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Hopkinson family papers
The Hopkinson family was a prominent political family of Philadelphia and Bordentown, New Jersey. Thomas Hopkinson (1709-1751) was a merchant, a lawyer, and a diplomat. Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791), Thomas’s son, was a jurist, author, musician, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Jose...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Collection: | Hopkinson Family Papers |
| Collection Number: | 1978 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
| Tags: | Add Tag |
| Physical Description: |
8.5 Linear feet 8.5 linear feet, 43 volumes |
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| Summary: |
The Hopkinson family was a prominent political family of Philadelphia and Bordentown, New Jersey. Thomas Hopkinson (1709-1751) was a merchant, a lawyer, and a diplomat. Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791), Thomas’s son, was a jurist, author, musician, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Joseph Hopkinson (1770-1842), Francis’s son, was a Pennsylvania congressman from 1815 to 1819, a federal judge from 1828 to 1842, and author of the anthem Hail, Columbia. Joseph’s son, Oliver Hopkinson (1812-1905), served during the Civil War with the 1st Regiment, Delaware Volunteers and with the 51st Regiment Infantry, Pennsylvania Militia.
Covering four generations, the Hopkinson family papers consist principally of incoming correspondence; but there are also outgoing letters, documents, manuscript notes, and printed material. All papers have been bound in volumes, and photostatic copies of most volumes are available to researchers.
The papers of Francis Hopkinson, includes incoming and outgoing correspondence, 1765-1789, and a few manuscript notes. Among his correspondents are: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Morris, and George Washington.
The bulk of the collection is Joseph Hopkinson's correspondence, 1815-1842. Joseph Bonaparte's letters to Hopkinson and his wife are mostly personal, but there is some mention of Bonaparte's financial interests while living in the United States. Other correspondents are eminent politicians and other nineteenth century figures among whom are: John Quincy Adams; Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams; Henry Baldwin, jurist; Samuel Rossiter Betts, jurist; Horace Binney, lawyer and congressman,; John C. Calhoun; Henry Clay; Peter S. DuPonceau, authority on international law and practice; Edward Everett; William Gaston, jurist; Henry Dilworth Gilpin, lawyer and U.S. attorney general; Marquis de Lafayette; Louis McLane, U.S. senator, secretary of treasury, minister to Britain; John Marshall; Richard Peters, lawyer; Joel Roberts Poinsett, diplomat and secretary of war; Richard Rush, politician and diplomat; John Sergeant, lawyer and congressman; Jared Sparks, editor and historian; Richard Stockton, lawyer and congressman; Joseph D. Story, jurist; Robert Walsh, author and editor; Bushrod Washington, jurist; and Daniel Webster.
There are additional Joseph Hopkinson family and personal letters, notes, typescripts of essays, and materials relating to Hail Columbia. Hopkinson, an admirer of Alexander Hamilton, presumably collected the few Hamilton papers, 1794-1802, which include letters on military and political matters and a proposal for a military academy. There is also personal and family correspondence of Emily Mifflin Hopkinson, Joseph's wife.
The papers, 1853-1878, of Oliver Hopkinson consist primarily of Civil War correspondence on his service with the 1st Regiment, Delaware Volunteers, and then the 51st Regiment Infantry, Pennsylvania Militia. |