Baron Hawke, "of Towton" in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 20 May 1776 for Admiral Sir Edward Hawke (of Scarthingwell Hall in the parish of Towton), responsible for a blockade of all French merchant shipping and the grounding of six French ships, and scattering of the rest, at the Battle of Quiberon Bay. The battle followed an earlier British victory at the Battle of Lagos off the coast of Portugal by a fleet under another admiral's command.

The coat of arms of the Barons Hawke, as used in the family memorial of 1781.

The year, 1759, was dubbed for Britain its Annus Mirabilis, or 'miracle year', as France could not follow up on clear victory in the Battle of Sainte-Foy just before the Siege of Quebec for want of reinforcements and supplies from France, and its crippled trade triggered a credit crunch. Hawke's naval conduct then and later as Lord Admiral proved to establish British naval supremacy and in the immediate term determined the fate of New France and hence Canada.[1]

His son, the second Baron, represented Saltash in the House of Commons for the six years until his father died. His son, the third Baron, assumed the additional surname of Harvey. The fifth Baron succeeded his elder brother in 1869 and in the next year was succeeded by his first cousin, the sixth Baron. He was the son of Hon. Martin Bladen Edward Hawke (Jnr). His son, the seventh Baron,[2] an exceptional cricketer, became the England cricket team captain. On his death the title passed to his younger brother, the eighth Baron. His elder son, the ninth Baron, was one of six to eight co-serving Lords whips in the third Churchill ministry and two following Conservative ministries until 1964. He was succeeded by his younger brother, the tenth Baron, whose son then became the 11th Baron on his death. As of 2017, the title is held by the 12th Baron, who succeeded his father in 2009.

The family seat is The Old Mill House, near Cuddington, Cheshire.

Barons Hawke (1776)

edit

There is currently no heir to the barony.

Title succession chart

edit
Title succession chart, Barons Hawke.
Edward Hawke
1st Baron Hawke

1705–1781
Martin Hawke
2nd Baron Hawke

1744–1805
Edward Hawke-Harvey
3rd Baron Hawke

1774–1824
Hon.
Martin Hawke
1777–1839
Edward Hawke-Harvey
4th Baron Hawke

1799–1869
Stanhope Hawke-Harvey
5th Baron Hawke

1804–1870
Hon.
Martin Hawke-Harvey
1806–1857
Edward Hawke
6th Baron Hawke

1815–1887
Hon.
Edward Hawke
1859–1871
Martin Hawke
7th Baron Hawke

1860–1938
Adm. Hon.
Stanhope Hawke
1863–1936
Hon.
Bladen Hawke
1865–1875
Hon.
Harold Hawke
1867–1913
Edward Hawke
8th Baron Hawke

1873–1939
Bladen Hawke
9th Baron Hawke

1901–1985
Julian Hawke
10th Baron Hawke

1904–1992
Edward Hawke
11th Baron Hawke

1950–2009
William Hawke
12th Baron Hawke

born 1995

Coat of arms

edit
 
Monument to Admiral Lord Hawke, St Nicolas church, North Stoneham, showing the arms of Hawke (Argent, a chevron erminois between three boatswain's whistles purple), with inescutcheon of pretence of Brooke, for his heiress wife
  • Arms, as quartered by the descendants of Admiral Lord Hawke: Quarterly 1st and 4th argent, a chevron erminois between three boatswain's whistles purple (Hawke), 2nd and 3rd grand-quarter quarterly, 1st and 4th or, a cross engrailed gules (Brooke), 2nd and 3rd argent, a chevron engrailed sable, three mullets sable (a Brooke heiress).
  • Crest: A hawk rising ermine, beaked, belled and charged on the breast with a fleur-de-lis or.
  • Supporters: Dexter, Neptune, his mantle of a sea-green colour, edged argent, crowned with an eastern coronet or, his dexter arm erect, darting downwards, his trident sable, headed silver, resting his sinister foot on a dolphin proper; sinister, a seahorse or, sustaining in his forefins a banner argent, the staff broken proper.
  • Motto: Strike.

References

edit
  1. ^ Syrett (ed.). The Royal Navy in European Waters During the American Revolutionary War. p. 59.
  2. ^ Hesilrige 1921, p. 461.

Bibliography

edit

Work cited

edit