The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-15 00:00:00

A YETERAN- OF TILE 61?E',4 21 W.:'R.

Admiral Edward Hawker, who died on the Bth
inst., was born on the 7th of November, 1782, and
on the 28th of May, 1786, was entered by his Royal
Highness Prince William Henry on board his ship
the Pegasus, 28. Mr. Hawker's name was subse-
quently upon the books of the Powerful, 74, com-
manded by his cousin, Captain O'Brien, and of the
Impregnable, 98, Captain Sir T. Byard, and in
1793, at the early age of ten years, he was a mid-
shipman aboard the Pegasus, 28, and then of the
Swiftsure, 74, each commanded by his brother-in-
law, Captain (afterwards Admiral) Boyles. In
May, 1794, the Svviftsure chased two French fri-
gates, who separated, when she closed with them,
but after thirty-six hours' chase and a running
fight, she captured the largest of them, the At lante,
38, commanded by M, (afterwards Admiral) Linois.
The Atlante had ten men killed and ab3ut thirty
wounded; the Swiftsure had one man killed, and
two or three wounded. In July, 1796, Mr. Hawker
was made Lieutenant when only thirteen years old,
and, with Captain BoyleF exchanged into the Rai-
sonable, 64, and was employed on the Jamaica sta-
tion for a year and a half, and then at the Cape of
Good Hope for two years and a half, cruising and.
making some captures off the Isle of France. In
1799 Mr. Hawker was appointed Lieutenant of the
Spitfire, 18 guns, commanded by his brother-in-law,
Captain Michael Seymour (afterwards Rear-Admi-
ral Sir M, Seymour, Bart., K.C.8.), and cruising
off the coast of France, captured two large French
privateers. In 1800 he was First-Lieutenant of
the Garland, Captain Honyman, M.P., cruising
off the coast of France, and in Julie, 1801, he be-
came First Lieutenant of the Thames, 32, cruising
off Cadiz; and on the 21st of September commanded
her boats at the very spirited capture of a Spanish
privateer, carrying two four-pounders, two brass
swivels, and 31 men. Then cruised in the Medi-

terranean, and took the news of the peace to Alex-
andria, and was paid off with the Thames. At the
renewal of the war in 1803, Mr. Hawker was ap-
pointed to the command of the Swift cutter, of 79
tons, 8 four-pounders, and 21 men, and was sent out
with despatches to Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood,
off Martinique, and was afterwards sent to keep a
look out off the Diamond Rock. Observing two
schooners in a narrow harbour to the eastward, he
attempted, with the help of a small English priva-
teer, to cut them out, having observed that a fort at
the entrance of the harbour was not manned.
Mr. Hawker succeeded in carrying off one schooner,
but the other was aground, and while endeavouring
to get her afloat the French came down in force,
and Mr. Hawker was compelled to retreat through
a very heavy fire, which, disabling one boat, three
men of the Swift, end four belonging to the priva-
teer were taken prisoners, Sir Samuel Hood in a
private letter, spoke with high approbation of this
dashing affair, of which Mr. Hawker had made no
official report. On reaching Jamaica with his prize
Mr. Hawker was appointed First Lieutenant of the
Bellerophon, 74, Captain Loring, and on the 29th
of August, 1803, he was promoted to the com-
mand first of the Port Mahon brig, and then
of the Mignonne, of 18 guns on the
Jamaica station. While under his command
the Mignonne had one of her topmasts shivered
and three men killed by lightning. In June,
1804, Captain Hawker was made Post Captain into
the Theseus, 74, bearing the flag of Admiral
Dacres, and in company with the Hercule, 74, ex-
perienced a terrific hurricane, which lasted for
three days, and in which the Theseus was totally '
dismasted, and kept afloat only by the most ex-
traordinary exertions of officers and crew, and by
throwing many of her guns overboard. From the
Theseus Captain Hawker was given the command
of the Tartar, 32, and cruised for two years off
the West Indies and the coast of America, captur-
ing l'Observateur, of 18 guns and 104 men, and
many neutrals carrying enemy's property. In
1806, the Tarter being ordered home in consequence
of damage sustained in a hurricane, Captain Haw-
ker exchanged into the Melampus, 36 ; in her he
convoyed a fleet of transports from Halifax to Bar-
badoes, captured Le Colibri, of 16 guns, and 92
men, Le Bearnais, of 16 guns, and 109 men, and
also cut out a felucca from Aguadilla. He then
assisted at the reduction of Guadaloupe, and, after
capturing La Fantome letter of mark, of 20 guns,
he returned to the Halifax station till 1812, when,
the Melampus being paid off, Captain Hawker
was appointed in March, 1813, to the command of
the Bellerophon, 74, and in 1815, to the Salisbury,
flag ships of Vice-Admiral Sir Richard G. Keats,
on the Newfoundland station, and in the former
captured Le Genie, of 16 guns. In 1827 Captain
Hawker was appointed flag-captain to Admiral
the Earl of Northesk, Commander-in-Chief at Ply-
mouth, first in the Britannia, 120, and then in the
St. Vincent, 120. In 1830 he went on half-pay,
and attained the flag rank in 1837. In 1858 Ad-
miral Hawker accepted the " Good Service Pen-
sion" vacant by the death of Admiral Lord Aylmer.