William HOPKIRK & Eliza STEWART

On May 14, 1991, while visiting Edinburgh, we met May HOPKIRK, the then oldest living member of this branch of the family.

She lived at 23 Spring Valley Terrace, I believe.

May Hopkirk let me write down all the information from her family bible, which was way over 100 years old.  Much of the information which follows comes from that family bible. We also would like to thank David Teague for supplying more information on this family.

The first listing in the bible was that of William HOPKIRK, born 30 Jan 1814.  Also listed in the bible was his marriage on 21 May 1841 to Eliza STEWART, in the Parish of Liberton, Edinburgh after banns had been read 3 times at the Parish Church of St, Cuthbert's. (See the  certificate of Banns linked below, with texted.)  Eliza was born on 16 Nov 1819, the daughter of James STEWART, a farm servant, and Eliza. Copy of Marriage record here. (thanks to David Teague)
 William(1) was a gardener.  William died on 22 June 1875 at age 61, from cancer of the tongue, at 42 Sciennes Street, Edinburgh and is buried in Edinburgh & Leith Cemetery, Edinburgh.  Eliza STEWART died 30 June 1886, at 93 St. Leonards Street, Edinburgh, from meningitis at age 61.

William HOPKIRK's death record lists his parents as James HOPKIRK(gardener) and Helen HISLOP of Peebles, both deceased.

Our thanks goes to Dottie Meier for supplying a copy of "Certificate of Proclamation of Banns for Marriage" for William HOPKIRK & Eliza STEWART.
The marriage certificate reads "William Hopkirk, Farm Servant, Residing at St. Catherines in the Parish of Liberton and Eliza Stewart, Residcing in St. Archibald Place, in the Parish of St. Cuthberts, Daughter of James Stewart, Shepard at Meadowfield in the Parrih of Duddingstone.have been Three several Times duly and regularly Proclaimed in order to Marriage, in the Parish Church of St. Cuthberts, and no objections offered, is hereby Certified, at St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, this tenth day of May in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty one by John ?????, Elder, John Adams, Session-Clerk. Amounty of Fees, 10s. 6d. That Wm Hopkirk and Eliza Stewart were this day Married by me, is hereby Certified at ____________ this 21st day of May in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty one. James Robertson, Minister. Registered John Adams SessionClerk. NB. It is respectfully requested of the Minister who marries the above Parties, that, after certifying the Marriage, he would enjoin them to return to the Clerk with this Certificate, that he may record it (which he will do without any further expense,) in the Marriage Register; as unless it be so recorded, no evidence of the Marriage can be furnished from the Register.
Cousin Dorothy wrote this on the bottom: "This was given to me when I visited Jimmy Hopkirk & Mina in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1948. He was married to Mina & they had 2 red head sons. Can't remember their names. Now I know for sure that we are related when I was the resemblance of Alex Hopkirk to James Hopkirk in the picture you sent me. Alex Hopkirk was my Mom's brother & James Hopkirk and Jane Emslie are my grandparents." Here is the link to Jimmy and Mina's  page

Memo: We now need to resolve the issue of Eliza Stewart's father's name. From the original family bible her father was listed as John Stewart. From the marriage certificate her father is listed as James Stewart. It is obvious that William Hopkirk & Eliza Stewart did not following the normal naming tradition, as their first daughter was named Jannet, not Eliza, after El;za's mother Eliza. For some reason Jannet jumped the cue. Was there a recent death of a family member named Jannet? On the male side, the first son is named James, after William's father. The second son is named William, not John. This would imply that the bible is incorrect and the marriage certificate is correct.

William and Eliza had the following children:

     Jannet HOPKIRK, born 30 Mar 1842, Liberton. Jannet married James More of Edinburgh.

     Helen HOPKIRK, born 4 Nov 1843, Liberton. In 1891 she was single, greengrocer, and living at 89 St. Leonards St., Edinburgh.
               In 1901 Helen was living at 26 Blackwood Crescent, Edinburgh, with younger brother John.

              Helen passed away on 1 July 1912 at age 68. She was living at 46 Marchmont Crescent, Edinburgh.

              Cause of death sarcoma of duodenum(7 months) and secondary involvement of the liver.

     James HOPKIRK, born 2 Oct 1845. On 14 Oct 1870 James married Jane EMSLIE at Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh

     William HOPKIRK, born 18 Dec 1847, Liberton. William died 17 Dec 1874, at Sciennes Street, Edinburgh.
          William was listed as a jobbing gardener by trade.
          Memo: It should be noted that inside the family bible was a certificate noting the completion of apprenticeship
                       as a brassfinisher from Greenside Brass Foundry & Metal Mfg. on October 8, 1864, in the name of
                       William HOPKIRK.

     John HOPKIRK, born 1 Feb 1849, Lasswade, Edinburgh.  John died 21 Apr 1855 and is buried at Rosebank Cemetery.
             The family was living at 32 Kirkgate, Leith at this time.

     Eliza HOPKIRK, born 4 Jan 1851, Lasswade.  Eliza died 23 Nov 1918.

     Margret HOPKIRK, born 10 Sep 1854, Leith. Margret died 25 Nov 1854 or 1855. Buried at Rosebank Cemetery.

     Agnes HOPKIRK, born 10 Sep 1854, South Leith. She married John Thomson MILLER.

     Robert HOPKIRK, born 27 Sep 1856 in South Leith.          

     Margret HOPKIRK, born 14 Nov 1858 in South Leith.

     John HOPKIRK, born 6 Jun 1863, St. Cuthberts, Edinburgh.
         

Note: Edinburgh and Leith Cemetery and Rosebank Cemetery are the same.

From the 1841 Census this family consists of William 25, agricultural labourer, Eliza 20, Agnes HOPKIRK 20 (sister), at St. Catherine's, Liberton.
From the 1851 Census this family consists of William, age 36, a gardener, born in Peebles, and his wife Eliza, age 31, and
          children Janet, age 9, Helen, age 7, James, age 5, William, age 3, and John, age 1. 
          The family is leaving at Mount Esk Gate, Lasswade, Midlothian.
From the 1871 Census William, age 55, born in Peebles, a jobbing gardener,
          and his wife is Eliza, age 50, born at St. Cuthbert. 
          children are: William, age 22, a carter, Eliza, age 18, domestic servant, Agnes, age 16,
          Robert, age 14, blacksmith, Margaret, age 12, a message girl, and John, age 7.
          The family was living at 85 East Causewayside, Newington, Edinburgh.

Mystery to be solved: Who created this beautiful brass stand? The caption reads: "Pirin Stand...Circa 1880 Scottish William Hopkirk

Helen Stewart Hopkirk(1886), the daughter of James(1845) Hopkirk, above, always talked about how her grandfather was a brassfinisher and made it.
Her father was also a brassfinisher. Her grandfather was a gardener, but It should be noted that inside the family bible was a certificate noting the completion of apprenticeship as a brassfinisher from Greenside Brass Foundry & Metal Mfg. on October 8, 1864, in the name of
William HOPKIRK. I had assumed it was for the son William born in 1847, but in 1871 his trade is listed as "carter." William Hopkirk(1814) was listed as a "jobbing gardener" in the 1871 census. But a daughter should know whether something was created by a father or a grandfather. So it would appear that William the elder had become a brassfinisher, in addition to being a gardener. 

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Last updated on 27 November 2020