A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Austin, Horatio Thomas
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 on 24 April, 1824, became First of the Fury sloop, Capt. Henry Parkyns Hoppner, and partoolc of all the perils and hardships of Capt. Parry’s second expedition in search of a north-west passage, which terminated in the loss of the above vessel, in the summer of 1825. After an interval of half-pay he obtained an appointment, 12 Dec. 1827, to the Chanticleer surveying-vessel, Capt. Henry Foster, on whose death, off the Isthmus of Panama, he succeeded to the acting-command. Being confirmed on his return to England, by commission dated 26 May 18.31, Capt. Austin subsequently obtained command, 27 Nov. 1832, and 30 Jan. 1834, of the Salamander and Medea steamers, in which he respectively escorted Donna Maria to Portugal, and Queen Adelaide to Holland, besides visiting different ports on the north coast of Spain. He attained Post-rank, 28 June, 1838, and was next appointed, 19 Nov. 1839, to the Cyclops, another steam-vessel. Joining in the operations of 1840 on the coast of Syria, he assisted at the bombardment and capture of the strong castle of Gebail, where he headed a body of 220 marines and 150 mountaineers in a brave though unsuccessful land-attack, in which 5 men were killed and 18 wounded. He was also present at the taking of Batroun; and on the occasion of the storming of Sidon he aided in carrying the adjacent castle, and then led the Turkish troops in forcing the passage conducting to the town, where a body of 1800 Egyptians were driven from a stronghold in which they still held out, and were compelled to surrender.[1] For his meritorious conduct in these affairs, as also at the capture of St. Jean d’Acre, Capt. Austin was nominated a C.B. On leaving the Cyclops, he obtained command, for a short period towards the close of 1843, of the Tartarus steam surveying-vessel. He has been attached as Supernumerary-Captain, since 19 Dec. 1845, to the William and Mary yacht.
Capt. Austin married, 8 Nov. 1831, Ann Eliza, only daughter of the late Thos. Hawkins, Esq., of Penzance, and widow of the Bev. J. Rawlinson, by whom he has issue. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1840, pp. 2227, 2252, 2603, 2608.