Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hawkins, Cæsar (1711-1786)
HAWKINS, Sir CÆSAR (1711–1786), surgeon, son of Cæsar Hawkins, a country surgeon, and great-grandson of Colonel Cæsar Hawkins, who commanded a regiment of horse in the time of Charles I, was born 10 Jan. 1711, and studied with his father and with a Mr. Ranby for seven years. On 1 July 1735 he was admitted to the Company of Surgeons, and on 19 Aug. 1736 was made a member of the livery and chosen demonstrator of anatomy. This latter office he resigned in the next year on being appointed surgeon to the Prince of Wales and to one of the troops of guards. In 1735 he was elected surgeon to St. George's Hospital, and held this office till 1774. He was made sergeant-surgeon to George II on 7 Sept. 1747, and occupied the same post in the next reign. On 3 Sept. 1778 he was created a baronet, and died 13 Feb. 1786. He married Sarah, daughter of Mr. John Coxe, and left a family, one of whom, Charles, was also sergeant-surgeon, and another, the Rev. Edward Hawkins, was the father of Edward Hawkins, D.D. [q. v.], provost of Oriel, of Dr. Francis Hawkins [q. v.], and of Cæsar Henry Hawkins [q. v.] The same important post was also held by Pennell Hawkins, a brother of Sir Cæsar, and by George, son of Pennell, being thus occupied by four members of the same family in three generations.
Hawkins was considered a very dexterous operator, and by his professional ability secured a large practice at an early age. He is said to have made 1,000l. a year by phlebotomy alone. He was the inventor of an instrument called the cutting gorget, but left behind him no literary work. His portrait, by Hogarth, is at the Royal College of Surgeons.
[Foster's Baronetage, 1882; Sidney Young's Annals of the Barber-Surgeons of London, 1890, p. 571; St. George's Hospital Reports, i. 21.]