Stephen Hopkins (abt. 1633 - 1689)

Born about 1633 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Dorcas (Brownson) Hopkins — married 4 Mar 1657 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 6 Oct 1689 at about age 56 in Hartford, Connecticut

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Stephen Hopkins migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

This person is an ancestor of President Millard Fillmore^[1]

"Stephen Hopkins was born say 1633 in England, son of John Hopkins and Jane _______.^[2]

Find A grave believes he was born Sept 1634^[3] Others claim he was born September 25, 1631 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but his father did not emigrate until 1634 by which time Stephen must have been born, indicating he must have been born in England.

Stephen Hopkins in 1656 & 1657 was made a freeman of Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut.

He married Dorcas Bronson on March 4, 1657 in Hartford, Connecticut.^[4]

Stephen was made townsman of Hartford in 1668 & again in 1672.

In 1680 Stephen Hopkins erected a grist mill for the people of Mattatuck ( now Waterbury), New Haven Connecticut. His son John Hopkins was put in charge of the mill, while Stephen remained in Hartford.

His will was dated September 28, 1689 filed at Hartford and the inventory was on November 6, 1689.

He died Oct. 6, 1689 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut.

He was buried in the Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut.^[5]

Will

Will dated 28 September, 1689.

I Stephen Hopkins sen. of Hartford do declare this to be my last Will & Testament: My Just Debts being paid out of my Estate, I give all the remainder of my Moveable Estate, except what I do hereafter give unto my wife Dorcas during her life, and at her decease my Will is that she bestow it upon my Children as she shall see Meet. I give her the Use of the new End of my now dwelling house, half the Celler, half the Barn, half my Orchard, and half the Garden, during her life. I give unto my wife the Use of my Share in the Mills during her natural life, & the Use of 1/2 of my Lott by Hannison's during life. I give unto my son John Hopkins, besides what I have already given him, my Lott in the Last Division in Hartford, about 50 acres; also 5 Shillings out of my Estate. I do give unto my son Stephen Hopkins, besides what I have already given him, my two parcels of Land in the Meadow called Indian Land, after my wifes decease; also give him 5 Shillings; also give him the Use of 2 acres in my Meadow Division until my son Joseph [Hopkins] Comes of age. I also give unto my sd. son Stephen my Lott on the East side of the Connecticut River forever. I give unto my son Ebenezer Hopkins my now dwelling house, Barn & Outhouses & Homelott, to have the same as soon as he comes of age, all except what my wife is to have so long as she lives, and at her decease the whole to be his forever. I give unto my son Joseph Hopkins the 1/2 of my Lott by Hannison's as soon as he comes of age, the other half at my wife's decease, & 5 shillings. I give unto my daughter Dorcas Webster 40 Shillings besides what I have already given her. I give to my daughter Mary Hopkins œ15 out of my Estate when she comes of age. My Will also is that at my wife's decease my sons Stephen, Ebenezer & Joseph do pay unto my daughter Mary 40 Shillings apeice. And my Will also is that at my wife's decease my Right in the Mill shall be equally divided among my Children. I appoint my wife & four sons, John, Stephen, Ebenezer & Joseph, Executors; and desire my friends John Easton and Joseph Mygatt to be Overseers.

Witness: James Steele sen., John Easton.Stephen Hopkins, Ls.Court Record, Page 5--6

November, 1689: Will proven.^[6]

Notes on Stephen Hopkins

Stephen Hopkins was born, with absolute certainty, after 1 Jan 1626/7 and before 1 Jan 1648/9. Stephen's wife, Dorcas, was baptized in late 1633 and was probably born earlier in the year. The average married man is four years older than his wife, so a birthyear ca. 1629 is reasonable for Stephen. This date has ramifications because John Hopkins is believed to have immigrated in 1634 — and certainly he was in Massachusetts by 1634. If Stephen was born ca. 1629, he was presumably born in England, and his parents must have been married in England. One often sees either 1634 or 1637 given as the date of Stephen's birth, but these appear to be estimates based on the writer's belief that John and Jane met and married after he came to America. Of course, it's possible for Stephen to be younger than his wife and to have been born in America."^[7]

Children

1. John Hopkins born 1662 Hartford, Hartford Co, CT.
2. Stephen Hopkins born 1663 Hartford, Hartford Co, CT.
3. Joseph Hopkins born abt 1658 Hartford, Hartford Co, CT.
4. Dorcas Hopkins born abt 1660 Hartford, Hartford Co, CT married Deacon Jonathan Webster.
5. Ebenezer Hopkins born 1668 Hartford, Hartford Co, CT.
6. Mary Hopkins born 1670 Hartford, Hartford Co, CT.

Sources

1. ↑ Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents, Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009, p ?
2. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume III, G-H (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2003.) p. 413 https://www.americanancestors.org/DB116/i/0/413/0
3. ↑ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1700s-Current : Ancestry.com
4. ↑ New England Marriages Prior to 1700, by Clarence Almon Torrey (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011) Vol. II, p. 788. HOPKINS, Stephen (?1634-1689) & Dorcas [BRONSON](ca 1639-1697); ?ca 1657; Hartford
5. ↑ FindAGrave.com memorial 53262053
6. ↑ Hartford, Connecticut Probate Records, 1639-1700; A DIGEST OF THE EARLY CONNECTICUT PROBATE RECORDS.1687 to 1695. (Ancestry.com) Children's names emboldened to highlight them.
7. ↑ http://dgmweb.net/genealogy/FGS/H/HopkinsJohn-Jane_.shtml

See also:

• Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).
• webstergriggsfamilies
• Timothy Hopkins, John Hopkins of Cambridge Massachusetts, 1634, Stanford University Press, 1932. p. 24.
• Liston-Griswold, Mattie. Tracy Genealogy: Ancestors and Descendants of Thomas Tracy of Lenox, Mass., Doubleday Bros. & Co., Kalamazoo, Mich., 1900. p. 31.
• Massachusetts, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890: Ancestry.com