St Nicolas Church is the final resting place of Admiral Lord Hawke (1705-1781), the Victor at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759.

Born in 1705, Edward Hawke entered the Royal Navy aged 15. His early career involved much travel, especially to the West Indies and America, but little action. However, when action came, at the Battle of Toulon (1744), when he commanded HMS BERWICK, he proved decisive and aggressive.

In 1747 he was promoted to Rear Admiral and the following year commanded a squadron in the successful Second Battle of Cape Finisterre. By the outbreak of the Seven Years war in 1756 he was a full Admiral and was sent to relieve Admiral Byng in the Mediterranean after the latter's notorious failure at Menorca leading ultimately to his execution by firing squad.

Hawke never enjoyed the full confidence of the first Lord: Admiral Anson at the beginning of the war, but he was eventually entrusted by Anson with the task of preventing the invasion of Britain by the French in 1759 when he was given command of the Western Squadron. Hawke maintained a successful close blockade of Brest for six months, preventing Admiral Conflan's fleet from sailing in support of the invasion.

In severe weather in November 1759, Hawke's squadron had to abandon its blockade and, unguarded, Conflan escaped from Brest with 21 French ships of the line and made to join up with the invasion transports in Quiberon Bay. Back at sea again, Hawke gave chase and came in contact with the French at the entrance to Quiberon Bay. In fading light and a rising wind, Hawke's ships pursued the French with ferocity and out-fought them in every respect gaining a dramatic and significant victory and ending French Maritime aspirations during the war.

Hawke's connection with North Stoneham arises from his lease of Swaythling House to the south of where the airport is at present. His wife Catharine lived there for considerable periods whilst Hawke was at sea. She raised their 4 surviving children there. Sadly after 20 years of married life she died when he was in the Mediterranean in 1756 and was buried in their local church: St Nicolas. She was buried in the nave of the church.

In later life, Admiral Hawke went on to become First Lord of the Admiralty and was ennobled as Baron Hawke of Towton, in 1776.

On his death, in 1781, whilst he may have expected greater national recognition by perhaps being buried in St Pauls, and although he had not lived in Swaythling for some time, he chose to be buried with his wife. His son, the Second Baron, erected a magnificent memorial to him in 1783, the work of John Francis Moore. It includes a relief of the famous painting of The Battle of Quiberon Bay by Serres.