THE ART OF MAJOR SHORTSPOON

Francis Powell Hopkins was born in Cambridge in 1830, educated at Rugby School and subsequently joined the Army as an Ensign before being promoted to Lieutenant in 1850.

Six years later he was a Captain in the 15th Regiment of Foot, and married Rachel Bainbrigge, daughter of a Lieutenant-General, at Titchfield Church in Hampshire.

They had three children when the now Major Hopkins retired in 1869 and went into partnership with Marcus Horatio Bland of Gibraltar and William Summers of Aldershot to form the Aldershot Ice Company.

But it is not for his military or business careers that Major F. P. Hopkins is remembered. The game of golf - and in particular its history - owes him a great debt.

As an artist who signed his works as Major S. Shortspoon or just plain old Major Shortspoon, he created hundreds of small watercolours, often golfing scenes, many of which captured the sport as it was played in the nineteenth century prior to the advent of widespread photography.

Royal Liverpool Golf Club is lucky to have a number of Shortspoon works in its collection of golfing memorabilia - and especially fortunate that the Major often turned his eye and talent towards Hoylake.

Major Hopkins died on June 6th 1913 aged 82.