Hawke, Edward Hawke, 1st Baron

Hawke, Edward Hawke, 1st Baron

▪ British admiral
born Feb. 21, 1710, London, Eng.
died Oct. 17, 1781, Sunbury, Middlesex
 British admiral whose naval victory in 1759 put an end to French plans to invade Great Britain during the Seven Years' War (1756–63).

      Hawke joined the navy in February 1720 and was promoted to rear admiral for his distinguished service against the French in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48). In October 1747 he captured six French warships in a brilliant action that took place off the coast of Brittany.

      As commander of the fleet blockading the French naval station of Brest in 1759, Hawke played a vital role in the conquest of Canada by the British when he prevented reinforcements from reaching the French army in Canada. The French decided, as a counteroffensive, to invade Great Britain; the French fleet at Brest was crucial to this plan. On Nov. 14, 1759, the French admiral Hubert de Brienne, Count de Conflans, taking advantage of an opening in Hawke's blockade, headed southeast from Brest along the French coast to pick up troops for the invasion. Six days later Hawke's fleet of some 23 ships caught up with Conflans' 21-vessel squadron and drove it into Quiberon Bay. During a three-hour battle and its aftermath, nine French ships were destroyed, and the French unit was rendered incapable of further aggressive action. Hawke then retired from sea duty. He served as first lord of the Admiralty from 1766 to 1771 and was made a baron in 1776.

Additional Reading
Hawke's career is recounted in Ruddock F. Mackay, Admiral Hawke (1965).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke — Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke, KB (February 21 1705 ndash; October 16 1781) was a naval officer of the Royal Navy.BiographyBorn in London, he joined the navy in 1720, but did not see fighting until the Battle of Toulon in 1744. During the War of… …   Wikipedia

  • Martin Hawke, 2nd Baron Hawke — Martin Bladen Hawke, 2nd Baron Hawke (20 April 1744 – 27 March 1805) was a British peer and politician. Contents 1 Background 2 Political career 3 Family 4 References …   Wikipedia

  • Baron Hawke — 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 the prominent naval commander Sir Edward Hawke. His son, the second Baron, represented Saltash in the House of Commons.… …   Wikipedia

  • Martin Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke — Lord Hawke Personal information Full name Martin Bladen Hawke Born 16 August 1860(1860 08 16) …   Wikipedia

  • John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher — The Lord Fisher of Kilverstone Born 25 January 1841 Ceylon Died …   Wikipedia

  • Norman Birkett, 1st Baron Birkett — William Birkett redirects here. For the Derbyshire cricketer, see William Birkett (cricketer). The Right Honourable The Lord Birkett QC PC Court of Appeal of England and Wales …   Wikipedia

  • Maurice Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge — The Lord FitzHardinge Admiral Lord FitzHardinge Born 3 January 1788 Died …   Wikipedia

  • Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive — Clive of India redirects here. For the film, see Clive of India (film). Robert Clive redirects here. For other uses, see Robert Clive (disambiguation). Major General The Right Honourable The Lord Clive KB …   Wikipedia

  • William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham — Admiral William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham (1736 ndash;1813), was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the son of Sir Beaumont Hotham (died 1771), a lineal descendant of Sir John Hotham, and was educated at Westminster School and at the Royal Naval …   Wikipedia

  • Hawke — NOTOC Hawke is a surname, and may refer to:People* Albert Hawke, ex premier of Western Australia * Alex Hawke, Australian politician * Bob Hawke, ex prime minister of Australia * Brett Hawke, Australian Olympic swimmer * Davis Wolfgang Hawke, U.S …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”