extract from chapter 16
1803: Re. Ramsgate
Photo: Ramsgate, Kent
Uncle Frank was another favourite. In Fanny’s eyes, he was one of the most important men in the British navy. She could listen for hours to his tales of battles and faraway places, and he never grew tired of telling them. He was based now in Ramsgate, commanding a troop of naval militia known as the Sea Fencibles, and his proximity to Godmersham brought him there often.
‘We watch the sea around the clock,’ he told Fanny to help her understand what he did. ‘We look out for enemy ships, and if we spot one, we chase them away. Rest assured, no one will ever get past your Uncle Frank!’
The Sea Fencibles were a band of old fishermen, volunteer civilians and retired ex-servicemen. Their goal was to prevent enemy vessels from reaching English soil, and they were trained to use pikes and canons in the event of an attack. Their main duties were as lookouts to protect towers and beaches, and if intervention were needed, they would use their private vessels to fight off the threat. Frank knew when he was given the task, that turning this ramshackle crew into a decent defence force would not be easy, but his reputation as a fair and dedicated commander made him the ideal man for the job.
Photo: Ramsgate, Kent
Photo: Church of St. Laurence -in-Thanet, Ramsgate, Kent
Fanny imagined every girl must be in love with her uncle Frank because he was so brave and clever. ‘When will you marry? she asked him every time he came to visit.
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ he would say. ‘When I meet a young lady who steals my heart like your mother did from your father.’ He would wink at her then and make her blush.
But this year something changed. Fanny heard her mother and father congratulate him and make multiple references to a ‘Miss Gibson’. They talked as if Fanny were not there in the room, but she could not resist inputting into the conversation: ‘Are you getting married, Uncle Frank?’ she asked.
He was not in the slightest bit put off by her directness and smiled at her warmly. ‘One day when I’ve saved up enough prize money,’ he said.
‘Does that mean you’ve met a young lady who has stolen your heart like Mama did from Papa?’
Author's own photo
Photo: miniature portrait from the Digweed collection on display at Jane Austen's House, Chawton.
‘It does indeed,’ Frank laughed. ‘Would you like to see what she looks like?’ He pulled out a miniature portrait from his pocket and showed it to his niece. ‘Do you think her pretty?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ replied Fanny, staring down at the lucky young lady’s face who was to become Frank’s wife.
Copyright Diane Jane Ball 2025