Yeovil's Virtual Museum

JoHN HOOPER

Esquire, of Hendford Manor

 

The Hooper family had lived in Yeovil for generations. Burke's 'General Armory' records these as the arms of Thomas Hooper of Hendford. The Hoopers were long associated with Yeovil; Stephen Hooper (d post 1452) owned property in Grope Lane (today's Wine Street) and another Stephen gave the 9th and tenor bells to St John's church in 1626. The arms were gyronny of eight ermine and azure, over all a tower argent (on a field of eight triangles of ermine and blue, a silver tower).

John Hooper was born around 1755. He was the son of Thomas Hooper and Frances née Hooper, who were married in Montacute on 23 April 1750. He had a sister Elizabeth.

Almost nothing is known of his early life, although he inherited substantial wealth and property. For example, in the 1783 will of James Hooper "... I give John Hooper Nephew of the said Jonathan Hooper three hundred pounds and to his Sister Elizabeth Tyrrel one hundred pounds... ". John Hooper's will, below, lists several properties.

In the 1790 will of Jonathan Hooper, his uncle, John was left further considerable assets in both cash and real estate.

John Hooper clearly had standing in the community, since from his marriage onwards, he is referred to as "Esquire".

On 25 September 1791, at St John's church, 35-year-old John Hooper Esq married 25-year-old Jane Parsons (1766-1823) by license. They were to have eight children, all born in Yeovil; James (1793-1849), Jane (1794-1834), Jonathan (1795-1865), William (b1799), George Edward (1800-1851), John (b1801), Matilda (1803-1824) and Elizabeth (b1806).

Hendford Manor, halfway along the eastern side of Hendford, was originally built about 1740 for Rev. James Hooper, a Yeovil solicitor. After Hooper's death in 1787 the house passed to his cousin Jonathan who died three years later, leaving the property to his nephew John Hooper. John's eldest son, the Rev. James Hooper, inherited the manor on his father's death in 1824.

In 1804, the floor of the upper room of the Charity School in the Chantry was removed and the premises rearranged and on the 18th January of the same year a subscription was entered into for the support of a master to teach the English and Latin languages and to enable him to employ an assistant to teach writing and arithmetic. Among those subscribing, John Hooper - a trustee of the Charity School - subscribed £5 5s 0d (around £500 at today's value).

John Hooper died in Yeovil in October 1824. As was his request in his will, he was "... buried in a plane and frugal manner in my family vault in Yeovil church...". His will is transcribed below.

 

A section of  Edward Bullock Watts' 1806 map of Yeovil with the Hendford Manor Coach House at centre, shaded black, and to its left is Hendford Manor itself, shaded pink and annotated as the property of John Hooper Esq.

 

 

John Hooper's home, Hendford Manor, inherited by him in 1790. This photograph shows the original town house - imagine it without the later extensions at left and right and the much later porch. Photographed in 2017.

 

The record of the 25 September 1791 marriage at St John's church, of John Hooper Esq and Jane Parsons.

 

The record of James Hooper's baptism of 26 March 1793 at St John's church. James became a clerk in Holy Orders and was Rector of both East Lydford and Kingweston. He died at East Lydford in May 1849, aged 56. He was buried there on 22 May 1849.

 

The record of Jane Hooper's baptism of 12 June 1794 at St John's church. On 13 September 1825, at St John's church, Jane married the Rev. Edward Harbin (1802-1833), grandson of Swayne Harbin of Newton Surmaville. They had four sons and two daughters. Jane died in 1834, aged 40.

 

The record of Jonathan Hooper's baptism of 24 August 1796 at St John's church. Jonathan initially trained as an attorney's clerk to James Parsons of Somerton. He became a Baptist Minister and moved to Birmingham and, later, to Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, where he died aged 69 on 22 September 1865.

 

The record of William Hooper's birth of 20 January 1799 and baptism of 22 January 1799 in St John's parish register. William Hooper became a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. On 11 November 1831, at East Harptree, Somerset, he married Elizabeth (1801-1839), the youngest daughter of Thomas Gardiner Bramston Esq. of Skreens, Essex.  William and Elizabeth lived in Harptree House. William Hooper died in 1861, aged 62, at Clutton, Somerset. William is photographed at left in his later years.

 

The record of George Edward Hooper's private baptism of 6 June 1800. A private baptism usually inferred that the infant was unwell and not expected to survive and the baptism was therefore usually held at the home. George, known as Edward, in fact, did survive and became a surgeon of Hendford. He died in late 1850 or early 1851, George Hooper's will was proved on 29th March 1851.

 

The record of John Hooper junior's baptism of 11 August 1801 at St John's church. Nothing further is known of John Jnr.

 

The record of Matilda Hooper's baptism of 13 February 1803 at St John's church.

... and the entry in St John's parish register of the 29 April 1824 burial of 21-year-old Matilda.

 

The record of Elizabeth Hooper's birth of 24 February 1806 and baptism of 27 February 1806 in St John's parish register.

 

The entry in St John's parish register of the burial of John Hooper of Hendford, on 16 October 1824.

 

 

This is the last Will and Testament of me John Hooper of Yeovil in the County of Somerset Esquire whereas in order to render my farm and lands in the said parish of Yeovil (of which I am tenant for life under the will of my late uncle Jonathan Hooper Esquire deceased with remainder to my first and other sons in tail) more convenient for occupation and more beneficial for my issue in tail I have acquired by way of exchange for part of such entailed lands all that piece of ground adjoining and added to the garden belonging to a certain dwelling house in Hendford in Yeovil aforesaid in the occupation of Mr Bethell Surgeon as my Tenant thereof One the close of Arable land called Pecking Mill containing three acres one rood and thirty-two perches now in inclosed with the lands purchased by me of John Loach Five pieces of arable land in Northover common field in Blackland furlong containing five acres two roods and nineteen perches now in one Close or taken in exchange by me of the late Samuel Daniell Esquire One piece of arable land in Hewish common field containing by estimation three roods which I had in exchange of Susanna and Samuel Kitson [3]. One close of pasture ground near Smoak acre containing by estimation four acres had in exchange of Mr William Cayme. Four pieces of arable land in Northover Common field aforesaid pad in exchange of Mr Andrew Everton. One piece of arable land added to and Inclosure on Henford Hill and two pieces of arable land in Blackland furlong in Northover Common field aforesaid pad in exchange of Mrs Mary Steele and all of that messuage or dwelling house with the garden Orchard and appurtenances thereunto belonging in Kingston (late Beachams) and which I had in exchange of Mr Samuel Watts with the appurtenances all situate lying and being in the parish of Yeovil aforesaid; and have from time to time paid laid out and expended divers sums of money (amounting in the whole to nine hundred pounds and upwards) to equalize the value of some of the said exchanges; and also in the direction of buildings and inclosing and otherwise improving such Lands; as well as in the perches of the land tax thereon assessed and on the said other messuages and Lands in Yeovil aforesaid whereof I am Tenant for life and which will devolve on my eldest son on my death. Now I do hereby give devise and confirm all and singular the said messuage lands and hereditaments in Yeovil aforesaid which I am possessed of or entitled unto under and by virtue of such exchanges and all improvements by me made thereon (discharged from the land tax) unto my eldest Son James Hooper and to the heirs of his body lawfully issuing; and in default of such as you to my second third and every other Son and sons in succession in tail in like manner as the said entailed estate at Yeovil is devised by the will of my said late deceased uncle, with remainders over as therein is mentioned. He my said son James Hooper who is amply provided for under the will of my said uncle [word illegible] such exchanges and paying unto the executors in trust of this my will the sum of five hundred pounds to be added to my personal estate within one year next after my death. I give and bequeath to John Newman of Barwick in the said County Esquire and the Reverend Henry Parsons of Goathurst in the said County Clerk all my household goods and furniture plate linen in China and glass stock of wine, beer, ideal, cider and spirituous liquors, drawings and prints, live and dead stock, gardening washing and brewing utensils and all of my other effects not hereinafter by this my will or in and buy any Codicil or other testamentary writing (signed by me whether attested or not) disposes of which shall be at the time of my decease in or about my mansion or dwelling house which I now inhabit or in or about the offices courtyards gardens orchards and Closes of grounds thereto adjoining and belonging upon trust nevertheless for and for the only use and benefit of my said eldest son James or such other of my said sons to whom my said action or dwelling house with the appurtenances shallow on my decease devolve under the will of my said late uncle. I give and devise unto my said trustees the said John Newman and Henry Parsons and the survivor of them his heirs and assigns my messuage farm lands and hereditaments with the rights [word illegible] and appurtenances thereto belonging situate lying and being in the several parishes and tidings of Mudford Trent Queen Camel Adber and Hummer in the said County of Somerset now in the occupation of John Harvey the younger and Nathaniel Corry as my Tenants thereof. And also all those my two Closes of Arable land late Symonds's upon Hendford Hill my close of arable land called Great Anstice upon Hendford Hill, my several dwelling houses late Wilmenton's in Hendford Street my piece of pasture ground late Dunscombe's now inclosed with my home-field my piece of land in Northover Common field late Ostler's, Mike piece of arable land in the same field (late Leaches) now inclosed with a field late Mr Daniells and my acre and a half of pasture lately thrown into Rampark abutting on the Preston road which said last mentioned Closes Dwelling houses and premises are situate lying and being in the parish of Yeovil aforesaid and also all other the messuage is lands tenements and hereditaments which I am seized of or entitled unto in possession, reversion remainder or expectancy of which I have power to dispose not hereinbefore devised situate lying and being in the parish of Yeovil aforesaid or elsewhere with their and every of their rights members and appurtenances to hold the same unto and to the use of the said John Newman and Henry Parsons and their heirs upon the trusts and for the intents and purposes hereinafter expressed (that is to say) upon trust that they the said John Newman and Henry Parsons and the survivor of them and the executors or administrators of such survivor do and shall as soon as conveniently may be after my decease sell and dispose of all and singular the said closes lands dwelling houses and hereditaments either together or in lots and either by public sale or private contract for the best price or prices that can be reasonably had for the same and with full power and authority to execute any Contract or Contracts touching the sale and disposition of the said premises and also to convey assign transfer and assure the same unto the purchaser or purchasers thereof And I hereby direct and declare that the said John Newman and Henry Parsons and the survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor shall stand and be possessed of the monies arising by the sale of the said messuage is closes lands tenements and hereditaments upon trust in the first place to pay and discharge all costs and expenses attending such sale or sales and after payment thereof upon trust to pay and divide the clear money arising from such sale or sales unto and amongst my seven younger Children Jonathan William Edward John Jane Matilda and Elizabeth in equal shares and proportions subject nevertheless as to the share of my said son Jonathan to the abatement and allowance hereinafter mentioned and expressed and I do hereby direct that the receipt and receipts of my said trustees and the survivor of them and the executors or administrators of such survivor shall be a factual and sufficient discharges to the purchaser and purchasers of the said messuage is closes lands and hereditaments hereinbefore directed the to be sold or any part or parts thereof for his her all their respective purchase money or any part thereof and that the said purchaser or purchasers after such receipts or receipts shall be given shall not be obliged or required to see the application of his or their purchase money nor be answerable or accountable for any misapplication or nonapplication thereof And my will is and I do hereby direct that inasmuch as my said last mentioned lands and hereditaments in the parish of Yeovil aforesaid so devised to my said Trustees in trust for sale lie intermixed with the Estate and Lands which my eldest or other son so taking such entailed lands shall and may have the offer of purchasing the said last mentioned premises by private Contract before the same or any part thereof [word illegible] put up for Sale by auction or offered for Sale to any other person or persons provided always and my willies and I do hereby direct that in the mean time and until my said messuages lands and hereditaments so devised to my said Trustees can be sold and disposed of as aforesaid it shall and may be lawful to and for the said John Newman and Henry Parsons and the survivor of them his executors or administrators to devise or lease the said messuage is lands and hereditaments or any part thereof to any person or persons whomsoever for any term or number of years, not exceeding seven years in possession at the most improved yearly rent and without taking any fine and my willies and I hereby direct that the net rents and profits of my said messuage is lands and hereditaments shall from time to time go and be payable to my said younger Children in the same manner as the money to arise and be produced from the sale of my said messuages lands and hereditaments would for the time being go and be payable in case the same had been sold and disposed of. I give to my son William my gold watch chain and seals and my solar microscope. I give to my son Edward my Encyclopaedia Britannica and the supplement. I give to my son John my complete set of the Gentleman's Magazine. I give to my daughter Jane all the drawings in gilt frames in my dining room. I give to my daughter Matilda Thompson's Atlas, Scott's Bible and Calmet's Dictionary. And I give to my daughter Elizabeth Hunne's History of England and Imolett's Continuation. I give to my said Trustees five pounds each for a Ring and I desire to be buried in a plane and frugal manner in my family vault in Yeovil church and as for and concerning my monies in the funds, India stock, Securities for money, money in my banker's hands, or elsewhere at the time of my decease the remainder of my books my jewells trinkets and personal ornaments and all the rest and residue of my personal Estate and effects whatsoever and of what nature kind or quality soever not hereinbefore or in and buy any such Codicil or Testamentary writing as aforesaid dispose of I give and bequeath the same unto the said John Newman and Henry Parsons and my said Son John Hooper (my executors hereinafter named) their executors and administrators, upon trust that they and the survivors or survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor my debts and funeral expenses and the expenses of proving this my will and from and after payment thereof upon trust to divide the clear residue thereof unto and between and amongst my said seven younger children in equal shares and proportions yet so nevertheless as to the share of my said son Jonathan of and in my said residuary estate and effects under the present clause and as to his share of the money to arise and be produced from the sale of my said real estate as hereinbefore is mentioned in such manner as that the principal sum of one thousand two hundred and fifty pounds which I have advanced to him on his promissory note dated the twenty-sixth day of July one thousand eight hundred and twenty four the purchase of a dwelling house at Daventry in the County of Northampton be minded in and to constitute and form part of his said shares and my willies that my said son Jonathan shall not be entitled to any part or share of my residuary Estate or of the produce of my said real Estate without first allowing the said sum of one thousand two hundred and fifty pounds as received by him as part of such shares respectively and accounting for the same accordingly and on such allowance thereof I direct the said notes to be given up and cancelled and do for give and remit the payment of all interest thereon. The share or shares of my said sons Jonathan, William, Edward and John and of my said daughter Jane of and in my said residuary estate and effects and of the money to arise by sale of my real Estate to be assigned transferred and made over to them as soon as may be after my decease and the shares of my said daughters Matilda and Elizabeth to belong to and be and interest vested in them respectively at their respective ages of twenty-one years or day or days of marriage which shall first happen and to be assigned transferred and made over to them accordingly provided always and my willies and I do hereby declare that if my said daughters Matilda and Elizabeth or either of them shall happen to die without acquiring a vested interest in the portions or shares of her or them so dying shall go accrue and belong to the survivors of my said seven younger Children and be assignable and transferable to them at the same time as their original shares provided also and I do hereby further direct that my said Trustees and the survivors or survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor do and shall during the respective minorities of my said daughters Matilda and Elisabeth place out the share or shares proportion or proportions of them or such one of them as shall be under age at interest upon government or real security (with full power to also vary and change the same securities at their discretion) and to do and shall pay and apply the interest dividends and proceeds thereof or a competent part thereof for and towards the maintenance and education of my said last mentioned daughters until the same share or shares shall respectively become payable provided always and my willies that in case either of my youngest sons shall in the event of my oldest son for the time being dying without issue become possessed of the entailed estate in Yeovil under the will of my said late uncle that then and in such case the share of such younger son of and in the produce of real and personal estate above directed to be sold and divided and not then actually received shall go to and be divided amongst my other younger children in equal shares and proportions in exclusion of such younger son who shall so become possessed of the said entailed estate and my willies and I do hereby declare and direct that the provision hereinbefore made for my said Children shall be taken and accepted by them in full satisfaction of any portion or portions to which they may be entitled under any articles or settlement made on my marriage with my late deceased wife (and that in case either of my said Children shall claim any part of my personal estate under or by virtue of such articles or settlement that then the person so who claiming shall take no benefits under this my will. I point the said John Newman and Henry Parsons guardians of my said daughters Matilda and Elisabeth during their respective minorities (and I make and appoint the said John Newman Henry Parsons and my said son John Hooper joint executors in trust of this my last Will and Testament) and I hereby declare and to direct that my said Trustees and each of them shall be charged and chargeable only for such monies as they shall respectively actually received by virtue of the trusts hereby in them reposed and that they shall not be answerable or accountable for any loss which may happen to the said trust or a state cellars such loss happen without their wilful default and that the one of them shall not be answerable for the other of them but each for his own acts deeds and defaults only and also that it shall and may be lawful to and for my said Trustees to retain and reimburse themselves and to allow to each other all such loss costs charges as expenses as they shall respectively sustain or be put onto in the execution or [word illegible] of the trusts hereby in them reposed or anything relating thereunto. In witness whereof I the said John Hooper the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament contained in six sheets of paper to the to the five first sheets thereof set my hand and to this sixth and last sheet thereof my hand and seal the sixteenth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three
Jno Hooper
Signed sealed published and declared by the said John Hooper the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request have subscribe our names as witnesses thereto in the presence of the said Testator and of each other

Jno Batten Attorney Yeovil     James Greenham      William Marquiss   Servants to Mr Hooper

This is a Codicil to the last Will and Testament bearing date the sixteenth day of December one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three of me John Hooper of Yeovil in the County of Somerset Esquire. I give and bequeath the following articles of my plate unto Elizabeth Cooper of Yetminster in the County of Dorset Spinster viz. Two pair of silver candlesticks, one silver breadbasket, one silver soup spoon, two silver gravy spoons, one silver soup ladle, three dozens of my best silver handled knives and forks and one dozen of silver handled desert knives and forks. One silver Cross one silver lamp one silver stand with casters, two silver sauce ladles one silver coffee pot and stand and one large silver waiter. I also give to the said Elizabeth Cooper one large damask tablecloth, secondary to give of fineness, to other damask tablecloths, flower pot pattern, two others, Carnation pattern, and for others, hunting pattern, and I direct that the several articles hereby given to the said Elizabeth Cooper shall be selected by my executors. I give unto the Reverend Blakely Cooper of Yetminster my copy of Lodge's Portraits of Illustrious Personages and the Continuation. I give unto Jane Cooper daughter of the said Blakely Cooper Thompsons General Atlas. I give to my daughter Jane Scott's Bible and Calmet's Dictionary and also one pair of silver Candlesticks and two dozen of old silver handled knives and forks. I revoke the bequest contained in my will of my gold watch chain and seal to my son William and do hereby give and bequeath the same to my son John. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four

Jno Hooper

Signed sealed published and declared by the said John Hooper the Testator as and for a Codicil to his last Will and Testament in the presence of us

Jno Batten      James Greenham

 

Proved at London with a Codicil 26th of January 1825 before the judge by the oaths of John Newman Esquire the Reverend Henry Parsons Clerk and the Reverend John Hooper Clerk the Executors to whom administration was granted having been first sworn by Commission duly to Administer.

Transcribed by Bob Osborn