Author: Hopkinson, Francis
Biography:
Hopkinson, Francis (1737-91: WBIS)
Lawyer, musician, patriot, and author, Francis Hopkinson made significant contributions to several areas of American culture. His parents were Thomas and Mary (Johnson) Hopkinson. He was born in Philadelphia and was a member of the first class of what became the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1757, he was called to the bar in Pennsylvania in 1761 and held some positions of public trust while at the same time being much involved in the Library Company of Philadelphia and in work on behalf of the episcopal church. (Some of the hymns and psalms that he composed or collected were published in the 1760s.) He also managed a dry goods business. In 1768 he married Ann Borden of Bordentown NJ; they had five children together, one of whom, Joseph, became a lawyer and writer too (q.v.). The family moved to Bordentown about 1773 and Hopkinson was called to the New Jersey bar in 1775. In 1776, as a delegate to the Continental Congress, he supported and signed the Declaration of Independence. After the War he held various government posts, culminating in his appointment as Judge of the US District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania, a position that he held until his death. An accomplished performer on the harpsichord and organ, he composed "the first public collection of American art songs" (ANBO) in 1788. He died in Philadelphia. (ANBO 24 Apr. 2019)