The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

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Charles Hopkins (1671 - 1700)

Anglo-Irish poet and dramatist. Possibly the Charles Hopkins who contributed a "a discoid ornament or 'sun-disk' of Bronze Age date" to the Ashmolean in 1696, representing "the earliest documented discovery of a prehistoric artefact from the British Isles" (MacGregor, 1). Relationships: Charles Hopkins was a donor to Ashmolean Museum (1683-)

 Linked print sources: as Mentioned or referenced by - Ashmolean Museum Oxford: Manuscript Catalogues of the Early Museum Collections, 1683-1886 (Part I).
 References in Documents:
MS Book of Benefactors (MacGregor, ed.)

Charles Hopkins gave the Museum a circular gold plate which was recently dug up near Ballyshannon in Ireland. He found it with the help of an ancient dirge chanted by an old Irish harpist, in which he sang of a strong man and his place of burial, and told of two gold plates and as many gold rings, commited to the earth with him. For the narrative in full, see Camden, [Britannia], ed. Gibson, p. 1022. Vice-Chancellor's Catalogue, no. 959.

Consolidated catalogue of 1695: The Book of the Vice-Chancellor (MacGregor, ed.) 954 Lamina aurea prope Bali-shani apud Hibernos effossa &c vide narrationem apud camdenum edit. Gibs. p. 1022. Ex dono D. Caroli Hopkins. Gold sheet dug up near Ballyshannon in Ireland, for an account of which see Camden, ed. Gibson, 1695, p.1022. Given by Mr Charles Hopkins.