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Thread: Hopcraft:

  1. #1
    indigo
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    Smile Hopcraft:

    I am looking for information about the antecedents of George Hopcraft...born 1821 in Nottingham...he was a lace maker and I think a methodist. He had two children..Arthur, born 1870, and Sarah, born in 1864. I believe they left for Canada in approx. 1881, when arthur was 11 years old.

    Does anyone have any information on this family...?? George was a widower when they left England...I have no idea who his wife was, or if he remarried or whatever.

    Antecedents/Descendents...anyone out there with any information? Would sure be appreciated...this is a tough one for me.
    Thanks..
    Indigo

  2. #2
    Rod Neep
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    I think that you may have a bit of a mix up of basic information here, and something doesn't sound at all right.

    This is a rare name, and should be fairly easy to research, as long as you don't necessarily rely on information that you have gathered being 100% correct.

    The problem needs to be pieced together gradually, preferably starting as late as possible. Looking at the year for his birth that you have, and a child born when he was 50 also looks a littrle strange, but not impossible. It could be in fact that he had married twice. And indeed... I have the feeling, looking that the records, that he might have actually been born in 1814.

    The Nottinghamshire 1841 census does indeed show a George HOPCRAFT as a lace maker (856/5-16) .... and I strongly believe that this is your man....
    Last edited by Rod Neep; 18-06-2005 at 1:55 PM.

  3. #3
    Rod Neep
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    North Gate, Basford (HO107 /856/5-16)

    George 25 Lace Maker (Not born in county)
    Sarah 25
    Elizabeth 8
    Isaac 6
    George 3
    Mary 1
    Mary JOHNSON 60 Independent (Not born in county)

    (relationships are not shown in the 1841 census)
    Last edited by Rod Neep; 18-06-2005 at 2:00 PM.

  4. #4
    Rod Neep
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    At the other end of the time scale, in the 1881 census, we see:

    George HOPCROFT Head W Male 60 Nottingham, England Lace Maker
    Mary FRANCIS Niece W Female 49 Sneinton, Nottingham, England Nurse
    Mary J. FRANCIS Niece U Female 18 Nottingham, England Cigar Maker
    Joseph T. FRANCIS Nephew Male 14 Nottingham, England Needle Maker


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Source Information:
    Dwelling 16 Walker Terrace
    Census Place Nottingham St Mary, Nottingham, England
    Family History Library Film 1341803
    Public Records Office Reference RG11
    Piece / Folio 3363 / 127
    Page Number 47

    (from the LDS 1881 census on line)

    And I think that this is the same man, despite the apparent difference in age from the 1841 census)

  5. #5
    Rod Neep
    Guest

    Default

    It may seem strange to you that I appear to be going off on a tangent here, but I am going to try to do some lateral thinking, and establsh relationships. Because they will come in useful for verification purposes later. Those younger people in that 1881 census are nephew and niece to George (and there is an anomoly of an older one being "niece" too... which at this stage is hard to understand).

    Let's look at some facts:

    Baptism register. St. Patrick's RC (Roman Catholic) Nottingham. 2 Feb 1868
    All children of William FRANCIS and Mary DOWNSNUT
    William Henry (born 29 Oct 1864)
    Joseph (born 18 Nov 1867)
    Mary Jane (born 5 Mar 1863)

    Two of those are definitely the youngsters shown in that 1881 census.
    Last edited by Rod Neep; 18-06-2005 at 2:38 PM.

  6. #6
    Rod Neep
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    Ah! The older Mary FRANCIS in the 1881 census is Mary DOWNSNUT !

    And George must be related to her somehow.

    Frankly, it is impossible (if "niece" is to be taken literally) for Mary FRANCIS (nee DOWNSNUT) and her children both to be "niece" of George.

    We are going to have to assume (for the moment) that Mary FRANCIS (DOWNSNUT) is his niece.

    That means that a brother or sister of George had a daughter named Mary (DOWNSNUT). (To make things difficult, that could be her first married name)

  7. #7
    Rod Neep
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    We need to find the baptism of YOUR George, and see who his brothers and sisters were:

    These Baptisms, at St. Mary's, Nottingham are the ONLY ones that fit for a George HOPCRAFT .... and important for your research, note how HOPCRAFT and HOPCROFT are interchangeable!

    08 Apr 1812 Sarah d. of Benjamin HOPCROFT & Mary
    01 Oct 1814 George s. of Benjamin HOPCRAFT & Mary Barker Gate Framework Knitter
    22 Dec 1816 William Henry s. of Benjamin HOPCRAFT & Mary Parliament St Lace Manufacturer

    I am 90% convinced that this is the baptism of your George !
    There are just no others that fit!

  8. #8
    Rod Neep
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    As you will probably gather... I am doing this on the fly....

    Benjamin HOPCRAFT & Mary PEARSON were married at Nottingham St. Mary's church on 19 December 1810

  9. #9
    Rod Neep
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    Default

    Remember that George HOPCRAFT & Sarah (higher up in this thread) in the 1841 census?

    This is their marriage:
    George HOPCRAFT & Sarah JOHNSON
    25 December 1832 at St. Mary the Virgin church, East Leake, Nottinghamshire.

  10. #10
    Rod Neep
    Guest

    Default

    Yes... see that old lady (age 60+) Mary JOHNSON living with them in the 1841 census? That's almost certainly Sarah's mother.

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