Bertha Porter, Dictionary of National Biography… (1891)
“ Hawksmoor was ‘perfectly skilled in the history of architecture,’ a good mathematician, a scholar of languages, and an excellent draughtsman. His influence on the designs of the chief buildings of the period was very great, and the question has arisen whether the merit of many of Vanbrugh's designs does not lie with him. It is not known how Sir John obtained an architectural education, and it is certain that Wren, Vanbrugh, and Hawksmoor were all three on the board of works together. ”
