ADDENDUM TO “OTHER
HOPPES IMMIGRANTS”
Hoppes Generations publication, Other Hoppes Immigrants, relied on information from ship list records and Federal census data. Another important source, military service rolls and pension files, revealed that there was another Hoppes immigrant, John Hoppes, whose father had been born in England. This addendum provides information about this family, which is not related to the brothers Georg and Michael Happes.
JOHN HOPPES
A. MILITARY SERVICE SUMMARY
John Hoppes, a son of John Hoppes and Mary Ann Kelly, was born on July 26, 1846 in Quebec, Canada. On September 3, 1862, he enlisted for a term of three years at Buffalo, NY and was mustered into Company C, 116 Regiment NY Infantry the same day (Ref. #1). A Company Muster Roll for the period September 3 to November 1, 1862 indicates that he was “Reduced to the ranks from Corporal, Sept 15, 1862”. Subsequent Company Muster Rolls indicate, however, that he was promoted to Corporal on January 24, 1863, to Sergeant on September 14, 1863, and to 1st Sergeant on September 1, 1864. His Company’s Descriptive Book indicates that he was a carpenter when he enlisted at age 18, of fair complexion with blue eyes and light complexion, that he stood 5 feet, eight inches tall, and that he had been born in Canada. Another Company roll states that on November 24, 1863 he was sent to Baton Rouge and that since January 27, 1862 he was absent with leave. He was discharged from service on June 8, 1865 at Washington, DC.
B. PENSION FILE INFORMATION
John Hoppes began applying for an invalid pension on July 20, 1888, when he submitted a DECLARATION FOR ORIGINAL INVALID PENSION (Ref. #2) before the clerk of the County Court in the Providence of Ontario, Canada. He stated that he was 41 years of age; was a resident of the village of Deseronto, Ontario, Canada; had enrolled in Company C, 116 NY State Volunteers commanded by Captain David W. Tuttle on July 28, 1862; was honorably discharged on June 8, 1865 at Washington, DC; and that he was 5 feet, 10 inches in height and had a fair complexion with light hair and blue eyes. He further stated that, while in the service and line of duty at Red River in the State of Louisiana in October 1864, he contracted rheumatism caused by exposure, for which he was treated in the City of Buffalo hospital in 1865 and by Dr. Newton of Deseronto in 1885. In the final portion of his declaration, John Hoppes reported that he was a ship carpenter prior to entering the service and that since his discharge on June 8, 1865, he has resided in Buffalo, NY and Deseronto, Canada and has worked as a foreman in lumber manufacturing.
In a report to the Commissioner of Pensions dated July 15, 1889, the Adjutant General’s Office of the War Department found that the “Records of this office furnished no evidence of alleged rheumatism”.
Nevertheless, he filed another “Claimant’s Affidavit” for a Civil War Pension in March 1891 while he still was residing in Deseronto, Canada. On this occasion, he claimed:
That I did contract Rheumatism while in the United States service at or near Baton Rouge LA in 1893 and the part so effected was swollen & painful and again while on the Red River Campaign in 1864. I was under the Doctors care and was laid off with Rheumatism in left shoulder, the same being very painful, and the shoulder swollen & I further say that Rheumatism was contracted by exposure while doing my duty and a member of the above Company 7 Regt.
By the time the Bureau of
Pensions mailed John Hoppes their five-part questionnaire dated January 15, 1898, they had
granted him a pension under Certificate No. 853,878. His responses dated June 4,
1898, were as follows:
No. 1.
Are you married? If so, please state your
wife’s full name, and her maiden name. Answer:
Maggie Hoppes Maggie Murphy
No. 2. When, where, and by whom were you married? Answer: in Buffalo by the Rev. Story Dec 31,1866
On May 18, 1912, John Hoppes filed another DECLARATION FOR PENSION from
his latest residence in Buffalo, NY to obtain the increased benefits available under the
Pension Act of May 11, 1912. In his
application, he stated that his “places of residence since leaving the service have
been as follows: Buffalo, Deseronto, Ont., Warners, NY, and Castalio, OH”. Then, on March 20, 1915, he provided the following
answers to the Bureau of Pensions questionnaire dated January 2, 1915:
No. 1. Date and
place of birth? Answer. July 26, 1846 at Quebec
The name of organizations in which you served? Answer.
116th N.Y.S. Vols. Inf. Co. C.
No. 2. What was your post office
at enlistment? Answer. Buffalo N.Y.
No. 3. State your wife’s full name and her
maiden name. Answer. Margaret Murphy
Hoppes.
No. 5. Is there any official
or church record of your marriage? Answer.
There should be.
If so, where?
Answer. At St. Bridgetts
Church cor Fulton & Lou. Sts.
No. 8.
Are you now living with your wife, or has there been a separation? Answer. Living
with my Wife and have been since Dec 31st, 1866.
No. 9.State the names and dates of birth of all your children, living and dead. Answer. Jos. H. Hoppes Born Dec. 21, 1868. John F. Hoppes Born April 8, 1871. Mary E. Hoppes Born Aug. 5th,1872. James A. Hoppes Born Sept. 29, 1874. William S. Hoppes Born Aug. 5, 1876. Ida E. Hoppes Born Aug. 29, 1878.
On August 20, 1918, Margaret Hoppes filed a “Declaration for Original Pension of a Widow - - Child or Children under 19 Years of Age Surviving”. At this time she was 72 years of age, a resident of 428 Normal Ave., Buffalo, Erie County, NY, and a widow since August 3, 1918 when her husband John Hoppes died. Two days later, on August 22, 1918, Reverend Daniel O’Brien, Rector of St. Brigid’s Church, Louisiana Street, Buffalo, NY, sent a letter to the Pension Office, which stated that “This is to certify that according to the records of St. Brigid’s Church, John – son of John Hopps and Mary Ann Kelly and Margaret – daughter of Joseph Murphy and Elizabeth E. Cingden, were united in marriage at St. Brigid’s Church – Dec. 31st, 1866. The witnesses were Margaret Layhart and Owen Chilcott. The Rev. J. Stewart officiated”. His NY State death certificate stated that John Hoppes was a millwright by trade, that he died of myocarditis on August 3, 1918 and was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo on August 6, 1918. The name and birthplace of John Hoppes’ father, was John Hoppes born in England.
Margaret Hoppes, widow of John Hoppes, died on February 13, 1920 while living at 428 Normal Avenue Buffalo, NY. At this time, she was receiving a pension of $25 per month under Certificate No. WC 857-124.
Denise Kern provided me with the
following data from the Canadian Census of 1900 for Joseph Hoppes, the oldest son of John
Hoppes born in Quebec on July 26, 1846:
HOPPES,
Joseph; Record ID: 130952
Sex: Male; Colour: W[hite]
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Status: Married
Birthdate: 21 December 1868 Age; Last Birthday: 32
Birthplace: United States
Year of Immigration to Canada: not given
Racial Origin: English; Nationality: Canadian
Religion: Church of England [Anglican]
Profession: Electrician; worked 12 months for $600 earnings
Literacy: Can read, write and speak English; Mother Tongue:
English
Others Listed: wife Kittie (age 32); son John J. (6)
Address: Part lot 43, Block H.
Source: National Archives of Canada
Fourth Census of Canada – 1901; Province: Ontario
District No.: 70 - Hastings County East; Sub District
No.: A - Deseronto Town
Division No.: 5; Page: 8; Line: 34;
Reel: T-6472
HOPPES, Kittie
Sex: Female; Colour:
W[hite]
Relationship to Head of Household: Wife
Status: Married
Birthdate: 15 September 1868; Age Last Birthday: 32
Birthplace: United States
Year of Immigration to Canada: not given
Racial Origin: English; Nationality: Canadian
Religion: Church of England [Anglican]
Profession: not given
Literacy: Can read, write and speak English; Mother Tongue:
English
Others Listed: husband Joseph (age 32); son John J. (6)
Address: Part lot 43, Block H.
Source: National Archives of Canada
Fourth Census of Canada – 1901; Province: Ontario
District No.: 70 - Hastings County East; Sub District
No.: A - Deseronto Town
Division No.: 5; Page: 8; Line: 35;
Reel: T-6472
Harry Hoppes
September 2002