In honour of the WW1 soldiers named on the Keyworth Memorial on Nottingham Road - the 3 new housing estates Spinners Croft, Keyworth Rise, and Nicker Hill all take their street names from the soldiers who gave thier lives in World War One. These caches are placed in honour of their memories - they are all local to Keyworth in some way. Many of these families were long established in the small community of Keyworth (787 total population made up of 372 males and 415 female - as in 1911 census summary books).
Frederick Charles Hopkinson - Frederick was born in Keyworth in 1893 and was the son of Henry and Alice (nee Reynolds), who were married in 1892. Henry was born in Basford and Alice was born in Shropshire. His younger siblings were George Albert, Bertram, John William, Arthur, and Thomas. His Mothers parents were Thomas & Mary Reynolds (nee Beaumont).
His brother George died from heart failure aged 21 in 1916 so was not a war death and his brother Bertram served in the Royal Navy from 1916-1919 and survived. In 1939 Bertram is living on Edwinstowe Ave, West Bridgford. His other brothers were too young to enlist at the time. The family still lived on Selby Lane in 1921. Henry died in 1935 aged 71 and Alice in 1946 aged 74.
Frederick was listed on the 1901 census with his family aged 8 on Selby Lane and crossed through on the 1911 census as a mistake in listing - his occupation is given as Bottle Packer for an wholesale Chemist. (so hes not at home on the night of the census. - an entry appears for Frederick in Derbyshire for a cowman on a farm.)
By April 1912, Frederick joined the 5th Battalion The Sherwood Foresters, enlisting at Ripleys, Derbys. His occupation given on his war records is a Coal Miner employed in Alfreton, Derbys. By September 1914 he was medically unfit for service. He re-enlisted into the 10th Battalion Kings Royal Rifles with whom he was serving at the time of his death. He was killed in action on 3rd September 1916 aged 23 years.
He was awarded 1915 Star, The Victory Medal and British War Medal.
Hopkinson Close is named in his honour at the housing estate at Spinners Croft on Station Road/Platt Lane, Keyworth.
The Cache - This is a straight forward cache placed on the footpath off Nicker Hill.
