Augustus Reynolds

Augustus Reynolds

Portrayed by R. Crowe
Full Name	Augustus David Reynolds
Date of Birth	March 8, 1777
Father	Johnathan Brydges
Mother	Frances Brydges
Town Residence	{{{residence}}}
Branch of the Military	Navy
Ship or Regiment	{{{regiment}}}
Currently Enlisted?	Yes
Enlistment Date	1791
Current or Final Rank (if retired)	Captain
Major Engagements	Trafalgar (1805) Chasseron (1806) Second Battle of Copenhagen (1807)

Played by Blighty.

Background

Augustus Reynolds was the second son of David Tiberius Reynolds, 3rd Viscount Titchfield. Augustus’s father was caring and sought to educate his sons well but did not shy when showing favoritism to Augustus’s older brother Samuel. Augustus still had a relatively happy childhood and traveled with his father to Portsmouth, London, and even Cardiff on different occasions. At 14, Augustus found himself a position as Midshipman aboard the 74-gun HMS Mars. In 1797, during the Spithead Mutiny, Augustus was ashore and had no hand in the event. Augustus passed the Lieutenant’s examination the following year and remained aboard HMS Mars. During his service, he rarely returned home. However, on a visit in 1802, Augustus courted and married Portia Reynolds (nee Grenfield). The daughter of a Portsmouth merchant Portia was noted for her beauty and intelligence. After only a day of marriage, Augustus returned to sea. Portia became pregnant following a shore leave in 1803 but lost the child. The death of Augustus’s father in 1804 led to the accession of his brother Samuel to the head of the Reynolds household. Samuel, though smart, lost much of the family’s fortune through poor business practices and reckless spending. Lands held by the family for rental revenue in Ireland had to be sold off. The family remained in a vastly reduced but comfortable position thanks to revenue from land holdings in both Wales and Hampshire. In 1805, HMS Mars took part in the Battle of Trafalgar. Augustus was very slightly wounded in the battle, though many around him were killed or wounded.

By 1806, Augustus was a First Lieutenant and secured the position of Commander on the bomb ketch HMS Zebra. It was around this time that he was notified by anonymous letter of his wife’s indiscretions. His brother and wife had begun a very public affair which deeply hurt him. Portia and Augustus never spoke again except for a letter informing him that her father had died. Things came to a head in January 1808 when both his wife and brother died in a carriage accident near Croydon. Augustus stayed in service, finding promotion to Post Captain in March of 1808. Taking command of the frigate HMS Fox, Augustus saw limited service in the channel. In July 1809, Augustus took command of the frigate HMS Spartan and operated in the Mediterranean. However, in August 1810, he was transferred to the Admiralty in London where he acts as staff (ensuring the whims of the Admiralty are heeded). Augustus purchased a modest but pleasant home at number 8 Clifford St. He suspects he will not receive another sea command for some time and this he finds to be utterly frustrating. In private he can be ‘found’ to be puffing on a cheap pipe while enjoying a cheap ale. In London, he has a coachman/footman/valet named Mr. P. Horace and a maid named Ms. Kennedy. Augustus has devoted much energy to tracking down the author of the anonymous letter but has come up empty handed.

Augustus maintains the family country estate, Posbrook House. It is the primary residence of his mother.

Career Brief

• Midshipman 1791
• Lieutenant 1798
• Second Lieutenant 1803
• Commander 1806
• Post Captain 1808
• Captain 1810

Augustus entered the navy as a midshipman in 1791 and served in HMS Mars until 1806. During those 15 years, Augustus experienced several engagements including Trafalgar (where he was very lightly wounded) and the action at Chasseron in 1806. Following the action at Chasseron, Augustus was promoted to Commander and took command of the bomb ketch HMS Zebra in the Baltic. In 1807, it took part in the Second Battle of Copenhagen. Promoted to Post-Captain, Augustus took command of the sixth rate HMS Fox where he operated in the channel before abruptly receiving command of HMS Spartan in the Mediterranean in 1809. In 1810, Spartan saw action off of the coast of Naples and operated in the Greek Islands. Thanks to family connections, he was transferred to the Admiralty as staff.

Family

Father: David Tiberius Reynolds, 3rd Viscount Titchfield (d. 1804) Mother: Anke Reynolds Sister: None Wife: Portia Reynolds (d. 1808)

Siblings:

Samuel Montgomery Reynolds, 4th Viscount Titchfield (d. 1808)

Cousins: Boudewijn van Marxfeldt (Émigré. maternal cousin. Dutch hereditary knight).

Relationships

Love Interests

Dogs.