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THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES of Jane Austen's naval characters sparkle with animation and authenticity In Persuasion we meet Captain Frederick Wentworth, who has become very wealthy by the capture of naval prize and is known for his "great deal of intelligence, spirit and brilliancy" (26). In company is his sister, the goodhumored Mrs. Croft, who makes a strong impression as the eminently practical naval wife of the likable Rear-Admiral Croft. \nMansfieU Park Midshipman William Price delivers spirited narratives, which are "proof of . . . [Tris naval J knowledge, energy, courage and cheerfulness" (236). These characterizations evince a surprising knowledge of sea-going life for someone who lived deep in the English countryside. So how did Jane Austen come by the information she needed to create these naval figures?
One of her most important sources was her brother Charles, who, as an officer in the British navy during the Napoleonic wars, was stationed in North America for over six years between 1 805 and 1811. His naval expertise and exploits cruising the Atlantic Ocean and capturing prize vessels, his love match to the beautiful young Fanny Palmer of Bermuda, and his social and professional life with "brother officers" all find echoes in Persuasion and Mansfield Park. What Jane Austen knew about Charles Austen's distant naval world proved to be catalytic when she created her memorable portraits of Captain Wentworth, Admiral and Mrs. Croft, and Midshipman William Price.
During the six and a half years he was away from England, Charles was posted to the Royal Navy's North American station, an extensive ocean area that stretched from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cape Canaveral, Florida.1 Charles wrote frequently to Jane, and she faithfully replied. Although all but one of Charles's letters home from this period are lost, there is indirect evidence from Jane's letters that he reported regularly to his family about his experiences.2 For the more public details of his career, the Austen family no doubt consulted the London Gazette, the Naval Chronicle, and Steele's Naval List, publications brimming full of news about naval postings, promotions, and prizes.3 Given these sources of information, it is a reasonable assumption that Jane and her family were well informed about Charles's naval milieu, his personal and his...