TOMBSTONE TUESDAY: REV. ROBERT JOPE (1823-1875)

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY: REV. ROBERT JOPE (1823-1875)

A tombstone stands in the Indianola Cemetery with the inscription “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.” Although his name is not on the tombstone, this scripture from Proverbs serves as a testament to the life of Rev. Robert Jope, the rector of the Episocpal Church of the Ascension in Indianola, Texas.

Robert Jope was born in Scotland around 1823. His name appears in an 1851 Census for Lincolnshire, England as a 28 year old schoolmaster. He married Maria Elizabeth Brown in Lincolnshire on October 21, 1852. They immigrated to Virginia in 1855.

Rev. Jope served as the rector of St John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, Virginia from 1856 to 1858. He attended the 62nd Annual Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church held on May 20-23, 1857 in Petersburg, VA. While ministering to this congregation, he and his wife became parents to twin girls Annie and Lillie Jessie on December 24, 1858. He was remembered in the church history as “revered by all, for stories of his deep seated religion.”

By 1861, the family had moved to Iowa where Rev. Jope was rector at St. John in Keokuk from October 1861 to February 1866. He was listed among those who attended the Protestant Episcopal Convention of the Diocese of Iowa on May 29, 1862. His wife Maria died on April 3, 1864 and was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Keokuk, Iowa.

Next Rev. Jope moved to Texas as a widower with his two daughters. He was called to be the first rector of St. Andrew’s in Bryan, Texas. This congregation was first founded in Millican, Texas in 1864 but was moved to Bryan after the town was wiped out by the yellow fever epidemic. Rev. Jope was paid $1000 a year which was paid to him quarterly. He served at St Andrew’s from Dec 1867-1868. His name appears on the Texas Historical Marker for St Andrew’s Episocpal Church in Brazos County.

Next he found his way to the coast where he served at both Grace Episcopal Church in Port Lavaca and the Episocal Church of the Ascension in Indianola. He made his residence in Indianola with his family. Rev. Jope was part of the Port Lavaca congregation when he had a building erected for church worship. As the population in the community decreased due to yellow fever and economic changes, it was decided to relocate that building to Cuero where the population was growing. 

The original St John’s Church in Indianola was also greatly impacted by yellow fever in the 1850s. It was reorganized as the Episcopal Church of the Ascension after the end of the Civil War and grew rapidly. The original building was destroyed by a storm in 1869, but was rebuilt  and received gifts of a bell from Charles Morgan and an organ on April 7, 1871 which arrived by steamship. While serving that congregation, Rev. Jope met and married Mary Seymour Lee on May 9, 1871. Their marriage ceremony was officiated by The Right Reverend Alexander Gregg, the first Bishop of the Diocese of Texas. Less than a month after the wedding, Rev. Jope delivered the opening sermon for the Protestant Episcopal Convention held in Navasota. The family grew to include a son, Davenport Lee Jope, and two orphan boys for a total of five children.

During the month of September 1875, the courthouse in Indianola was hosting a scandalous murder trial that brought attendees from far and wide, increasing the population of the town temporarily and filling the hotels. It was on September 15 that the weather began to change with the early morning sun of the 16th revealing the flooding that had taken over the town due to the storm surge. The roads were impassable and the railroad cistern had been breached by sea water making it impossible to escape by train. When the storm ended, it left most of the town destroyed. It is believed that over 300 people died.

The Jopes were in Indianola when the community was struck by the Hurricane of 1875. Refusing the help of parishioners, Rev. Jope decided to ride out the storm in the rectory with his family. Although congregants implored him to leave, he steadfastly remained firm in his resolve to stay with the church during the storm. When the storm subsided, there was nothing left of the rectory. Remnants of the sanctuary were found in Powder Horn Bayou, eight blocks away. Rev. Robert Jope, his wife Mary, children Annie, Lillie Jessie, Davenport and two orphaned boys all perished.

In addition to the scripture from Proverbs, the Jope headstone in the Indianola Cemetery reads “Mrs. Mary Seymour Jope” because her body was the only one found and buried. However, the stone stands as a cenotaph for the remaining members of the Jope family who lost their lives together in the storm, including patriarch Rev. Robert Jope. He lived his life in righteousness and died protecting his family and beloved church. 

Indianola: The Mother of the Western Texas by Brownson Malsch

The Galveston Daily News, June 9, 1871

The Galveston Daily News, September 22, 1875

The Portsmouth Star, July 13, 1949

The Portsmouth Star, April 27, 1919

The Morning Democrat, May 29, 1862

Richmond Dispatch, October 1875

The Daily Gate City, March 1, 1911