Thomas Hopkirk

Thomas Hopkirk ( 1745 - 1841 ) was a Scottish botanist and lithographer.

The Hopkirks

He was descended from a gentry family who came from Hawick by way of Dalkeith in Midlothian to Dalbeth in Glasgow . His grandfather, also Thomas (1716 - 1781 ) had been a wealthy Glasgow merchant - a “Tobacco Lord” or “Virginia Don” - who had diversified into coal mining, brewing and banking. He had lived originally in a tenement in the High Street of Glasgow , called “Hopkirk’s Land”. David Dale rented the shop premises on the ground floor, where he operated as the first Glasgow agent of the Royal Bank of Scotland. He then moved to a fine house at the corner of Argyle Street and Dunlop Street, which became the Buck’s Head Hotel. (This was demolished in 1865; the later department store still displays the Buck on its roof.)

In 1754, Thomas senior bought the lands of Dalbeth , which then included “Wester Dalbeth” (now Westthorn and Belvidere) and the “Newlands of Dalbeth” (now Newlands). As well as exploiting the coals of that area, he occupied a mansion house, described in Queen Anne’s time as “ a pleasant seat”. His son James Hopkirk, ( 1739 - 1835 ) replaced this with a substantial house and it was here that Thomas Hopkirk, the botanist and lithographer, was born in 1785 . His mother, Christian Glassford, was the daughter of another famous Glasgow merchant, after whom “Glassford Street” is named. James was granted a Coat of Arms by the Lord Lyon King of Arms in 1815 and was recognised as the Chief of the family of Hopkirks in Scotland. The motto on the arms was “SPERO PROCEDERE” (that is, “ I hope to progress”).

Education and first publication

After schooling in Glasgow, Thomas enrolled in Glasgow University in 1800. In 1813 he published perhaps the first flora in Britain - Flora Glottiana: a catalogue of the indigenous plants on the banks of the River Clyde, and in the neighbourhood of the City of Glasgow. He had an extensive collection in his garden in Dalbeth , of which he published a full list.

Royal Botanic Society of Glasgow

In 1816 he joined with others to form a society, including William Hooker , Professor of Botany at Glasgow University , with the intention of displaying botanical specimens, including his Dalbeth collection. About eight acres of land were laid out in 1817 at Sandyford, near Sauchiehall Street. In 1817 , the Royal Botanic Society of Glasgow was formed by Royal Charter . As the City expanded westwards, the gardens had to move and in 1842 , they were opened by the banks of the River Kelvin in the west-end of the city, where they remain to this day.

Flora Anomoia and Darwin

In 1817 he published Flora Anomoia - a general view of the anomalies in the vegetable kingdom', describing "the anomalies which take place amongst vegetables". It lists the variations under Anomalies of the Root, Stem and Branches, Leaf, and Flower. He notes such unusual developments as an oblong turnip, the different kinds of Holly leaf, a bluebell with twenty stamens, and so on. Lithographic illustrations were by James Hardie'.

He corresponded with Charles Darwin , who quoted from Hopkins publications in his “The variation of animals and plants under domestication”. (John Murray, London 1868), especially with regard to Convolvus tricolour.

Lithography

Partly as a consequence of his botanical publications, he became interested in lithography. He helped prepare the lithographic plates for The Glasow Looking Glass, of which he became editor in 1825.

Death

Glasgow University made him honorary Doctor of Laws in 1835. He moved to Ireland, where he died in Belfast on the 24th of August 1841 and is buried there in Clifton Cemetery.

Bibliography

• Dictionary of National Biography • Turner, Robert. 'Thomas Hopkirk of Dalbeth: a sketch of his life and botanical work.' Transactions of the Natural History Society of Glasgow. 27 January 1885; • Mackenzie, Peter. Old Reminiscences of Glasgow. Glasgow, 1890 ii, 33