RICHARD FOGG HOPWOOD J.P.
Mayor of Wigan Nov 1881 – Nov 1882
Richard was born in Wallgate, Wigan, on 11th November 1819, to John Hopwood and his wife Mary (nee Bolton). The Hopwood’s were a well established Wigan family, his grandfather had served two terms as Mayor the first being in 1808 and the second term in 1812.
He was baptised along with one of his elder brothers (John) at All Saints church, on1st December 1819. He had two brothers, William born 1815 and John, born 1817.
John his father, died age 51 in 1834, Brother John died in 1838. By April 1841 Richard his eldest brother William and mother Mary were living in Market Place, here Mary was trading as a pawnbroker, she died in 1842, leaving the brothers to continue with the pawn broking business.
Richard married Sarah Ann Swain of Sutton, St. Helens on 11th October, 1849, by the time of the 1851 census the couple had established themselves in King Street with their eight month old daughter Mary Letitia. His brother and business partner William was part of the household, as was Richard’s sister-in -law Mary Swain.
In 1852 Richard was elected as a representative for Swinley Ward in the Town Council, where he served for three years but was not re-elected, he does not appear to have offered himself as a candidate subsequently.
1861 and the family are still resident in King Street, the couple now have four daughters and a son (who age six, was staying with his maternal grandparents at their home in Sutton, St. Helens at the time of the 1861 census)
Brother William was still part of the household. The brothers have expanded their business interests and now are also trading as Iron Merchants.
Richard lost his wife Sarah Ann (age 42) in March 1866, her funeral took place at All Saints Church, Wigan on 31st. March 1866.
Richard’s involvement with the Town Council became re-established in 1871, when he was elected to fill a vacancy on the aldermanic bench. He his children and brother William are still residing in their King Street home and trading as Iron Merchants,
his son John Swaine Hopwood is Articled Clerk to a local solicitor.
In 1874 Richard became a Borough Magistrate and attended the police court regularly until his retirement. In the Wigan Observer, 20th, July 1881 there are reports of cases before him one with the heading - “An Old Gaol Bird”, this concerns a Jane Nolan from Scholes, who was making her 59th appearance before the bench for being drunk and disorderly. She was fined twenty shillings plus costs: or in default, one calendar month’s imprisonment
I
Years pass by during which time the brothers Richard and William have become cotton spinners, a business which is located at the Britannia Mill in Miry Lane, the family home however, remains in King Street and son John now age twenty six is a qualified solicitor (who would continue to practice in Wigan for some twenty years).
Richard is elected Mayor of Wigan on Wednesday 9th November 1881 and served for one term, declining strong requests for him to continue to serve for a further 12 months.
Amongst the numerous notable events which occurred during his mayoralty are:-
On 29th. May 1882, the formal opening of the municipal baths, an event made possible thanks to the generosity of Mr Thomas Knowles M.P.
On 26th. June 1882, the cutting of the first “sod” ceremony, marking the commencement of construction for a tram route between Wigan, Ince and Hindley.
On 26th. July 1882, the re-interment in the Lindsay vault underneath Wigan Parish Church, of the body of the late Earl of Crawford, recovered after being stolen from the family vault in Dunecht, Scotland.
Richard’s children had all reached maturity and were now establishing their own relationships.
On 10th June 1883, at All Saints Church, Mary Letitia Hopwood the eldest of Richard’s children was married to George Airey, a Chemist & Druggist from Wallgate, the son of Brewer Thomas Airey
In January of 1884 Richard’s only son, John Swaine Hopwood, married Lucy Ann Gilbert in Southport.
On 14th. December 1887 at All Saints, Wigan his daughter Elizabeth Helen, married veterinary surgeon John Sayer (the first child born to this couple was John Hopwood Sayer a grandson who was destined to become a local dignitary and to serve as Wigan Borough Coroner for 55 years)
Richard was a member of the Wigan Board of Guardians , a Trustee of the Savings Bank, also one of the arbitrators appointed by the Lancashire and Cheshire Miner’s Permanent Relief Society.
He was a churchman and during his tenure as warden of St. George’s Church, he together with Mr. R Burland, presented the church with a baptismal font, their names are inscribed on the font in the church.
Richard, his brother William and Richard’s two unmarried daughters Sarah Ann and Jane Harriet remained in their King Street home whilst continuing to pursue their cotton spinning business at Britannia Mill, this until 1893 when Richard at the age of 74 retired and moved with his family from Wigan, to live in Southport.
William Hopwood, Richard’s unmarried brother and business partner died at their home Holly Bank, 26 Roe Lane, Southport on 3rd. March 1895, his remains were conveyed from Southport to be interred in the family vault at Wigan Parish Church.
Richard lived in retirement at his Southport home with his two unmarried daughters until shortly before midnight on 4th. February 1901 when he died aged 81.
Sources
Ancestry – 1841 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
Ancestry – 1851 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
Ancestry – 1861 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
Ancestry – 1871 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
Ancestry – 1881 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
Ancestry – 1891 Census – Wigan, Lancashire
Ancestry – National Probate Calendar, Liverpool, 4th. April 1901
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Marriages 1812 Wigan All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Baptisms 1819 Wigan All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Burials 1834 Wigan All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Burials 1838 Wigan All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Burials 1842 Wigan All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Marriages 1849 St Mary (now St Helen) St. Helens
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Burials 1866 Wigan All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Marriages 1883 Wigan All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Marriages 1884 Southport All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Marriages 1887 Wigan All Saints
On Line Parish Clerks Lancashire, Baptisms 1887 Wigan All Saints
Wigan Observer 12th November 1881 page 6 a,b,c,d,e,f.
Wigan Observer 6th March 1895 page 5 f.
Wigan Observer 9th November 1895 page 7 a.
Wigan Observer 6th February 1901 page 5 f.
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