Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed, 1st Baronet
| Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed, Bt | |
|---|---|
Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed, c.1820
|
|
| Birth name | James Hawkins |
| Born | 1762 Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland |
| Died | 28 October 1849 (aged 86–87) London, England |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1775 – 1824 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars |
American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed, 1st Baronet GCB (1762 – 28 October 1849) was a Royal Navy officer. He saw action in command of a sloop at the Battle of Martinique during the American Revolutionary War. He went on to serve under Sir John Jervis in the Mediterranean and took part in the battle of Cape St. Vincent during the French Revolutionary Wars.
After promotion to flag-officer rank Hawkins-Whitshed became Commander-in-Chief of the Sea Fencibles in Ireland and then Commander-in-Chief of the Cork Station during the Napoleonic Wars. After the War with France was won he served as Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.
Hawkins was born simply James Hawkins in Raphoe, County Donegal, the third son of James Hawkins, the Church of Ireland's Bishop of Raphoe, and his wife Catherine Keene Hawkins. His name was carried on the muster roll of the sloop HMS Ranger on the Irish Station in 1773, and on that of the HMS Kent, the guard ship at Plymouth, the next year.
The first ship in which Hawkins actually served at sea was the 20-gun sixth-rate HMS Aldborough, commanded by Captain William Bennett, whom he accompanied to Newfoundland in 1775. He afterwards served under Sampson Edwards in the schooner Canada, and after the loss of that vessel, returned to England with Admiral Robert Duff in the HMS Romney. He was then assigned to the frigate HMS Diamond, under Captain Charles Fielding. In May 1776, Diamond escorted a convoy carrying a large detachment of British and foreign troops to America. In 1778, Hawkins served for a time as a lieutenant in the HMS Rainbow, under Captain Sir George Collier, and after being confirmed in his rank by Lord Howe on 4 September 1778. On his arrival back in England he was appointed to the frigate HMS Amazon, where he remained until the end of 1779. He then served aboard the 90-gun ship HMS Sandwich, the flagship of Admiral Sir George Rodney. Hawkins consequently saw action in the capture of the Caracas Company convoy on 8 January 1780, and the "Moonlight Battle" on 16 January, when Rodney defeated a Spanish squadron under Don Juan de Lángara off the southern coast of Portugal.
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