These are a few of the famous Lady Hawkinses to note. If any should be added, please be sure to let us know!
Lady Katherine Hawkins
Dame Katherine Gonson married Sir John Hawkins in about 1562 and had one son; Sir Richard Hawkins. Katherine Gonson was the daughter of Benjamin Gonson, Treasurer of the Navy. In 1573, Benjamin Gonson resigned in favor of his son-in-law, Sir John Hawkins who held the office of Treasurer until his death in 1595, a period of 22 years.
Dame Katherine died after a lingering illness the first week of July 1591.
Lady Margaret Hawkins
The most prominent Lady Hawkins was probably the widow of Admiral Sir John Hawkins (aka Hawkyns), of whom Trevor George Hawkins is a direct descendant. Sir John Hawkins was an Admiral in the Queens Fleet, an adventurer of high stature and with many brave feats on the oceans. He actually had two wives; his first wife Katherine Elizabeth Gonson with whom he had a son; Sir Richard Hawkins.
Katherine died in 1951 and Sir John Hawkins then remarried Margaret Vaughan, a Lady of the Bedchamber of Queen Elizabeth I. While little is known about her married life, Dame Margaret erected a beautiful memorial for her husband when he died in 1595, and went on to live for another 24 years until her death in 1619, at an approximate age of 79 years.
She left behind a very detailed will dispersing the substantial funds left behind by her husband. Among the notable legacies were a ‘bequest of the sum of eight hundred pounds to be laid out on the purchase of lands or tenements towards the maintenance of a free school in Keinton, (fn. 23) co. Hereford’.
This school is still operational and known today as Lady Hawkins’ School located in Park View, Kington, Herefordshire, UK.
She also donated sums of money to the poor people in several neighboring parishes.
Lady Tramaine Hawkins
At the ripe age of four this record selling Gospel singer began singing at the Ephesians Church Of God In Christ in Berkley, CA where her grandfather, the late Bishop E. E. Cleveland was pastor. She has been singing ever since. At ten years of age she recorded her first single, “He’s All Right!” as part of a Gospel group known as the Heavenly Tones. Two years later the group was produced by Gospel legend, the Rev. James Cleveland. At fifteen, the Heavenly Tones accepted an offer to travel with Sly & The Family Stone – all except Tramaine. She chose to continue her education and remain in Gospel, and later to join Andre Crouch and the Disciples! In 1969 upon graduating from Berkeley High School, Tramaine joined the Edwin Hawkins Singers and was a part of the Gospel Music Revolution via the recording of “Oh Happy Day.”
This recording was the first million-selling Gospel single to top the pop charts as well. Additionally, the first “cross over hit” in all cross-sections of the world proving that Gospel has had no boundaries. This also led to Lady Tramaine being able to sing throughout the world with the Hawkins Family