Sir John, an industrious writer, was born at London in the year 1719, where his father was employed as a builder and surveyor. He received an education for the same profession, but afterwards became clerk to an attorney; and as his employment consisted chiefly in copying, he improved his mind in knowledge by rising early, and had made considerable advances by the time that his clerkship ended. He was soon afterwards admitted as an attorney, and his taste for music procured him admission into the Academy of Ancient Music. Having attained a degree of celebrity by publishing the words of two sets of cantatas, the music of which was furnished by Stanley, he was introduced to some acquaintances, who assisted him in carrying forward his professional views. In 1749 he was introduced as a member of a tavern club which had been instituted by Dr Johnson, and the connection thus formed between that great man and him was only dissolved by death. In 1758 he married a daughter of Mr Peter Storer, by whom he obtained a handsome fortune; and this being augmented by the death of his brother, he laid aside the profession of attorney, and lived as an independent gentleman. He afterwards became a justice of the peace for the county of Middlesex, and was both an active and an useful magistrate. Being extremely fond of angling, he became the editor of Walton's Complete Angler, which he enriched with notes of his own, and a life of the author, a work which has since been frequently republished.

His Observations on the Highways brought him a liberal share of public approbation, and it has served as a model for all the acts which have since been passed. In 1765 he was chosen chairman of the quarter sessions, and, in the year 1772, he obtained the honour of knighthood. Some of the notes to the edition of Shakespeare by Johnson and Steevens were furnished by Sir John, who was for many years engaged in writing the history of music, which he completed in 1776, in five vols. 4to. It abounds with curious and original information, and may be considered as a repository of many useful things not elsewhere to be met with. His valuable library was destroyed by fire, which interrupted his literary labours, but made no change in the tranquillity of his mind. In the year 1787 his Life and Works of Dr Samuel Johnson appeared in eleven vols. 8vo. This life is a garrulous miscellany of anecdote, in which the author frequently wanders from his subject; yet it contains many facts respecting that extraordinary man which his admirers could wish had been concealed. After this he prepared for the termination of his own life, which he perceived approaching; and he died in the month of May 1789, being then about seventy years of age.

HAWKESHEAD, a market-town of the county of Lancaster, 277 miles from London, and thirteen from Lancaster. It is situated in the hundred of Lonsdale, at the extremity of the county, and at the head of the beautiful lake of Esthwaite. A market is held on Monday. The population amounted in 1801 to 1585, in 1811 to 1710, in 1821 to 2014, and in 1831 to 2060.