Edmund Hooper and family

Edmund Hooper, organist and master of the choristers at Westminster Abbey, was buried in the cloisters of the Abbey on 16th July 1621 but never seems to have had an inscribed gravestone. His first wife (name unknown) had been buried, probably around 1600 as she does not appear in the burial register which begins in 1607, but he asked to be buried with her.

Their children were James, Gabriel, John, Drew, Edmund, Thomas, Pellina and a daughter who married Mr Lee. His second wife was Mary and they had children including another John, Elizabeth, Mary, Alice, George and Catherine.

His Life

He was born at Halberton in Devon, probably around 1554, and is said to have been a chorister at Exeter cathedral. He was schooled at Greenwich. By 1582 he seems to have been a member of the Abbey choir (although his name does not appear in the accounts) and served at the Chapel Royal, being a singer at the funeral of Elizabeth I. Later he was organist of the Chapel Royal jointly with Orlando Gibbons. He was granted the office of Organist of the Abbey in 1606 when he ceased to be master of the choristers, a post held since 1585, due to "many disorders". He was a noted composer writing five services and an elaborate verse setting of the evening canticles. A number of his anthems included accompaniments for viols. These may have been performed in the Jerusalem Chamber, a room in the Deanery. His house was in the Little Almonry.

His son James Hooper was a Lay Vicar (or singingman) at the Abbey from 1601 until about 1649 and was buried on 30th December 1651. He sang at the funeral of James I. He married Margaret who was buried on 7th March 1652. Son Robert, who married Jane Ingram, was baptised in the Abbey in 1609 and son William, a minor canon at the Abbey from 1660-1663 and possibly a Lay Vicar in 1643-1644, was baptised in 1611 and buried in 1663. His unmarried daughter Margaret was buried in 1659. Another daughter Mary married Mr Swetnam.

Gabriel Hooper was a Lay Vicar at the Abbey from 1620-1621 and his children Pellina and Ann were baptised at St Margaret's church Westminster.

A Giles Hooper of Clements Inn in London was buried in the north cloister on 5th August 1699 and was a son of George and Joan (Giles) of Grimley in Worcestershire. It is not clear if there was any relationship with Edmund's family. Giles' younger brother was Dr George Hooper, bishop of Bath and Wells. His grave inscription has now worn away but was recorded in an early Abbey guidebook:

Here lieth the body of Mary, wife of Giles Hooper of Clements Inn, Gent. and daughter of Simon Britliffe of the county of Norfolk, Esq., and departed this life the 3rd of April A.D. 1683 in the 23rd year of her age. Here also lies the body of the said Giles Hooper who was born August the 4th 1649 and died August 4th 1699. Also Ann the second wife of the said Giles Hooper who was buried on October 14th 1707

The only child, by his first wife, was Edmund Giles who was buried on 18th June 1727. His second wife was Ann Weld, widow of Francis Plevey, but had no children by Giles. Giles was "Solicitor of H.M. Duties on Hides and Skins" and also Clerk of the Securities but was removed from office in 1715.