Thomas Hopkirk

Thomas Hopkirk (1785–1841) was a Scottish botanist and lithographer.

He was descended from a gentry family who came from Hopekirk, near Hawick, by way of Dalkeith in Midlothian, to Dalbeth in Glasgow . His grandfather, also Thomas (1716–1781 ) had been a wealthy Glasgow merchant - a “Tobacco Lord” or “Virginia Don” - who had diversified into coal mining, brewing and banking. He had lived originally in a tenement in the High Street of Glasgow, called “Hopkirk’s Land”. David Dale rented the shop premises on the ground floor, where he operated as the first Glasgow agent of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Thomas then moved to a fine house at the corner of Argyle Street and Dunlop Street, which became the Buck’s Head Hotel. (This was demolished in 1865; the later department store still displays the Buck on its roof.)

In 1754, Thomas senior bought the lands of Dalbeth, which then included “Wester Dalbeth” (now Westthorn and Belvidere) and the “Newlands of Dalbeth” (now Newlands). As well as exploiting the coals of that area, he occupied a mansion house, described in Queen Anne’s time as “ a pleasant and convenient seat”. Thomas Senior's son, James Hopkirk, ( 1739–1835 ) was also a successful Glasgow merchant (Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in 1808. He wrote A Statistical Account of the Barony Parish of Glasgow when he was in his 76th year. This contains many fine line drawings of locations in Glasgow, some the only ones surviving. However he did not publish this. He developed the coal seams at Dalbeth and formed many lucrative partnerships, especially with Robert Finlay. In 1809 he replaced his father's building with a substantial house and it was here that Thomas Hopkirk, the botanist and lithographer, was born on 4 July 1785 . His mother, Christian Glassford, was the daughter of another famous Glasgow merchant, after whom “Glassford Street” is named. James was granted a Coat of Arms by the Lord Lyon King of Arms in 1815 and was recognised as the Chief of the name of Hopkirks in Scotland. The motto on the arms was “SPERO PROCEDERE” (that is, “ I hope to progress”).

...
Wikipedia