See the bottom of the page for pictures of Alexander Hopkirk and his children.
Alexander(6) HOPKIRK was born on 26Jun1823. Alexander was the youngest child of William(5) HOPKIRK and Isabella HOME. Eventually we will have posted many letters written by Alexander in the Olde Hopkirk Family Letters Section.
Soon we hope to have a biography of Alexander written by some of his descendants. We also hope to have a picture of Alexander(6) and his children circa 1900 posted here soon.
Alexander(6) HOPKIRK married Agnes SPOTTISWOODE on 21 April 1856, Melrose, Scotland.
Agnes was the daughter of Joseph SPOTTISWOODE and Agnes ALEXANDER
Alexander and Agnes had the following seven children:
William(7)(Willie) HOPKIRK, born 24 Jan 1857.
Joseph(7) Spottiswoode HOPKIRK, born 31 Jan 1858.
Joseph died in 1950 with no known issue. Letters written by Joe
in 1910 Page 2
Maps of Gattonside as of about 1870 as remembered by Joe Hopkirk from his youth. The maps were drawn after his arrival in New Zealand. Gattonside Map #1
The
"X" on map #1 is where Joe's parents lived early on, "in my earliest
days we lived at back where shown, then moved to schoolhouse at top"
The "X" is probably the same building that is marked as "House where most were born" on Map #2 below.
The "X" was probably originally the home of Joe's grandparents William and Isabella Home Hopkirk. Isabella died in 1857, one year after her son Alexander's marriage.
It is believed that William and Isabella moved to this location after
completeion of the "chain bridge" on 26 October 1826.
Map #1 also shows the school and the
schoolmatser's house in Gattonside(Alexander Hopkirk
was the schoolmaster)
The map also shows where Joseph
& Agnes Alexander Spottiswoode, Joe's grandparents, were located in
Gattonside.
Additionally, is probably the location of his Hopkirk grandparents, William Hopkirk and Isabella Home Hopkirk
Gattonside Map #2 This map shows Agnes Spottiswoode Hopkirk burial location at Melrose Abbry, the schoolmatser's house in Gattonside(Alexander Hopkirk was the schoolmaster)
It also the school house and where his Joseph
& Agnes Alexander Spottiswoode grandparents were located in
Gattonside.
Additionally, the house marked "House where most
were born" is probably the location of his Hopkirk grandparents,
William Hopkirk and Isabella Home Hopkirk since 1826.
Alexander(7)(Alec) Home HOPKIRK, born 7 Nov 1860.
Robert (7) Home HOPKIRK, born 16 Feb 1863, Melrose, Scotland.
James(7) HOPKIRK, born 12 May 1865, Melrose. James died 5 May 1874, just short of his ninth birthday..
John(7) Brown HOPKIRK, born 20 Aug 1867, Markinch, Fife, Scot.
Agnes(7) Isabella HOPKIRK, born 28 Sep 1869 at Kettle, Fife, Scotland
Sadly, Agnes Spottiswoode Hopkirk passed away on 23 July 1870 at
Muirhead, Markinch, Fife, Scotland, living Alexander to raise seven
children, the youngest being less than a year old. See Map #2 above for
Agnes Spottiswoode Hopkirk's burial location in the Melrose Abbey
cemetery.
From the 1871 census, the first census after Agnes passed away, we find this family living in Murrhead, County Fife, under the name of Hopkerk. Alex, age 47, born in Gattonside, and a "Teacher of the Blind". Also present are William age 14, a pupil teacher, Joseph age 12, Alexr age 10, Robert age 8, James age 5, John age 3 and Agnes age 1. Additionally, present in the household was Isabella Alexander, his 55 year old aunt as a housekeeper. (Memo: in 1861 Isabella Alexander was age 45, born in Sprouston, Rox, a domestic servant living in Gattonside with the Grieve family.
It was shortly after the 1871 census that Alexander took his family to New Zealand.
In the middle is Alexander and his daughter Agnes. Around him from left
to right are
Joseph, Robert, William, John(Jack), and Alexander(Alick)
We do not know the source of the identification of the above individuals. If you go to the old John Brown Hopkirk Family Bible, purchased about 1894, the same photo has the above identified as "grandfather" "Agnes",
and then left to right around "grandfather" as "John Brown, Alex,
William, Joe, Bob." circa 1880. Both versions have William in the same
spot, so maybe someone had put the names on the reverse side of the
photo, and the order was unclear. I'm inclined to go with the names
from the bible, since we know this would have been written by a child
of John Brown Hopkirk, probably Cyril, and he should definitely know
his own father in the photo.
Alexander's Sons. Back row is Robert and Jack. Front row is Joseph, William and Alick.
Go to the Hopkirk Brothers Flaxmill Page to see information about the Flaxmill owned by brothers Alick and Joseph, and brother Robert was managing the Flaxmill in 1889.
Back row is: Jack, son-in-law Jack Gillies, William, Robert(Bob), Alick,
and Joseph
2nd row from rear: wives of the above-Emmy, Agnes(Hopkirk), Alexander Hopkirk,
Mary, Jenny, and Mary
3rd row-on mothers' knees and standing: David, Gertie Gillies, Agnes, Edna,
Walter(children of William and Mary), Dorrie Searle, Dorothy.
Front row sitting on ground: Cyril H. Alexander Gillies, Jim, Will,(children
of William & Mary), Madeleine, and Janet.
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This page last update on 3 June 2020