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Hopton History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Hopton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Hopton was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hopton family lived in Hopton, Shropshire. The name is derived from the Old English words "hop" + "tun" and literally means "farmstead in a small enclosed valley or enclosed plot of land." 1 There are numerous entries in the Domesday Book with various spellings: Hotune, Hopetuna, Opetune, and Hoptone. 2

Early Origins of the Hopton family

The surname Hopton was first found in Suffolk where Thomas de Hopeton was found in the Pipe Rolls of 1196. In Yorkshire, Robert de Hopton was listed in 1250 and much later, William Hopton was found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1478. 3

As previously mentioned, some claim descent from Shropshire where Hopton Castle, Hopton Heath and Hopton Wafers are found. Hopton Castle built by one of the Hopton family, is located in the village of the same name and dates back to at least the 12th century as a motte and bailey.

The last Walter Hopton died during the Wars of the Roses and the castle passed by marriage to the Corbet family of Moreton Corbet castle. The Battle of Hopton Heath took place during the First English Civil War (1642-1646), on Sunday 19 March 1643 between Parliamentarian forces led by Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet and Sir William Brereton and a Royalist force.

Hopton is also located in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk and Upper Hopton is found in West Yorkshire. Hopton-on-Sea is a village, civil parish in Norfolk. Some of the family were found at Armley in the West Riding of Yorkshire at one time. "Armley House is a noble mansion of the Ionic order, situated in an extensive and richly-wooded park. The old Hall, anciently the residence of the Hoptons, lords of the manor, is now a farmhouse." 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included Osbert de Hopeton, Suffolk, Nicholas Hopetun, Cambridgeshire, and Ricardus de Hopetone, Norfolk. 5

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes de Hopton, Willelmus de Hopton, and Adam de Hopton. 5

Early History of the Hopton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hopton research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1472, 1492, 1504, 1510, 1519, 1553, 1555, 1558, 1559, 1564, 1570, 1571, 1590, 1595, 1596, 1600, 1602, 1604, 1611, 1621, 1622, 1627, 1628, 1629, 1638, 1640, 1642, 1652, 1709, 1787 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Hopton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hopton Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Hopton, Hobton, Hoptone and others.

Early Notables of the Hopton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

David Hopton (died 1492), Canon of Windsor from 1472 to 1492
Sir Ralph Hopton (1510-1571), of Witham, Somerset, an English politician, Member of Parliament for Somerset (1553 and 1555) and for Heytesbury in 1559
John Hopton (d. 1558), Bishop of Norwich
Ralph Hopton, 1st Baron Hopton (1596-1652), a Royalist commander in the English Civil War, Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury (1621-1622), Member of Parliament for Wells (1628-1629) and (1640-1642)
Robert Hopton (died 1638), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury (1604-1611) and for Somerset (1621-1622)
Susanna Hopton née Harvey (1627-1709), an English devotional writer

Hopton migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Hopton or a variant listed above:

Hopton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Hopton, who arrived in Virginia in 1641 6
Walven Hopton, who settled in Virginia in 1654
George Hopton, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 6

Hopton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Charles Hopton, who landed in Virginia in 1701 6
Charles Hopton, who settled in North Carolina in 1701

Hopton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George W Hopton, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1886 6

Hopton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hopton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert Hopton, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. Robert Hopton, (b. 1809), aged 32, British cabinet maker travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 7
Mrs. Charlotte Hopton, (b. 1812), aged 29, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 7
Miss Eliza Hopton, (b. 1832), aged 9, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 7
Miss Mary Hopton, (b. 1834), aged 7, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hopton migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 8

Hopton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Charles Hopton who settled in Barbados in 1687

Contemporary Notables of the name Hopton (post 1700) +

Russell Hopton (1900-1945), American actor known for his villainous or disreputable supporting roles in both feature films and 2-reel comedies in the 30s and 40s
Charles Ernest Hopton, English cleric, Archdeacon of Birmingham (1915-1944)
John Hopton (1858-1934), British sports shooter at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Lieutenant General Sir Edward Hopton KCB DL JP (1837-1912), British Army officer, Lieutenant Governor of Jersey
Jane L Hopton, British research psychologist at the University of Edinburgh
Georgie Hopton (b. 1967), British artist

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies