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Francis was born on 23 April 1774, the son of Rev. George Austen and Cassandra Leigh, at Steventon, Hampshire. He entered the Royal Naval Academy on 15 April 1786; and (having attracted the particular notice of the Lords of the Admiralty by the closeness of his application, and been in consequence marked out for early promotion) embarked, 23 December 1788, as a Volunteer, on board the Perseverance frigate, Capt. Isaac Smith, in which he proceeded to the East Indies, and there successively joined, as Midshipman, the Crown 64, and Minerva 38 bearing each the broad pendant of Hon. William Cornwallis. Obtaining his first commission, 28 December 1792, he afterwards served, on the Home station, chiefly as Senior Lieutenant, in the Dispatch armed brig, Lark sloop, Andromeda 32, Prince George and Glory 98's, Shannon, Triton, and Seahorse frigates, and London 98, under Capts. John Whitby, Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin, Josins Rowley, William Oglivy, Thomas Sotheby, William Taylor, James Brown, Alexander Fraser, John Gore, Edward James Foote, and John Child Purvis, until promoted to the command, 3 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 Ostand and Nieuport. and been present in Sir | Hugh Christian's celebrated hurricanes. While in the 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 19 June 1799, participated in Lord Keith's capture of a French squadron under Rear-Admiral Perrée. On 21 March 1800, he inexpressibly signalised himself in an encounter off 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 two batteries, in capturing the third, La Ligurienne, a brig of 16 guns and 101 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 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 13 August following, had the good fortune to prevent a Turkish line-of-battle ship, of 80 guns, aground |
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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 August 1801, he became Flag-Captain, in the Neptune 98, to his patron, Vice Admiral James Gambier, with whom he served until October 1802.
At the renewal of hostilities in 1803, we find him employed at Ramsgate 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 Thomas Lewis. 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 September 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 a thousand guineas.
On 3 December 1810, he became, a second time, Flag-Captain to Lord Gambier, in the Caledonia 120, and was stationed off the coast of France during the continuence 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 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.
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 G.C.B. 28 February 1837; and a Vice-Admiral 28 June 1838. He held the chief command, as of 27 December 1844, on the North America and West India station, with his flag in the Vindictive 50. |
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Mary was born about 1790, the daughter of John Gibson, Esq. I have identified the following children. |
| Mary Jane | Born 27 Apr 1807 | Hampshire | Married George Thomas Maitland Purvis | ||
| Francis William | Born 12 Jul 1809 | Hampshire | Married Frances Palmer Austen | ||
| Henry Edgar | Born 21 Apr 1811 | Hampshire | Died 21 Oct 1854 | ||
| George | Born Oct 1812 | Hampshire | Married Louisa Lane Traggett | ||
| Cassandra Elizabeth | Born 8 Jan 1814 | Hampshire | Died 6 May 1849 | ||
| Herbert Grey | Born Nov 1815 | Hampshire | Married Louisa Frances Lyus | ||
| Elizabeth | Born 15 Apr 1817 | Hampshire | Died 22 May 1830 | ||
| Catherine Ann | Born 7 Jul 1818 | Hampshire | Married John Hubback | ||
| Edward Thomas | Born 28 Jan 1820 | Hampshire | Married Jane Newnham Collingwood Clavell | ||
| Fanny Sophia | Born 12 Dec 1821 | Hampshire | Died 1904 | ||
| Cholmeley | Born 7 Jul 1823 | Hampshire | Died Jan 1824 |
| Francis William Austen |
b: 23 Apr 1774 c: 25 Apr 1774 Steventon, Hampshire son of Rev. George Austen and Cassandra Leigh |
| Mary Gibson |
b: abt 1790 daughter of John Gibson, Esq. |
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24 July 1806 Francis William Austen Mary Gibson |
| Mary Jane Austen |
b: 27 Apr 1807 Steventon, Hampshire daughter of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson |
| Francis William Austen |
b: 12 Jul 1809 Steventon, Hampshire son of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson Died 1865 3Q Fareham 2b 318 |
| Henry Edgar Austen |
b: 21 Apr 1811 Steventon, Hampshire son of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson |
| George Austen |
b: Oct 1812 Steventon, Hampshire son of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson |
| Cassandra Elizabeth Austen |
b: 8 Jan 1814 Steventon, Hampshire daughter of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson Died 1849 2Q Fareham 7 53 |
| Herbert Grey Austen |
b: Nov 1815 Chawton, Hampshire son of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson |
| Elizabeth Austen |
b: 15 Apr 1817 Chawton, Hampshire daughter of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson |
| Catherine Ann Austen |
b: 7 Jul 1818 Chawton, Hampshire daughter of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson |
| Edward Thomas Austen |
b: 28 Jan 1820 Chawton, Hampshire son of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson |
| Fanny Sophia Austen |
b: Dec 1821 Ryde, Isle of Wight, Hampshire daughter of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson Died 1904 1Q Eastry 2a 695 |
| Cholmeley Austen |
b: 7 Jul 1823 Steventon, Hampshire son of Francis William Austen and Mary Gibson Died Jan 1824 |
| Mary (Gibson) Austen |
Died 14 July 1823 Due to complications in the birth of Cholmeley. |
| Martha was born in 1765, the daughter of Rev. Noves Lloyd. She was the sister of Mary Lloyd, the second wife of James Austen. After her mother died in 1805, Martha had moved in with Jane Austen, her sister Cassandra, and their mother, |
and became their housekeeper.
In 1809, they all moved to Chawton.
Francis was quite familier with her, and after his first wife died, it was a handy choice for him to make for a new wife, and mother to his many young children
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| Martha Lloyd |
b: abt 1765 daughter of Rev. Noves Lloyd |
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24 Jul 1828 Francis William Austen, Age 54 Martha Lloyd, Age 63 | Winchester |
| 1841 Census | |
7 June 1841 | Wymering, Hampshire | ||
| Portsdown Lodge | Born in this County? | ||||
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Francis Austen Martha Cassandra Catherine Fanny Plus 8 Servants |
Age 65 Age 50 Age 25 Age 20 Age 15 |
Navy |
Yes No Yes Yes Yes |
23 Apr 1774 abt 1765 8 Jan 1814 7 Jul 1818 Dec 1821 |
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| Martha (Lloyd) Austen | Died 24 Jan 1843, Age 77, Wymering, Hampshire 1843 1Q Fareham 7 60 |
| On Tuesday, the 24th inst., at Portsdown Lodge, Hants, Martha, the wife of Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Austen, G.C.B., aged 77 |
| 1851 Census | HO107-1661 | 31 March 1851 | Wymering, Hampshire | ||
| Portsdown Lodge | |||||
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Francis William Austen(W) Herbert Grey Edward Thomas Catherine A. Hubback (M)(Dau) John Hy Hubback (GSon) Edward Thomas (GSon) Charles Austen (GSon) Plus 7 Servants |
Age 76 Age 35 Age 31 Age 32 Age 6 Age 5 Age 3 |
Admiral R.N. (Half Pay) Commander R.N. (Half Pay) Curate of Clanfield, Hants |
Steventon Chawton Chawton Chawton Bloomsbury Bloomsbury Bloomsbury |
Hants Hants Hants Hants London London London |
23 Apr 1774 Nov 1815 28 Jan 1820 7 Jul 1818 abt 1844 abt 1845 abt 1847 |
| 1861 Census | RG9-650 | 8 April 1861 | Wymering, Hampshire | ||
| Portsdown Lodge | |||||
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Francis W. Austen(W) Herbert G. Fanny S. Plus 6 Servants |
Age 86 Age 44 Age 39 |
Admiral R.N. G.C.B. Commander R.N. (Half Pay) Fund Holder |
Steventon Chawton Ryde Isle-Wight |
Hants Hants Hants |
23 Apr 1774 Nov 1815 Dec 1821 |
| Admiral Sir Francis William Austen |
Died 10 Aug 1865, Age 91, Wymering, Hampshire 1865 3Q Fareham 2b 318 Burial in Wymering Churchyard |
| On the 10th inst., at Portsdown Lodge, Hants, SIR FRANCIS WM. AUSTEN, G.C.B., Admiral of the Fleet, in his 92nd year. |