Charles Austen's Family

Charles page 178

CHARLES JOHN AUSTEN. [1]
[The biography of Charles John Austen, from pages 178 to 183, is transcribed in full on a separate page.]

Born June 23rd 1779, at Steventon.
From O'Byrne's Naval Biographical Dictionary:
This officer entered the Royal Naval Academy in July 1791 and embarked in September 1794 as Midshipman on board the 'Daedalus' of 32 guns – Capt. Thos. Williams, whom he successively followed to the 'Unicorn' of 32 guns and the 'Endymion' of 44 guns. He was consequently present in the 'Unicorn' at the capture of the Dutch brig-of-war 'Comet' of 18 guns – also of the French frigate 'La Tribune' of 44 guns and 339 men – and of the troop-ship 'La Ville de L'Orient.'

For his conduct in the 'Endymion', in driving into Helvoetsluys the 'Brutus', a Dutch line-of-battle ship, he was promoted to a Lieutenancy, December 13th 1797, in the 'Scorpion' of 16 guns – Capt. John Tremayne Rodd.

After assisting at the capture of the Dutch brig 'Courier', carrying six guns and several swivels, Mr. Austen removed, in December 1798, to the 'Tamar' frigate – Capt. Thos. Western.

On February 16th 1799 he was re-appointed to the 'Endymion'; in which frigate, commanded successively by Capts. Sir Thos. Williams, Phillip Chas. Durham, Henry Garrett and John Fermour, he came into frequent contact with the enemy's gunboats off Algeciras and assisted in making prizes of several privateers.

On the occasion particularly of the capture of the 'Scipio' of 18 guns and 140 men, which surrendered during a violent gale – he very intrepidly put off in a boat with only four ...

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