Letter

From Robert Hawker in Plymouth to Revd. [Hallifield Cosgayne] O'Donnoghue in Mile End, London.

In hopes of answering O'Donnoghue's letter properly, Hawker deferred writing from one day to the next, while at the same time making enquiries regarding the Major who was mentioned in O'Donnoghue's letter. But now after many days of fruitless search, Hawker thought it proper to put pen to paper.

Perhaps O'Donnoghue is unaware that Stonehouse is about a mile from Plymouth and Hawker's age prevents him from going further from his house than the Church. He has been unable to find any trace of this man. Hawker can only suggest that O'Donnoghue contact the minister at Stonehouse, to whom the Major is probably known. It would have given Hawker much pleasure to have been more help.

Notes .

• Robert Hawker (1753-1827) was born in Exeter, the son of a surgeon. He was trained for a career in medicine and spent three years as an assistant surgeon in the Royal Marines. In 1778 Hawker matriculated at Oxford University and took Holy Orders. He served as a Curate at Charles near Plymouth and later succeeded to the Living. In 1797 he was appointed Deputy Chaplain to the Plymouth Garrison and in 1802 founded the Great Western Society for Dispersing Religious Tracts. Hawker was one of the most prominent Calvinists in the Church of England, and was a brilliant public speaker. For many years he paid an annual visit to London where he preached in crowded chapels. He also wrote extensively on theological matters. Source: Dictionary of National Biography
• Hallifield Cosgayne O'Donnoghue (1789-1842) was born in Cork, Ireland. He matriculated from St Edmund Hall Oxford in 1806 and graduated B.A. from Cambridge in 1810. He was a master at the Kingsdown Boarding School near Bristol between 1810 and 1814. O'Donnoghue was ordained into the Anglican Church in 1811 and served as chaplain to Lord Adair. He was a lecturer at St Michael's Rottherhithe until 1822 when he declared his intention of never again accepting preferment in the Anglican Church on theological grounds. He was later appointed the first headmaster of the Bible Christian Shebbear College, but died after little more than a year in the post. He is buried in the Lake Chapel yard at Shebbear. Source: J. A. Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses (1951) and Bourne, p.264

Notes .

• Robert Hawker (1753-1827) was born in Exeter, the son of a surgeon. He was trained for a career in medicine and spent three years as an assistant surgeon in the Royal Marines. In 1778 Hawker matriculated at Oxford University and took Holy Orders. He served as a Curate at Charles near Plymouth and later succeeded to the Living. In 1797 he was appointed Deputy Chaplain to the Plymouth Garrison and in 1802 founded the Great Western Society for Dispersing Religious Tracts. Hawker was one of the most prominent Calvinists in the Church of England, and was a brilliant public speaker. For many years he paid an annual visit to London where he preached in crowded chapels. He also wrote extensively on theological matters. Source: Dictionary of National Biography
• Hallifield Cosgayne O'Donnoghue (1789-1842) was born in Cork, Ireland. He matriculated from St Edmund Hall Oxford in 1806 and graduated B.A. from Cambridge in 1810. He was a master at the Kingsdown Boarding School near Bristol between 1810 and 1814. O'Donnoghue was ordained into the Anglican Church in 1811 and served as chaplain to Lord Adair. He was a lecturer at St Michael's Rottherhithe until 1822 when he declared his intention of never again accepting preferment in the Anglican Church on theological grounds. He was later appointed the first headmaster of the Bible Christian Shebbear College, but died after little more than a year in the post. He is buried in the Lake Chapel yard at Shebbear. Source: J. A. Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses (1951) and Bourne, p.264