Did Thomas Hopkinson born 1842 and William Hopkinson born 1859 emigrate to USA?

Question

I have been told two of my grandfather's uncles were train drivers living in Blue Island, Cook County, Illinois USA. My g.grandmother's maiden name was Hopkinson and I think sister to William and Thomas.

Answer 1

William Hopkinson

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger List Index Cards

Name	William Hopkinson
Event Type	Immigration
Event Date	1912
Event Place	Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Gender	Male
Age	53
Birthplace	England
Ship Name	Dominion
Birth Year (Estimated)	1859

Image information is not available. Please try again later.

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger List Index Cards, 1883-1948

Affiliate Publication Title	Index (Soundex) Cards, Ship Arrivals at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jan. 1, 1883-June28, 1948
Affiliate Publication Number	T526
Affiliate Film Number	20
GS Film number	1380276
Digital Folder Number	004759399
Image Number	09313

Citing this Record

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger List Index Cards, 1883-1948," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KFDQ-1FP : 12 December 2014), William Hopkinson, 1912; citing Immigration, NARA microfilm publication T526 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,380,276.

Answer 2

Death Record for a William Hopkinson in Cook County, born in England about 1858

1880 Census for Thomas Hopkinson Lake Cook, Illinois Occupation: Engineer

Answer 3

Hello -

I might have some information for you on this.  Can you tell me who in the Hopkinson family you are related to?  What is the name of your great grandmother?

Thanks

Comments

My mother told me her grandfather's bride was from Hopkinson family and two uncles (uncles of her father?) went to the US and lived at Blue Island. She said they were train drivers. In US train drivers were known as Engineers, I think. My brother has investigated and is certain our g.grandparents were John Yorke and Elizabeth Hopkinson married in Sheffield. My brother says John Yorke was a bricklayer which would fit with the information I received from my mother that he built the bridges on the Great North railway. We have looked at Cook County records and we think the uncles she mentioned were Thomas and William Hopkinson, but one of them appears to have died in his early twenties which my mother never told us. Any other information would be very welcome.

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Hello.  Thomas and William Hopkinson did indeed come to live in Blue Island, Illinois which is a south suburb of Chicago. Thomas worked for the Rock Island Railroad as an engineer.  William was a carpenter but died very young of typhoid fever during the epidemic in the 1880's.  Thomas married Elizabeth Merkelbach of German ancestry.  Many family items have been passed down including William's carpentry tool box, family photos, including those of Thomas, William's, and Elizabeth's parents - John and Eliza Hopkinson, and a bible with a hand written note from Elizabeth to her dear brother William.

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K., thank you for the information which confirms the line of research of my brother and myself. I presume William did not have any children, and I see, from the 1880 census entry, that Thomas had a son, Arthur. Did Thomas have any other children? Also I was wondering if either of the brothers had any involvement in politics? According to my mother, one of the brothers who went to America was involved in U.S. elections, but I do not know how much of what she told me was actually true. It is interesting that you have a picture of John and Eliza. I myself have a picture of John York(e) and his wife and children (It is only recently that I found out that his wife's name was Elizabeth York(e) nee Hopkinson. They had 5 children - 3 boys and 2 girls). It seems as if John Hopkinson and Eliza Hopkinson nee Doncaster had 9 children (maybe more?) My brother has been looking at census records for the 9 children. It was when we could not find any for Thomas and William in the census records that we first began to suspect that they were the uncles our Mum told us went to America. I was wondering what made Thomas and William decide to go to America? Were they more adventurous than other members of the family or were they joining other relatives who were already over there? Do you know anything about the other 6 (i.e. excluding Elizabeth, Thomas and William)?

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Florence - is there a way I can send you a private message?

K