HOPPER, THOMAS, architect, was born at Rochester, in Kent, on July 6th 1775 or 1776, and, according to a family tradition, was descended from a natural daughter of Richard III. Thomas Hopper, when very young, was placed under his father, a clever measuring surveyor, and it is believed he very soon had the chief duty and responsibility of the business. Thus led to direct his attention to architecture, he became in some degree a self-taught architect ; and being about this time introduced to Mr. Walsh Porter, a friend of the Prince Regent, and a sort of authority in matters of taste, Hopper was so fortunate as to please Porter, and was employed by him in extensive alterations and decorations to his house at Fulham, called Craven Cottage. This house became a remarkable specimen of the cottage ornee' style, afterwards so fashionable, and which Hopper perhaps was the means of introducing. The house contaiued a "robbers' cave," entered from the top; an octagonal vestibule, with the roof supported by palm-trees; a 'gothic' chapel with stained glass, and other whimsies; and externally presented the appearance of a thatched cottage, with trellis-work and creeping plauts. Here the prince °flea supped. Hopper was made known to him, and was employed at Carlton House in some alterations, as well as on the Conservatory there— a sort of imitation of Henry the Seventh's Chapel, which was erected at one end of the lower auite of rooms, and used at the fęte to the allied sovereigns in 1814. Here supper-tables were placed—down their length being a narrow tank for water, in which live fish disported. Hopper's taste, and the art of the day—the character of which last has been sufficiently pointed out above—were suited to one another; and, favourably introduced, and possessing great energy, a wonderful flow of conversation, and high spirits, it is not surprising that, at a time when there wero fewer professional architects than there are DOW, Thomas Hopper should have speedily entered upon a large practice. Amongst the buildings of all kinds which he was employed in either erecting or altering, may be named—Slane Castle, in Ireland, for the Marquis of Conyngham ; Penrhyn Castle, near Bangor, North Wales ; Gosford Castle, Armagh; Easton Lodge, Danmow, for Viscount Maynard; Leigh Court, near Bristol; the house at Kimmel Park, near St. Aseph, for Loid Dinorben ; one at Amesbury Park, near Salisbury; Danbury Palace, Eartex ; Getters House, Surrey; Wyvenhoe Park' Llanover Court, Monmouthshire, for Sir Benjamin Hall ; Stanstod Park, near Havant, Haute; Ilargani, in South Wales; Alton Towers, Staffordshire; Rood Ashton, near Trowbridge ; and many others of the same class-the works which were of the nature of alterations generally involving complete remodelling of the structure and of its architectural character. He attempted several different styles-the
baronial castellated, then in favour, being of course amongst the number. Peorhyn Castle is perhaps the best exemplification of the latter kind of taste, and is indeed in many respects impressive in effect, and may be regarded as Hopper's best work. A vast amount was expended on it. He designed a baronial castle for the Duke of Athol! at Dunkeld in Scotland, which if completed would have rivalled "Windsor Castle in extent, though the building never got beyond the foundation& He erected several prisons, amongst them the Essex County Gaol, to which afterwards he made alterations costing 40,0001. on its conversion for the cellular system. In London he was the architect of Arthur's Club-house in St. James's Street, the Legal and General Life Insurance Office in Fleet Street, and the Atlas Fire Office in Cheapside. His general manner for such buildings was derived from the class of edifices to which the Banqueting House, Whitehall, belongs. His last work, St. Mary's Hospital, Paddingtou, which is inferior in character, was designed and superintended by him gratu itously; but in it he met with much vexation and legal expense. Ile was for many years the county surveyor of Essex, and surveyor to the Atlas Fire Office. lie was a competitor for the General Poet Office in St. 3lartin'e•le-Grand, when nearly one hundred designs, by eighty-nine competitors, were submitted. Sir Robert Smirke, who bad not been a competitor, was ultimately engaged to erect the building ; and Mr. Hopper contended that his design had been used, with the omission of some columns and of a few other features ; and this, in a letter to Lord Melbourne in 1839, 'On the Building of the Royal Exchange,' ho showed, by the aid of plans and elevations, might have been the case. Ho was also a competitor for the new houses of parliament, and pub lished his designs in folio at some expense. Amongst many designs which he has left, are one for an alteration of the National Gallery, and another for a column of Victory to be erected in India with cannon Placed in successive tiers, from the base upwards, of tho shaft.