John Hawley (died 1408)

John Hawley (alias Hauley; called the elder;[1] c. 1340[2] or 1350[1]–30 December 1408) of Dartmouth, Devon, was a wealthy ship owner, 14 times Mayor of Dartmouth and four times Member of Parliament for Dartmouth. He is reputed to be the inspiration for Chaucer's "schipman".[3][4]

Origins

He was the son of John Hawley of Dartmouth. His family reportedly came from the hamlet of Allaleigh and this may account for the origins of his name.

Career

He was Mayor of Dartmouth on fourteen occasions between 1374 and 1401 and was elected MP for Dartmouth four times, in 1390, 1393, 1394 and 1402.[5][6]

Hawley was both a merchant and licensed privateer though he was often accused of piracy.[7] He conducted a number of naval operations in the English Channel and briefly held the post of deputy to the Admiral of England under King Henry IV (1399-1413).[8] He organised the defence of Dartmouth in 1404 against an attack by a Breton fleet, which culminated in the Battle of Blackpool Sands.

Marriage and progeny

He married twice:

  • Firstly to a certain Joan (died 12 July 1394)
  • Secondly to a certain Alice (died 7 Jan. 1403), by whom he had a son:
    • John Hawley (called the younger; died 1436),[1] 12 times MP for Dartmouth.

Death and burial

He died in December 1408 and was buried in St Saviour's Church, Dartmouth.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Susan Rose, ‘Hawley, John, the elder (c.1350–1408)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 5 Aug 2010
  2. ↑ http://www.devonperspectives.co.uk/johnhawley.html
  3. ↑ Woodger, L.S., biography of John Hawley (d.1408) published in History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421, ed. J.S. Roskell, L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe., 1993
  4. ↑ http://www.devonperspectives.co.uk/johnhawley.html
  5. ↑ Rose (2004)
  6. ↑ Woodger (1993)
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  8. ↑ Rose (2004)
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