Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Stephen Hopkins

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Descendants of Stephen Hopkins

Generation No. 1

1. Stephen¹ Hopkins was born Abt. 1578 in Hampshire England, and died Abt. June 07, 1644 in Plymouth, MA. He married (1) Mary Bef. 1604 in Hampshire, England. She died May 09, 1613 in Hursley, Hampshire, England. He married (2) Elizabeth Fisher February 19, 1617/18 in St Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel, Middlesex, England. She died Bef. June 06, 1644.

Notes for Stephen Hopkins:
Stephen Hopkins is one of the oldest American ancestors currently known to our family. He was born about 1578, probably in Hampshire, Eng and, and actually arrived on the MAYFLOWER. His daughter Constance Hopkins led eventually to Serena Ransom, our ancestress.

Stephen Hopkins first married Mary? in England before 1605. Our ancestor Constance Hopkins was born to this couple, as well as a daughter Elizabeth and a son Giles.

As described in the book SAINTS AND STRANGERS, scholars believe that Stephen Hopkins had boarded another ship in 1609, the SEA VENTURE, and attempted to cross the Atlantic. A man of that name was definitely aboard. This vessel was part of a small flotilla that was headed for Jamestown, VA. Enroute, a
hurricane scattered the little fleet, hammering it so violently that several ships were damaged, and a couple ships were never seen again (sunk). The SEA VENTURE was run aground by the violent winds, crashing into the reef at Bermuda.
Incredibly, the crew and pasengers salvaged enough timbers and tools to build themselves 2 small ships, using local cedar! This is real tribute to their resourcefulness. The whole company of people set to sea again, and reached Virginia a year late with hardly a life lost, Between 1613 and 1617 Hopkins left Jamestown and returned to England to get his family.

His wife Mary died by the year 1617. Stephen married Elizabeth Fisher in London. They had a child
Damaris. Stephen and Elizabeth joined forces with a small religious movement, the "Pilgrims." They all set off in 1620 on a rented old vessel named MAYFLOWER for Virginia Colony. They took their children Giles, Damaris, and Constance along. The ship was storm-blasted and off course after 64 days, fighting an impossible headwind, and they were forced to land far north of their intended destination, in totally unsettled Massachusetts. Add childbirth to their miseries at sea: a son Oceanus was born enroute.

Stephen and Elizabeth survived the terrible first year, when fully half the Pilgrims died. They had these further children, in America: Deborah, Caleb, Ruth, and Elizabeth. Stephen along with Myles Standish, participated in the early exploring missions, and these men acted as ambassadors for Indian relations.

Stephen Hopkins was the only MAYFLOWER passenger who knew anthing about the ways of the forest of America, because he'd been there before. He was probably buried at Plymouth, MA. Most graves of MAYFLOWER passengers have been obliterated by the centuries.

He was Assistant governor from 1633 until 1636, and he volunteered to fight in the Pequot War of 1637.

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 b eburyed 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 Red Cole and her calfe and a Bull at Yarmouth wch is in the keepeing of Giles Hopkins wch is an yeare and advantage old and half the curld Cowe Also I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth the Cowe called Smykins and her calf and thother half of the Curld Cowe wth Ruth and an yearelinge heiffer wth out a tayle in the keeping of Gyles Hopkins at Yarmouth Also I do give and bequeath unto my foure daughters that is to say Deborah Hopkins Damaris Hopkins Ruth Hopkins and Elizabeth Hopkins all the mooveable goods the wch do belong to my house as linnen wollen beds bedcloathes pott kettles pewter or whatsoevr are moveable belonging to my said house of what kynd soever and not named by their prticular names all wch said mooveables to be equally devided amongst my said daughters foure silver spoones that is to say to eich of them one, And in case any of my said daughters should be taken away by death before they be marryed that then the part of their division to be equally devided amongst the Survivors. I do also by this my will make Caleb Hopkins my sonn and heire apparent giveing and bequeathing unto my said sonn aforesaid all my Right title and interrest to my house and lands at Plymouth wth all the Right title and interrest wch doth might or of Right doth or may hereafter belong unto mee, as also I give unto my saide heire all such land wch of Right is Rightly due unto me and not at prsent in my reall possession wch belongs unto me by right of my first comeing into this land or by any other due Right, as by such freedome or otherwise giveing unto my said heire my full & whole and entire Right in all divisions allottments appoyntments or distributions whatsoever to all or any pt of the said lande at any tyme or tymes so to be disposed Also I do give moreover unto my foresaid heire one paire or yooke of oxen and the hyer of them wch are in the hands of Richard Church as may appeare by bill under his hand Also I do give unto my said heire Caleb Hopkins all my debts wch are now oweing unto me, or at the day of my death may be oweing unto mee either by booke bill or bills or any other way rightfully due unto mee ffurthermore my will is that my daughters aforesaid shall have free recourse to my house in Plymouth upon any occation there to abide and remayne for such tyme as any of them shall thinke meete and convenyent & they single persons And for the faythfull prformance of this my will I do make and ordayne my aforesaid sonn and heire Caleb Hopkins my true and lawfull Executor ffurther I do by this my will appoynt and make my said sonn and Captaine Miles Standish joyntly supervisors of this my will according to the true meaneing of the same that is to say that my Executor & supervisor shall make the severall divisions parts or porcons legacies or whatsoever doth appertaine to the fullfilling of this my will It is also my will that my Executr & Supervisor shall advise devise and dispose by the best wayes & meanes they cann for the disposeing in marriage or other wise for the best advancnt of the estate of the forenamed Deborah Damaris Ruth and Elizabeth Hopkins Thus trusting in the Lord my will shalbe truly prformed according to the true meaneing of the same I committ the whole Disposeing hereof to the Lord that hee may direct you herein

June 6th 1644

Witnesses hereof By me Steven Hopkins

Myles Standish

William Bradford

From Family Tree Maker Online: Three Hundred Colonial Ancestors and War Service, Page 56.

THE COMPACT SIGNED IN THE CABIN OF THE "MAYFLOWER", NOVEMBER 11TH, OLD STYLE, NOVEMBER 21, NEW STYLE, 1620.

"In the name of God, amen, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subject of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc and Ireland king, defender of the faith, &c., haveing undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancemente of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and countrie, a vogage to plant the first colonie in the northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly and mutualy in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civill body and politick, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherence of the ends of aforesaid; and by vertue hereof to enacte, constitute and frame just and equall laws, ordenances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete and convenient for the general good of the colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cap-Codd the 11 of November, in the year of the raigne of our soveraigne Lord, King James of England, Franc, and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, ANo Dom 1620."

Children of Stephen Hopkins and Mary are:

	2	i.	Giles² Hopkins, born January 1607/08 in Hursley, Hampshire, England; died Bet. March 05, 1688/89 - April 16, 1690 in Eastham, Ma. He married Catherine Whelden October 09, 1639 in Plymouth, MA; died Unknown.
+	3	ii.	Constance Hopkins, born May 11, 1606 in England; died October 1677 in Eastham MA.
	4	iii.	Elizabeth Hopkins, born March 13, 1603/04; died Bef. 1620.

Children of Stephen Hopkins and Elizabeth Fisher are:

5	i.	Damaris² Hopkins, born Abt. 1618; died Aft. 1627.
6	ii.	Deborah Hopkins, born Abt. 1625; died Bef. 1674. She married Andrew Ring April 23, 1646 in Plymouth, MA; died Unknown.
7	iii.	Caleb Hopkins, born Abt. 1623 in Plymouth, MA; died Bet. 1644 - 1651 in Barbados.
8	iv.	Elizabeth Hopkins, born in Plymouth, MA; died Aft. 1657.

Notes for Elizabeth Hopkins:
Elizabeth Hopkins apparently had disappeared and was thought dead by October 5, 1659.

Source: Caleb Johnson's Mayflower Pages

Oceanus Hopkins, born Bet. September 06 - November 11, 1620 in The Mayflower; died Bef. 1627 in Plymouth, MA.

Notes for Oceanus Hopkins:
Oceanus Hopkins was the son of Stephen Hopkins and his 2nd wife Elizabeth
Fisher, born on the vessel MAYFLOWER while enroute to the Virginia Colony.

	10	vi.		Damaris Hopkins, born Aft. 1627 in Plymouth, MA; died Bet. January 1664/65 - November 1669 in Plymouth, MA. She married Jacob Cooke Aft. June 10, 1646; died Unknown.
	11	vii.		Ruth Hopkins, born in Plymouth, MA; died Aft. November 30, 1644.

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