Our thanks goes to Richard Armstrong, the godson of James HOPKIRK(1908), for supplying some wonderful information, including the most important piece.....the handwritten marriage declaration of James HOPKIRK and Jessie Farquharson HARDIE. Here is what is written on the outside of the declaration when it is all folded up. Here is what is written on the declaration after it is unfolded. Thanks to this document, we've learned that Jessie's give name was Janet and her father's name was John of Edinburgh.
Jessie HARDIE was born 28 June 1811, Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland and given the name Janet Farquharson HARDY. Her parents were John HARDY and Mary FARQUHARSON
James(8) HOPKIRK was the youngest child of James(7)
HOPKIRK and Christian GLASSFORD.
James was christened 4 December 1803 in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland.
From a letter in the communications linked below from and to his
Uncle James Glassford, Esq., we learn that in 1828 James Hopkirk
"passed Advocate", which under Scottish law was the usual term for
Barrister.
James(8) Glassford HOPKIRK married Jessie Farquharson HARDIE on 11 March 1830 at Barony, Larnark, Scorland.
At the same time as James Glassford HOPKIRK was getting married,
he was in communication from February through July of 1830 with James
GLASSFORD, Esq., the brother of his mother Christian GLASSFORD. He was
trying to get a position with the British Government overseas. Go to this link
to view the letters from James G. HOPKIRK to his uncle James GLASSFORD
and James GLASSFORD's letters to Sir George MURRAY on James G.
HOPKIRK's behalf. There are copies of the original letters and
transcripts of the letters graciously supplied by Glenys BOLLAND of
Australia.
Some time between 1835 and 1844 this family moved to Canada. There is some conflicting information on the dates.
James definitely came to Canada in 1835, but did all the family come then, since births were still recorded in Scotland as late as 1842?
Go here to see pictures of all the beautiful items that James Hopkirk took with him to Canada. Our thanks goes to Timothy Hopkirk DUNNE for supplying us with these wonderful photos .
They had the following children:
Christian(9) Glassford HOPKIRK, christened 18 Jul 1832, Barony, Lanark, Scotland
James(9) HOPKIRK, christened 4 Jul 1834, Barony, Lanark, Scotland
Mary(9) Anne HOPKIRK, born 13 July 1836, and baptised
by Rev. Robert Murray,
of the
Presbyterian Church of Oakville on 9 August 1836 in connection with
the
Kirk of Scotland. Also registered with the Kirk Session in Glasgow on
14 October
1836 and in the register of the Barony Parish of Scotland in 1839.
Barbara(9) Isabella Helen HOPKIRK, born 8 August
1838 and christened 12 Sep 1838
by Rev. Robert
Murray and registered in Oakville. Also registered in Barony,
Glasgow, Scotland,
14 September 1839.
Helen(9) HOPKIRK, born about 1839, in Oakville,
Canada
(this
is probably Barbara listed above and not an additional birth)
Jessie(9) HOPKIRK, born 3 December 1840 and christened
1 Jan 1841 by Rev. W.J. Leach,
minister
of St. Andrews Church, Toronto in connection with the Church of Scotland.
Also
registered in Barony Parish.
Catherine(9)(Katie) Henrietta HOPKIRK, born 2 August
1842 and christened
8
October 1842 by Rev. P. Murray, Asst. Superintendent of Education
Canada
West and registered in St. Andrews Church Kingston.
Also
registered in the Barony Parish of Glasgow, Scotland.
Catherine married Milnes MacDONNELL in Kingston in 1869.
Frank(9) HOPKIRK, born about 1845, Montreal. He died about 1851.
Laura(9) HOPKIRK, born about 1848.
Jack(9) HOPKIRK, born about 1850.
Henry Glassford(9) HOPKIRK, born November 1851.
Here is some info about James after he arrived in Oakville, Canada
From information supplied by Richard Armstrong, us non-Canadians can learn
a little about what was happening in Canada at the time of all these births
in various locations: "Being an advocate James
must have wanted to make sure the Baptisms were registered legally. Unlike
Scotland where the churches were responsible for maintaining record of
christenings and marriages for the government, I am not aware of a similar
system in the colonies.
The churches and the government of Canada were going through many changes
at this time. Prior to 1840, Canada was divided into Upper Canada ( Ontario
) and Lower Canada ( Quebec) under the Constitutional Act of 1791. A new
act, The Act of Union (1840 ) established the Province of Canada and created
Canada West ( Ontario ) and Canada East (Quebec ). The Capital was Kingston
from 1841-1844. From 1845 - 1857 the capital was alternately Toronto
and Montreal. In 1857 Queen Victoria dictated that the Capital would be Ottawa.
The Dominion of Canada was established in 1867 by the British North America
Act. This is why we find James ( b 1803 , Henry Glassford ( b 1851 ) and
the other members of the family, by marriage to lawyers, in all these places
in Canada. Every time the government moved they moved with it."
Richard also informs us that many Hopkirks were buried in the Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, Ontario.
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This page last updated on November 26, 2013
