John Hawkins (author)

John Hawkins (author)

Sir John Hawkins (29 March 1719 – 21 May 1789) was an English author and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson and Horace Walpole. 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. He married the heiress Sidney Storer and was the father of the novelist Laetitia Hawkins.

During his life, he wrote many works, including "A General History of the Science and Practice of Music" and his "Life of Samuel Johnson" in memory of his friend. He was appointed as a magistrate and later became Chairman of the Quarter Session for Middlesex. He was knighted in 1772 for his services.

Biography

Hawkins studied architecture, law and literature and began a practice as an attorney in 1742. He was involved with the music clubs: Academy of Ancient Music (from 1743) and the Madrigal Society (from 1748). He also knew Handel. He married Sidney Storer in 1753, heir to a 20,000 pound fortune with Hawkins receiving an addition 10,000 pound dowry.Davis 1961 p. x] His career started to quickly pick up.

In 1760 the family moved to Twickenham, near Horace Walpole, and published "The Complete Angler; Or, Contemplative Man's Recreation: Being a Discourse On Rivers, Fish-Ponds, Fish, and Fishing". In 1761 Sir Hawkins was appointed as a local magistrate. In 1765, Hawkins became Chairman of the Quarter Sessions for the County of Middlesex and then wrote a "A General History of the Science and Practice of Music"in 1776. He was knighted in 1772, and served as Chairman of the Quarter Session.Davis 1961 p. xi] Although this publication was respected, it was soon overshadowed by Charles Burney's "General History of Music" (1776-89). He was knighted in 1772, and served as Chairman of the Middlesex Quarter Session.Davis 1961 p. xi]

Within hours of Johnson's death, Thomas Cadell 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" (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 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.

Notes

References

* Davis, Bertram. "Introduction" in * "The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.", ed. Betram H. Davis, pp. vii-xxx. New York: Macmillan Company, 1961.
* [http://www.hoasm.org/VIIJ/Hawkins.html John Hawkins (1719 - 1789)]

Further reading

*Percy A. Scholes - "The Life and Activities of Sir John Hawkins: Musician, Magistrate and Friend of Johnson", "Journal of the American Musicological Society", Vol. 7, No. 1 (1954)

External links

* [http://www.samueljohnson.com/hawkins/intro.html On his life & works, especially the Life of Johnson]


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