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STEPHEN HOPKINS (bp. 1581–1644)

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Stephen Hopkins was baptized on 30 April 1581 in Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England. [1] He died between 6 June 1644 and 17 July 1644 in Plymouth. He married first Mary ___ about 1603. [1] She was buried on 9 May 1613. [1] He probably married second Elizabeth Fisher on 19 February 1617/8 in London. [2]

Stephen came to New England on the Mayflower with his wife, Elizabeth. He brought two children by a former wife (Giles and Constance) and two by Elizabeth (Damaris and Oceanus, who was born at sea). They were accompanied by two servants, Edward Doty and Edward Leister. [3, 442]

Stephen's voyage on the Mayflower was probably his second trip to America. He was probably the Stephen Hopkins who sailed on the Sea Venture for Virginia in 1609 and was shipwrecked on Bermuda. This incident inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest. In Bermuda, Stephen was part of an attempted mutiny and sentenced to hang, but he pleaded tearfully and was spared. He spent two years in Jamestown before returning to England. [3, ch. 12, fn. 8][4]

On 15 November 1620, after landing on Cape Cod, Captain Miles Standish commanded an exploring expedition. William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins, and Edward Tilley accompanied them. [3, ch. 10, fn. 2][5, 19]

In the morning we took our kettle and sunk it in the pond, and trimmed our muskets, for few of them would go off because of the wet, and so coasted the wood again to come home, in which we were shrewdly puzzled, and lost our way. As we wandered we came to a tree, where a young spirit [sapling] was bowed over a bow, and some acorns strewed underneath. Stephen Hopkins said it had been to catch some deer. So as were were looking at it, William Bradford being in the rear, when he came looked also upon it, and as he went about, it gave a sudden jerk up, and he was immediately caught by the leg. [5, 23]

Stephen (referred to as of London) was one of seven men who went out to explore in the freezing cold of 6 December and encountered hostile Indians on 8 December. [5, 32]

On 16 March 1620/1, the Pilgrims had their first encounter with the Abenaki sachem Samoset. He spoke to them in English and asked for beer. They gave him strong water, biscuits, butter, cheese, and pudding. He told them about the plague that had killed the native inhabitants of the place the Pilgrims lived. They lodged him overnight in Stephen's house. [5, 50–52]

On 2 July 1621, the Pilgrims sent Mr. Edward Winslow and Mr. Hopkins, with Squanto as their guide, on a 40-mile journey to meet Massasoit. [3, 87][5, 60–68]

Stephen was probably a leader of the non-Separatest settlers. [2]

Stephen was on a 2 January 7 Charles [1631/2] tax list in Plymouth. [6, 1: 9–11]He was a freeman and was on the council in Plymouth in 1633. [6, 1: 3–4] He was on a 24 March 1633/4 Plymouth tax list. [6, 1: 27–29] Stephen Hopkins, gentleman, was on a 7 March 1636/7 list of freemen in Plymouth. [6, 1: 52–54]

Mr. Stephen Hopkins was chosen to be one of the Assistants to the Governor on 1 January 1633/4, 1 January 1634/5, and 5 January 1635/6. [6, 1: 21, 32, 36]

Stephen was on a committee to divide the meadowland in the bay on 1 July 1633. [6, 1: 14] He was on a committee to determine trade policy for the colony on 1 October 1634 and 7 March 1636/7 and a committee to advise on beaver trade on 7 June 1637. [6, 1: 31, 52–54, 60–62] He was on a committee to view the hay ground between Eel River and the town of Plymouth on 20 March 1636/7. [6, 1: 55–57] He was on a committee to agree upon a division of lands between Eel River and South River on 2 October 1637. [6, 1: 74–75]

Mr. Hopkins was given land up the river that he formerly had in a land distribution on 14 March 1635. [6, 1: 40–41] He was given the hay ground he had the previous year on 20 March 1636/7. [6, 1: 55–57] On 7 August 1638, Mr. Stephen Hopkins was allowed to build a house at Mattacheese, to cut hay there that year, and to winter his cattle as long as it did not cause him to withdraw from Plymouth. [6, 1: 92–94]

On 7 June 1736, John Tisdale, yeoman, entered a plea of assault against Stephen, by whom he said he was dangerously wounded. Stephen was ordered to pay five pounds to the King, whose peace he had broken, and 40 shillings to John. [6, 1: 36, 41]

Mr. Stephen Hopkins was presented at the 2 October 1637 court for allowing men to drink in his house on the Lord's day—before, during, and after the meeting—and allowing servants and others to drink to excess. [6, 1: 68] On 2 January 1637/8, William Reynolds was presented for being drunk at Stephen's house and lying under the table, "vomiting in a beastly manner." Stephen was presented for permitting this. [6, 1: 75] On 5 June 1638, Mr. Stephen Hopkins was presented for selling beer too expensively. [6, 1: 86–87] Stephen, with two presentments against him at the previous court and three at the 4 September 1638 court, was fined for selling wine, beer, strong waters, and nutmegs at excessive rates. [6, 1: 96–98]

Stephen Hopkins's indentured servant Dorothy became pregnant Arthur Peach, who was later hanged for murder. On 4 February 1638/9, the court ordered Stephen committed until he either took her and her child in or paid for someone else to look after them. He agreed to pay someone else. [6, 1: 112–3]

Plymouth Colony was called upon to aid the Connecticut Colony and the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the Pequot war. On 7 June 1637, it was decided to send men for land service. Mr. Stephen Hopkins, Giles Hopkins and Caleb Hopkins were two of three who volunteered to go. Stephen was also assigned to a committee to assess the men that should be sent. [6, 1: 60–62] Fortunately, their services were not needed.

Stephen's will is dated 6 June 1644 and inventory was taken on 17 July 1644. He mentions his deceased wife; his sons Giles and Caleb; his daughter Constance, the wife of Nicholas Snow; his daughters Deborah, Damaris, Ruth and Elizabeth; his grandson Stephen, son of his son Giles. [2] Captain Miles Standish and Mr. William Bradford deposed to the will and Caleb Hopkins, the executor, exhibited an inventory on 20 August 1644. [6, 2: 75]

"Mr. Hopkins and his wife are now both dead, but they above twenty years in this place and had one son and four daughters born here. Their son became a seaman and died at Barbados, one daughter died here and two are married; one of them hath two children and one is yet to married. So their increase which still survive are five. But his son Giles 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." [3, 445, written 1650]

Children of Stephen Hopkins and his first wife:

i. Elizabeth Hopkins was baptized on 13 May 1604 in Upper Clatford. [1] She probably died young.

i. Constance Hopkins was baptized on 11 May 1606 in Upper Clatford. She died about the middle of October 1677 in Eastham. She married Nicholas Snow.

ii. Giles Hopkins was baptized on 30 January 1607/8 in Upper Clatford. He died between 15 March 1689 and 26 April 1690. He married Katherine Wheldon.

Children of Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins:

iii. Damaris Hopkins died young. [2]

iv. Oceanus Hopkins was born on the Mayflower in 1620. He died before the 1627 land division. [2]

vi. Damaris Hopkins was born in Plymouth. [2] She married Jacob, the son of Francis Cooke. [2]

vii. Ruth Hopkins died leaving no children. [2]

viii. Elizabeth Hopkins died leaving no children. [2]

ix. Caleb Hopkins died in Barbados, leaving no children. [2]

References:

1. Ernest Martin Christensen, "The Probable Parentage of Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower," The American Genealogist 79 (2004): 241–9.

2. Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620–1691 (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1986), 307–10.

3. William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation 1620–1647, edited and annotated by Samuel Eliot Morison (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001).

4. Nathaniel Philbrook, Mayflower (New York: Viking, 2006), 25–26.

5. Dwight B. Heath, ed., Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth (Bedford, MA: Applewood Books, 1963).

6. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Records of Plymouth Colony: Court Orders, vol. 1, 1633–1640, vol. 2, 1641–1651, vol. 3, 1651–1661, vol. 4, 1661–1668, vol. 5, 1668–1678, vol. 6, 1678–1691 (Boston: William White, 1855, 1866).

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05-Aug-2023