Robert Hawker (1753 - 1827)

Born 13 Apr 1753 in Exeter, Devon, England

Ancestors

Husband of Anna (Rains) Hawker — married 6 Jun 1772 in Plymouth, Devon, England

Descendants

Died 6 Apr 1827 at age 73 in Plymouth, Devon, England

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Biography

Robert Hawker (1753–1827) was an Anglican priest in Devon, England, vicar of Charles Church, Plymouth. Called "Star of the West" for his popular preaching, he was known as an evangelical and author. The Cornish poet Robert Stephen Hawker was his grandson.

Robert Hawker was born in Exeter, Devon England on 13 Apr 1753 to Jacob Hawker, a surgeon in Exeter.^[1][2][3]

Hawker studied medicine in Plymouth under Samuel White of Bretonside, and joined the Royal Marines as assistant surgeon. In 1778 he entered Magdalen College, Oxford.

Hawker was a few months at Looe as a curate and then appointed as assistant curate to Charles Church (still in 1778) under John Bedford. He was ordained in 1779. He succeeded Bedford on his death in 1784 and held the living until his own death 6 Apr 1827 in Plymouth, Devon, England.^[3]

He was a man of great frame, burly, strong and with blue eyes that sparkled and a fresh complexion. His humour was deep and razor sharp and his wit popular although he had a solemn exterior and in conversation would resort to silence while contemplating a difficult retort. He played the violin well and was an excellent scholar. Almost as soon as he arrived as curate he started writing and poured out over the year a long list of books, volumes of sermons, a theological treatise, a popular commentary, a guide to communion and also books of lessons in reading and writing for the schools. For a work of his on the divinity of Christ (combating the rise of Unitarianism) the University of Edinburgh conferred upon him a degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1792. He also produced the “Poor Man’s Morning and Evening Portions” that were used long after his death

He was married at age 19 to Anna Rains, and they had eight children altogether.^[3]

Of his eight children, his eldest, John Hawker became curate of the ancient local church of Stoke Damerel. A passionate Evangelical like his father, he drew criticism from the Bishop, and was removed from the living. His parishioners went with him and built him another church, St Peter's. One of Hawker's grandsons was Robert Stephen Hawker, vicar of Morwenstow, Cornwall, the son of Jacob Stephen Hawker. He gained fame as an eccentric Cornish poet.

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hawker
2. ↑ http://www.robertstephenhawker.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Hawker-PDF-Hugh-Breton.pdf
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Hawker, Robert, DD. Dictionary of National Biography, Vol 9, p.201. Ancestry Record 1981 #28225