The Hopkirks

He was descended from a gentry family who came from Hopekirk, near Hawick

Hawick

Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...

, by way of Dalkeith

Dalkeith

Dalkeith is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the River North Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540...

 in Midlothian

Midlothian

Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....

,to Dalbeth in Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 . His grandfather, also Thomas (1716 - 1781 ) had been a wealthy Glasgow merchant - a “Tobacco Lord

Tobacco Lords

The Tobacco Lords were Glasgow merchants who, in the 18th Century made enormous fortunes by trading in tobacco from Great Britain's American Colonies....

” or “Virginia Don” - who had diversified into coal mining, brewing and banking. He had lived originally in a tenement in the High Street of Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 , called “Hopkirk’s Land”. David Dale

David Dale

David Dale was a Scottish merchant and businessman, known for establishing the influential weaving community of New Lanark, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is credited along with his son in law Robert Owen of being a founder of utopian socialism and a founding father of socialism-Early...

 rented the shop premises on the ground floor, where he operated as the first Glasgow agent of the Royal Bank of Scotland

Royal Bank of Scotland

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...

. Thomas then moved to a fine house at the corner of Argyle Street and Dunlop Street, which became the Buck’s Head Hotel. (This was demolished in 1865; the later department store still displays the Buck on its roof.)

James Hopkirk (1749 - 1838), Thomas's father

In 1754, Thomas senior bought the lands of Dalbeth , which then included “Wester Dalbeth” (now Westthorn and Belvidere) and the “Newlands of Dalbeth” (now Newlands). As well as exploiting the coals of that area, he occupied a mansion house, described in Queen Anne’s time as “ a pleasant and convenient seat”. Thomas Senior's son, James Hopkirk, ( 1739 - 1835 ) was also a successful Glasgow merchant (Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in 1808. He wrote A Statistical Account of the Barony Parish of Glasgow when he was in his 76th year. This contains many fine line drawings of locations in Glasgow, some the only ones surviving. However he did not publish this. He developed the coal seams at Dalbeth and formed many lucrative partnerships, especially with Robert Finlay. In 1809 he replaced his father's building with a substantial house and it was here that Thomas Hopkirk, the botanist and lithographer, was born on the 4th of July 1785 . His mother, Christian Glassford, was the daughter of another famous Glasgow merchant, after whom “Glassford Street” is named. James was granted a Coat of Arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 by the Lord Lyon King of Arms

Lord Lyon King of Arms

The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...

 in 1815 and was recognised as the Chief of the name of Hopkirks in Scotland. The motto on the arms was “SPERO PROCEDERE” (that is, “ I hope to progress”).

Thomas's education and first publication

After schooling in Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, the young Thomas enrolled in Glasgow University in 1800. In 1813 he published one of the earliest Flora

Flora

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...

 in Britain

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....

 - Flora Glottiana: a catalogue of the indigenous plants on the banks of the River Clyde

River Clyde

The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....

, and in the neighbourhood of the City of Glasgow. This catalogues plants found along both banks of the Clyde "from its Falls (at Lanark

Lanark

Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....

).. to its juncture with the sea (at Bowling

Bowling

Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...

)". He deals with over 1000 plants, most of which he had found himself. "..no plant is inserted that I have not myself found, without giving the authority for it." He claims to have used the system of Dr Smith's Flora Britannica

James Edward Smith

Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...

 (2 vols 1800). Dr Smith was the founder of the Linnean Society, whose members' help is mentioned in the book, so the system is really the standard Linnaean system

Linnaean taxonomy

Linnaean taxonomy can mean either of two related concepts:# the particular form of biological classification set up by Carl Linnaeus, as set forth in his Systema Naturæ and subsequent works...

 of the time. He gives Latin names and flowering times but no illustration or description. He does, however, give a brief description of habitat and, reading the catalogue, you get a vivid sense of Hopkirk wading along the river, or peering into ditches or odd places in search of his plants. He seems to have enjoyed it hugely. "For beauty, richness, and variety, the district of Clydesdale can scarcely perhaps be equalled." One typical catalogue entry reads (with a misprint) "CIRCOEA (corrected to CIRCAEA) Flor. Brit. 13 lutetiana c. Common Enchanter's Nightshade. Perennial. June, July. In shady places and woods, occasionally. In the woods of Cambuslang

Cambuslang

Cambuslang is a suburban town on the south-eastern outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. It is within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire. Historically, it was a large rural Parish incorporating nearby hamlets of Newton, Flemington, and Halfway. It is known as "the largest village in...

. Plantations between Easterhill and Clyde Iron Works."

He amassed an extensive collection in his garden in Dalbeth , of which he published a full list. He became a Justice of the Peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 for Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...

 and was elected a Fellow

Fellow

A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...

 of the Linnean Society in 1812 .

Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow

In 1816 he joined with others to form a society, later including William Jackson Hooker

William Jackson Hooker

Sir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,...

 , Regius Professor

Regius Professor

Regius Professorships are "royal" professorships at the ancient universities of the United Kingdom and Ireland - namely Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dublin. Each of the chairs was created by a monarch, and each appointment, save those at Dublin, is approved by the...

 of Botany

Botany

Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...

 at Glasgow University , with the intention of displaying botanical specimens, including his Dalbeth collection. About 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) of land were laid out in 1817 at Sandyford, near Sauchiehall Street

Sauchiehall Street

Sauchiehall Street is one of the main shopping/business streets in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Along with Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, it forms the main shopping area of Glasgow, containing the majority of Glasgow's high street and chain stores.Although commonly associated with the...

, Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

. In 1817 , the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow was formed by Royal Charter

Royal Charter

A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...

 and the Glasgow Botanic Gardens

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

Glasgow Botanic Gardens is an Arboretum and public park located in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. It features several glasshouses, the most notable of which is the Kibble Palace. The gardens were created in 1817, and run by the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow , and were intended to supply...

 set up. As the City expanded westwards, the gardens had to move and in 1842 , they were opened by the banks of the River Kelvin

River Kelvin

The Kelvin rises on watershed of Scotland on the moor south east of the village of Banton, east of Kilsyth - . At almost 22 miles long, it initially flows south to Dullatur Bog where it falls into a man made trench and takes a ninety degree turn flowing west along the northern boundary of the bog...

 in the west-end of the city, where they remain to this day.

Flora Anomoia and Darwin

In 1817 he published Flora Anomoia - a general view of the anomalies in the vegetable kingdom, describing "the anomalies which take place amongst vegetables. It lists the variations under Anomalies of the Root, Stem and Branches, Leaf, and Flower. He notes such unusual developments as an oblong turnip, the different kinds of Holly leaf, a bluebell with twenty stamens, and so on. Lithographic illustrations were by his co-worker James Hardie.

He was known to Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...

 , who quoted from Hopkirk's publications in his The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication

The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication

The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication is a book written by Charles Darwin that was first published in January 1868.A large proportion of the book contains detailed information on the domestication of animals and plants but it also contains in Chapter XXVII a description of...

. (John Murray

John Murray (publisher)

John Murray is an English publisher, renowned for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, and Charles Darwin...

, London 1868), especially with regard to Convolvulus

Convolvulus

Convolvulus is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the bindweed family Convolvulaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Common names include bindweed and morning glory, both names shared with other closely related genera....

 tricolor.

Lithography

Partly as a consequence of his botanical publications, he became interested in lithography

Lithography

Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...

. He helped prepare the lithographic plates for The Glasgow Looking Glass, of which he became editor in 1825.

Later life and death

Glasgow University made him honorary Doctor of Laws in 1835. In 1837 , he published popular gardening book, called The Juvenile Calendar of a Natural History of the Year. He moved to Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, where he helped in geological surveys for the Irish Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...

. He presumably married there, but we know little about his wife, who died before him, or their daughter. He died in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 on the 24th of August 1841 and is buried there in Clifton Cemetery.

Glasgow University named the Hopkirk Laboratory for taxonomic biology

Biology

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...

 after him. There is also a Hopkirk Building in Glasgow Botanic Gardens

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

Glasgow Botanic Gardens is an Arboretum and public park located in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland. It features several glasshouses, the most notable of which is the Kibble Palace. The gardens were created in 1817, and run by the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow , and were intended to supply...

.