If you have a family issue that you cannot resolve, send an email to hopkirk@hopkirk.org and we will place it on this site and hopefully someone will have the answer.
December 2, 2000
3rd Mystery
We have been contacted be someone who is trying to locate "David Hopkirk".
He would be about 35 years old today and he lived in Cramlington in Northern
England some years ago. If you have any ideas, please contact me at
hopkirk@hopkirk.org
February 1999
2nd Mystery
We have a new mystery submitted to us by Andrew and
Sue McIvor of Hastings, New Zealand.
WHO WAS HARRY HOPKIRK? WE NEED THIS ANSWERED TO HELP DETERMINE THE PREVIOUS BOOK OWNER AND PROLIFIC WRITER.
In Napier, New Zealand, the McIvor's purchased a used book of poetry by Elizabeth Barret Browning published in 1892. There is an inscription(no date given) on the title page just inside the cover which reads:
"To S.E.
From H.H."
presumably written by Harry Hopkirk
Then under this is written:
"Bill's uncle Harry Hopkirk
(cousins uncle really)
a kindred spirit, who loved
my peotry long before
his nephew was interested
in me. How could he dream
I'd finish my 55th novel with
a quote from E.B.B." presumably written
by S.E., who probably married Bill.
Over a Poem titled "The Forced Recruit" is written "This is the poem I cried over at primary school when it was explained to us."
By a poem called "Garibaldi" is written: "It has been said grandfather Summers served under Garibaldi. Had he & his friend Joe deserted therefrom [unknown word] ship? or something"
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Additional info: There were no Harry Hopkirk's born prior to 1850 in the IGI files.
I find no Harry Hopkirk's in the Sunderland, Edinburgh, or Larg's branches of the family.
In the Melrose branch we have two. My Dad's Uncle Harry Hopkirk, born in the 1870's. but he died at about age 12. So he is not the right one. And another born in about 1980 in New Zealand......he can't be the right one either.
In the Glasgow branch we have two. The first one born in 1851 in Toronto, Canada, and his nephew Harry Kines Hopkirk born about 1889 in Canada, and died in 1938. Either of these may fit the correct tiem period.
I am trying to reach Harry Kine Hopkirk's grandson.
Does anyone know who the Garibaldi is referring to in the poem mentioned above.....that might shead some light on the possible writing of the note and the location of the people mentioned. Is Garibaldi the guy who united Italy? Did they desert a British or some other ship to fight for Garibaldi?
Please send your emails to hopkirk@hopkirk.org thanks, John
Update from David Hopkirk in Sunderland. Go to the Henry Hopkirk page for more information on this possible link.
First mystery:
On December 1, 1847 there was a Territorial Census taken in Wisconsin, USA. In the Town of Alto, Fond du Lac County there was a D.C.Hopkirk. There was a total of 5 people in the household, 3 males and 2 females. Where did this family come from and where did they go?
A remote possibility is that it is John(1809) and William(1811) Hopkirk's brother David who died at sea some time prior to 1851. It is unlikely they are the same person since there is no information that David ever married, and family history says David was a seaman.
Update: February 26, 1999
The 1850 census shows a Robert Hopkirk, born 1819 in Scotland, and his family of 1 daughter and 2 sons. The D.C in the 1847 census was probably a miss reading of the writing.
A new question, what happened to this family in Wisconson? Partially solved....there was a Hopkirk family in Colorado from the 1880's until fairly recently...and the family originally came from Wisconsin. There were a few daughters born in the 1880's.
Updated December 2, 2000