British Royal Navy Officer, Arctic Explorer. He was the son of an official at Chatham Dockyard and entered the Royal Navy in 1813. He joined the crew of HMS Ramillies a year later and took part in the attacks on Washington, Baltimore and New Orleans during the Anglo-American War. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1822 and in 1824 joined William Edward Parry's third Northwest Passage expedition as Commander of HMS Fury, but the expedition was forced to return home aboard the other ship, HMS Hecla, when HMS Fury was wrecked off Somerset Island in 1825. In 1827 he took part in Captain Henry Foster's scientific expedition to the Caribbean, South Atlantic and Antarctic and took over as acting commander of the mission when Foster was drowned in 1831. After spending two years researching into the use of steam power on Navy vessels he was made a Captain in 1838 and commanded HMS Cyclops during the Syrian War. His next position was as commander of Woolwich Dockyard, but in 1850 his experience with steam vessels led to his being put in charge of the expedition to discover the fate of Sir John Franklin's missing Northwest Passage expedition. His mission discovered the first signs of Franklin's expedition at Cape Riley and Beechey Island and also pioneered the use of sledges in Arctic exploration. Although no further trace of Franklin was found, the expedition surveyed many islands in Barrow Strait before returning to England in 1851. He went on to become superintendant of Deptford Dockyard, before being promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1857 and Vice-Admiral in 1864; he was knighted eight months before his death in 1865.
British Royal Navy Officer, Arctic Explorer. He was the son of an official at Chatham Dockyard and entered the Royal Navy in 1813. He joined the crew of HMS Ramillies a year later and took part in the attacks on Washington, Baltimore and New Orleans during the Anglo-American War. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1822 and in 1824 joined William Edward Parry's third Northwest Passage expedition as Commander of HMS Fury, but the expedition was forced to return home aboard the other ship, HMS Hecla, when HMS Fury was wrecked off Somerset Island in 1825. In 1827 he took part in Captain Henry Foster's scientific expedition to the Caribbean, South Atlantic and Antarctic and took over as acting commander of the mission when Foster was drowned in 1831. After spending two years researching into the use of steam power on Navy vessels he was made a Captain in 1838 and commanded HMS Cyclops during the Syrian War. His next position was as commander of Woolwich Dockyard, but in 1850 his experience with steam vessels led to his being put in charge of the expedition to discover the fate of Sir John Franklin's missing Northwest Passage expedition. His mission discovered the first signs of Franklin's expedition at Cape Riley and Beechey Island and also pioneered the use of sledges in Arctic exploration. Although no further trace of Franklin was found, the expedition surveyed many islands in Barrow Strait before returning to England in 1851. He went on to become superintendant of Deptford Dockyard, before being promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1857 and Vice-Admiral in 1864; he was knighted eight months before his death in 1865.
Bio by: js
Inscription
In memory
of
Horatio Thomas
Austin
Vice Admiral KCB
Born 10th March 1800
Died 16th November
1865.
Also of
Anne Eliza
his wife
who died 7th July
1876
in her 74th year.
May they rest in peace.
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