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Francis Hopkinson

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Francis HopkinsonVeteranFamous memorial

Birth
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA
Death
9 May 1791 (aged 53)
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA
Burial
Philadelphia,Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania,USAGPS-Latitude: 39.9518918, Longitude: -75.1481976
Plot
Section F, Plot 34
Memorial ID
2774View Source

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Declaration of Independence Signer. Hopkinson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 21, 1737, according to the then-used Julian calendar (old style). In 1752, however, Great Britain and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar (new style), which moved Hopkinson's birthday 11 days forward to October 2, 1737. At the age of 14, he was the first student to enroll in the Philadelphia Academy and the first to be given a diploma by the College of Philadelphia (now known as the University of Pennsylvania). He studied to become a lawyer but, for many years, did little legal work. More interested in the arts, he preferred to draw pictures, write poems, and compose songs. In 1759, he wrote "My Days have been so Wondrous Free," the first non-religious song written by an American colonist. In 1767, he opened a store in Philadelphia and, soon afterward, married Ann Borden (she was the granddaughter of the man for whom Bordentown was named); they would have five children. A few years later, the family moved to Bordentown, New Jersey, where he became a successful lawyer. In June 1776, he was elected to the Second Continental Congress, where he voted for independence. Congress also named him to head the Navy Board and to serve as treasurer of loans. During the war, Hopkinson wrote songs, poems, and essays poking fun at the British. As head of the Navy Board, he organized a plan to float explosives in kegs down the Delaware River to blow up British ships. While the plan failed to work, the American public would sing "The Battle of the Kegs," his humorous song about the scheme. When the new country needed a flag, he would claim that he designed the first Stars and Stripes, which is now the consensus among historians. He designed the Great Seal of the State of New Jersey in 1776, as well as the seals of many of the cabinet departments of the new United States Government. When the British Army invaded New Jersey in 1777, they ransacked his home, but he and his family were not there. He was Judge of the Admiralty for Pennsylvania from 1779 to 1789 and Judge of the United States Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 1789 until his death in 1791, from complications of a stroke. He died at age 53.


Cenotaph here

Declaration of Independence Signer. Hopkinson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 21, 1737, according to the then-used Julian calendar (old style). In 1752, however, Great Britain and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar (new style), which moved Hopkinson's birthday 11 days forward to October 2, 1737. At the age of 14, he was the first student to enroll in the Philadelphia Academy and the first to be given a diploma by the College of Philadelphia (now known as the University of Pennsylvania). He studied to become a lawyer but, for many years, did little legal work. More interested in the arts, he preferred to draw pictures, write poems, and compose songs. In 1759, he wrote "My Days have been so Wondrous Free," the first non-religious song written by an American colonist. In 1767, he opened a store in Philadelphia and, soon afterward, married Ann Borden (she was the granddaughter of the man for whom Bordentown was named); they would have five children. A few years later, the family moved to Bordentown, New Jersey, where he became a successful lawyer. In June 1776, he was elected to the Second Continental Congress, where he voted for independence. Congress also named him to head the Navy Board and to serve as treasurer of loans. During the war, Hopkinson wrote songs, poems, and essays poking fun at the British. As head of the Navy Board, he organized a plan to float explosives in kegs down the Delaware River to blow up British ships. While the plan failed to work, the American public would sing "The Battle of the Kegs," his humorous song about the scheme. When the new country needed a flag, he would claim that he designed the first Stars and Stripes, which is now the consensus among historians. He designed the Great Seal of the State of New Jersey in 1776, as well as the seals of many of the cabinet departments of the new United States Government. When the British Army invaded New Jersey in 1777, they ransacked his home, but he and his family were not there. He was Judge of the Admiralty for Pennsylvania from 1779 to 1789 and Judge of the United States Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 1789 until his death in 1791, from complications of a stroke. He died at age 53.


Cenotaph here

Bio by:Kit and Morgan Benson

Gravesite Details

Interment Date: May 11, 1791



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Added: Apr 25, 1998
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/2774/francis-hopkinson: accessed), memorial page for Francis Hopkinson (21 Sep 1737–9 May 1791), Find a Grave Memorial ID2774, citing Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia,Philadelphia County,Pennsylvania,USA;Maintained by Find a Grave.

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    The Necro Tourist visits Francis Hopkinson at the Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia)

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    The Necro Tourist visits Francis Hopkinson at the Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia)

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