James Hawker

Captain James Hawker (–1786) was an English officer in the Royal Navy. After service on the Shrewsbury and Sheerness, he was appointed first lieutenant of the Colchester at the end of 1755, and was posted in 1768. With the Iris he fought a drawn battle with La Touche Treville in the more powerful frigate Hermione off New York in 1780. He commanded the Hero in Porto Praya under Commodore George Johnstone in 1781, after which he had no further service.

Career James Hawker was born in or before 1730. He entered the naval service in 1744 on board the Shrewsbury with Captain Solomon Gideon. His passing certificate is dated 4 June 1755. and created a very unfavourable impression of La Touche's conduct, to which Nelson angrily referred during the time of his Toulon command. It is said that during the action a chain-shot did a good deal of damage to the Hermione, on which La Touche remarked, "Voilà une liaison bien dangereuse!" ('This is a very dangerous affair!'). According to Laughton, however, it is very doubtful if the Iris fired any chain-shot.

On 1 August Hawker was moved into the Renown, which he took to England, and on 10 November was appointed to the Hero, one of the squadron with Commodore George Johnstone in Porto Praya on 16 April 1781. He quit the Hero shortly afterwards, and had no further service. He died early in 1786, probably at Plymouth, where he owned property and had business interests.

Personal life He left a family of three sons and five daughters, three of whom married naval officers, Admiral Charles Boyles, Admiral Edward Oliver Osborne, and Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, Baronet; another daughter married Sir William Knighton, private secretary and keeper of the privy purse to George IV. Of the sons two entered the army; the third, Edward, died, an admiral, in 1860.