Henry HOPKINS

HOPKINS, HENRY (b. Deptford, England, 16 Aug 1787; d. Hobart, Tas, 27 Sept 1870) Businessman, philanthropist, Congregationalist.

Of a non-conformist merchant family, as a young man Hopkins entered the English wood trade. In 1822 he emigrated with modest capital to VDL, and by the 1840s had amassed considerable wealth, yet always remained plain in speech and dress. He was described as 'a shrewd, far-seeing man of business, quick to turn an occasion to account'. An obituarist remarked that '[Hopkins'] love of method was excessive, and his punctuality was precise to a fault. He could never understand the nature of men to whom a rigid rule of life and work meant misery'. An Independent by preferences in 1828 he offered financial assistance to bring an English Independent minister to Hobart. the Rev Frederick Miller, who arrived in 1830, ministered to the first permanent Independent congregation in the Australian colonies. Hopkins became a Congregational Maecenas: he gave £6000 to the LMS, and contributed extensively to Australian church building. He also made large donations to the CMS, Bible societies and other Protestant denominations. For many years he was a Sunday school superintendent. He enjoyed the company of clergy, but laid no claim to scholarly culture. Tending to avoid public testimony, his chief religious statements were his gifts and works. Theologically, he was Arminian rather than Calvinist. In politics he was a firm liberal and. anti-transportationist. His wife Sarah (née Rout) mostly confined religious works to the family circle; but after her death in 1849 the publication of her religious 'Memoranda', recounting 32 years of reflection and struggle since 'a poor sinful worm like me 'received' sure hope' of inheriting 'eternal glory', displayed acute sensibility. The 'Memoranda' form an elegant and remarkable expression of evangelical spirituality.

ADB 1; The Victorian Independent, 5 Nov 1870; G Clarke, The Need of Man and the Help of Christ (Hobart, 1870); J West, The Hope of Life External (Launceston, 1850)

RICHARD ELY