![John Hawkins001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/John_Hawkins001.jpg)
Sir John Hawkins (29 March 1719 – 21 May 1789) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
author and friend of
Dr Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford D ...
and
Horace Walpole
Horatio Walpole (), 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician.
He had Strawb ...
. He was part of Johnson's various clubs but later left
The Literary Club after a disagreement with some of Johnson's other friends. His friendship with Johnson continued and he was made one of the executors of Johnson's will.
During his life, he wrote many works, including ''A General History of the Science and Practice of Music'' and his ''
Life of Samuel Johnson
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy tran ...
'' in memory of his friend. He was appointed as a magistrate and later became Chairman of the
Quarter Session
The courts of quarter sessions or quarter sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the Kingdom of England from 1388 (extending also to Wales following the Laws in Wales Act 1535). They were also established in ...
for
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
. He was knighted in 1772 for his services.
Biography
Hawkins first was brought up to follow in the footsteps of his father to become an architect. However, before the age of 30 he established a successful business as a solicitor. He married Sidney Storer in 1753 and retired from all professional vocations in 1759 after his wife had received a large inheritance due to the death of her brother. In 1760 the family moved to
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
, near Horace Walpole, where Hawkins published an edition of Walton's ''The Complete Angler; Or, Contemplative Man's Recreation: Being a Discourse On Rivers, Fish-Ponds, Fish, and Fishing''. In 1763, he published a document on the state of the Highways which has been considered to be the basis for the Highway Act 1835. Following the commission of the peace in 1771 he acted as a magistrate for the county of Middlesex. Hawkins was knighted in 1772, and served as Chairman of the
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
Quarter Session
The courts of quarter sessions or quarter sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the Kingdom of England from 1388 (extending also to Wales following the Laws in Wales Act 1535). They were also established in ...
.
[Davis (1961), p. xi] In 1773, he provided the notes for a new Shakespeare edition.
It took Hawkins 16 years to write ''A General History of the Science and Practice of Music'' which was published in
1776. Although this publication was somewhat respected, it soon was overshadowed, with the help of the likes such as
Dr Callcott who composed a mocking song against Hawkins, by
Charles Burney's ''General History of Music'' (1776–89). However, in years to come Hawkins's music history was considered to be superior to Burney's music history (compare the 1875 edition of Hawkins's work). Burney's discourse on Handel and Bach was viewed as being particularly inadequate.
Within hours of Johnson's death,
Thomas Cadell
Colonel Thomas Cadell (5 September 1835 – 6 April 1919) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
...
and
William Strahan asked Hawkins to write a biography and an edition of works for Johnson.
[Davis (1961), p. xii] He soon produced the first full-length biography of Johnson, the ''
Life of Samuel Johnson
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy tran ...
'' (1787). This has been largely eclipsed, except for specialists, by the far longer and more colourful work (with the same title) published by
James Boswell
James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 (New Style, N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of his friend and older contemporary the Englis ...
four years later. But Hawkins had known Johnson about twice as long as Boswell, since the 1740s, and his work, from which Boswell freely pillaged, covers some aspects of Johnson much better. Hawkins was more attuned to Johnson's strongly religious nature, and was with Johnson when he died, unlike Boswell who had been in Scotland for some months.
Family
Hawkins married in 1753 the heiress Sidney Storer (1726–1793), second daughter of the attorney Peter Storer. With two daughters who died in infancy, their children were two sons,
John Sidney Hawkins
John Sidney Hawkins (baptised 11 February 1758 – 12 August 1842) was an English antiquarian. Considered reclusive, he is known largely for his publications.
Life
He was the eldest son of Sir John Hawkins and his wife Sidney Storer; the writer L ...
and Henry, and a daughter, the novelist
Laetitia Hawkins.
Notes
References
* Davis, Bertram. "Introduction" in ''The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.'', ed. Bertram H. Davis, pp. vii-xxx. New York: Macmillan Company, 1961.
John Hawkins (1719 - 1789)
Further reading
*
Percy A. Scholes, ''The Life and Activities of Sir John Hawkins: Musician, Magistrate and Friend of Johnson'', London, Oxford University Press, 1953.
*
Stevenson, Robert, "Review: The Life and Activities of Sir John Hawkins: Musician, Magistrate and Friend of Johnson by Percy A. Scholes", ''Journal of the American Musicological Society'', vol. 7, no. 1, 1954, pp. 82–84.
External links
On his life & works, especially the Life of Johnson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins, John
1719 births
1789 deaths
English non-fiction writers
English music historians
English male non-fiction writers
18th-century English writers
18th-century English male writers
Knights Bachelor