Vol. I. p. 444.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w The Gentleman's Magazine. p. 438.
- ^ "No. 15258". The London Gazette. 17 May 1800. p. 486.
- ^ Hill (1902), p.48.
- ^ a b "RN Officer's Service Records—Image details—Austen, Charles John, Captain". DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
- ^ NotmanNotmanNotman, Susanne (1 August 1999). "Jane Austen and Her Connection to Bermuda". The Bermudian. City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "No. 19931". The London Gazette. 18 December 1840. p. 3015.
- ^ a b "Name Austen, Charles J Rank: Rear Admiral Date of Appointment: 14 January..." DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
- ^ "Esplanade Cemetery, Trincomalee". Macquarie University. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "Grave of Rear Admiral Charles John Austen, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka".
- TheGuardian.com. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- ^ "In the heart of Trinco town lies the grave of Jane Austen's brother".
- ^ "Jane Austen's Siblings – Charles John Austen 1779-1852". 9 October 2009.
- ^ "Captain Henry Austen".
- S2CID 161425001. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
References
- The Gentleman's Magazine. F. Jefferies. 1853.
- Burke, John (1836). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions Or High Official Rank: But Uninvested with Heritable Honours. Colburn.
- Hill, Constance (1902) Jane Austen: her homes & her friends. (John Lane)
External links
- "Biography of Charles John Austen R.N." 3 November 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
- O'Byrne, William Richard (1849). . . John Murray – via Wikisource.