Percy Allison Hopewell
1911 - age about 16, attending secondary school.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Percy Allison Hopewell was born in 1896 at Granby and was the son of George and Maria Hopewell (née White).
Both his parents were born in 1858, George in Granby and Maria in Nottingham. George's parents, George and Mary, came from Granby and in 1871 his father was a tailor and shopkeeper. His parents later moved from Granby but in 1881 their son, also a tailor, was still living in Granby with his sisters, Elizabeth, a dressmaker, and Mary who was at school. Maria was the daughter of George, a water rent collector, and Mary Ann and in 1881 the family was living on Dryden Street; Maria was in domestic service but living at home.
George and Maria were married in 1884 (reg. JFM Nottingham) and had seven children, one of whom died in infancy or early childhood. Their surviving children, who were all born in Granby, were Mary b. 1885, Nellie birth registered 1887 (JFM) bap. Nottingham February 1887, Robert John b. 1889 bap. Nottingham September 1889, Maurice George b. 1892 bap. Nottingham October 1892, Percy Allison b. 1895 (OND) and Hilda Evelyn [Evelyn] birth registered 1898 (JFM) baptised Nottingham April 1898.
George, a baker, Maria and their children Mary, Nellie and Robert, were living at South End, Granby, in 1891. Also in the household were Alfred Welbourne (31) b. Plungar, a baker, and a general domestic servant. By 1901 George was described on the Census as a baker; in the home were their six children, the eldest of whom, Mary, was a pupil teacher. Alfred Welbourne was still employed as a baker and living with the family as a boarder and they also employed a general domestic servant.
In 1911 George was a farmer, baker and a maker and dealer in bread. His daughter Mary was assisting her mother in the home, Nellie was a Wesleyan deaconess, Robert and Maurice were both described as a farmer's sons and working on the farm while Robert also assisted as a baker, Percy was at secondary school and the youngest daughter, Evelyn (13), was 'at home'.
Mary and Nellie have not yet been traced after 1911.
Maria Hopewell died in 1938 aged 79.
In 1939 George, a 'retired farmer', was living in Granby with his unmarried children Maurice, a farmer, and Evelyn,'unpaid housekeeper'. The record of one other member of the household remains closed. George's eldest son, Robert John, a farmer, had married Constance M Wilkinson (b. 1901) in 1924 and they and their son Keith (b. 1928) were also living in Granby. Also in their household was Mary A Wilkinson (b. 1878) married, occupation unpaid domestic duties, and one other person whose record remains closed.
George Hopewell died in 1940 aged 82. His eldest son Robert died in 1973, Maurice in 1985 and Evelyn in 1993, the Probate record gave her address as Lodge Farm, Granby.
Percy Allison Hopewell enlisted in Bootle, he was then living in Waterloo, Liverpool.
Percy served with the 15th Battalion London Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own) Civil Service Rifles. However, a military record also gives his Corps as 1/15th Battalion, 'posted 1/16th London Regiment.'
Percy was killed in action on 28 March 1918 during the German spring offensive (Operation Michael) which was launched on 21 March 1918. He was initially listed 'Missing or Wounded' and enquiries were made through the Red Cross & Order of St John in the August and November of that year. Percy's death was later accepted as having occurred on 28 March. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France (Bay 10).
He qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
CWGC History of the Arras Memorial (extract): the Arras Memorial is adjacent to the 'The Commonwealth section of the Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery and commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918.' (www.cwgc.org)
CWGC Additional information: Son of George and Maria Hopewell, of Granby, Nottingham
British Red Cross & Order of St John Enquiry List Wounded & Missing 1914-1919: 'Enquiry 2 August 1918 and 20 November 1918, 535392, B or C Coy, 16th-sic London Regiment, Percy Alison Hopewell, Missing/Wounded 28 March 1918.'
WMR 11786: 'Men of H M Customs and Excise WW1 and WW2 (HMRC)' (273 names) The WW1 Memorial includes the name of PA Hopewell. Tablet 1914-1918, inscription: 'Pro Patria, In honoured memory of the men of His Majesty's Customs and Excise who gave their lives in the Great War (names) Their Name liveth for ever more.' Book of Remembrance: (unknown). The memorial is now in Whitehall, London. Percy joined a London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles) and was living in Liverpool when he attested in the Army.
Probate: Percy Allison Hopewell. Will proven Nottingham 11th November 1919. Private in His Majesty's Army died on or since 28th March 1918 in France. Administration awarded to George Hopewell, farmer. Effects £103, 12 shillings and 6 pence.
(cloudfront.net) ‘Ministers & Preachers ‘Who’s Who’ (cloudfront.net): Hopewell. G. Farmer y.a. 1879 c. Bingham c.o: C.L. Trustee, Ex-Circ Stwd, [.p: Ex-Chm Parish Counc. Chm Grandby Counc Sc Bd of Mangs. a: Granby, Nottingham. Entry not sighted but also Nellie Hopewell of Granby, Notts. (list of circuits)’ There was a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in the village which closed and was converted to a private property in the early 2000s.
Granby Lodge Farm was part of the Belvoir Estate but was sold in auction along with other properties in the parish in March 1920. The farm, tenants 'Mr G. Hopewell, Mr H. Wilkinson and Mr J. Wilkinson', was bought privately by Mr G Hopewell. (www.granbycumsutton.org/belvoir-estate-sale-1920) The Farm appears to have been the home of the Hopewells until Hilda Evelyn Hopewell, perhaps the last member of the family to occupy the farmhouse, died in 1993. It is a Grade II listed building (1227654, 25 September 1979).
Updates/additional material RF (Sept. 2025)
Photo of Percy Allison Hopewell
Commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France (www.cwgc.org)