The HOPKINS Family of Hursley, Hampshire, Plymouth, Plymouth, MA and Eastham, Barnstable, MA

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STEPHEN HOPKINS (abt 1578 - 1644) of Hursley and Plymouth, passenger on the Mayflower
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CONSTANCE HOPKINS (1606 - 1677), passenger on the Mayflower, m. Nicholas Snow
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GILES HOPKINS (b. 1608 - 1689/90) of Eastham, passenger on the Mayflower
   
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MARY HOPKINS (1640 - 1700)
m. Samuel Smith
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DEBORAH HOPKINS (b. 1648)
m. Josiah Cook

Generation 1

STEPHEN HOPKINS (abt 1578 - 1644) of Hursley and Plymouth

Parents: Unknown

Stephen Hopkins was born about 1578, probably in Hampshire, England. [Ref] He died between 6 Jun 1644, when he wrote his will, and Jul 1644, when inventory was taken. He married Mary Unknown before 1604, probably in Hampshire. [Ref] (He did not marry Constance Dudley. [Ref]) He married second Elizabeth Fisher on 19 Feb 1617/8 in St. Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel, Middlesex, England. [Ref] She died before 6 Oct 1659 when inventory was taken on her estate in Plymouth. [Ref]

Stephen Hopkins first travelled to America aboad the Sea Venture, bound for Jamestown, Virginia in 1609. [Ref] The ship was caught in a hurricane and the 150 passengers were marooned on an island for nine months. [Ref] Stephen led an unsuccessful uprising and was sentenced to death. [Ref] After pleading that his wife and children would be ruined, he was pardoned. [Ref] Eventually, the passengers made it to Jamestown where Stephen remained for several years before returning to England sometime between 1613 and 1617. [Ref]

Stephen travelled on the Mayflower as one of the "Strangers" recruited by the Merchant Adventurers who financed the Pilgrims to replace those members of the congregation who chose to stay in Leiden. [Ref] He sailed with his wife Elizabeth, his two children Giles and Constant and two servants, Edward Doty and Edward Lester. [Ref]

The Pilgrims first friendly encounter with the Indians was with Samoset, who after discussion and a meal with the Pilgrims, spent the night with Stephen Hopkins and his family. [Ref]

On 2 Jul 1621 Stephen and Edward Winslow, along with their Indian guide Squanto, began about a forty mile walk to Massasoit's village, Sowams. [Ref]

Stephen received six lots to the south side of the brook to the woodward in the 1623 cattle division. [Ref] Stephen, his wife Elizabeth, and his children Giles, Caleb and Deborah were in lot seven of the 22 May 1627 Plymouth cattle division; his daughter Damaris wass in lot eight. [Ref]

On 2 Jan 1632/3 the General Court appointed Stephen to a committee to assess taxes on the colonists, payable in grain or the equivalent. [Ref][Ref] He was again on the committee to set rates on 2 Jan 1633/4. Both years he was assessed relatively high taxes. [Ref]

On 2 Oct 1637 the Court fined Stephen forty shillings for allowing servants and others to drink at his house and play shuffle board. [Ref]

Stephen's servant Dorothy Temple had a child with Arthur Peach, who was executed for murder and robbery before the baby was born. Apparently Stephen was disinclined to keep her and the child. On 4 Feb 1638 the Court charged Stephen with contempt and ordered that, as Dorothy had two more years to serve him, he should keep her and her child for that period or provide them with food and clothes. Otherwise, the Colony would do so and Mr. Hopkins would pay for it. Stephen then agreed with Mr John Holmes of Plymouth that for three pounds and other considerations, Mr Holmes would take responsibility for the mother and child. [Ref]

William Bradford [Ref] writes, "Mr. Hopkins and his wife are now both dead, but they lived above twenty years in this place and had one son and four daughters born here. Their son became a seaman and died at Barbadoes, one daughter died here and two are married; one of them hath two children, and one is yet to marry. So their increase which still survive are five. But son Gilles is married and hath four children. His daughter Constanta is also married and hath twelve children, all of them living and one of them married."

In his will, Stephen asked to be buried next to his deceased wife. [Ref]

Children of Stephen Hopkins and an Mary Unknown:

  1. Elizabeth Hopkins was baptised on 13 Mar (not May) 1604 in Hursley. [Ref] She was living in 1613 but probably died before 1620. [Ref]
  2. Constance Hopkins was born on 11 May 1606 in Hursley. She died in mid-Oct 1677 in Eastham. She married Nicholas Snow.
  3. Giles Hopkins was baptised on 30 Jan 1607/8 in Hursley. He died between 5 Mar 1688/9 and 16 Apr 1690 in Eastham. He married Catherine Weldon.

Children of Sephen Hopkins and Elizabeth Fisher: [Ref]

  1. Damaris Hopkins was born about 1618/9 in England. [Ref] She was unmarried. [Ref] She is named in her father's will. [Ref]
  2. Oceanus Hopkins was born at sea aboard the Mayflower. [Ref] She died before 1627 in Plymouth. [Ref]
  3. Caleb Hopkins was born about 1623 in Plymouth. [Ref] He died of starvation between 1644 and 1651 in Barbados. [Ref] He is named in his father's will as his "heir apparent". [Ref] He is in the Plymouth section of the 1643 list of those between 16 and 60 able to bear arms in Plymouth Colony. [Ref]
  4. Deborah Hopkins was born about 1625 in Plymouth. [Ref] She died before 1674. [Ref] She married Andrew Ring on 23 Apr 1646 in Plymouth. [Ref] She is named in her father's will. [Ref]
  5. Ruth Hopkins was born in Plymouth. [Ref] She died afer 20 Nov 1644. She was unmarried. [Ref] She is named in her father's will. [Ref]
  6. Elizabeth Hopkins was born in Plymouth. [Ref] She died after Oct 1657; she apparently had disappeared and was thought dead by 5 Oct 1659. [Ref] She was unmarried. [Ref] In her father's will, she was to be "put out" to Richard Sparrow until she was 19 or married. But Richard and his wife said that "in consideracon of the weaknes of the child and her inabillytie to performe such service as they aquite their charges of bringing her up." They said that Myles Standish and Elizabeth's brother might dispose of her as they thought best. [Ref]

Generation 2

CONSTANCE HOPKINS (1606 - 1677)

Parents: Stephen Hopkins and Mary Unknown

Constance Hopkins was born on 11 May 1606 in Hursley. She died in mid-Oct 1677 in Eastham. [Ref, 6;203] She married Nicholas Snow. [Ref, p. 11] Her father refers to her as Constance, the wife of Nicholas Snow, in his will. [Ref]

GILES HOPKINS (bp. 1608 - 1689/90) of Eastham

Parents: Stephen Hopkins and Mary Unknown

Giles Hopkins was baptised on 30 Jan 1607/8 in Hursley. He died between 5 Mar 1688/9 and 16 Apr 1690 in Eastham. He married Catherine Weldon on 9 Oct 1639 in Plymouth. [Ref says Oct 1639]

Giles Hopkins of Nausett (Eastham) volunteered to serve in the 1637 Pequot War under Lieut. William Holmes. [Ref] He was an original inhabitant of Eastham on 22 May 1655. [Ref]

Giles and his son Stephen are named in his father's will. [Ref]

Giles made his will on 19 Jan 1682; it was deposed on 16 Apr 1690. [Ref]

Children of Giles Hopkins and Catherine Weldon. The births are given in [Ref]

  1. Mary Hopkins was born in 1640. She died on 2 Jul 1700. She married Samuel Smith.
  2. Stephen Hopkins was born in 1642. He was admitted as an inhabitant of Eastham before 1675. [Ref] He married Mary Merrick on 23 May 1669/70 in Eastham. [Ref, 7;16][Ref] Mary was the daughter of William Merrick. [Ref] Stephen was admitted as an inhabitants of Eastham before 1675. [Ref]
    some descendants of Stephen Hopkins
  3. John Hopkins was born in 1643. He died in 1643. [Ref]
  4. Abigail Hopkins was born in Oct 1644. She married William Merrrick on 23 May 1667 in Eastham. [Ref, 5;198] He married second Elizabeth (Smith) Snow, the widow of Lieut. Jabez Snow.
    some descendants of Abigail Hopkins
  5. Deborah Hopkins was born in Jun 1648. She married Josiah Cook.
  6. Caleb Hopkins was born in Jan 1650.
  7. Ruth Hopkins was born in Jun 1653.
  8. Joshua Hopkins was born in Jun 1657. He married Mary Cole on 26 May 1681 [Ref] in Eastham. [Ref, 7;15] Mary was the daughter of Daniel Cole. [Ref]
    Joshua was admitted as an inhabitant of Eastham before 1675. [Ref]
    some descendants of Joshua Hopkins
  9. William Hopkins was born on 9 Jan 1660.
  10. Elizabeth Hopkins was born on 16 Nov 1664.

Generation 3

MARY HOPKINS (1648 - 1700)

Parents: Giles Hopkins and Catherine Weldon

Mary Hopkins was born in 1640. She died on 2 Jul 1700. [Ref, 2;79-83] She married Samuel Smith. [Ref, p. 20]

Mary and her son John were granted administration on Mary's late husband's estate on 20 Apr 1697. [Ref, 2;39-41] Mary Smith, the widow of Samuel and late of Eastham, died intestate and on 18 Jul 1700 her estate was divided between Samuel and Joseph, the sons of her son Samuel, her son John and her daughter Mary Hamilton. [Ref, 2;79-83] Her son-in-law Daniel Hamilton was granted administration on her estate and attested to the inventory, amounting to abour £135, on 18 Jul 1700.

DEBORAH HOPKINS (b. 1648)

Parents: Giles Hopkins and Catherine Weldon

Deborah Hopkins was born in Jun 1648. [Ref] She married Josiah Cook on 27 Jul 1668 in Eastham. [Ref]

References:

Ballou, Hosea Starr, "Dr. Thomas Starr, Surgeon in the Pequot War and his Family Connection," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 89, 1935, 172 -.

Bradford, William, Of Plymouth Plantation, Alfred A. Knopf , New York, 2001, with an introduction and notes by Samuel Eliot Morison.

Crowell, F. E., New Englanders in Nova Scotia, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1938.

Hamlin, David, "First Settlers of Eastham, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6, 1852, p. 41-46 , p. 167-170, p. 234-

Hinckley, Gustavus Aldolphus, trans., “Barnstable, MA: Probate Records 1685–1789,” Online database, NewEnglandAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.

Hopkins, Timothy and Margaret Griffith, "Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower and some of his Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 104, 1948, 46 - 60.

Johnson, Caleb, "Stephen Hopkins," http://members.aol.com/calebj/hopkins.html.

Philbrick, Nathaniel, Mayflower, Viking, New York, 2006.

Plymouth Colony Archive Project, "Court Records Laws and 17th Century Texts" and "Wills", http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/users/deetz.

Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., "Plymouth Colony Rates," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4, 1850 252-3.

Stratton, Eugene Aubrey, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People 1620 - 1691, Salt Lake City, Ancestry, 1986.

Winsor, Justin, "Abstract of the Earliest Wills in the Probate Office, Plymouth," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, various issues.