Thomas Hopkirk
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.David Dale rented the shop premises on the ground floor, where he operated as the first Glasgow agent of the Royal Bank of Scotland.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.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 .This catalogues plants found along both banks of the Clyde "from its Falls (at Lanark).. to its juncture with the sea (at Bowling)".He does, however, give a brief description of habitat and, reading the catalogue, you get a vivid sense of Hopkirk wading along the river, or peering into ditches or odd places in search of his plants.In 1837, he published the popular gardening book, called The Juvenile Calendar of a Natural History of the Year.
HawickDalkeithDalbethTobacco LordGlasgowDavid DaleRoyal Bank of Scotlandcoat of armsLord Lyon King of ArmsUniversity of GlasgowBritainRiver ClydeLanarkBowlingDr Smith's Flora BritannicaLinnean SocietyLinnaean systemCambuslangClyde Iron WorksJustice of the PeaceLanarkshireFellowWilliam Jackson HookerRegius ProfessorBotanySauchiehall StreetRoyal Botanic Institution of Glasgowroyal charterGlasgow Botanic GardensRiver KelvinCharles DarwinThe Variation of Animals and Plants Under DomesticationJohn MurrayConvolvuluslithographyOrdnance SurveyBelfastGlasgow Universitytaxonomicbiology