Sir Francis William Austen GCB, the elder brother of author Jane Austen, spent a lifetime battling at sea while his younger sibling spent a lifetime battling the written word. Born in 1774, Francis joined the Royal Navy in at the age of only 12 in 1786 and served within it until 1865, by which time he had rose to hold the highest rank of Admiral of the Fleet. Some of the many ships he commanded included HMS Peterel, HMS Elephant and HMS Vindictive.

After securing the patronage of Admiral Lord Gambier, he became commanding officer of the sloop HMS Peterel in February 1799, capturing some 40 ships. Francis was present at the capture of a French squadron in June 1799 and led an operation when the French brig Ligurienne was captured and two others were driven ashore off Marseille in March 1800. He took part in the blockades of Genoa and Abu Qir having been promoted to captain in May 1800.

Austen went on to be commanding officer of the 74-gun third-rate HMS Elephant in the North Sea in 1811, just two years after Jane Austen has made her home at Chawton Cottage in Hampshire. In HMS Elephant he captured the United States privateer Swordfish in December 1812 during the War of 1812. Following a further three decades at sea, by 1844 Austen had become Commander-in-Chief and was in charge of HMS Vindictive. On this ship his main role was to protect British commercial interests during the Mexican-American War, which broke out in 1846.

Francis’s return home to see his sisters, Jane and Cassandra, his mother and his ten children by his first wife, was intermittent. However, in July 1828 Francis was able to was marry Martha Lloyd, Jane’s close friend and companion in Chawton, Hampshire. Sadly, Jane Austen passed away in 1817 and so never had the opportunity to see the brother and friend that she loved so much united in marriage.

Designer Paul Hilditch recreates Francis Austen’s lifetime at sea on both a prestigious vase and accompanying plaque. The latter features HMS Elephant setting sail, while a gathering of people watch on in awe from the safely of portside buildings. The limited-edition vase is divided into three panels, the first of which shows HMS Elephant setting sail, while the second depicts HMS Peterel off the coast of Marseille. The third and final scene is of HMS Vindictive off the coast of Halifax in Canada, with the naval base in the background. The vase takes you on a visual journey of over 40 years of naval history and the life at sea that was the making of Francis Austen almost two hundred years ago.

• Designer:  Paul Hilditch
• Dimensions: H 28.00 x W 24.00 x D 24.00 cm