Our thanks goes to Gary Steigerwalt for much of the information about this family. Gary has done much research into the family of Helen HOPEKIRK, a famous pianist and teacher. For more information about Helen HOPEKIRK, look for Gary's book about her life, which may be published in the near future.
This is the only known family still using the name HOPEKIRK.
If we are a place name family, as we believe we are, this is really the name we all should be using. Go here for information of about the origin of our family name.
There have been many people recorded as being a HOPEKIRK at birth, but for various reasons, they eventually ended up being Hopkirk, Hobkirk or Habkirk.
Eventually we should be able to determine the branch of the family the HOPEKIRK'S are most closely related. Possibly the new DNA testing we have begun will be helpful. Until that time, the oldest known member of this family is James HOPEKIRK. We were able to get a HOPEKIRK to volunteer for the DNA project and as expected, the Hopekirk Family is closely related to the Peebles Hopkirk Family. Go here for the DNA results so far.
James HOPEKIRK would have been born in the late 1700's. He was a wright and a gardener by trade. It is interesting to note that in the early 1800's there was living in Edinburgh, a branch of the Peebles Hopkirk Family, descended from gardeners. From his son Walter HOPEKIRK's marriage record James is listed as a Cabinet Maker.
James HOPEKIRK married Agnes PATERSON. Agnes was the daughter of William PATERSON, a gardener. There were 3 known Agnes PATERSON's born in 1787 to a William PATERSON. The mother could be Helen PATERSON, Jannet ALLAN or Agnes MILN. Further research into the various occupations of the 3 William Patersons may lead us to the correct mother.
James HOPEKIRK and Agnes PATERSON had the following known children:
Robert HOPEKIRK, christened 24 Nov. 1809, St. Cuthberts, Edinburgh
James HOPEKIRK, christened 26 Aug 1811, St. Cuthberts, Edinburgh
Walter HOPEKIRK, born about 1822
Adam HOPEKIRK, born around 1826 or 1827
Agnes HOPEKIRK, born around 1830. She married James
Morham on 24 July 1851 at St. Cuthberts.
She passed away 19 January 1898 in
Edinburgh
This page last updated on 15 February 2015