Mr Frederick William Hopkins

Frederick William Hopkins was born in 1897 in Aldershot, Hampshire, England and his birth was registered in the September quarter of that year in Farnham. He was the son of Alfred Frederick Hopkins (b. 1870) and Letitia Jones (b. 1876). His father was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire and his mother in Cardiff, Wales and they had married in Aldershot in 1896.

Frederick's father was in the British Army and therefore appears to have moved around, taking his family with him. His brother George was born in Norwich, Norfolk in 1899 and his youngest brother Ralph was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1902. The family don't appear on the 1901 census.

By the time of the 1911 census Frederick's father is described as an army pensioner and caretaker for the offices of the White Star Line. They are resident at 14 Fanshawe Street, Southampton at this time, Frederick still described as a school boy. He perhaps left school that summer and went to work at sea, his position possibly being secured by his father's connection to the White Star Line. Frederick was also a keen boy scout and was a Patrol Leader in the 20th Southampton Group.

When Frederick signed-on to the Titanic, on 4 April 1912, he gave his address as 14 Fanshawe Street, Southampton and his age as 16 (in reality he was several months shy of his 15th birthday). His last ship had been the Olympic. As a plates steward he received monthly wages of £3 15s. He was one of two 14-year-olds working on the Titanic, the other being bellboy William Albert Watson, and therefore was one of the youngest members of the crew.

Hopkins died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified. His parents later benefitted from the Titanic Relief Fund, but what became of them is uncertain.

References and Sources

Agreement and Account of Crew (PRO London, BT100/259)
The Hampshire Independent, April 27, 1912