Hopewell H. Barroll papers

Collection — Box: Multi 01, Folder: 01

Identifier: MS-0004

Staff Only

Scope and Contents Note

This collection contains correspondence with Hopewell H. Barroll. Some request letters of recommendation for various positions with Washington College, one regards an honorary degree from Dickinson College for Thomas S. Hodson. Includes commencement materials for Yale and Washington College. There are also legal papers related to Barroll’s work as a lawyer.

Dates

Creation: 1893-1924

Access restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Publication rights

Copyright has not been assigned to Washington College. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Washington College as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Biographical Information Note

Hopewell Horsey Barroll (1860-1925) was born in Chestertown August 6, 1860, the son of John Leeds Barroll (1830-1866) and Eleonora Keene Horsey. Hope Barroll was the great grandson of William Barroll (1734-1778), the rector of St. Stephen's Church in North Sassafras Parish until 1777 when he refused to renounce his allegiance to Britain. William (1764-1834), son of William Barroll, was one of the first graduates of Washington College in 1783, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1787, when he began practicing in Chestertown. He represented Kent County in the State legislature. His son, James Edmondson Barroll (1779-1875), attended Washington College and then Yale, and was admitted to the bar in 1811. He was also a well-respected attorney on the Eastern Shore who lived in Hynson-Ringgold House until 1853, when he moved to Baltimore for three years and then retired to his home, Holly Hall, in Cecil County. On September 22, 1925, Hope H. Barroll committed suicide in his office on Court Street. The shocking news could not be hidden, and his son discussed his father's state of mind in the Kent News. On the day of his death, Barrolll took care of several business matters, including steps to make sure there was not a run on Citizens Bank, closed the door to his office, drew the blinds and shot himself in the lavatory. The Kent News reported Barroll had been suffering from "the worries of an unbalanced mind and shattered nerves" and ongoing poor health. His son, L. Wethered Barroll, a Baltimore attorney, attributed his mental state to the stress of having two sons in the army and one in the navy during World War I which resulted in a stroke. "Mentally he was never again normal. His condition was similar to that of those who were shell-shocked. During the last six months he had been ill a large part of the time. It is apparent to those close to him that he came to his end when his mind was temporarily unbalanced." Hope Barroll's funeral services were held at his Chestertown home, Byford Court, and he was interred at Shrewsbury Cemetery.