History of Hopkins
Hopkins Solicitors was founded in 1913 by Elijah Samuel Buxton Hopkins. The Hopkins family originally came from Eastwood, where Sam grew up in his mothers pub 'The Rising Sun Public House', based in the centre of Eastwood. Sam became articled at Hunt Dickens, a firm in Nottingham, before moving to London to be an Assistant Solicitor at Bailey, Shaw and Gillott.
He opened his first office in Sutton-in-Ashfield in 1913. In the 1920s, with his eldest son Raymond and Mr Robert Bosworth, Sam Hopkins opened his first branch in Mansfield, a small office on Leeming Street.
Apart from being a local born Solicitor, Sam Hopkins was also a founding member of Mansfield Rotary Club and also started working for the Mining Union in 1926.
Waverley House
Hopkins closed its Sutton and Leeming Street offices and moved to the larger Waverley House on Westgate in about 1928 - where we still have an office today. Waverley is now one of Mansfield's listed building thanks to its historic stonework. Here, along with his eldest son Ray, Sam was joined by his younger son Brian. They worked together for 20 years before the death of Elijah Sam in 1951. Ray and Brian continued as Partners and were joined by Dennis Tate in 1959.
Hopkins Solicitors, thanks to its historical connections with Mansfield's mining communities, gradually expanded as the mines grew in size and number. In 1982, to cater for our continued growth, Hopkins opened a large office at Eden Court in Mansfield (our current Head Office). Hopkins growth was built on good service rather than costs, with word of mouth being our greatest advertising tool.
Regent Street
In 1995, the Partners made the bold step of opening an office in the city centre of Nottingham, which is still open today.
With the mining community in Nottinghamshire now reduced to just a few small pits Hopkins have adapted well. We have specialist Solicitors in all areas of the law (except criminal) and remain Mansfield's largest Solicitors, as well as being an emergent firm in the city of Nottingham.
