Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Hooper, Samuel Gordon

15 March 1891 – 6 January 1979

Samuel Gordon Hooper, born in Greenwich, was educated at Sherborne School, Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and Wells Theological College. He married Dorothy Masters in 1924. From 1931 to 1949, he served as Vicar of All Saints’ Church, Milford-on-Sea, where he became deeply involved in the local community, contributing to Milford Hospital, the Boys’ Club, Toc H, the British Legion, and the WVS entertainments committee. During WWII, he maintained contact with local servicemen and women, creating a quarterly bulletin.

A respected figure in the area, serving inter alia as Chaplain to the Mayor of Lymington, he was missed when he moved to be Vicar of St John the Baptist, Penshurst in 1949. Hooper was also a local historian, conducting research on the church, churchyard, and surrounding areas. He documented archaeological findings during church alterations, wrote about the region’s advowsons dating back to the 12th century, and explored the churchyard's history and its stones.

Additionally, he recorded the local impact of the Second World War, detailing military presence, defences, and post-war celebrations. His interviews with former Parish Council members and his documentation of local wartime activities contributed to Milford's social history. He contributed no fewer than eleven articles to the Milford-on-Sea Record Society’s Occasional Magazine, all but one of which were published after he left the parish, three posthumously. Hooper died at Sevenoaks in 1979.

Sources

Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society Archives

Hampshire Advertiser – various editions

New Milton Advertiser – various editions

Portrait

Rev. S. G. Hooper, Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society Archives: MHR.005341 c1940

Contribution to county’s history

He served as Secretary of the Milford-on-Sea Record Society for many years and during this time he played a key role in guiding the society and contributing to the preservation of Milford-on-Sea’s history and heritage.

Relevant published works

• All published in the Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society Occasional Magazine , volume 5 and New Series 1.

  Milford and the War 1939-45, 5, 2 (January 1948) 49-62.

   Milford Church: Matters relating to Church Fabric & Finance 1937-1949, 5, 5 (April 1951) 42-48.

  Milford Church Stones, 5, 5 (April 1951) 49-53.

  The Little Silver Tray and Cover in Milford Church, 5, 5 (April 1951) 54-57.

  The Advowsons of Milford and her Neighbours, 5, 5 (April 1951) 58-61.

  Memories of Milford in the days of the Parish Council, 5, 6 (October 1955) 1-15.

  “The Sentry Box” and the Church Clock, 5, 6 (October 1955) 68.

  Milford Churchyard, NS1 (1980) 14-17.

  Milford Church – Some discoveries during the alterations in the Sanctuary in the years 1947-1949, NS1 (1980) 10.11.

  A Note on William Saville Kent, at one time of ‘Belsito’, Milford-on-Sea, NS1 (1980) 12-13.

  Milford Churchyard, NS1 (1980) 14-17.

Critical Comments

Other Comments

A typical clerical local historian who focused on the history of his church, but also documented the area during World War II.

Contributor

28 March, 2025, Dr Claire Henderson (Member, Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society Research Group)

Key Words

Milford-on-Sea, Church, World War II

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