David John Hopkins was born in Fforestfach, Swansea, Glamorgan, South Wales, on the 2nd January 1889, the son of Robert and Sarah Hopkins (née Lewis). His father was a collier, and on completing his education, David also worked in the coal mines as a miner. He was the eldest of nine children.
On the 27th October 1910, he married Gertrude Davies, who was born in 1888, and they had two children, Maldwyn, born on 11th August 1911 and Glyndwr, born on 26th May 1913. The family home was at 1, Margaret Street, Pontygwaith, Glamorgan, South Wales.
He had an aptitude for singing, and left the coal mines to become a professional bass vocalist instead. Once he had become successful, he adopted the professional name
Taranlais - which means The Voice of Thunder in Welsh! As a result of his skills, he had been invited to join The Royal Gwent Male Voice Choir - sometimes known as the Royal Gwent Glee Singers, and since the autumn of 1913, he had been touring the United States of America and Canada with this choir.
For their return home to South Wales, the choristers had originally booked passage to Liverpool on the Anchor Liner
Transylvania but when they arrived in New York, they discovered that the
Lusitania was about to sail and had spare second cabin accommodation available. Thinking, erroneously, as it turned out, that she would be a safer ship from torpedo attack because of her superior size and speed, and knowing that she would get them back to South Wales at least a week early anyway, nine of the choir transferred to her, including David Hopkins. The other eight were G.F. Davies, S. Hill, I.T. Jones, W.G. Jones G.B. Lane, D. Michael, J.P. Smith and T. Williams.
As the Lusitania sailed out of New York harbour, just after mid-day on 1st May 1915, the nine members of the choir had sung the American national anthem
The Star Spangled Banner and each night thereafter, had given a concert in each saloon on board the vessel in aid of seamen‘s charities in Liverpool.
When the liner was sunk, just six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May by the German submarine
U-20 and only hours away from the safety of her home port, David Hopkins was killed, as were George F. Davies and Ike Jones.
The South Wales newspaper The Cambria Daily Leader reported on 11th May 1915: -
Hopkin (sic) met his death with true British heroism. One member of the choir says he passed him on the deck just before the boat sank, “standing resigned and very pale, with a small child clinging to him.” .....
From a boy, Hopkin (sic), who was a collier by occupation, showed a penchant for music and has been a prominent figure in local eisteddfodau. He had a rich and powerful base voice, and had been out with the Gwent Singers for the whole of their 20 months’ tour of the States, which has just concluded.
He was very much taken up with America and had expressed his intention to take his wife and children back with him after the voyage. He comes of a musical stock and was much respected by many friends for his great qualities.
Once they had been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, the surviving members of the choir underwent the grim task of scouring the temporary mortuaries there, looking for the missing three, but no trace of them was ever found - there or anywhere else! David Hopkins was aged 26 years.
After the sinking, his widow, Gertrude, successfully applied for financial assistance to The Lusitania Relief Fund, which was administered by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and set up after the sinking by him and other local dignitaries, to alleviate financial hardship to second and third class passenger survivors and the relatives of those killed. She was granted an allowance of £0-10s-0d., (£0.50p.), for herself and £0-2s-6d., (£0.12½p.), in respect of each of her children.
Using his stage name of Taranlais Hopkins, he had made a will, which was proven at Llandaff on 20th July 1915, administration being granted to his wife. His effects amounted to £77.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, 1911 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Cambria Daily Leader, Last Voyage of the Lusitania, Liverpool Record Office, Probate Records, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/314, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Wil Martin, Peter Patrick, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.