22 Facts About Edward Hawker

Edward Hawker was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Edward Hawker was a successful frigate captain in the Caribbean, capturing a number of enemy privateers, and served at the capture of Guadeloupe in 1810.

The end of the wars after 1815 left little opportunity for active service, but Hawker briefly commanded a ship as flag captain to the Earl of Northesk, and eventually reached flag-rank himself.

Edward Hawker spent his retirement as a correspondent for The Times, and died an admiral in 1860, one of the last surviving commanders of the wars with France.

Edward Hawker was just four years old at the time, making this a fictitious entry to allow him to gain "sea time" and seniority.

Edward Hawker did not begin his actual naval service for another six years, until he was ten years old.

Edward Hawker was commissioned a lieutenant in 1796, at the age of thirteen, and went out to the West Indies with his brother-in-law, Captain Charles Boyles, and served on several of his ships.

Edward Hawker's ships were active in operations against French and Spanish privateers and merchants, and he assisted in the capture of two large privateers.

Edward Hawker then left active service for a period on half-pay during the Peace of Amiens.

Edward Hawker was back in action with the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars in 1803, having been promoted to commander.

Edward Hawker was given a small hired 4-gun cutter named Swift in June 1803 and sent to patrol off Martinique.

Edward Hawker carried out an attack against two French schooners, capturing both, but was forced to abandon his prizes after French troops appeared.

Theseuss boats were destroyed, and Edward Hawker ordered a number of the guns to be thrown overboard.

Edward Hawker spent two years cruising in the West Indies and off the coast of North America, making voyages to the Halifax Station, and on 9 June 1806 captured the 18-gun French brig Observateur in the West Indies.

Edward Hawker was apparently involved in another hurricane some time after this, as Tartar was ordered to return to Britain to undergo repairs for damage sustained.

Edward Hawker continued to serve off North America, and in early 1809 escorted a convoy from Halifax to Barbados.

Edward Hawker remained active off Guadeloupe into 1810 and supported the invasion and eventual capture of the island between January and February that year.

Edward Hawker commissioned Bellerophon on 11 February 1813, and preparations were made for Bellerophon to become the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Goodwin Keats, the newly appointed Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland.

Edward Hawker then moved to the Nore, and on 9 April 1815 Hawker was superseded by Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland.

Edward Hawker went on half-pay with the expiration of Northesk's posting in 1830, and in 1837 Edward Hawker was promoted to flag-rank.

Edward Hawker spent his retirement as a correspondent for The Times, writing under the byline "A Flag Officer", and became a vice-admiral in 1847 and a full admiral in 1853.

Edward Hawker had married Joanna Naomi, nee Poore and had several children.