Date Published:
February 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

John Castell Hopkins

HOPKINS, John Castell, littérateur, of Eng. parentage, was b. at Dyersville, Iowa, U. S., Apl. 1, 1864, but has lived in Can. since childhood. Ed. at the Bowmanville Public and High Schs., he was thereafter for some yrs. in the service of the Imperial Bank, which he left to become assoc. ed. of the Toronto Daily Empire. From the first he sympathized with the Imp. Federation movement, and became Secy. of the Canadian branch of the League. He also wrote articles in connection with the League, some of which were published in pamphlet form. He is now a member of the Council of the Brit. Empire League. Resigning his position on the Empire, Nov., 1893, he devoted himself to ind. literary work, and in that capacity, has contributed many valuable papers on Can. and the Empire to such well-known exponents of public thought as the Westminster Rev., the Asiatic Quarterly, the United Service Mag., the Forum, the Am. Journal of Politics, the Chautauquan, the Can. Mag., the Week, etc. Among his published works are: "The Life and Work of Sir John Thompson" (1895) ; "The Life and Times of Mr. Gladstone" (1895) ; "The Sword of Islam; or, Suffering Armenia" (1896); and "Queen Victoria : Her Life and Reign" (1897). He has now in preparation, assisted by a corps of eminent writers and specialists, a   Can. Encyclopaedia, which promises to be a most comprehensive survey of Can. history and Can. affairs. It will be published in 5 vols. [eventually published in 6 vols.] Politically, Mr. H. is a Con., and was Presdt. of the Young Men's Con. Assn., 1891-92. He has also held office in the Sons of Eng. and in the Orange order. He was hon. Secy. of the Macdonald Memorial Comte., Toronto , and was a del. to the Congress of the Chambers of Commerce of the Empire, London, 1896. For some time he was a mem. of the Toronto High Sch. Bd. In 1897 he was elected a mem. of the Am. Hist. Assn. He is a mem. of the Ch. of Eng., and unmarried - 510 Spadina Ave., Toronto ; Albany Club.

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Source: Henry James MORGAN, The Canadian Men and Women of the Time: A Handbook of Canadian Biography, Toronto, William Briggs, Richmond Street West, 1898, 1118p., pp. 474-475.