Edward Hawker (7 November 1782 – 8 June 1860) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Posted again to the West Indies, he endured several mishaps, including running his ship aground, and then having it struck by lightning and damaged.

The end of the wars after 1815 left little opportunity for active service, but Hawker briefly commanded a ship as flag captain to the Earl of Northesk, and eventually reached flag-rank himself.

[1] Hawker was commissioned a lieutenant in 1796, at the age of thirteen, and went out to the West Indies with his brother-in-law, Captain Charles Boyles, and served on several of his ships.

[3][6] In August 1804 Theseus, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral James Richard Dacres, made a cruise north of San Domingo in company with the 74-gun HMS Hercule.

At one point there was 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) of water in the hold, and it was only through continued pumping that both ships were able to weather the storm and return to Port Royal.

[3] Hawker was apparently involved in another hurricane some time after this, as Tartar was ordered to return to Britain to undergo repairs for damage sustained.

On his voyage he came across the 16-gun French brig Colibri on 16 January, which put up a brief resistance before surrendering with three men killed and twelve wounded.

[3] Hawker remained active off Guadeloupe into 1810 and supported the invasion and eventual capture of the island between January and February that year.

Returning to St John's in the summer, she captured several American ships, including the 16-gun French privateer Genie.

[13] 1814 was spent on similar duties, Bellerophon escorted a convoy to St John's between April and June, and then patrolled off Cape Race until December.

[9] He spent his retirement as a correspondent for The Times, writing under the byline "A Flag Officer", and became a vice-admiral in 1847 and a full admiral in 1853.