John Henry Hopkins (January 30, 1792 – January 9, 1868) was the first bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Vermont and the eighth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He was also an artist (in both watercolor and oils), a lawyer, an ironmonger, a musician and composer, a theologian, and an architect who introduced Gothic architecture into the United States.Rights: John Henry Hopkins.James Grant Wilson and John Fiske, Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography, Volume 3 (D. Appleton, 1887), 255.
Early life and education John Henry Hopkins was a descendant of the Hopkins family of England that was conspicuous in the reign of Richard II of England in the fourteenth century. In the reign of William III of England in the seventeenth century Isaac Hopkins was granted an estate in Ireland, where he married Mary Fitzgerald. From them the line of descent runs through the eldest son in two succeeding generations to Thomas Hopkins, who became a merchant in Dublin, Ireland, "dealing both in flour and linen." In April 1791 he married Elizabeth Fitzakerly, "a highly accomplished young bride of sixteen." John's mother was "a skilled musician," an artist with brush and pencil, and a reader of the best literature. Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church: VOL. VI June, 1937 No. 2. John Henry Hopkins, III, "John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont," page 187, says that John's mother was eighteen.
On January 30, 1792, John Henry Hopkins was born in Dublin, the son of Thomas and his wife Elizabeth. He was their only child.Who Was Who in America. Historical Volume 1607-1896. (Chicago, Marquis, 1967). 259.Hiram Carleton, Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 1 (Lewis Publishing Company, 1903), 98.John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 22.
After John was weaned he was sent to Athlone in Ireland to live with his paternal grandmother for several years. She instilled in her grandson the "lesson of daily private prayer," which he kept up the rest of his life. She also taught him to read the Bible, which he also continued the rest of his life.
After he returned to his parents, John's mother was his teacher. Before he was eight years old "he had read Shakespeare, Dryden, and Pope, besides any quantity of tales and romances." He was proficient in music, in French, and in drawing.John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 24.
Moving to Philadelphia In 1801 the family emigrated from Dublin to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The passage across the Atlantic Ocean was "very long and stormy." At times everyone on board feared "total shipwreck." The little John "knelt down and prayed to God to deliver them out of their danger." A sailor saw him praying and told the captain, saying "the ship was safe" because "such a little angel was on board."John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 25.
Neither parent was religious, but both valued education: Elizabeth Hopkins established a school for girls in Trenton, New Jersey, while continuing her son's education at home. That "education was the leading labor of her life" and "her chief joy." Eventually she sent her son to a Baptist school for boys in Bordentown, to prepare for Princeton University.John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 23-27.
During Hopkins's school days Greek and Latin were favorite studies, and he made use of them in his later study of Patristics. His religious education was almost totally neglected. In his late teens, Hopkins read books by critics of Christianity, including Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason, Comte de Volney, David Hume, Victor de Riqueti, marquis de Mirabeau, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Additionally, he read Christian apologetics, such as Bishop Watson's Answer to Paine,Bishop Watson's Answer to Paine William Paley's writings, and Charles Leslie's Short and Easy Method with the Deists.Charles Leslie's Short and Easy Method with the Deists These writings convinced him that the balance of probabilities lay heavily with the Christian believers. Thus Hopkins adopted and "stoutly maintained" a Christian faith. However, there was no evidence that he would ever feel called to the ministry. Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church: VOL. VI June, 1937 No. 2 John Henry Hopkins, III. "John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont.", 190
In his late teens Hopkins was one of the best violinists in Philadelphia and belonged to the best amateur orchestra in the city. He also learned to play the cello so that the orchestra, which was well supplied with violins, should have at least one cellist. For some years he was the only solo cellist in Philadelphia. Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church: VOL. VI June, 1937 No. 2 John Henry Hopkins, III. "John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont.", 189 In addition to music, Hopkins was skilled with his "brush and pencil."
Although they brought up their son in "an atmosphere of culture and refinement," Hopkins's parents did not connect themselves with a church until after their son was ordained.Hiram Carleton, Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 1 (Lewis Publishing Company, 1903), 98.
Early careers Hopkins had four careers before he was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church: working in a counting room, doing art work, working as an ironmaster, and practicing as a lawyer.
Counting-room Hopkins's first career was working in a counting room.John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 29. However, he did not like this work.
Artist The young scholar found "a more congenial occupation in coloring the plates for the first volume of Alexander Wilson's Birds of America."
Ironmaster At age sixteen, influenced by his Scottish friends, Hopkins decided to become an ironmaster. He spent the next three years studying books about foundry work, chemistry, and kindred subjects. He also worked for ironmasters in New Jersey and in Philadelphia. Westward expansion and the Embargo Act increased demand for American-made iron, and Hopkins, at the age of twenty-one, moved west to manage the ironworks at Bassenheim, Butler County, near Zelienople, at a salary of $1,000 a year. There he superintended the building and management of a smelting furnace. However, two years of hard and disappointing work convinced him he was not suited for the job.John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 35. and HisMag:190 Hopkins then went into partnership with James O'Hara of Pittsburgh, an Irish immigrant who became the wealthiest man in Pittsburgh. Peace with England in 1815 seriously curtailed the iron business, and the partnership failed. O'Hara initially paid all the indebtedness, but over the years Hopkins repaid his half to O'Hara.James Grant Wilson and John Fiske, Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography, Volume 3 (D. Appleton, 1887), 254.
Lawyer After the iron business failed, Hopkins and his wife moved to Pittsburgh, where he taught drawing and painting and his wife taught music. A trip to Greensburg to be a witness in a lawsuit revived Hopkins's interest in becoming a lawyer. In 1816 he borrowed Blackstone's Commentaries and other books from a Greensburg lawyer and studied them. He completed his studies in Pittsburgh, where he was admitted to the bar in April 1819. His law practice was soon the largest in Pittsburgh. Hopkins continued to practice until he gave it up in order to be ordained.John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 49-51. Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church: VOL. VI June, 1937 No. 2 John Henry Hopkins, III. "John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont," 191-192
Marriage Hopkins did not encounter a girl who "enlisted his affections" until he met Melusina Mueller, a daughter of Casper Otto Mueller. Mueller had been a wealthy merchant in Hamburg, Germany until the upheavals caused by the Napoleonic wars caused him and his family to flee to America. They embarked on the last ship that left Hamburg before the great embargo, and landed in Baltimore, Maryland.John Henry Hopkins, III. (1935). "The Rev. John Henry Hopkins, Jr." Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church Vol. 4, No. 4 (December, 1935), pp. 267-280. Page 267.
On October 28, 1814, the Casper Mueller family, which included Melusina, began a three-week journey from Baltimore to Harmony in Western Pennsylvania, where they built a log house. On the way they met Hopkins. After a brief conversation Hopkins said that he would "call on the ladies." He kept his word, and his courtship of Melusina began.John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 41-42. The couple's shared appreciation of "music, art, and culture" brought them together.Biography of Right Rev. John H. Hopkins.
On May 8, 1816, in Harmony, a Lutheran pastor, Johann C.G. Schweitzerbarth, united Hopkins and Melusina Mueller (1795–1884) in marriage, with family and a few friends in attendance. Hopkins is attributed to the gothic design of St. Paul Lutheran church in neighboring Zelienople, Pa. The Mueller family were founding members of this church. Hopkins brought Melusina and her sister Amelia back to Hermitage Furnace. Amelia Mueller lived with them and helped raise the children.Biography of John Henry HopkinsJohn Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 46-47.Hiram Carleton, Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 1 (Lewis Publishing Company, 1903), 99. The house in which the Hopkinses began their married life was "a log cabin of the better sort." There was a hall in the middle with a large room on either side and some smaller rooms to the rear, as well as an unfinished attic that Hopkins used as his workroom.John Henry Hopkins, Jr. (One of His Sons), The Life of the Late Right Reverend John Henry Hopkins, First Bishop of Vermont, and Seventh Presiding Bishop. (F. J. Huntington and Co., 1873), 47.