Our Mayflower Connection to Stephen Hopkins
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OUR MAYFLOWER CONNECTION TO STEPHEN HOPKINS Plymouth Rock by Gerald R. Steffy OUR MAYFLOWER CONNECTION TO STEPHEN HOPKINS by Gerald R. Steffy 6206 N. Hamilton Road Peoria, IL 61614 E-Mail: [email protected] Mayflower Compact 1620 Agreement Between the Settlers at New Plymouth : 1620 IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. IN WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini; 1620. 2 DEDICATED TO Betty Lou, my wife Vicki, our daughter Jerry, our son Kristyn, our granddaughter Joshua, our grandson Copyright (c) 2006 by Gerald R. Steffy. 3 OUR MAYFLOWER CONNECTION First Generation: Stephen & Mary Hopkins Second Generation: Constance Hopkins & Nicholas Snow Third Generation: Mary Snow & Thomas Paine II Fourth Generation: Capt. Thomas Paine III & Hannah Shaw Fourth Generation: Elisha Paine & Rebecca Doane Fifth Generation: Joshua Paine & Constance Paine Sixth Generation: Phebe Paine & William Bentley Seventh Generation: David Bentley & Lydia Button Eighth Generation: George Washington Bentley & Nancy Luke Ninth Generation: Martha Ann Bentley & John Christopher Hoxsey Tenth Generation: William Henry Hoxsey & Amanda Ella Klageus Eleventh Generation: Robert Howard Hoxsey & Myrtle Ruth Edwards Twelfth Generation: Betty Lou Hoxsey & Gerald Steffy 4 First Generation Stephen and Mary HOPKINS Stephen Hopkins was from Hampshire, England. He married his first wife, Mary, and in the parish of Hursley, Hampshire; he and wife Mary had their children Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles all baptized there. Stephen Hopkins went with the ship Sea Venture on a voyage to Jamestown, Virginia in 1609 as a minister's clerk, but the ship wrecked in the "Isle of Devils" in the Bermudas. Stranded on an island for ten months, the passengers and crew survived on turtles, birds, and wild pigs. Six months into the castaway, Stephen Hopkins and several others organized a mutiny against the current governor. The mutiny was discovered and Stephen was sentenced to death. However, he pleaded with sorrow and tears. "So penitent he was, and made so much moan, alleging the ruin of his wife and children in this his trespass, as it wrought in the hearts of all the better sorts of the company." He managed to get his sentence commuted. Eventually the castaways built a small ship and sailed themselves to Jamestown. How long Stephen remained in Jamestown is not known. However, while he was gone, his wife Mary died. She was buried in Hursley on May 9, 1613, and left behind a probate estate which mentions her children Elizabeth, Constance and Giles. Stephen was back in England by 1617, when he married Elizabeth Fisher, but apparently had every intention of bringing his family back to Virginia. Their first child, Damaris, was born about 1618. In 1620, Stephen Hopkins brought Elizabeth, his wife, and children Constance, Giles, and Damaris on the Mayflower (child Elizabeth apparently had died). During the voyage, Elizabeth gave birth to a son, named Oceanus. Stephen also brought two servants, Edward Doty and Edward Leister. One description of the trip that the passengers experienced went like this: “Seasickness, a profane seaman dying a terrible death, frightful storms, splitting masts, accidentally falling overboard, women giving birth, disease and the occasional death of a passenger, whales and other sea creatures--the Mayflower’s voyage seems to have been fairly typical.” Stephen was a fairly active member of the Pilgrims shortly after arrival, perhaps a result of his being one of the few individuals who had been to Virginia previously. He was a part of all the early exploring missions, and was used almost as an "expert" on Native Americans for the first few contacts. While out exploring, Stephen recognized and identified an Indian deer trap. And when Samoset walked into Plymouth and welcomed the English, he was housed in Stephen Hopkins' house for the night. Stephen was also sent on several of the ambassadorial missions to meet with the various Indian groups in the region. Stephen was an assistant to the governor through 1636, and volunteered for the Pequot War of 1637 but was never called to serve. Stephen and Edward Winslow were chosen to approach Massasoit and Hopkins repeated this duty as emissary. He nevertheless ran afoul of the law several times, for assault, for not properly regulating other people’s alcohol intake, and for overpricing. However, this in no way indicated he was disloyal to the Colony. Stephen died between June 6th and July 17, 1644, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This is the date his will was inventoried. William Bradford wrote in 1650 : "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. His daughter 5 Constanta is also married and hath twelve children, all of them living and one of them married." Children of STEPHEN and MARY: 1. Elizabeth Hopkins was born on March 13, 1604, in Hursley, Hampshire, England, and died between 1613 - 1620. *2. CONSTANCE HOPKINS was born on May 11, 1606, in England and died in mid-October of 1677, in Eastham, MA. She married Nicholas Snow on May 22, 1627. 3. Giles Hopkins was born on January 30, 1607/8, in Hursley, Hampshire, England, and died between March 5, 1688/9, and April 16, 1690, in Eastham, MA. He married Catherine Whelden on October 9, 1639. Children of STEPHEN HOPKINS and ELIZABETH FISHER: 1. Damaris Hopkins was born c.1618, England; died after 1627, Plymouth, MA; died young, was alive 1627 but probably the daughter reported by Bradford to have "dyed here." 2. Oceanus Hopkins was born in 1620 on the ship at sea, the date being between Sept. 16 and Nov. 11.; died at Plymouth, MA, while young, probably before 1623 when his father's family was listed as consisting of six persons. 3. Caleb Hopkins was born c1623, Plymouth, MA; died c1651 in Barbados of starvation 4. Deborah Hopkins was born c1624; died before 1674; married Andrew Ring, April 23, 1646, Plymouth, MA. 5. Damaris Hopkins was born after 1627 at Plymouth, MA; death date is unknown; married Jacob Cook after June 10, 1646, who was born in 1618 in England; died in 1675. 6. Ruth Hopkins was born in Plymouth, MA; her death is after November 30, 1644. 7. Elizabeth Hopkins was born in Plymouth, MA; she died after October, 1657, apparently had disappeared and was thought dead by October 5, 1659. Note: The baptism records of Stephen Hopkins' children Giles and Constance, as well as an additional child Elizabeth, were discovered in the parish registers of Hursley, Hampshire, England. Below is a scan of the Hursley parish register for 1606 showing Constance Hopkins' baptism in the original records. It says: "undecimo de May, Constancia filia Steph. Hopkins fuit baptizata", which translates into English as "Eleventh day of May, Constance daughter of Steph. Hopkins was baptized." 6 7 Will of Stephen Hopkins 6 June 1644 The last Will and Testament of Mr. Stephen Hopkins exhibited upon the Oathes of Mr. Willm Bradford and Captaine Miles Standish at the generall Court holden at Plymouth the xxth of August Anno dm 1644 as it followeth in these wordes vizt. The sixt of June 1644 I Stephen Hopkins of Plymouth in New England being weake yet in good and prfect memory blessed be God yet considering the fraile estate of all men I do ordaine and make this to be my last will and testament in manner and forme following and first I do committ my body to the earth from whence it was taken, and my soule to the Lord who gave it, my body to be buryed as neare as convenyently may be to my wyfe Deceased And first my will is that out of my whole estate my funerall expences be discharged secondly that out of the remayneing part of my said estate that all my lawfull Debts be payd thirdly I do bequeath by this my will to my sonn Giles Hopkins my great Bull wch is now in the hands of Mris Warren. Also I do give to Stephen Hopkins my sonn Giles his sonne twenty shillings in Mris Warrens hands for the hire of the said Bull Also I give and bequeath to my daughter Constanc Snow the wyfe of Nicholas Snow my mare also I give unto my daughter Deborah Hopkins the brodhorned black cowe and her calf and half the Cowe called Motley Also I doe give and bequeath unto my daughter Damaris Hopkins the Cowe called Damaris heiffer and the white faced calf and half the cowe called Mottley Also I give to my daughter Ruth the Cowe called