John Hawkins (author) facts for kids
Sir John Hawkins (born March 29, 1719 – died May 21, 1789) was an English writer. He was a good friend of Dr. Samuel Johnson and Horace Walpole. Hawkins was part of Johnson's social groups. He later left The Literary Club after an argument with some of Johnson's other friends. However, his friendship with Johnson continued. He was even chosen to help manage Johnson's will after he died.
During his life, Sir John Hawkins wrote many books. These included A General History of the Science and Practice of Music. He also wrote Life of Samuel Johnson to remember his friend. He became a magistrate, which is like a local judge. Later, he became the leader of the Quarter Session for Middlesex. He was made a knight in 1772 for his important work.
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A Look at His Life
Hawkins first planned to become an architect, like his father. But before he turned 30, he started a successful business as a solicitor. A solicitor is a lawyer who advises people and prepares legal documents. In 1753, he married Sidney Storer. He stopped working in 1759 because his wife received a lot of money when her brother passed away.
In 1760, his family moved to Twickenham. This was close to his friend Horace Walpole. There, Hawkins published a new version of a famous book called The Complete Angler. In 1763, he wrote about the condition of roads. This writing helped create the Highway Act of 1835, which was a law about roads.
His Work as a Judge
In 1771, Hawkins became a magistrate for the area of Middlesex. A magistrate is a public official who handles minor legal cases. He was made a knight in 1772, which gave him the title "Sir." He also served as the Chairman of the Middlesex Quarter Session. This was a court that met four times a year to deal with legal matters. In 1773, he helped with notes for a new edition of Shakespeare's plays.
Writing About Music
It took Hawkins 16 years to write his big book, A General History of the Science and Practice of Music. It was published in 1776. This book was respected, but another book by Charles Burney soon became more popular. Some people, like Dr. Callcott, even made fun of Hawkins's book with a song.
However, over time, many people began to think Hawkins's music history was better than Burney's. For example, Burney's writing about famous composers like Handel and Bach was seen as not very good.
Writing About Samuel Johnson
Just hours after his friend Dr. Johnson died, two publishers asked Hawkins to write a book about Johnson's life. He quickly wrote the first full book about Johnson, called Life of Samuel Johnson (1787).
Another writer, James Boswell, later wrote a much longer and more famous book with the same title. But Hawkins had known Johnson for about twice as long as Boswell, since the 1740s. Hawkins's book shared many important details that Boswell later used. Hawkins also understood Johnson's strong religious beliefs very well. Unlike Boswell, Hawkins was with Johnson when he passed away.
His Family
In 1753, Sir John Hawkins married Sidney Storer (1726–1793). She was the daughter of a lawyer named Peter Storer. They had two daughters who died when they were very young. They also had two sons, John Sidney Hawkins and Henry, and a daughter named Laetitia Hawkins, who became a novelist.
