Page 11 - Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects

in Igtpean, probably early in 1846, bdt the new property was actually purchased by
their dirtallt cousin 'dllliam Harte Hopper, who wds then resident in Bytawn.(34)
In 1847 he :ransferred title to Arthur's sons William and Edward, who promised to
pay tneir klniman L403 in annual instalmrntj of L50.(351
The far~~lly's cirrumrtancer appea7ed to be i~llpraving, but in 1848 troubles set
in again, Rrthur'r wlfe took rick, and in October he was informed that the leare af
his grandfnther's Ueerpark property in Qu~er'r County had finally fallen in. HI5
sham af the renewal fees antounted to L44.7.0.(36) Arthur's sans !managed to make
nnly arle pnyoient of k50 on the fano in Nepean, and this war to lead to ever1 greater
d~fficultiei. Edrlier in the year Willialn llarte Hopper had been bereiged hy credi-
tors of his brother Henry, who had died on a trip to Ireland the year before. fir he
ldter explained to Arthur, ":he State of nly paor Brother Henrys effairs ruined mc
altogether b every t+ing war taken from me."(37) In March 184'3 he was forced to
arriqrl his mortgage to the Nepran property to a friend, Robert Codd of Buffalo, New
Yorl, in order to obtair some much needed carh.(38) Unfortt~nately. William Harte
(proved vnlhle to ,pay his dpbt to Codd, and the latter sold the mortgage to his sister,
nary Elizabeth Cod3 of Torontii. Because the Hopper bays had not been able ta pay the
lbteit illrtallnent oi tne wrt,dage, Mirr Codd initiated suit to collect.
H.
Artliur anrl 'Nillia~~ wrote home to Ireland atten8pling to rcll their sharer in
Deerpark bdt foulrd no one willing to buy. By early 1852 nrthur was in declining
healtrl and his hair h3d gone "white as flax". The anret of old age was not made
easier hy the continuing illness of hi? wife and the family'r financial difficulties.
'nlilliasl H, wrnte 'PO; ;~?rbrooke
It will no doiht be most d~rtre;si:!g ii the Property he taken from you.
after all yilut. Lab"',* L Expellie - but should it unfortunately happen so.. .
do ln~t despair there are plerty of good S cheap Farrnr in thir Neighhour-
hood, the Rail Roaa parri~g thro' thir Country, rill do much good, and
yo~rrelf and by; dould nave a mucll better chance of advancing than in any
place in your. part of ttlr Col;ntry.(39)
Olit Arthur was g~t:i?g 013, hs wife war ill, ar~d his child!.er, had married in:o
falnil ier in the Uttara ar-ca.
The fdllnily's att~t.~'ey delayed the hearing of the rult as long ar he could,(40!
but finally in 1854 tl8. bays had to pay the money owing to Hiss Codd.(41) Edward
sold half of his lor. 27 Concession A, to his brother George,(42) and William
rllortqnged half of his lot. 2% ioncersion I, in order to obtain the money.[43)
Though Grthur had retired at tne time of the move from Huntley, and he and Anna
lived out the re~nainder of their lives with their eldest surviving son Uilliam at
Merivale, he colltinued to take an active interest ir: the prosperity of the fanlily.
In 186% the borr considered sellin9 the Nepean land and moving away, despite "doing
well" where they were. Their urlcle Benjami~? Sparling wrote from Balton. Quebec:
"If they have good places &hare they are they had bette- stay and lrnprove them for
the old #maxim is A roling stone gathers No moss."(44)
In any event, they did remain. Their fortunes fluctuated with the economic up-
and doun-turns of the late nineteenth cent",-y, and Arthur war always concerned to do
Whit he could to help. One of his firit thoughts war always to try ta sell his share
Of Deerpark. 11: 1869 be felt that the money could benefit his widowed dauqhter, but
his nephew Thomas Hayes wrote from Rorcrea: "I regret lnuch that it is r;ot at all it]