HAWKINS, SIR JOHN, the senior of the two chief historians of music., the friend and executor of Dr. Johnson, and a desecudant of the Sir John IIIIRkins who commanded the Victory, as rear-admiral, at the destruction of the Spanish armada, was born in 1719. Ilia father, a surveyor and builder, at first brought his son up to his own profession, but eventually bound him to an attorney, "a bard task muter and a penurious housekeeper." At the expiration of tho usual term, the clerk became a solicitor, and succeeded in establishing himself in a respectable business, while by his character and acquire melte he gained admission into the company of men eminent for their accomplishments and intellectual attainments. lie was an original member of the Madrigal Society, and at the age of thirty was selected by Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Johnson as one of the nine who formed his Thursday-eveniog Club In Ivy-lane. .About this time be contributed much to the Gentleman's Magazine, and other periodicals of the day. lie also wrote the poetry of the cantatas set by the blind composer, Stanley, from which he derived considerable profit.
In 1753 Mr. Hawkins married Sidney, the second daughter of Peter Storey, Esq., with whom he received an independent fortune, which was in 1759 by the death of his wife's brother, and be in consequeuce retired from all professional avoca tions. Upon retiring from the law Mr. Hawking purchased a house at Twickenham; and being in 1771 inserted in the commission of the peace for the county of Middlesex, he immediately became a most active magistrate. Among other useful acts, he wrote Ob servations on the state of the Highways, and on the Laws for amending and keeping them in repair ; ' subjoining the draft of a bill which passed into law. In 1764 he successfully opposed the attempt made by the corporation of Loudon to throw on the county two-thirds of the expense of building the gaol of Newgate. For this service he was, in 1765, elected chairman of the Middlesex quarter sessions. When the riots at the Brcntford election took place in 1763, ho was active in their suppression ; and the dispersion of the Spitalfielda weavers in 1769, who had collected in a threatening manner, is mainly ascribed to his decision and boldness. For these services he received, in 1772, the honour of knighthood.
Sir John Hawkins now set seriously about finishing the work he had for some time projected on the 'History of Music.' He went to Oxford, and there remained for some time, to examine the books iu the Bodleian and other libraries, connected with his inquiry. He was accompanied by an artist, whom be engaged to make drawings of the portraits iu the music-school, all of which were engraved for his History. He also consulted all the eminent living musical authorities. In 1776 appeared, in five quarto volumes, the work on which he had been sixteen years engaged, under the title of 'A General History of the Science and Practice of Music,' which he dedicated to George III.
Its reception by the public was worse than cold. Its research and accuracy were indeed obvious to those qualified to form an opiuiou on the subject; but five large volumes were alarming to the public, and be closed it at the death of Handel, leaving untouched those matters in which the living many were most interested. Moreover, on the appearance of the History, Sir John was immediately attacked iu the St. James's Evening Post,' by Stecvens, the commentator on Shak spare, in • very virulent manner; and literary men generally joined in depreciating it. Subsequently it was assailed by the ridicule of Dr. Lawrence, in the ' Probationary Odes.' The consequence of these persevering efforts to destroy a useful, though ill-written and ex cessively tedious history, was, that it fell nearly dead from the press. The work however now fetches a price beyond that at which it was published; is found In every musical library ; and is a very service able book of reference.
While pursuieg his historical inquiries, Hawkins accumulated a fine musical library; and It was his good-fortume to become possessed, by purchase, of several scarce and valuable theoretical treatises on the science itself, which were collected by the celebrated Dr. Pepusch, This collection he, after the completion of his work, presented to the British Museum, where it remains.
In 1760 Makin* published his edition of Walton's Angler,' with notes, of which three or four editions have since appeared. On the death of Dr. Johnson, in 1784, Sir John undertook, in consequence, it is supposed, of some conversation between them, to write the life of his friend, and to become editor of a complete collection of Ilia works. In this task, as io his 'History of Music,' it was his fate to meet with unexpected competition and severe criticism. But he had scarcely entered ou the work when his whole library—a library which no expense could replace—was destroyed by fire. In 1787 he closed his literary career, by the publication of his Life of Dr. Johnson,' and an edition of his works—a task for which he was wholly unqualified. In May 1789, Sir John Hawkins suffered a paralytic attack, which from the first was considered of a fatal nature. It increased on the 2Jst of the same month, when lie expired. His remains lie in the cloisters of Westrainsts r Abbey. lie left two sons and one daughter. The latter is well known in the literary world : she wrote, among ether things, some dull and pompous novels, and some ludicrously patronising and querulous 'Anecdotes' of Dr. Johnson, which are insetted in her 'Memoirs, 2 vole. Svo, 1827.