Hawthorn is one of the fullest folklore native trees we have. It's everything from supposed the crown of thorns for christ all the way to the favorite home for fairies and such. Just a quick couple of examples.
"It was thought dangerous to chop down a Hawthorn. It is told how a farmer in Worcestershire chopped his down because he was fed up with sightseers. As a result he broke his leg and arm and his farm burned down. If a Hawthorn had to be felled then a prayer must be said, although it mustn't be chopped down for no reason - only ritual or healing purposes would suffice. At Berwick-St-John in Dorset an old Hawthorn was cut down to provide firewood for the village. The tree had stood on an old earthwork and, as a result, no chickens would lay, no cows would bear calves and no babies were conceived. When the tree was replaced everything was then OK."
Of course if you also want a scientific answer, it does provide food and homes near 150 different types of insect. So if you cut it down where are all the creepy crawlies going to head?? Perhaps time to check all the nooks and crannies for things with more than two legs.
