Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Guadaloupe (Edward Hawker, Capt. R.N.) one or two minor nicks, otherwise nearly extremely fine £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Naval and Indian Marine Medals from the Collection of John Tamplin.

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Edward Hawker is believed to have entered the Royal Navy in May 1786, borne on the books of the Pegasus, 28, commanded by H.R.H. Prince William Henry, the Powerful, 74, and Impregnable, 98, Captain Sir Thomas Byard. He successively became Midshipman, in 1793, of the Pegasus and of the Swiftsure, 74, each commanded by Captain Charles Boyles, under whom he was nominated, 14 July 1796, Lieutenant of the Raisonable, 64. He subsequently served in this rank aboard the Spitfire, sloop, and the Garland and Thames, frigates. In the latter frigate he witnessed Sir James Saumarez’ action in the Gut of Gibraltar, and commanded her boats at the very spirited capture, 21 September 1801, of a Spanish privateer called the Sparrow, carrying 2 4-pounders, 2 brass swivels and 31 men. On 30 June 1803 he was appointed to the command of the Swift, cutter, employed off Martinique and Jamaica, and, on 22 August in the same year, as First Lieutenant to the Bellerophon, 74, Captain John Loring. He was promoted on the 29th August to the command of the Port Mahon, brig, also on the Jamaica station, and shortly afterwards transferred to the Mignonne.

Attaining Post-rank on 6 June 1804, he joined the Theseus, 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral J. R. Dacres, from which ship, after experiencing a very dreadful hurricane, he removed, in December 1804, to the Tartar, 32. In that vessel Captain Hawker cruized for nearly two years in the West Indies and off the coast of America, and captured, on 9 June 1806, L’Observateur, French national brig, of 18 guns and 104 men. The Tartar being then ordered to England in consequence of the damages she had received in a recent hurricane, he exchanged into the Melampus, 36, in which frigate, whilst convoying a fleet of transports from Halifax to Barbadoes, he captured, on 16 January 1809, Le Colibri, a French brig-of-war mounting 16 guns, with a complement of 92 men, having on board 570 barrels of flour and a large quantity of gunpowder for the relief of St Domingo.

On 14 December 1809, he intercepted Le Beauharnais, of 16 guns and 109 men, laden with flour and warlike stores, from Bayonne bound for Guadaloupe. After assisting at the reduction of that island, and capturing, in company with the Driver, sloop-of-war, La Fantome, French letter-of-marque pierced for 20 guns, with a complement of 74 men, he returned to the Halifax station, where he continued until January 1812, at which point the Melampus was ordered to England and put out of commission. He subsequently commanded the Bellerophon, 74, and Salisbury, 58, bearing the flag of Sir Richard Keats at Newfoundland, and whilst in the former vessel he captured, in December 1813, La Génie, French privateer of 16 guns and 73 men. His last appointments were, 30 April 1827, and 7 September 1829, to the Britannia and St Vincent, both 120’s and flag-ships at Plymouth of the Earl of Northesk. Captain Hawker went on half-pay on 30 April 1830, and attained Flag-rank on 10 January 1837.

Reports of his death on 19 August 1847, published with an obituary notice in the United Service Magazine, proved premature as he was advanced to Vice-Admiral on 22 September 1847, and to Admiral on 17 September 1853. Admiral Edward Hawker in fact died in 1860.