John Marquis Hopkins
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = John Marquis Hopkins.jpg
| alt = Portrait of John Marquis Hopkins (1870—1912)
| caption = Portrait of Hopkins
| office1 = Minister for Lands
| term_start1 = {{start date|1903|1|23|df=yes}}
| term_end1 = {{end date|1904|8|10|df=yes}}
| predecessor1 = Adam Jameson
| successor1 = John Drew
| office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia for Beverley
| term_start2 = {{start date|1908|9|11|df=yes}}
| term_end2 = {{end date|1910|7|28|df=yes}}
| predecessor2 = Edmund Smith
| successor2 = Nat Harper
| office3 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia for Boulder
| term_start3 = {{start date|1901|4|24|df=yes}}
| term_end3 = {{end date|1905|10|27|df=yes}}
| predecessor3 = Electoral district created
| successor3 = Philip Collier
| name = John Marquis Hopkins
| nationality =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1870|8|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
| death_date = {{death date and age|1912|7|3|1870|8|27|df=yes}}
| death_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| party =
| spouse = {{marriage|Thomasina Henrietta Alice Benzley|7 January 1896}}
| children = 5
| profession =
| relatives =
| resting_place = Springvale Cemetery
}}
John Marquis Hopkins (27 August 1870 – 3 July 1912) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, representing the electoral districts of Boulder and Beverley. He had previously been mayor of Boulder, and in 1910, he was jailed for five years for uttering, but was released in October 1911.
Early life
John Marquis Hopkins was born on 17 August 1870 in Ballarat, Victoria to John and Alexandrina MacKay.{{cite web |title=Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia: John Marquis Hopkins |url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/Library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/LookupName/DB5CDEC81644E026482577E50028A668 |website=Parliament of Western Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415182457/http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/Library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/LookupName/DB5CDEC81644E026482577E50028A668?opendocument |archive-date=15 April 2021 |language=en |url-status=live |accessdate=18 May 2024}}
He was left orphaned at the age of thirteen and subsequently educated at a state school.{{Cite book |title=Twentieth Century Impressions of Western Australia |year=1901 |page = 32 |location=Perth |publisher=P. W. H. Thiel & Co |last=Thiel |first=P. W. H. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-31939829 |access-date=19 May 2024 | via=National Library of Australia}}
Hopkins worked for the Victoria Railway Service as a porter for two years before going into business with his brother. By 1896 he was working as an auctioneer and sharebroker in Boulder, Western Australia.
Political career
Hopkins was the first Mayor of Boulder, being first elected on 11 October 1897.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article259546720 |title=Mr. John Hopkins, Mayor of Boulder City. |newspaper=The Miner's Right |volume=I |issue=33 |location=Boulder |date=14 October 1897 |accessdate=20 May 2024 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article259500990 |title=BREVITIES |newspaper=Esperance Chronicle And Dundas And Norseman Advertiser |issue=178 |location=Esperance |date=20 October 1897 |accessdate=20 May 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69900619 |title=ALBANY SCHOOL BOARD. |newspaper=The Albany Advertiser |volume=X |issue=1449 |location=Albany |date=14 October 1897 |accessdate=20 May 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} He served in the position for three terms.
In March 1901 Hopkins stood in the federal election, contesting the Kalgoorlie seat in the House of Representatives. He secured 3015 votes, losing to John Kirwan's 5374 votes.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33200638 |title=THE KALGOORLIE ELECTORATE. |newspaper=Western Mail |volume=XVI |issue=791 |location=Perth |date=23 February 1901 |accessdate=20 May 2024 |page=17 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32598356 |title=KALGOORLIE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES. |newspaper=Kalgoorlie Western Argus |volume=VII |issue=332 and 333 |location=Kalgoorlie |date=9 April 1901 |accessdate=20 May 2024 |page=28 |via=National Library of Australia}}<
The following month, Hopkins successfully contested the Boulder seat in the state Legislative Assembly. He was elected as an oppositionalist.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32599691 |title=State Elections. |newspaper=Kalgoorlie Western Argus |volume=VII |issue=337 |location=Kalgoorlie |date=14 May 1901 |accessdate=20 May 2024 |page=30 |via=National Library of Australia}} At the 1904 election he was re-elected with a majority of 497.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89167596 |title=BOULDER. |newspaper=Kalgoorlie Miner |volume=8 |issue=2734 |location=Kalgoorlie |date=29 June 1904 |accessdate=20 May 2024 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}} His next attempt at election in 1905 resulted in a narrow loss, by 19 votes, to Phillip Collier.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33023888 |title=BOULDER. |newspaper=Kalgoorlie Western Argus |volume=XI |issue=567 |location=Western Australia |date=31 October 1905 |accessdate=20 May 2024 |page=29 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Conviction and imprisonment
Hopkins was accused of having forged a promissory note and subsequently uttering it. Amongst the witnesses for the trial were Samuel Joseph Fortescue Moore, a fellow Member of the Legislative Assembly, and Edward McLarty, a Member of the Legislative Council who accused Hopkins of having also uttered their promissory notes.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33335310 |title=TRIAL OF JOHN M. HOPKINS. |newspaper=Kalgoorlie Western Argus |volume=XVI |issue=806 |location=Kalgoorlie |date=19 April 1910 |accessdate=18 May 2024 |page=32 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37408040 |title=A POLITICIAN IN TROUBLE. |newspaper=Western Mail |volume=XXV |issue=1268 |location=Perth |date=16 April 1910 |accessdate=18 May 2024 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Following a trial at the Criminal Court in Perth before Justice McMillan and a jury of twelve men, Hopkins was found not guilty of forgery and guilty of uttering on 13 April 1910. He was sentenced to imprisonment for a period of five years. An appeal was lodged with the Full Court, but Hopkins' full sentence was confirmed on 18 April 1910.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57721485 |title=RELEASE OF J. M. HOPKINS |newspaper=Sunday Times |issue=719 |location=Perth |date=29 October 1911 |accessdate=18 May 2024 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}} He was imprisoned at Fremantle Gaol.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57739193 |title=THE PASSING OF J. M. HOPKINS |newspaper=Sunday Times |issue=755 |location=Western Australia |date=7 July 1912 |accessdate=18 May 2024 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}
As a result of his conviction, Hopkins was removed from office as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Beverley.{{cite news |last1=Bourke |first1=Keane |title=James Hayward makes history after being forced from office as an MP for child sex crimes |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-29/james-hayward-child-sex-conviction-makes-history/102777200 |access-date=20 May 2024 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=28 Aug 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207141829/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-29/james-hayward-child-sex-conviction-makes-history/102777200 |archive-date=7 February 2024 |language=en |url-status=live}}
In October 1911, he was released having served only 18 months of his five year sentence. Hopkins had been granted clemency by the Governor of the state owing to his declining health.
Death
Hopkins died in Melbourne, Victoria on 3 July 1912 at the age of 42.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87156727 |title=NEWS IN BRIEF. |newspaper=Bunbury Herald |volume=22 |issue=3537 |location=Bunbury |date=6 July 1912 |accessdate=18 May 2024 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}
He was interred at Springvale Cemetery in Melbourne.
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-wa}}
{{succession box | title = Minister for Lands | before = Adam Jameson | years = 1903—1904 | after = John Drew }}
{{s-par|au-wa-la}}
{{succession box | title=Member for Beverley | before=Edmund Smith | years=1908—1910 | after=Nat Harper}}
{{s-new|district}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for Boulder|years=1901—1905}}
{{s-aft|after=Philip Collier}}
{{s-end}}
{{Australia-politician-stub}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, John Marquis}}
Category:Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Category:Australian politicians convicted of crimes