Sir Richard Hopkins (c.1612 – 16 July 1682) was an English politician who sat in the
House of Commons in 1660.
Hopkins was the son of
Sampson Hopkins
Sampson Hopkins (died 1622) was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1622.
Hopkins was the son of Sir Richard Hopkins of Coventry. He was a draper of Coventry and a puritan. In 1605 he sheltered Prin ...
, mayor and MP for Coventry, and his wife Jane. He was called to the bar and became serjeant-at-law. He became steward of
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
.
[John Burke ''A genealogical and heraldic history of the commoners of Great Britain, Volume 4'']
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In March 1660, Hopkins was elected Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
in the Convention Parliament but the election was declared void on 31 July 1660. However he was returned again at the by-election in August.[ History of Parliament Online - Richard Hopkins]
/ref> He was an active supporter of the Restoration and led a deputation from Coventry to London with presents for the King. He was later knighted. However he lost his seat at Coventry in the 1661 election. ''The City of Coventry: Parliamentary representation'', A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick (1969), pp. 248-255. Date accessed: 8 March 2011
/ref>
Hopkins married Sarah Button, daughter of John Button of Buckland, Hampshire, and granddaughter of William Jesson
William Jesson (1580 – 1651) was an English dyer and politician who was active in local government in Coventry and sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1648.
Jesson was the son of Richard Jesson of Coventry and his wife Elizabeth Hill. ...
who was also MP for Coventry. Their son Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...
was later MP for Coventry.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, Richard
1612 births
1682 deaths
English MPs 1660
Politicians from Coventry
Serjeants-at-law (England)
Year of birth uncertain
Mayors of Coventry
Members of Parliament for Coventry