I have the impression that the HOPKINSONs were very closely related to the land, although I haven't got details of work for most of them. Those that I have were mainly labourers and similar, but I do have two farmers - smallholders, by modern standards.

History

The first record I have for this family is the marriage of William HOPKINSON to Margaret BUNTING in North Wingfield in 1723. Margaret's family go further back there, but I haven't found more on William, so he was probably from elsewhere, perhaps Morton where their later children were christened. Assuming that it's all the same family, of course!

The split at christening seems to have followed through life, with one of their sons marrying in North Wingfield and a daughter marrying and living in Morton. Their son George, married further away in Blidworth, but returned to Morton to live.

George's grandson, another George, moved to the Swanwick/Alfreton area and became a farmer in time for the 1841 census. His son, again another George, farmed 7 and 1/2 acres at Grange Farm in the Swanwick/Alfreton area. It was most likely the same land, but I have not verified this yet.

My Connection

The George who farmed at Grange Farm was the father of George Henry (known as Henry), who married Alice LOWE in July 1888 in Ripley. They had a son, Harry, in late 1888 and she died 18th May 1889 in Alfreton and was buried 3 days later. Henry married Sarah SWAIN in March 1890 and their son Frederick was born not long after, probably about June. Why do I mention all these dates? Well:

... Grandad Hopkinson's - a great one for temperance and upright living, I understand. Thus heartliy shocked when Grandads father married again before she was cold in her grave, to a woman who was already pregnant by him.

E-mail from K Mary BECK to Caroline BECK, 6/05/2007

My point? Alice had been dead almost a year when Henry and Sarah tied the knot, so that's hardly a problem. However, Henry did seem to have a habit of being indiscreet. Check the dates. Both sons were conceived before the marriages. It's tempting to say that they may have been the reasons for the marriages, but relationships are more complex than that.

Anyway, Harry, the son of Henry and Alice, was raised by Joseph and Ann HANDBURY (Ann was Henry's aunt), and went on to become my great-grandfather.

Files

• Descendency Narrative [PDF]
  Last updated 04/07/2009

Related Families

Families who married into, or were married into by, the SANSOMs:

BECK,
BRADLEY,
BROWN,
BUNTING,
CUTTS,
GADSBY,
HAYS,
HUNT,
LOWE,
MOSLEY,
SEVERN,
SHIPMAN,
SWAIN,
WATSON,
WHITE