Thomas Henry Hopewell
1911: attending school
He was a pipe fitter.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Thomas Henry Hopewell was the youngest son of Arthur Hopewell and his wife Mary (née Langsdale).
His father Arthur Hopewell was born in 1863 at Radford, and his mother Mary Langdale at Sheffield also in 1863. They were married at Radford St Peter on 8 July 1884 and according to the information Arthur provided on the 1911 Census, they had ten children only six of whom survived.
However, although ten births registered Hopewell, mother's maiden name Langsdale, have been traced, this does not include the registration of Thomas Henry's birth in 1896 which did not include his mother's maiden name.
The names of their six surviving children were recorded on census returns betweeen 1891 and 1911: Mary Elizabeth b. 1884 (reg. Nottingham), James Arthur B. b. 1886 AMJ (Nottingham), Arthur b. 1889 (Nottingham), Emily b. 1891 (Nottingham), Sally b. 1893 (Nottingham) and Thomas Henry b. 1896 AMJ (reg. Shardlow).
The children who died in infancy or early childhood were: Dorothy b. 1888 AMJ d. 1888 AMJ (reg. Nottingham), Ernest b. 1897 JAS d. 1897 JAS (reg. Shardlow), Ernest b. 1898 OND d. 1898 OND (Shardlow), Alfred birth registered 1900 JFM d. 1900 AMJ (Shardlow), Dorothy b. 1908 AMJ d. 1908 AMJ (Shardlow). The Shardlow registrations relate to the period between 1897 and 1911 when the family was living in Stapleford. None of these children survived to be recorded on a census and only one notice in a local paper of a child's death has been found, that of Alfred who died aged one month at Ford, Derbyshire, in 1900.
In 1891, Arthur, a joiner, and his wife were living at Wafer Place, 6 Haven Street, Radford, with their three children, Mary and James, who were born in Lenton, and Arthur who was born in Radford. Another daughter, Dorothy, had died in 1888 (buried Sandiacre 18 May).
Arthur and Mary had moved to Stapleford by 1896 when Thomas was born. Three sons followed Thomas between 1897 and 1900 but died in infancy.
By 1901 Arhtur and his wife were living on Gas Street, Stapleford; Arthur was still employed as a joiner/carpenter. Their six surviving children were in the home on the night of the census: Mary a lace finisher, James a house painter, Arthur, and Emily and Sally, who were born in Hyson Green, and Thomas who was born in Stapleford. The four younger children were school age.
Arthur and Mary had moved to 113 Frederick Road, Stapleford, by 1911. Only Mary, a brass bobbin winder, Emily and Sally who were also in the lace industry ('jacker off'), and Thomas, who was still at school, were in the home on the night of the census. Another daughter, Dorothy, had been born in 1908 but had died the same year.
Mary married Alfred Sedgley, a railway porter, at Stapleford St Helen in June 1911, a few months after the date of the Census.
The eldest son James had married Esther Dickinson in 1910 and in 1911 they were living at 5 Wesley Place, Sandiacre, with their son, Arthur Henry, who had been born in Sneinton the previous year. The couple later had two daughters, Polly (d. 1915) and Nellie b. October 1917.
James's brother Arthur, who has not yet been traced on the 1911 Census, married Annie Smith at Sawley All Saints in April 1912.
Emily married Philip A Shilton, a coal miner, in 1914 (reg. JAS Shardlow). Her sister Sally married John Henry Glenn, an engine driver, at Beeston St John the Baptist in December 1914 (both resident Humber Road South). However, there is a later record of Sally Hopewell (sic) spinster, father Arthur (occupation joiner), who married George Brodie, a carman, both of Ivy Street, at Shoreditch St Ann on 29 February 1920 (Sally Brodie b. July 1893 d. 1988 reg. Basford).
Arthur snr. was recorded on the 1921 Census at 53 Wicklow Street, King's Cross, London, along with his grandson, Thomas Henry Hopewell (b. 1917, Kings Cross London); it was recorded on the census that both Thomas's parents were alive. No record has yet been traced of the registration of Thomas's birth. Arthur died in 1927 (JAS St Pancras, London) aged 64.
Arthur's wife, Mary Ann was recorded on the 1921 Census in the home of her married daughter, Emily Shilton, her husband and their daughters, Dorothy May and Emily Jane, at New Road, Moorbridge Lane, Stapleford. Mary died in 1939 (reg. Nottingham).
The CWGC record gives the address of both Arthur and Mary as 53 Wicklow Street, King's Cross.
Thomas Henry Hopewell lived in Beeston but enlisted at Ilkeston, Derbyshire. He served with the Royal Scots Fusiliers in the 12th (Ayr and Lanark Yeomanry) Battalion. It was a Territorial Force Battalion which was formed in Egypt in 1917 from dismounted yeomanry. The Battalion was put in 229th Brigade (Yeomanry) Division and embarked Alexandria on 1 May 1918 and disembarked Marseilles 7 May. It came under orders of 94th Brigade, 31st Division, on 21 June 1918.
Thomas died on less than three months later on 8 September 1918 at 94th Field Ambulance, France, from wounds received in action. He is buried at Pont-D’Achelles Military Cemetery, Nieppe, France (grave ref. II.G.3).
CWGC History of Pont-D'Achelles Military Cemetery (extract): The village of Nieppe is about 3.5km from the town of Armentieres. 'Pont-d'Achelles was within the Allied lines from 16 October 1914 until 11 April 1918, when the 34th Division were driven out of neighbouring Nieppe after hard fighting, which the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and the 1/2nd Monmouths continued for some hours at Pont-d'Achelles. Nieppe was recaptured by the 29th Division on 3 September 1918. The military cemetery at Pont-d'Achelles was begun in June 1917 and used by field ambulances and fighting units until the German advance in the following April. It was used by the Germans during their occupation, under the name of Papot Military Cemetery, and it was resumed by the British in September and October 1918.' (www.cwgc.org)
Thomas's brother James enlisted on 24 August 1914 on a Short Service Engagement (Duration of War). He and his wife, Esther, and their son were living at Broad Street Place, Broad Street, Nottingham. His occupation was plate layer. He joined at Newcastle on 24 August and was posted on 5 September to 166th Battery RH&FA (85082 Gunner). James transferred units several times but on 1 May 1915 was posted to 9th Division Ammunition Column RFA and embarked at Southampton on 12 May 1915 and disembarked at Le Havre on 13 May. He had leave to England 22 January 1917-1 February 1917 but was taken ill in England at the end of his leave period and was admitted to the Military Hospital, Carrington, on 2 February. James was discharged and rejoined his unit in the field on 12 February 1917. He next had 14 days home leave from 18 February 1918-4 March 1918 and then from 8 February 1919-22 February 1919. He foreited 17 days pay and was awarded 14 days Field Punishment No. 2 for overstaying leave from 0800 23 February to 0800 12 March 1919. Service: Home to 11 May 1915 (261d). BEF France 12 May 1915.-17 April 1919 (3y 341d). Home 18 April 1919. He transferred to Class Z Army Reserve, 17 May 1919, at Woolwich, and was discharged on demobilization. Home address, 16 Milk Street, off Glasshouse Street, Nottingham. James and his wife had two daughters after he enlisted, Polly, who died from 'infantile diarrhoea and exhaustion' aged 12 months on 27 September 1915 (address 6 Castle Court, Howard Street), and Nellie born October 1917.
CWGC Additional information, Thomas Henry Hopewell: Youngest son of Arthur and Mary Hopewell, of 53, Wicklow St., King's Cross, London. Native of Nottingham.
Registers of Soldiers' Effects: His mother Mary was his sole legatee.
WW1 Pension Ledgers: A Hopewell, 53 Wicklow Street, King's Cross. Pension awarded in respect of son with effect from 27 November 1918.
Registers of Soldiers' Effects: His mother Mary was his legatee.
Long Eaton Advertiser & Ilkeston & Erewash Weekly News, 21 April 1890 ‘Deaths. Hopewell April 10th at Gas Street Stapleford, Alfred Hopewell aged 1 month.' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Additional Research by David Nunn. Additional information RF (Aug. 2025).
Photo of Thomas Henry Hopewell
Pont-D'Achelles Military Cemetery, Nieppe, France courtesy of the cwgc