Henry & Elizabeth Hopkins of Deptford, KEN, ENG

Index LU=28Mar08 Contact: Dawn Chambers

Descendants of: Henry HOPKINS
b c1754
d 17 Jan 1831 Back-lane, Deptford, KEN, ENG

And: Elizabeth AGUTTER (1763-)
Married: 25 Feb 1785 St Paul, Deptford, KEN, ENG

Descendants of: James HOPKINS (1786-)
And: Mary Hannah INGRAM
Married: 18 May 1811 St Paul, Deptford, KEN, ENG

Descendants of: James HOPKINS (1786-)
And: Jane
Married:

Descendants of: Henry HOPKINS (1797-1870)
And: Sarah ROUT (1794-1870)
Married: 4 Apr 1817 St Leonards, Shoreditch, LON, ENG
Australian Dictionary of Biography Entry

Descendants of: Thomas HOPKINS (1799-)
And: Rebecca ROUT
Married:

The Times 21 Jan 1831 Death
On the 17th inst, at his house, Back-lane, Deptford, where he had retired
for near 50 years Mr Henry Hopkins, watchmaker, in his 77th year of his age,
much and deservedly respected and lamented.

Jackson's Oxford Journal 22 Jan 1831
In the Back-lane, Deptford, where he had resided for near 50 years, Mr Henry
Hopkins, watchmaker, in his 77th year.

1841 Census Queens End, Woolwich Arsenal, Charlton next Woolwich, KEN, ENG
James HOPKINS, 55yrs, Grocer, born in the county
Jane HOPKINS, 40yrs, born in the county
Josiah HOPKINS, 15yrs, Grocer, born in the county
George HOPKINS, 12yrs, not born in the county
Emily HOPKINS, 7yrs, not born in the county
Elizabeth HOPKINS, 4yrs, not born in the county
Joseph WILLIJAN, 20yrs, Asst... born in the county
George CHESTERTON, 20yrs, ..., born in the county
Harriett HEARD, 20yrs, female servant, not born in the county
Margarett TURNER, 15yrs, female servant, not born in the county
Mary Ann EVE, 20yrs, not born in the county

1841 Census George St, St Paul Deptford, KEN, ENG
Elizabeth HOPKINS, 77yrs, Independent, born in the county
Elizabeth HOPKINS, 42yrs, Independent, born in the county
Maria HOPKINS, 40yrs, Independent, born in the county

1841 Census George St, St Paul Deptford, KEN, ENG
John RUDHALL, 42yrs, Independent, born in the county
Sarah RUDHALL, 45yrs, born in the county
John RUDHALL, 6yrs, born in the county
Caroline CAWSTON, 19yrs, Female Servant, not born in the county

1851 Census 3 George St, Deptford St Paul, KEN, ENG
Elizabeth HOPKINS, Head, 56yrs, unmarried, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Maria HOPKINS, Sister, 54yrs, unmarried, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Proprietors of houses and land holders

1851 Census George St, Deptford St Paul, KEN, ENG
John RUDHALL, Head, 53yrs, Agent, b Chatham, KEN, ENG
Sarah RUDHALL, Wife, 50yrs, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
John RUDHALL, Son, 16yrs, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Caroline COWSTON, House servant, 26yrs, b Bury, SFK, ENG

The Times 15 Feb 1853 Marriage
On the 6th December 1852 at Islington Chapel by the Rev B. S. Hollis,
George Frederick, son of James Hopkins Esq of Huston-square, St Panema,
and nephew of Henry Hopkins Esq of Hobart Town to Emma, youngest daughter
of Capt John Drake, late of the H.E.I.C.B.

1861 Census 22 Florence Terr, Deptford St Paul, KEN, ENG
Elizabeth HOPKINS, Head, 68yrs, unmarried, Fundholder, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Maria HOPKINS, Sister, 66yrs, unmarried, Proprietor of houses, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Emily DREW?, house servant, 24yrs, unmarried, b Chelsfied, KEN, ENG

1871 Census 418 New Cross Road, St Paul Deptford, KEN, ENG
Elizabeth HOPKINS, Head, 72yrs, unmarried, Annuitant income from houses, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Maria HOPKINS, Sister, 70yrs, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Amelia CLEMENTS, General domestic servant, 24yrs, unmarried, b Deptford, KEN, ENG

Birmingham Daily Post 4 Jun 1875
Tasmania. Henry Hopkins, Hobart Town. Importer of Agricultural and other Machinery.
Mr H. Hopkins will be happy to receive any description of Machinery or Goods adapted
to Colonial Requirements for Sale on Commission, and will remit immediately after sale.

1881 Census 418 New Cross Rd, Deptford St Paul, KEN, ENG
Elizabeth HOPKINS, Head, 88yrs, unmarried, Independent, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Maria HOPKINS, Sister, 86yrs, unmarried, Independent, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Charlotte PESCUD, 35yrs, Domestic servant, b Kingston, SRY, ENG

1881 Census Marine Terrace, Aberystwith, Cardiganshire, Wales
Margaret LEWIS, Head, 55yrs, unmarried, Lodginghouse Keeper, b Aberystwith
Margaret Elizabeth ME..., Dau, 27yrs, unmarried, Lodginghouse Keeper, b Shrewbury
Harriet Frances WHITE, Boarder, 11yrs, b Scotland
Elizabeth OWEN, domestic servant, 20yrs, umarried, b Shrewsbury
Elizabeth Jane DAVIS, domestic servant, 18yrs, unmarried, b Aberystwith, WLS
John Potter RUDHALL, Visitor, 25yrs, b Deptford, KEN, ENG
Florence Mary RUDHALL, Visitor, 27yrs, b London, ENG
John Reginald RUDHALL, Visitor, 3yrs, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Percy William G. RUDHALL, Visitor, 1yr, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Helen DAVIDSON, Nurse, 42yrs, unmarried, b Edinburgh, Scotland

1891 Census The Elmo, Grays Thurrock, ESS, ENG
John Potter RUDHALL, Head, 51yrs, Living on his own means, b Lewisham, KEN, ENG
Florence M. RUDHALL, Wife, 32yrs, b London, ENG
John R. RUDHALL, Son, 13yrs, scholar, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Percy W. G. RUDHALL, Son, 11yrs, scholar, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Florence N. RUDHALL, Dau, 5yrs, scholar, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Elsa M. RUDHALL, Dau, 1yr, infant, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Georgina MEADOWS, Nurse, 35yrs, unmarried, b Gloucester, GLS, ENG
Alice Sarah HILL, Housemaid, 23yrs, unmarried, b Leigh, ESS, ENG
Sarah A. TIPPLE, Under Housemaid, 21yrs, unmarried, b Pentonville, LON, ENG

1901 Census 3 Sussex Square, East Brighton, SSX, ENG
John P. RUDHALL, Head, 60yrs, Living on Own Means, b New Cross, KEN, ENG
Florence M. RUDHALL, Wife, 45yrs, b London, ENG
John R. RUDHALL, Son, 23yrs, unmarried, Mining College student, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Percy W. J. RUDHALL, Son, 21yrs, unmarried, Architects Articled Pupil, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Nina H. RUDHALL, Dau, 16yrs, at school, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Elsa M. RUDHALL, Dau, 11yrs, at school, b Grays, ESS, ENG
Alice HILTON, Visitor, 31yrs, unmarried, b Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, ENG
Sarah BAGALLAY, Cook & Housekeeper, 50yrs, widow, b London, ENG

Australian Dictionary of Biography
Entry written by Christine WALCH
HOPKINS, Henry (1787-1870), merchant and philanthropist, was born on
16 August 1787 at Deptford, England. His mother was Mary, nee A'Gutta,
of Flemish descent. He was brought up in a pious Nonconformist middle
class home and had a sound business training, spending 16 years in the
wool trade in England. He married his cousin Sarah Rout, daughter of
Margaret A'Gutta, and sailed with her from Deptford in the Heroine.
Among the passengers were Robert Mather [q.v.] and his wife and family,
and George and Martha Clarke. On 10 September 1822 they arrived at
Hobart Town, where Mather and Hopkins became partners, and as retailers
and buyers of produce opened a small shop in Elizabeth street. As
Hobart's first wool buyer, Hopkins was credited with the entire export
of the colony in 1822: twelve bales of wool bought at 4d a pound, and
sold in London at 7d.

The partnership with Mather was short-lived. Hopkins moved to his own
shop and cottage, 'two rooms and a skilling' at the corner of Elizabeth
and Bathurst Streets. His main stock was ironmongery, but he was keenly
interested in developing the wool trade. On 28 December 1825 he applied
for a land grant, offering as qualifications his long experience in the
wool trade and a capital of Ł2000. The application failed because he
would not accept the required residence conditions, but as a townsman
and trader he rapidly prospered. In 1835 he built Westella, the great
square stone house which still stands in Elizabeth Street, a landmark
from which, in the absence of a Town Hall, were proclaimed the
governor's orders on King William's death, Queen Victoria's accession,
the birth of Edward Prince of Wales, and later the cessation of
transportation. Hopkins also acquired other properties and in 1839 he
put up for sale ten houses in Hobart, a farm and numerous town
allotments. In 1837 he had visited the Port Phillip District to buy
land and wool. He bought Wormbete, near Winchelsea, and stocked it with
merinos from Van Diemen's Land. Later he made it over to his second
son, John Rout, and acquired another Victorian property at Lake
Murdeduke, for his third son, Arthur.

The whole family went to England in 1839 and were away for three years,
returning in the Jane Frances in December 1842. Although Hopkins was
still buying wool in 1847, he appears to have given up active trading,
for in 1845 Lieutenant Governor Wilmot noted that 'Mr Hopkins is a
gentleman retired from all business, residing in Hobart Town and living
on a large independent fortune'. About this time he was engaged in
enlarging the house on his farming estate, Summerhome, formerly Robert
Giblin's New Town Academy for boys. Here for his remaining years
Hopkins spent his summer months, returning to Westella for the winter.

In 1843 he became a magistrate and for many years was chairman of the
Hobart Town General Sessions, presiding at all magistrates' meetings.
In the political struggles of 1846 he accepted nomination to the
Legislative Council on the resignation of the 'Patriotic Six', but
could not agree with Wilmot's policy and resigned after three months.
In 1849 he became a leading member of the Anti-Transportation League
and its early Hobart meetings were held at his house. He was one of the
trustees and later president of the Hobart Savings Bank, chairman of
directors of the Hobart Gas Co. in 1857-70, president of the Chamber
of Commerce, chairman of the Van Diemen's Land Bank, the Tasmanian
Insurance Co. and the Mersey and Deloraine Tramway Co., an original
subscriber and shareholder of the Hobart High Society, Ragged School,
Benevolent Society, City Mission, and innumerable churches.

The one thing this shrewd little man deemed more important than money,
success or worldly goods was his religion. Brought up in an era of
religious revival and missionary activity when the great missionary
and philanthropic societies were being founded in England, Hopkins had
a strong personal faith and that missionary spirit which impels the
believer 'to go into all the world and preach the gospel', or in his
case, to supply funds for spreading the Word. To all causes that
appealed to him, he contributed with 'princely liberality'. The London
Missionary Society and the building of Congregational churches called
forth his most lavish gifts, but although firm in his own faith he was
no bigot, and he gave generously to the building funds of Presbyterian
and Wesleyan churches and of St David's Cathedral. When All Saints'
Anglican Church was founded he was the first to come forward with his
donation, while the neighbouring Davey Street Methodist Church bears
his name on its foundation stone. According to his son-in-law George
Clarke, 'Money he regarded as a trust and a stewardship, and all his
life he acted on the principle of devoting a fixed proportion of his
income to objects of Christian philanthropy. Much that he gave is
known, much more is a secret that he never disclosed'.

Hopkins has often been credited with founding Congregationalism in
Australia. Soon after his arrival he began to teach in the Wesleyan
Sunday school, and for ten years he worshipped with the Presbyterians.
But Hopkins wanted his accustomed form of worship, and in 1828 he
wrote to the London Missionary Society asking for a pastor and offering
him a home. This resulted two years later in the arrival of Rev. F.
Miller [q.v.] and the building of the Brisbane Street Chapel. In 1835
Hopkins was again instrumental in bringing out a second Independent
minister, Rev. John Nisbet. He also gave land for the Berea chapel in
Liverpool Street and in 1837 built the Collins Street chapel, Hobart,
at his sole expense. When this became too small and a meeting discussed
the building of Davey Street Church, the minute book recorded that 'Mr
Hopkins engages to pay a sum equal to that which may be collected
within twelve months from 1st August 1853'. Many country churches also
received his support, and in 1837 he asked the new Colonial Missionary
Society for a minister to be sent to Melbourne, and gave money for his
outfit and passage. In September 1839 Hopkins laid the foundation of
the fist Victorian Congregational Church, 'a neat and spacious brick
building' at the corner of Collins and Russell Streets. Twenty-seven
years later, when it was replaced by the present church, Hopkins again
journeyed to Melbourne to lay that foundation stone. About this time,
too, he gave a further Ł3000 to the London Missionary Society, and
Ł1000 for a bursary to Camden College, Sydney, for the training of
Congregationalist ministers. His last public act was to lay the
foundation stone of the Memorial Church, Hobart, to which he donated
Ł500.

His wife Sarah died on 17 November 1849, aged 56. Hopkins died on 27
September 1870, after a peaceful and happy old age and a very short
illness. They had three sons and three daughters, the youngest of whom,
Martha, married Rev. George Clarke and had eight children.

Memorials are in the Congregational Church at Davey Street and in the
grounds of the Congregational Church, New Town.

HRA (3), 5: J. West The History of Tasmania, 1 (Launceston, 1852);
J. Fenton, A history of Tasmania (Hob, 1884); A. C. Nelson, History of
the effective establishment of Congregationalism in the Australian
colonies and New Zealand (Hob, 1930); P. L. Brown (ed), Clyde Company
papers, 2-4 (Lond, 1952-59).

Australian Dictionary of Biography
Entry written by J. Anne HONE
HOPKINS, John Rout (1828-1897), pastoralist, was born on 18 August 1828
at Hobart Town, the second son of Henry Hopkins [q.v.] and his wife
Sarah, nee Rout. The family lived in England in 1840-1842 and after
their return to Van Diemen's Land John received a thorough grounding in
sheepbreeding, spending some time at David Gibson's [q.v.] famous stud.
In 1845 he was sent to manage Murdeduke, one of his father's Western
District runs, and then became owner of Wormbete, also near Winchelsea.
In 1850-44 Hopkins acquired freehold of 20,000 acres and bought the
adjoining St Stephen's and River stations. In 1854 and 1855 he occupied
the Mount Hesse run. Hopkins greatly improved his land and developed a
special Wormbete merino which he inbred successfully from then onwards,
shearing up to 26,000 sheep a year.

Hopkins was on the Barrabool Shire Council for thirteen years and its
first president, and on the Winchelsea Shire Council for thirty-two
years and president in 1870-1871, 1878-1882 and 1884-88. He was a
justice of the peace and took a great interest in Geelong's growth,
fostering both religious and sporting activities. In 1850 with John
Gray and Rev. Ben Cuzens he secured land at the corner of Ryrie and
Gheringhap Streets for the use of the Independent Church. In later
years Hopkins was a prominent Anglican layman and synod member. A keen
oarsman who thought nothing of riding twenty-five miles to Geelong for
training, Hopkins was president of the Corio Rowing Club. He was an
enthusiastic sailor and for a time was commodore of the Royal Victorian
Yacht Club. He was also president in 1884 of the Geelong Cricket and
Football Clubs. In 1871 he became a provisional director of the newly
formed Geelong Meat Preserving Co. which collapsed in 1874.

Hopkins had a long and uneventful political career. In the Legislative
Assembly he represented South Grant in 1864-1867 and 1871-77 and
Geelong in 1892-94. In parliament he was concerned mainly with the
issues of local government. In 1880 he was vice-chairman of the Geelong
Group of the Municipal Association and was elected mayor of Geelong in
1892.

Hopkins was married first, on 1 August 1850 to Eliza Ann (d. 1885),
daughter of George Armytage [q.v.], by whom he had six sons and seven
daughters; and second, to Mrs Susan Emily Rucker (d. 1890). Hopkins
died on 20 December 1897 survived by his third wife Alice Roberta
Purkiss, whom he had married in 1892. His estate was valued at Ł74,700.

A. Sutherland et al, Victoria and its metropolis, 2 (Melb, 1888);
Pastoral Review Pty Ltd, The pastoral homes of Australia, 1 (Melb,
1910); A. Henderson (ed), Early pioneer families of Victoria and
Riverina (Melb, 1936); W. R. Brownhill, The history of Geelong and
Corio Bay (Melb, 1955); Hobart Town Courier, 13 Dec 1839, 1 Aug 1850;
Geelong Times, 21 Dec 1897; Pastoral Review, 15 Jul 1909.