portsmouth

the naval academy

Map

Francis Austen was the first of the Austen sons to join the Naval Academy in April 1786.

His brother, Charles, followed a few years later in July 1791.  The two boys did not study together as Frank would already have been at sea when his younger brother arrived. 

Many Georgian features still stand in the Historic Dockyards today. 

Photos: Portsmouth Historic Dockyards

When the Austen boys attended, they were offered a formal education alongside practical training for life onboard a ship. This training was intended to prepare them to become officers at a later date. The Wikipedia page for the Royal Naval Academy provides more information and can be accessed here.

The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard has many attractions and experiences for you to visit today. There you will learn about the history of the navy and life at sea in years gone by. Click here for a link to its website.

One of the attractions is the HMS Victory. This became the flagship of the Royal Navy under Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson and was involved in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It was built in 1765 and provides an excellent opportunity to see what life would have been like for a sailor onboard a ship in Georgian England. 

Photos: HMS Victory, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

An excellent and informative video is available by Jacob O'Neal, creator of Animagraffs, entitled 'How an 18th Century Battleship Works'. This explains what each deck was used for and the functions of all parts of the ship and its crew. You can watch this video on YouTube by following the link here.

There are still some old buildings standing in Portsmouth today that would have been there at the time of the novel, including the Square Tower and the Round Tower which date back to Tudor times.

                   Photo: Square Tower, Portsmouth.                                                                     Photo: Round Tower, Portsmouth.

portsmouth extract

If you would like to read an extract from The Austens of Steventon, where the events happen in Portsmouth, click here.

REFERENCES

1. Historic England (2023) Former Royal Naval Academy (Buildings 1/14 and 1/116-9, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth. Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/50121

2. Le Faye, D. (2013) '1786: April 15, Saturday', in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.104.

3. Le Faye, D. (2013) '1791: July 20, Wednesday', in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.135.

4. Portsmouth: the great waterfront city (2023) Things to do: Round Tower. Available at: https://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/things-to-do/round-tower-p267631

5. Square Tower, Old Portsmouth (2023) The History of the Square Tower. Available at: https://www.squaretower.co.uk/history