Henry Parkyns Hoppner

Infobox Military Person
name= Henry Parkyns Hoppner


caption=
born= 1795
died= 1833-12-22
placeofbirth= London
placeofdeath= Lisbon
placeofburial=
placeofburial_label=
nickname=
allegiance= England
branch= Royal Navy
serviceyears=
rank= Captain
unit=
commands=HMS "Fury"
battles=Napoleonic Wars,
War of 1812
awards=
relations= Father, portraitist John Hoppner,
Mother, Phoebe Wright, daughter of American sculptor Patience Lovell Wright
laterwork=Captain Henry Parkyns Hoppner (1795, London – 22 December 1833, Lisbon) was an officer of the Royal Navy, Arctic explorer, and draughtsman [cite book |title=Voyages of discovery and research within the Arctic regions from the year 1818 to the present time : under the command of the several naval officers employed by sea and land in search of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with two attempts to reach the North Pole : abridged and arranged from the official narratives with occasional remarks |last=Barrow, John, Sir |year=1846 |publisher=Harper |location=New York |oclc=166903065 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=NvsGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA233&lpg=PA233&dq=%22HP+Hoppner%22&source=web&ots=E9R-ltaK4p&sig=D3_NKrEcWdCX_38qKezc7CUo_Kw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result#PPA24,M1 |pages=p. 24] /artist. His career included two ill-fated voyages culminating in the loss of the HMS|Alceste|1806|6 in 1816 and the HMS "Fury" in 1825.

Early years

Born in London, Hoppner was the fourth child of English portraitist John Hoppner and Phoebe Wright (1761–1827), daughter of American sculptor Patience Lovell Wright.cite book |title=Dictionary of Canadian biography |last=Halpenny |first=F.G. |coauthors=Holland, C. |year=1966 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |isbn=0802031420 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=TIRtOjLunHwC&pg=PA330&lpg=PA330&dq=%22cape+Hoppner%22&source=web&ots=PTqmmfcceI&sig=rmRt37Uqhol2DIWMrz2hGTjY--8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA330,M1 |pages=pp. 229–230] Not much is known of his younger sibling. There was three older brothers whom the father painted in the 1791 oil on canvas, "The Hoppner Children", a part of the National Gallery of Art's Widener collection: [cite book |title=British paintings of the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries |last=Hayes |first=John T. |year=1992 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=0521410665 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=2VT3aCo2j-gC&pg=PA130&lpg=PA130&dq=%22Richard+Belgrave+Hoppner+%22&source=web&ots=rry9oL42ac&sig=UluBIlc227vm4LgSI3Uams68uhM&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA132,M1 |pages=pp. 130–133] [cite web |url=http://footprints.org/9-100007.htm |title=Descendants List For Adam Wright and Mary Dennis |accessdate=2008-10-02 |publisher=footprints.org]
* Catherine Hampden Hoppner (1784–1828), Magistrate in the service of the East India Company
* Richard Belgrave Hoppner (1786–1872), British Consul general at Venice, [cite book |title=The Gentleman's Magazine |year=1834 |isbn= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=AfkRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA445&lpg=PA445&dq=%22HP+Hoppner%22&source=web&ots=fyNhaHKu65&sig=Wmt4G3fswDOr_DHe9Dy6aZav2gE&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result |pages=p. 445]
* Wilson (sometimes known as William) Lascelles Hoppner (1788–?), artist

Career

Hoppner joined the Royal Navy in 1808, and served during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. His first shipboard experience was on the HMS "Endymion" when she was ordered to Corruna. In 1815, he was commissioned as a junior lieutenant. The following year, he served aboard the ill-fated "Alceste" under Capt. Murray Maxwell, escorting Lord Amherst to China on a diplomatic mission to the Chinese Emperor Jiaqing. With the "Alceste" shipwrecked, Hoppner switched to the East Indiaman "Lion" in order to assist his shipwrecked comrades. [Brenton, p. 573] [Gentleman's, pp. 445–446]

In 1818, Lieutenant Hoppner served on the "Alexander" as second in command under Lt. William Edward Parry [Halpenny, p. 329] during Capt. John Ross' British Naval Northwest Passage Expedition of 1818, who commanded the HMS "Isabella". [cite web |url=http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=1232 |title= ISABELLA, Hired sloop |accessdate=2008-10-03 |last= |publisher=ageofnelson.org] Hoppner participated in three additional Arctic voyages under Parry's command:
*Parry's First Arctic Expedition, 1819–1820, subordinate lieutenant, [Barrow p. 78] on board the HMS "Griper" [cite web |url=http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=1051 |title=GRIPER |accessdate=2008-10-02 |publisher=ageofnelson.org] under Lt. Liddon, while Parry commanded the HMS "Hecla".
*Parry's Second Arctic Expedition, 1821–1823, lieutenant, on board the "Hecla", under Commander George Francis Lyon, while Parry commanded the "Fury". [cite web |url=http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic12-2-98.pdf |title=Sir William Edward Parry |accessdate=2008-10-03 |last=Brown |first=R. |publisher=ucalgary.ca |pages=p. 104] Having surveyed an arm of the Foxe Basin's Lyon Inlet on the Melville Peninsula, Hopper Inlet was named in his honour by Parry. [Halpenny, p. 330]
*Parry's Third Arctic Expedition, 1824–1825: While Parry commanded the "Hecla", Hoppner, having attained the rank of Commander, [Barrow, p. 234] served as second in command of the expedition and commanded the "Fury".cite book |title=The naval history of Great Britain, from the year MDCCLXXXIII. to MDCCCXXXVI |last=Brenton |first=Edward Pelham |year=1837 |publisher=H. Colburn |location=London |isbn= |oclc=4599420 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4uwLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA573&lpg=PA573&dq=%22lieutenant+hoppner%22&source=web&ots=ml66zn_c0O&sig=ZMhSJf7Ta9ik90EG8rG5S3hnJ3M&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPA643,M1 |pages=661] Hoppner's two lieutenants were Horatio Thomas Austin and James Clark Ross. [cite web |url=http://www.arcticwebsite.com/Parry1824Roster.html |title=Parry's Third Expedition, 1824 Roster |accessdate=2008-10-02 | |publisher=http://www.arcticwebsite.com/Parry1824Roster.html] Suffering from ice damage while overwintering, the ship's stores were unloaded onto the ice, and the "Fury" was abandoned on 25 August 1825 at Fury Beach on Somerset Island. Upon returning to England, the requisite court martial found Hoppner "no blame whatever", [Halpenny, p. 330, column 1] and in December, he was promoted to the rank of Commander. Over the next few decades, the "Fury's" abandoned provisions came to the rescue of many Arctic explorers, including that of (now Admiral) John Ross. [cite web |url=http://images.rgs.org/imageDetails.aspx?barcode=33521 |title=Fury beach, Somerset Island, North West Passage, Nunavut, Canada |accessdate=2008-10-03 |publisher=Royal Geographical Society]

Hoppner's artistic and creative talents were useful during these voyages. His illustrations were published with the expedition narratives of John Ross [cite web |url=http://www.ucalgary.ca/lib-old/SpecColl/OccPaper/hessocc.htm |title=A Voyage of Discovery, Made Under the Orders of the Admiralty, in His Majesty's Ships Isabella and Alexander, for the Purpose of Exploring Baffin's Bay, and Enquiry into the probability of a North-West Passage (1818) |accessdate=2008-10-03 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=ucalgary.ca] and Parry. In addition, Hoppner participated for two seasons in the Royal Arctic Theatre, established by Parry to relieve boredom during the long Arctic winters. Hoppner is also credited with organizing "bals masqués", masquerade balls held each month while overwintering in the Arctic. [cite book |title=Polar Pioneers: John Ross and James Clark Ross |last=Ross |first=Maurice James |year=1994 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press |location= |isbn=0773512349 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XZPf2RzV-PkC&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=%22Henry+Parkyns+Hoppner%22&source=web&ots=lLVDeVCa-G&sig=2LrRdiTG-lR0a1O3cPpSfMPK_84&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PPA90,M1 |pages=p. 90] Regarding the masquarades, Parry remarked, "It is impossible that any other idea could have proved more happy, or more exactly suited to our situation." [Barrow, p. 247]

Later years

Ill-health kept him from accompanying Parry in 1827 during his attempt on the North Pole. Hoppner's request to accompany Admiral Ross in 1829 was rejected.

Hoppner never married. In 22 December 1833, he died in Lisbon during a trip through southern Europe.

Honours

Several Canadian landforms were named in his honour, including: [cite book |title=Ontario History |last=Ontario Historical Society |year=1910 |publisher=Kraus Reprint Co. |location=Millwood, N.Y. |oclc= 22735988 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=RwYVAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA44&lpg=RA2-PA44&dq=%22henry+p.+hoppner%22&source=web&ots=srmSN6zWkJ&sig=tTtqXK8v81cZ0luE_vfBg3oaXBk&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result |pages=p. 44] [cite book |title=Names and Their Histories: A Handbook of Historical Geography and Topographical Nomenclature |last=Taylor |first=Isaac |year=1898 |publisher=Rivingtons |location=London |oclc=4161840 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=vqgYAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA149&lpg=PA149&dq=%22HP+Hoppner%22&source=web&ots=gFWoNJzcVo&sig=2Js-cCvKEarvYzzZWr2pXRcqa0A&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result |pages=p. 149]
* Cape Hoppner in the Northwest Territories
* Hoppner Inlet, Hoppner River, Hoppner Strait in Nunavut
* Hoppner Island in Ontario

References

External links

* [http://libweb5.princeton.edu/visual_materials/maps/websites/northwest-passage/parry1-2.htm Burnet Inlet, Barrow's Strait, from a sketch by Henry Parkyns Hoppner]
* [http://images.rgs.org/imageDetails.aspx?barcode=33521 Photo, Fury beach, Somerset Island, Nunavut, Canada]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=ARLKmH794L8C&pg=RA1-PA35&lpg=RA1-PA35&dq=%22HP+Hoppner%22&source=web&ots=v8FrFZjXFG&sig=zDtc7WhHXoZN207fa32ZHNKawRI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result Transcript of 1832 letter to English physicist Michael Faraday]

Persondata
NAME = Hoppner, Henry Parkyns
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Hoppner, Henry Parkyn;
Hoppner, Henry Parkins
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Arctic explorer
DATE OF BIRTH = 1795
PLACE OF BIRTH = London
DATE OF DEATH = 1833-12-22
PLACE OF DEATH = Lisbon