Stephen
[middle name?]
Hopkins
Born October 29, 1581
[place of birth?]
Son of
William Hopkins and
Elizabeth Williams
[brothers or sisters?]
Husband of
Elizabeth Fisher
(Married in
[location?] [marriage date?])
Husband of
Mary Unknown
(Married in
[location?] [marriage date?])
Father of
Constance Hopkins, Elizabeth Hopkins, Giles Hopkins, Damaris Hopkins, Caleb Hopkins, Elizabeth Hopkins, Deborah Hopkins, Damaris Cooke and Ruth Hopkins [add child]
Died July 17, 1644
[place of death?]
About Stephen Hopkins
Stephen Hopkins (Original English spelling: 'Hopkyns') was a castaway, Jamestown survivor, Mayflower ship traveler, and settler in the Plymouth Colony.
Stephen was born about 1581 and worked as a tanner and merchant. He was known as "A fellow who had much knowledge in the Scriptures, and could reason well therein."
Although he worked as a shopkeeper, he had an adventurous nature. Stephen first sailed for the New World in 1609 with the Virginia Company of London, traveling on the ship Sea Venture. It was the ship's maiden voyage. They were sailing to the Jamestown Colony in Virginia, which was established in 1607, bringing additional supplies.
A severe storm in mid-July forced the Sea Venture into reefs at the Isle of Devils near Bermuda. All 150 passengers survived. They lived off the wildlife found on the island and supplies from their ship. A smaller boat with some men sailed for the Jamestown Virginia Colony for assistance but were never heard from again.
While stranded on the Bermuda island Hopkins along with several others attempted to start a mutiny against the governor. They were displeased with his policies. Hopkins was sentenced to death after his plan was discovered but was eventually set free after complaining of the "ruin of his wife and children". It was said, "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".
Hopkins and the remaining survivors spent nine months on Bermuda building two smaller ships, the Deliverance and Patience. They were building them from wood found on the island.
Hopkins and the other castaways left Bermuda on May 10, 1610. They eventually made their way to Jamestown Colony on May 23rd.
He then had to survive the poor conditions, diseases, lack of food and supplies in Jamestown. Hopkins stayed for several years before returning to England by 1616.
His wife, Mary had died in 1613 and was buried at Hursley, Hampshire, England. When Stephen had returned, the English community church had sold his home and belongings to pay for the care of his children.
(NOTE: The story of the Sea Venture shipwreck and Hopkins' mutiny may have been the inspiration for William Shakespeare's "The Tempest". The play relates the story of a shipwrecked group stranded on an enchanted island. Shakespeare added the character of a drunken bottler with delusions of grandeur who he named Stephano. Hopkins learned of this play later and stated, "To have provided some of the fabric for Shakespeare's vision of The Tempest and to appear in the play, even in the absurd disguise as Stephano, this in itself is a kind of immortality for Stephen Hopkins."
By late 1617, he moved with his children outside of London and worked as a tanner. He married Elizabeth Fisher in Feb. 1618. However he needed to better his economic life. He was recruited by the Separatists (Pilgrims) to start a new life in America.
He was traveling with the Pilgrims among what they called "the strangers", i.e. non-Puritans brought along to provide assistance. Stephen was not part of their religious organization.
He brought his family -- his wife and three children -- on this voyage plus two servants named Edward Doty and Edward Leister.
Stephen was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. Only two other men had been to the New World besides Stephen, so his knowledge and experience was important. Stephen served as an aide to Captain Miles Standish.
The first structure built was the Common House. Death claimed many of the Mayflower's passengers their first winter there in the Plymouth Colony. All members of the Hopkins family including servants survived.
Additional colonists came over the years to settle in Plymouth Colony. Stephen served as assistant to the Governor of the Plymouth Colony through 1636. He was respected for his previous experience with Indians and was elected ambassador for native relations. The original peace agreements made with the Indians was done in Stephen's home at Plymouth.
Stephen set up a trading post with the Indians for furs. During that time he ran a store which also sold alcohol which was not approved by the Pilgrims.
In 1636, Stephen helped draw up the "Bill of Rights" which is viewed as one of Plymouth's chief accomplishments. He also built and owned the first wharf in Plymouth Colony, and in 1638 built a house at Yarmouth on Cape Cod, but soon returned to Plymouth. He gave the Yarmouth dwelling to Giles, who remained there and married Catherine Wheldon in 1639.
He volunteered for the Pequot War of 1637 but was not called up to serve possibly because he did oppose the war feeling it would hurt his Indian fur trade.
Elizabeth, his second wife, died in 1640.
Stephen Hopkins died at Plymouth Colony between 6 June and 17 July, 1644.
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