Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke
PC | |
---|---|
First Lord of the Admiralty | |
In office 1766–1771 | |
Prime Minister | Lord Chatham Duke of Grafton Lord North |
Preceded by | Sir Charles Saunders |
Succeeded by | Lord Sandwich |
Personal details | |
Born | |
Profession | Admiral, Statesman |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
Branch/service | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1720–1781 |
Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
Commands | HMS Wolf HMS Flamborough HMS Portland HMS Berwick HMS Neptune Western Squadron Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth |
Battles/wars |
|
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke,
Hawke went on to achieve a victory over a French fleet at the
Hawke also sat in the
Origins
He was the only son of Edward Hawke, a
Early life
Hawke joined the navy as a volunteer in the sixth-rate HMS Seahorse on the North American Station in February 1720.[7] Promoted to lieutenant on 2 June 1725, he transferred to the fifth-rate HMS Kingsale on the West Coast of Africa later that month, to the fourth-rate HMS Portland in the Channel Squadron in April 1729 and to the fourth-rate HMS Leopard in November 1729.[7] After that he moved to the fourth-rate HMS Edinburgh in the Mediterranean Fleet in May 1731, to the sixth-rate HMS Scarborough in January 1732 and to the fourth-rate HMS Kingston, flagship of Commodore Sir Chaloner Ogle, Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station, in December 1732.[7]
After this, Hawke's career accelerated: promoted to commander on 13 April 1733, he became commanding officer of the sloop HMS Wolf later that month and promoted to captain on 20 March 1734, he became commanding officer of the sixth-rate HMS Flamborough later that month.[7] The following year he went on half-pay and did not go to sea again until July 1739 when he was recalled to become commanding officer of HMS Portland on the North American Station and was sent to cruise in the Caribbean with orders to escort British merchant ships. He did this successfully, although it meant his ship did not take part in the British attack on Porto Bello in November 1739 during the War of Jenkins' Ear.[8]
Battle of Toulon
Hawke became commanding officer of the
Battle of Cape Finisterre
Despite having distinguished himself at Toulon, Hawke had few opportunities over the next three years. However, he was promoted to
The British had received word that there was now an incoming convoy arriving from the West Indies. Hawke took his fleet and lay in wait for the arrival of the French. In October 1747, Hawke captured six ships of a French squadron in the
Peace
For Hawke, however, the arrival of peace brought a sudden end to his opportunities for active service. In December 1747, he was elected as a
Seven Years' War
As it began to seem more likely that war would break out with France, Hawke was ordered to hoist his flag in the first-rate HMS St George and to reactivate the Western Squadron in Spring 1755.[13] This was followed by a command to cruise off the coast of France intercepting ships bound for French harbours. He did this very successfully, and British ships captured more than 300 merchant ships during the period.[20] This in turn further worsened relations between Britain and France, bringing them to the brink of declaring war. France would continue to demand the return of the captured merchant ships throughout the coming war. By early 1756, after repeated clashes in North America, and deteriorating relations in Europe, the two sides were formally at war.[13]
Fall of Menorca
Hawke was sent to replace Admiral
Descent on Rochefort
Hawke blockaded Rochefort in 1757 and later in the year he was selected to command a naval escort that would land a large force on the coast of France. The expedition arrived off the coast of Rochefort in September. After storming the offshore island of Île-d'Aix, the army commander Sir John Mordaunt hesitated before proceeding with the landing on the mainland. Despite a report by Colonel James Wolfe that they would be able to capture Rochefort, Mordaunt was reluctant to attack.[23] Hawke then offered an ultimatum – either the Generals attacked immediately or he would sail for home. His fleet was needed to protect an inbound convoy from the West Indies, and could not afford to sit indefinitely off Rochefort. Mourdaunt hastily agreed, and the expedition returned to Britain without having made any serious attempt on the town.[24] The failure of the expedition led to an inquiry which recommended the court-martial of Mordaunt, which commenced on 14 December 1757 and at which he was acquitted.[25]
In 1758 Hawke directed the blockade of Brest for six months. In 1758 he was involved in a major altercation with his superiors at the Admiralty which saw him strike his flag and return to port over a misunderstanding at which he took offence. Although he later apologised, he was severely reprimanded.[26] In Hawke's absence the Channel Fleet was placed under the direct command of Lord Anson.[27]
Battle of Quiberon Bay
In May 1759 Hawke was restored to the command of the
Blockade of Brest
Although Hawke's victory at Quiberon Bay ended any immediate hope of a major invasion of Great Britain, the French continued to entertain hopes of a future invasion for the remainder of the war, which drove the British to keep a tight blockade on the French coast. This continued to starve French ports of commerce, further weakening France's economy. After a spell in England, Hawke returned to take command of the blockading fleet off Brest. The British were now effectively mounting a blockade of the French coast from Dunkirk to Marseille.[31] Hawke attempted to destroy some of the remaining French warships, which he had trapped in the Vilaine Estuary. He sent in fire ships, but these failed to accomplish the task. Hawke developed a plan for landing on the coast, seizing a peninsula, and attacking the ships from land. However, he was forced to abandon this when orders reached him from Pitt for a much larger expedition.[32]
Capture of Belle Île
In an effort to further undermine the French, Pitt had conceived the idea of seizing the island of Belle Île, off the coast of Brittany and asked the navy to prepare for an expedition to take it. Hawke made his opposition clear in a letter to Anson, which was subsequently widely circulated. Pitt was extremely annoyed by this, considering that Hawke had overstepped his authority.[33] Nonetheless, Pitt pressed ahead with the expedition against Belle Île. An initial assault in April 1761 was repulsed with heavy loss but, reinforced, the British successfully captured the island in June.[34] Although the capture of the island provided another victory for Pitt, and lowered the morale of the French public by showing that the British could now occupy parts of Metropolitan France – Hawke's criticisms of its strategic usefulness were borne out. It was not a useful staging point for further raids on the coast and the French were not especially concerned about its loss, telling Britain during subsequent peace negotiations that they would offer nothing in exchange for it and Britain could keep it if they wished.[35]
First Lord of the Admiralty
Hawke then retired from active duty, and became
Hawke was influential in the decision to give Captain James Cook command of his first expedition that left in 1768. When at a meeting in the Royal Geographical Society it was suggested that a civilian should lead the expedition Hawke is supposed to have remarked that, he would sooner have his right hand cut off than allow this to happen.[42] Cook named a series of prominent places that he came across in the 'New World' after Hawke as a sign of his gratitude.[43]
Hawke was created
Cultural references
His memorial, carved by John Francis Moore[49] and depicting the Battle of Quiberon Bay, is in St. Nicolas' Church, North Stoneham[50]
In the Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island, Long John Silver claims that he used to serve in the Royal Navy and lost his leg under "the immortal Hawke".[51]
Places named after Hawke include:
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Hawke Bay and subsequently Hawke's Bay Region in the North Island.[53]
- Canada
- Hawke's Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.[54]
- Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia.[55]
- Royal Navy ships named in Hawke's honour
- The 74-gun Black Prince-class ship of the line HMS Hawke launched in 1820.[56]
- Edgar-class cruiser HMS Hawke built in 1891.[57]
Marriage and issue
In 1737 he married Catherine Brooke, the only daughter and sole heiress[58] of Walter Brooke (1695-1722)[59] of Burton Hall, Gateforth[60] near Hull[4] and of Gateforth Hall[61] in Yorkshire, by his wife Catherine Hammond (d.1721) daughter and heiress of William Hammond of Scarthingwell Hall,[4] in the parish of Towton, Yorkshire.[61][62] Hawke made his home at Scarthingwell Hall and took for his barony the territorial designation "of Towton" from the parish in which it was situated. By his wife he had three sons and one daughter, who survived, and three children who died in infancy.[5]
References
- ^ Arms of Brooke: Or, a cross engrailed per pale gules and sable
- ^ Arms of Hammond: Argent, a chevron engrailed between three mullets sable
- ISBN 9780816074778.
- ^ History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
- ^ required.)
- ^ Lewis, p. 183.
- ^ a b c d e Heathcote, p. 107.
- ^ Lewis, pp. 183–84.
- ^ Browning, p. 154.
- ^ Pope, pp. 16–21.
- ^ Rodger, p. 243.
- ^ "No. 8658". The London Gazette. 14 July 1747. p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e f g Heathcote, p. 108.
- ^ Browning, p. 322.
- ^ Browning, pp. 308–09.
- ^ Rodger, pp. 253–55.
- ^ Lambert, p. 137.
- ^ Lambert, p. 145.
- ^ "No. 8861". The London Gazette. 24 June 1749. p. 1.
- ^ Pope, pp. 32–33.
- ^ Dull, p. 53.
- ^ Pope, pp. 193–94, 261.
- ^ Brumwell, pp. 131–33.
- ^ Brumwell, pp. 133–34.
- ^ Black, p. 171.
- ^ McLynn, pp. 235–36.
- ^ a b c Heathcote, p. 109.
- ISSN 1937-5239.
- ^ Anderson, pp. 381–383.
- ^ Anderson, p. 383.
- ^ Corbett, p. 86.
- ^ Corbett, pp. 93–94.
- ^ Brown, pp. 211–12.
- ^ Brown, pp. 231–32.
- ^ Dull, p. 197.
- ^ "No. 10275". The London Gazette. 1 January 1763. p. 1.
- ^ "No. 10571". The London Gazette. 2 November 1765. p. 1.
- ^ "Sainty, JC, Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660–1870', Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4: Admiralty Officials 1660–1870 (1975), pp. 18–31". Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ Brown, p. 339.
- ^ Rodger, p. 369.
- ^ Whiteley, p. 85.
- ^ "April - June 1768". The Captain Cook Society (CCS). Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "James Cook - New Zealand in History". history-nz.org. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- History of Parliament biography [1]
- ^ "No. 11665". The London Gazette. 11 May 1776. p. 1.
- ^ Historic England. "Hawke House (Grade II) (1377697)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ Duthy, p. 328.
- ^ Heathcote, p. 110.
- ^ Dictionary of British Sculptors, 1660–1851, Rupert Gunnis.
- ISBN 1-84114-213-1.
- ^ Treasure Island. 1883.
- ^ Cook, James (1893). "Captain Cook's Journal During the First Voyage Round the World, chapter 8, footnote 18". Elliot Stock. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ "Poverty Bay, Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa". Rough Guides. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ "Hawke's Bay – Newfoundland and Labrador". Explore Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ Brown, Thomas (1922). "Place names of Nova Scotia". p. 116. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ Lavery, Ships of the Line vol.1, p. 189.
- ^ Chesneau and Kolesnik 1979, p. 66.
- ^ Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003
- ISBN 9781108036078.
- ^ In the township of Gateforth and in the parish of Brayton, Langdale, Thomas (1822). A Topographical Dictionary of Yorkshire. J. Langdale. p. 250.
burton hall gateforth.
; Now Burton Hall Farm on the Gateforth Hall estate; On Friday 26 March 1920, The Gateforth Estate (about 1,533 acres) was sold by Leeds Corporation at auction at the George Hotel, Selby. It included ten productive farms, including Burton Hall Farm "History of Gateforth". Retrieved 7 January 2020. - ^ a b "Stirnet". www.stirnet.com.
- ^ History of Parliament biog states Catherine Hammond as "a grand-daughter and co-heiress of William Hammond of Scarthingwell Hall"
Sources
- Anderson, Fred (2000). Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the fate of Empire in British North America, 1754–1766. Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0571205653.
- Black, Jeremy (1992). British Lives: William Pitt. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521391160.
- Brown, Peter Douglas (1978). William Pitt, Earl of Chatham: The Great Commoner. George Allen & Unwin.
- Browning, Reed (1994). The War of the Austrian Succession. Alan Sutton. ISBN 978-0750905787.
- Brumwell, Stephen (2006). Paths of Glory: James Wolfe. Hambledon. ISBN 978-1847252081.
- Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
- Corbett, Julian Stafford (1907). England in the Seven Years War: A Study in Combined Operations. Volume II. London.
- Dull, Jonathan R. (2005). The French Navy and the Seven Years' War. University of Nebraska. ISBN 978-0803260245.
- Duthy, John (1839). Sketches of Hampshire: Embracing the Architectural Antiquities, Topography, Etc. Jacob & Johnson.
- Heathcote, Tony (2002). The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995. Pen & Sword. ISBN 0-85052-835-6.
- Lambert, Andrew (2009). Admirals: The Naval Commanders Who Made Britain Great. Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0571231577.
- Lavery, Brian (2003). The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
- Lewis, Charles L. Famous old-world sea fighters. 1929. ISBN 978-1163137468.
- McLynn, Frank (2005). 1759: The Year Britain Became Master of the World. Pimlico. ISBN 978-0099526391.
- Pope, Dudley (2002). At 12 Mr Byng Was Shot. Phoenix Press. ISBN 978-0436377495.
- Rodger, N.A.M. (2006). Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649–1815. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0713994117.
- Whiteley, Peter (1996). Lord North: The Prime Minister Who Lost America. Hambledon Press. ISBN 978-1852851453.
External links
- Types of Naval Officers, by A. T. Mahan at Project Gutenberg
- Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 95–97. .