Robert George was the son of Noah and Margaret Hopewell (née Gardner).
His father Noah Hopewell was born in Nottingham in about 1855. Noah was a builder and the owner of G. Hopewell and Sons, a thriving business situated on Lincoln Street, Basford. His mother Margaret was born in Bridgeton, Glasgow, on 18 December 1861, the daughter of Robert and Janet Gardner. Her father was a master lithographer with over 50 employees and the family lived in Glasgow.
They were married in about 1881 and had six children, two of whom died in infancy. All the children were born in Basford: Robert George b. 26 November 1882, Marguerite b. 1884 (J/A/S) d. 1884 (J/A/S), Winifred b. 5 October 1885, Norah b. 1887 (J/A/S) d. 1887 (J/A/S), Jessie b. 22 August 1888 and Donald Gardner b. 27 October 1891.
Noah and Margaret Hopewell lived at 19 Lincoln Street, Basford, after their marriage and this was their home until Margaret's death in 1953.
In 1901 Margaret's widowed father, Robert Gardner (74), a retired lithographer, was living with the family. Robert had left school in 1899 and was an apprentice joiner, presumably in his father's business.
At the time of the 1911 Census all four surviving children were still living at home: Robert George who was manager of his father's building business, Winifred and Jessie both of no occupation, and Donald a law student. Also in the household was a domestic servant.
Robert George married Gladys Eleanor Jones at St John's Church, Mansfield, on 6 June 1913 and they lived at Langtry Grove, New Basford. The later CWGC record gives his widow's address as West Brook, Mansfield, which was her parent's home.
Noah Hopewell died at his home, 19 Lincoln Street, on 4 June 1936. A funeral service was held at Mansfield Road Baptist Church, Nottingham, following a private cremation. (Nottingham Evening Post, 4 & 8 June 1936). His widow and son Donald, a solicitor, were his executors.
In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, Margaret Hopewell was recorded at Blidworth Dale, Linby, Nottinghamshire, in the home of her widowed daughter, Jessie Spencer. She died at Blidworth Dale on 5 January 1953 although the probate record gave her address as Lincoln Street, Old Basford. Probate was awarded to her son Donald and daughter Jessie.
Of Robert's siblings:
Winifred married Daniel H Jackson (b. 10 August 1878) in 1911 (A/M/J Nottingham). In 1939 they were living in Hitchen, Hertfordshire. Daniel died in 1946. Winifred has not yet been traced after 1939.
Jessie married Arthur Bedward Spencer at Mansfield Road Baptist Church on 15 September 1921. Arthur (b. 15 April 1891) had served in the war, initially in the RNVR attached RNAS, then in the Armoured Car Service abroad and latterly in the RAF. Arthur was a hosiery manufacturer (George Spencer Ltd., Vedonis Works, Basford & Hucknall) but had a farm at Blidworth Dale, Linby, where he and Jessie lived. Arthur died on 12 May 1938 and a memorial service was held at Mansfield Road Baptist Church following a private cremation (Nottingham Evening Post, 13 May 1938). His widow Jessie was still living at Blidworth Dale in 1939; she was described as a farmer. Jessie died on 7 May 1978.
Donald Gardner was a solicitor's articled clerk and living in the family home at 19 Lincoln Street when he attested in 1916. He transferred to the Army Reserve on 9 February 1916 and was mobilised on 28 April 1917. He transferred to the 524th Labour Coy., Labour Corps, in June but was discharged on 3 December 1917, 'no longer physically fit for war service.' In 1939 he was living in Lunesdale, Lancashire; as well as his profession of solicitor, he was a deputy chief warden ARP. He employed a housekeeper, housemaid and a butler who was also in the Police War Reserve, Lancashire Constabulary. Also in the household were Wiliam Alfred Winsby b. 5 June 1929 and Ernest Winsby b. 8 October 1931. The record of one other person remains closed but was probably Henrietta Winsby b. 1933 (J/A/S). The children's births were registered in Salford Lancashire. Their mother Henrietta Winsby (née Hilton m. 1928) died in 1933 (J/A/S) and her husband William Alfred (d. 1948) married secondly Alice Ann Rawsterne in 1938. Donald was living in Moreton Pinkney, Northamptonshire, when he died on 15 December 1983.