Biography

Mr. Hawkins. (-)

Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford in 1763. Boswell met him in the coach to Oxford on 23/4-63, but doesn't tell us anything else about him. Pottle suggests that it may be a Mr. Richard Hawkins, but my editions of the Boswell papers doesn't say anything else about him.

According to Gentleman's Magazine, December 1764, a Hawkins died on 14/11-1764, who was described as Reverend, Rector of Begbrook & Duns Tew, Oxfordshire, Chaplain of Magdalen Coillege. One would probably expect Boswell to describe the Chaplain of Magdalen College as something more or other than just a fellow of the college. GM of June 1751 mentions the appointment of one Reverend Hawkins as Professor of Poetry to Oxford University, and according to subscription lists a Reverend Hawkins of Magdalen College subscribed to A Treatise on Peace of Soul, and Content of Mind in 1765. I can't say whether all three references are to the same person, of if that one (or one of the three) person is the one referred to by Boswell, but it is possible, especially as I would expect my sources to yield other results if other fellows of Magdalen College named Hawkins existed at the time.

This article was last updated at February 13 2008 23:13:46 CET

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