Thomas Hopkinson
Encyclopedia
Thomas Hopkinson was a lawyer, public official, and prominent figure in colonial Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
Thomas Hopkinson was born in London
, in 1709, the son of Thomas Hopkinson, a London scrivener and a member of Middle Temple
. He was educated there, then immigrated about 1731 to Pennsylvania
, where he became a merchant, lawyer, judge, and natural philosopher, as well as a friend of Benjamin Franklin
. He worked with Franklin on several of his experiments on electricity and was a member of the Junto.
Hopkinson held a number of legal and judicial positions, including judge of the vice-admiralty for the province of Pennsylvania. He was also a member of the Governor's Council. As a merchant, Hopkinson acted as agent for several London firms, and in partnership with William Coleman
, imported and sold a wide variety of goods, including fabrics, spices, gunpowder and iron.
Hopkinson was a founder of both the Library Company of Philadelphia
and the Academy of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania
), and served as first president of the American Philosophical Society
. He was also an active Mason
. He married Mary Johnson in 1736, and together they had eight children. He enrolled his son Francis Hopkinson
, later a signatory of the Declaration of Independence in the first classes at the Academy. One of his daughters married Reverend Jacob Duché
, and another Dr. John Morgan
.
He died in Philadelphia, 5 November 1751.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
Thomas Hopkinson was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in 1709, the son of Thomas Hopkinson, a London scrivener and a member of Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. He was educated there, then immigrated about 1731 to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, where he became a merchant, lawyer, judge, and natural philosopher, as well as a friend of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
. He worked with Franklin on several of his experiments on electricity and was a member of the Junto.
Hopkinson held a number of legal and judicial positions, including judge of the vice-admiralty for the province of Pennsylvania. He was also a member of the Governor's Council. As a merchant, Hopkinson acted as agent for several London firms, and in partnership with William Coleman
William Coleman
William Coleman may refer to:*Bill Coleman, jazz trumpeter*Bill Coleman , Anglican bishop in Canada*Will Coleman , American football coach at the University of Kansas...
, imported and sold a wide variety of goods, including fabrics, spices, gunpowder and iron.
Hopkinson was a founder of both the Library Company of Philadelphia
Library Company of Philadelphia
The Library Company of Philadelphia is a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded by Benjamin Franklin as a library, the Library Company of Philadelphia has accumulated one of the most significant collections of historically valuable manuscripts and printed material in...
and the Academy of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
), and served as first president of the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
. He was also an active Mason
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
. He married Mary Johnson in 1736, and together they had eight children. He enrolled his son Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson , an American author, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey. He later served as a federal judge in Pennsylvania...
, later a signatory of the Declaration of Independence in the first classes at the Academy. One of his daughters married Reverend Jacob Duché
Jacob Duché
The Reverend Jacob Duché was a Rector of Christ Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the first chaplain to the Continental Congress....
, and another Dr. John Morgan
John Morgan (physician)
John Morgan was co-founder of the Medical College at the University of Pennsylvania, the first medical school in Colonial America; and he served as the second "Chief physician & director general" of the Continental Army...
.
He died in Philadelphia, 5 November 1751.
External links
- Biography and portrait at the University of Pennsylvania
- Portrait of Thomas Hopkinson by Robert FekeRobert FekeRobert Feke was an American portrait painter born on Long Island, New York. Little is known for certain about his life before 1741, which is the year he painted his first portrait, Family of Isaac Royall. Sixteen portraits in total are known to be by Feke, and an additional 50 are disputed to be...
at the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines... - The Hopkinson Family Papers, including correspondence, documents and printed materials, are available for research use at the Historical Society of PennsylvaniaHistorical Society of PennsylvaniaThe Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a historical society founded in 1824 and based in Philadelphia. The Society's building, designed by Addison Hutton and listed on Philadelphia's Register of Historical Places, houses some 600,000 printed items and over 19 million manuscript and graphic items...
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