Owen Hopton


Sir Owen Hopton was an English administrator and politician.
He was a son of Sir Arthur Hopton of Cockfield Hall, Yoxford. The manor of Blythburgh was confirmed to him by royal grant at the time of his father's death in 1555. He first became Member of Parliament for Suffolk in 1559: he was dubbed Knight Bachelor at Smallbridge Hall, William Waldgrave's house in Suffolk, in 1561. He was Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk for 1564.
He was the Lieutenant of the Tower of London from 1570 to 1590. He was therefore in charge of the most significant prisoners of the age, supervised all torture and controlled the armoury.
He was again Member of Parliament for Suffolk in 1571, for Middlesex and for Arundel. By Indenture of 1585, with Owen Tasburgh, he levied a fine on his manors of Blythburgh, Westwood, Walberswick, Hinton, Westhall and Thorington, with appurtenant lands also in Westleton, Darsham, Wenhaston and elsewhere, granting seisin thereof to Edmund Hall and William Roberts, for the sole use and benefit of his son and heir Arthur Hopton of Charterhouse, Somerset.

Family

Sir Owen Hopton married Anne Echyngham, the elder daughter and coheiress of Sir Edward Echyngham and Ann Everard. Sources indicate that they had the following children: