Eliza (Hopkins) Forsyth (abt. 1773 - 1812)

Born about 1773 in Artikelly, County Londonderry, Ireland

Descendants

Died 1812 at about age 39 in Ireland

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Biography

Mr. Forsyth and Eliza Hopkins “were probably married about 1796 and were called the handsomest couple in North Ireland on their wedding day,” according to Mary F. Ward. Eliza was the only daughter of Alexander Hopkins, but she probably had at least one brother, Alexander. An Alexander Hopkins of Artikelly married Elizabeth Haslett, the sister of Eliza's daughter-in-law. Mr. Forsyth's first name is lost. The Forsyths of Artikelly, a town adjacent to Limavady on the north, are documented in a genealogy at the Public Record Office in Northern Ireland. The genealogy shows at least five men who could have been Eliza's husband. James Forsyth had a silver plaid pin bearing the arms and crest of demi-griffins rampant and the motto “Virtus in Ardius”. It is the same crest as the crest of the Forsyth family at Artikelly. It is also found on a window of a church at Hillsborough, about fifty miles from Artikelly. Mary F. Ward said that Mr. Forsyth was involved in “one of the numerous Irish Rebellions he fled the country when his sons were young, taught school in N.Y. and died there.” The rebellion could have been the one led by Theobald Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen in 1798. One of Alicia Haslett Forsyth's cousins, Henry Haslett, was a founder of the United Irishmen along with Tone. Eliza and James evidently joined Mr. Forsyth in New York City about 1812. James said he came to New York at fifteen. Passenger lists from Northern Ireland to America in 1805 name Forsyth, James, Co. L'derry; Hopkins, John, Abr., Ann, Jane, Jenny and Ruth, N.L. Vady, Co. L'derry; Murrell, John Sen. and Jr., N. Limavady, Co. L'derry. The Hopkins and Morrels, both of north Limavady, were probably relatives. A New York directory for 1812-1813 lists an Eliza Forsyth, widow, at 103 Church Street. Eliza returned to Northern Ireland. Shannon, the name of her second husband, was common near Artikelly. ^{[1] [2]}

Eliza Hopkins. ^[3]

Born Artikelly, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. 1773 Ireland^[4] Found multiple copies of birth date. Using

Research Notes

Eliza's father may have been Alexander Hopkins.

Sources

1. ↑ “Forsyth of Artikelly, Parish of Aughanloo, Co. Derry.” (Feb 1952, typewritten manuscript. Obtained from the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland).
2. ↑ Papers of Mary F. Ward. (possession of John Soergel, Syracuse, NY).
3. ↑ Source: #S36 Database online. Record for John Robert Forsyth FOOT Ancestry.com, OneWorldTree (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc.), Database online.
4. ↑ Source: #S36 Database online. Record for John Robert Forsyth FOOT Ancestry.com, OneWorldTree (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc.), Database online.

• Source: S36 Ancestry.com OneWorldTree Publication: Name: The Generations Network, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Repository: #R1
• Repository: R1 www.ancestry.com