Amongst the photos left by Henry Salt was one entitled the Rev Hawkesworth.The Rev John Hawkesworth (sometimes written as John Hawksworth) being a man of God it should have been easy to find his genealogy however it has proved to be anything but.

A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 2 by Sir Bernard Burke states:

Maria Möller, b. 1760; d. 30 June 1821: m. the Rev John Hawkesworth, of Silkstone Castle, Yorkshire, who on the death of his relative Sir John Hawkesworth, Bart. of Hawkesworth Park, had claims as next heir.

Ellen-Maria Möller, m. Rev. J. Hawkesworth, rector of Woore, son of the late Rev. J. Hawkesworth, of Silkstone Castle, Yorkshire.

However the Rev. J. Hawkesworth, rector of Woore, surname is recorded as Hawksworth on his christening and census returns.

To add to the confusion even Google struggles to find a “Hawkesworth Park”. Whilst it would be easily to correct Hawkesworth for Hawksworth other evidence seems to suggest that Hawkesworth is correct in respect to John Hawkesworth of Silkstone; we’ve been unable to find a “Silkstone Castle”.

As a result we’ve split the spelling between both John’s until we can come up with a more definite answer.

If anyone can shed any light into this we would be most grateful to hear from you.

UPDATE:

Further information on the Rev J. Hawkesworth is contained in “The Life and times of Selina, countess of Huntingdon: Volume 2” especially on page 188. From Wem in Shropshire he moved to Fulneck in West Yorkshire. From this we’ve been able to identify two more of his children. Fulneck is not far from Hawksworth Hall in Hawksworth. He then moved to London before moving to Horsley in Gloucestershire where he is believed to have died in 1810.