Beschreibung:

[AUSTEN (JANE)] – ADMIRAL SIR FRANCIS WILLIAM AUSTENManuscript biographical memoir of Jane Austen's elder brother, Admiral Sir Francis William Austen, R.N. (1774-1865), giving a laudatory account of his early life and his long naval career until 1863, the last pages written in another hand, beginning "Captain Francis William Austen the youngest but one of five sons of the Revd George Austen, Rector of Steventon and Dean in the County of Southampton...", continuing with a description of his exemplary education and disposition ("...at home under the immediate superintendence of his Father... an unusual extent of classical learning, and a highly cultivated taste for literature... remarkable suavity of temper and gentleness of manners... a youth of superior abilities [and] prepossessing appearance..."), entering the navy on the Perseverance under Captain Isaac Smith ("...an excellent nautical Astronomer having been two voyages round the World with the celebrated circumnavigator Cook..."), his rise through the ranks on various vessels and captains under the patronage of Admiral Gambier, his aptitude for chart making ("...particularly for that a branch of it which is connected to Hydrography..."), carrying despatches to Lord Nelson at Palermo ("... for three days Captain Austen had the honour of carrying the Flag of Lord Nelson as Rear Admiral of the Red..."), the blockade of Genoa ("...he was assigned the important and arduous task of remaining the most advanced Vessel off the Port, with a view to prevent anything however small going in or out, which service he performed for a considerable time to the satisfaction of the Admiral..."), in Egypt ("...Captn Austen had the honor of being introduced to the Grand Vizier..."), returning to his family in Bath in 1802 ("...to which place his Father had lately removed, being incapacitated from age and increasing infirmities..."), reluctant command of the 'Sea Fencibles' ("...a sort of nondescript half sailor, half soldier, and efficient as neither..."), further travels the West Indies with Nelson's fleet as captain of the Canopus, the death of Nelson ("...a severe blow to England..."), marriage and settling in Southampton ("...making one Family with his Mother and Sisters, a plan equally suited to his love of domestic society..."), a sojourn on St Helena on East India company business ("...they presented him with 2 pairs of handsome candlesticks on an Egyptian pattern..."), on the China station, retirement to Chawton ("...where his mother and sisters were living, and his brother Mr Knight kindly offering him the use of Chawton house he resided there nearly 4 years at 2 different times..."), his grief at the death of his first wife ("...deep agony...") and marriage to Martha Lloyd ("...on the anniversary of his first marriage..."), appointment as Commander in Chief of the West Indies station and his impressions of America ("...The men have some vile habits, especially that of frequent discharges of saliva, and that without having much regard to where they may be... and there was a sort of flippant air amongst the women..."), ending "...he is now senior Admiral of the Red...", c.78 pages, occasional foxing, marbled wrappers, worn, 4to (198 x 160mm.), [c.1863]Footnotes'MAKING ONE FAMILY WITH HIS MOTHER AND SISTERS, A PLAN EQUALLY SUITED TO HIS LOVE OF DOMESTIC SOCIETY': THE BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF JANE AUSTEN'S SAILOR BROTHER.
Admiral Sir Francis William Austen enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the Navy during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and his memoir describes in detail the many actions he encountered. After peace with France he served as Commander in Chief of the North America and West Indies Station. His younger brother Charles also distinguished himself in the Service and Jane Austen, positioned in the family between these two brothers, was devoted to them. Away for years at a time, Francis remained close to his family and returned to them on leave; on his marriage he describes "...making one Family with his Mother and Sisters...". Jane Austen drew on this close relationship for characters and settings in her novels, discussed in detail by Brian Southam in his biography of the two brothers: 'The sailor brothers recognised themselves in the novels, their habits and their sayings, and allowed their sister to use the names of their ships. In this sense Mansfield Park and to a greater degree, Persuasion, can be seen as forming a tribute to them and to their service...' (Brian Southam, Jane Austen and the Navy, 2000, p.4). This is seen in her sympathetic portraits of naval officers such as Captain Wentworth and Captain Benwick in Persuasion, and it is widely accepted that Francis is the model for William in Mansfield Park: 'Concerning sailors she is romantic. Their very faults are lovable in her eyes, and their lives packed with interest...' (J.H. & E.C. Hubback, Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers, 1905). While Francis was serving on HMS Elephant in the Baltic she wrote to him: '...I have something in hand – which I hope on the credit of [P]ride and P[rejudice] will sell well, tho' not so entertaining. And, by the bye, shall you object to my mentioning the Elephant in it, and two or three other of your old Ships? – I have done it, but it shall not stay, to make you angry.- They are only just mentioned...' (letter to Francis, 3-6 July 1813). The Hubbacks also suggest that close brother and sister relationships such as those portrayed by Jane in Persuasion (Frederick Wentworth and Mrs Croft) and in Northanger Abbey (Henry and Eleanor Tilney), were also informed by her own experience.
By family repute the memoir was written by Francis himself, although written in the third person. Brian Southam also concurs, describing it as an autobiographical memoir. Whilst the descriptive narrative moves swiftly on, there are moments of deeper reflection and detail, which would also indicate that it was a personal memoir, such as a description of his sojourn at Jaffa where he describes in harrowing detail a massacre by Napoleon's troops. The manuscript as a whole remains unpublished but short extracts have been published in various biographies of the Austens.
Provenance: Admiral Sir Francis William Austen (1774-1865); his son Rev. Edward Thomas Austen (1820-1908); thence by descent to the present owner.Additional informationAuction informationBuyers Premium and ChargesFor all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows:Buyer's Premium Rates
28% on the first £40,000 of the hammer price;
27% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £40,000 up to and including £800,000;
21% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £800,000 up to and including £4,500,000;
and 14.5% of the hammer price of any amounts in excess of £4,500,000.VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to the Buyer's Premium and charges excluding Artists Resale Right.Buyers' ObligationsALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.If you have any complaints or questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest customer services team.Payment NoticesFor payment information please refer to the sale catalog.Shipping NoticesFor information and estimates on domestic and international shipping as well as export licences please contact Bonhams Shipping Department.Lot Symbols•Exempt from VATZero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium.Related DepartmentsBooks & ManuscriptsAuction ViewingsLondon, Knightsbridge18 June 2023, 11:00 - 15:00 BST19 June 2023, 09:00 - 17:00 BST20 June 2023, 09:00 - 17:00 BST21 June 2023, 09:00 - 10:00 BSTConditions of SaleView Conditions of Sale