Memorial to Maj Gen Andrew Hay at St Paul's Cathedral

Humphrey Hopper (1767–1844) was an English sculptor and stonemason. He was given the government commission for the memorial in St Paul's Cathedral to General Andrew Hay.

Life

He was born in

Wolsingham Wolsingham is a market town in Weardale, County Durham, England. It is situated by the River Wear, between Crook and Stanhope. History Wolsingham sits at the confluence of the River Wear and Waskerley Beck. It is a small settlement and one ...

in County Durham in 1765 the son of Humprey and Margaret Hopper. He moved to 55 Paddington Street in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1799. Hopper studied in the

Royal Academy Schools The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

during his thirties, from 1801, already having exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1799. He gained the siver medal there in 1802 and the gold medal there in 1803, for an original group of ''The Death of

Meleager In Greek mythology, Meleager (, grc-gre, Μελέαγρος, Meléagros) was a hero venerated in his ''temenos'' at Calydon in Aetolia. He was already famed as the host of the Calydonian boar hunt in the epic tradition that was reworked by Ho ...

''. In 1807 Hay was a competitor for the Pitt and

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

memorials in the London Guildhall. He developed a line of plaster figures designed to hold lamps, working with architects who designed

niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

s for them, such as

Lewis Wyatt Lewis William Wyatt (1777–1853) was a British architect, a nephew of both Samuel and James Wyatt of the Wyatt family of architects, who articled with each of his uncles and began practice on his own about 1805. Lewis Wyatt is known primarily ...

. He lived in the

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it me ...

area of London, settling in

Wigmore Street Wigmore Street is a street in the City of Westminster, in the West End of London. The street runs for about 600 yards parallel and to the north of Oxford Street between Portman Square to the west and Cavendish Square to the east. It is named aft ...

. Hopper died on 27 May 1844 at 13 Wigmore Street, off

Cavendish Square Cavendish Square is a public garden square in Marylebone in the West End of London. It has a double-helix underground commercial car park. Its northern road forms ends of four streets: of Wigmore Street that runs to Portman Square in the much la ...

in Marylebone, London. He is buried in

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederick ...

Works

Hopper executed some classical figures, but in later life concentrated on work as a monumental mason, including memorial busts. and monuments. Monuments included those to: * Lady Tynte (1800) at Addington, Buckinghamshire * General Andrew Hay (1814) in St Paul's Cathedral * Josiah Spode II (1827) in Stoke-on-Trent Parish Church *

Sir William Curtis, 1st Baronet Sir William Curtis, Bt. (25 January 1752 – 18 January 1829) was an English businessman, banker and politician. Although he had a long political and business career (the two significantly intertwined), he was probably best known for the banq ...

(1829) in Ramsgate in Kent * Admiral

Eliab Harvey Admiral Sir Eliab Harvey (5 December 1758 – 20 February 1830) was an eccentric and hot-tempered officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars who was as distinguished for his gambling and dueling as for ...

(1830) in Hempsted, Essex *

John Henry North John Henry North (c. 1788 – 29 September 1831) was an Irish barrister, judge and Canningite Tory Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom Parliament. Early life The son of Richard North and Lucinda North (née Gouldsbury) of Tyrrellspa ...

(1831) in Harrow Parish Church * Robert Hooper (1835) in

Shoreham-by-Sea Shoreham-by-Sea (often shortened to Shoreham) is a coastal town and port in West Sussex, England. The town is bordered to its north by the South Downs, to its west by the Adur Valley and to its south by the River Adur and Shoreham Beach on th ...

* Admiral

Richard Spry Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Spry (1715– 25 November 1775) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, North American Station. Naval career After an education at Truro Grammar School Spry joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in ...

(1835) in St anthony's on

Roseland, Cornwall The Roseland Peninsula, or just Roseland, ( kw, Ros, meaning ''promontory'') is a district of west Cornwall, England. Roseland is located in the south of the county and contains the town of St Mawes and villages such as St Just and Gerrans. ...

* Sir William Coles Medlycott, 1st Baronet (1835) in

Milborne Port Milborne Port is a village, electoral ward and civil parish in Somerset, England, east of Sherborne, and in the South Somerset district. It has a population of 2,802. The parish includes the hamlets of Milborne Wick and Kingsbury Regis. The vil ...

* Elizabeth Tynte (1836) at

Goathurst Goathurst is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset, around 3 miles from the town of Bridgwater. The parish includes the hamlets of Andersfield and Huntstile. The village is on the route of the Samaritans Way South Wes ...

* Admiral Sir John Hood (1838)

Parish Church * Sir Frederick Grey-Cooper (1842) at

Corfe Corfe is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated below the Blackdown Hills south of Taunton in the Somerset West and Taunton district. The village has a population of 253. History The parish of Corfe was part of the Taunton ...

The public monument to Major-General Hay in St Paul's Cathedral was criticised, in particular by George Lewis Smyth (1800–1853) who objected to the nakedness of the figure of

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

poised to catch the falling Hay. From 1815 Hopper exhibited a series of busts at the Royal Academy, showing for the last time there in 1834.

Notes

External links

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopper, Humphrey 1844 deaths English stonemasons English sculptors Year of birth uncertain Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery People from Wolsingham