General Notes

Stephen Hopkins was one of only a few passengers on the Mayflower to have made a prior trip t o America. He came in 1609 on the Sea Venture headed for Jamestown, Virginia. But instead, th ey were marooned on an island following a hurricane, and the 150 passengers were stranded fo r nine months. Hopkins led an uprising, challenging the governor's authority, and was sentenc ed to death. But he begged and moaned about the ruin of his wife and children, and so was par doned out of sympathy. The company eventually managed to build a ship, and escaped the island . After spending several years in Jamestown, Hopkins returned to England sometime between 161 3 and 1617.

Stephen Hopkins brought with him on the Mayflower his wife Elizabeth, children Giles and Cons tance by his first marriage, and Damaris by his second marriage. A son Oceanus was born whil e the Mayflower was at sea. Stephen participated in the early exploring missions and was an " ambassador" along with Myles Standish for early Indian relations.

Stephen Hopkins is mentioned in a letter written by William Bradford and Isaac Allerton o n 8 September 1623, which was found in uncalendered papers at the Public Records Office in Lo ndon.  The letter was presented as evidence for the defense in the 1624 court case Stevens an d Fell vs. the Little James.  The letter is published in American Historical Review, 8(1903): 294-301.  The short section about Stephen Hopkins reads as follows (spelling modernized):

About Hopkins and his men we are come to this issue.  The men we retain in the general accord ing to his resignation and equity of the thing.  And about that recconing of 20 odd pounds, w e have brought it to this pass, he is to have - 6 - " - payed by you there, and the rest to b e quit; it is for nails and such other things as we have had of his brother here for the comp anies use, and upon promise of payment by us, we desire you will accordingly do it.

Another little-known reference to Stephen Hopkins, which also alludes to his two servants (Ed ward Doty and Edward Leister), is found in the Minutes for the Council of New England, on 5 M ay 1623 (reprinted from Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, April 1867, pp. 93-9 4):

Touching the difference between Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Peirce, Mr. Hopkins alleadgeth that hee h ath paid to Mr Peirce for Transportation of himselfe and two persons more, and Likewise for i hs goods, wch Peirce acknowledgeth, but alleadgeth, that by reason of his unfortunate returne , the rest of the passengers that went upon the Like Conditions have been contented to allo w unto 40s a person towards his Loss, and therefore desireth that Master Hopkyns may doe th e like, which Mr. Hopkins at length agreed unto, soe as Mr. Peirce and his Associates will ac cept of ÂÐ6 for 3 passengers out of ÂÐ20 his Adventure wch he hath in their Joynt Stock.  And t herefore they both pray that the Councell will bee pleased to write to the Associates to acce pt thereof, which they are pleased to doe.

In 1636, Hopkins was fined for the battery of John Tisdale, in 1637 he was found guilty of al lowing men to drink on a Sunday at his house, and in 1638 he was fined for not dealing fairl y with an apprentice-girl, Dorothy Temple. He was also charged with several other minor crime s, including selling glass at too high a price, selling illegal intoxicants, and allowing me n to get drunk at his house. However, this in no way indicated he was disloyal to the Colony- -in fact he was Assistant governor from 1633 until 1636, and he volunteered to fight in the P equot War of 1637.



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The last Will and Testament of Mr. Stephen Hopkins exhibited upon the Oathes of mr Willm Brad ford and Captaine Miles Standish at the generall Court holden at Plymouth the xxth of Augus t 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 an d prfect memory blessed be God yet considering the fraile estate of all men I do ordaine an d make this to be my last will and testament in manner and forme following and first I do com mitt my body to the earth from whence it was taken, and my soule to the Lord who gave it, m y body to b eburyed as neare as convenyently may be to my wyfe Deceased And first my will i s that out of my whole estate my funerall expences be discharged secondly that out of the rem ayneing part of my said estate that all my lawfull Debts be payd thirdly I do bequeath by thi s my will to my sonn Giles Hopkins my great Bull wch is now in the hands of Mris Warren. Als o I do give to Stephen Hopkins my sonn Giles his sonne twenty shillings in Mris Warrens hand s for the hire of the said Bull Also I give and bequeath to my daughter Constanc Snow the wyf e of Nicholas Snow my mare also I give unto my daughter Deborah Hopkins the brodhorned blac k cowe and her calf and half the Cowe called Motley Also I doe give and bequeath unto my daug hter Damaris Hopkins the Cowe called Damaris heiffer and the white faced calf and half the co we called Mottley Also I give to my daughter Ruth the Cowe called Red Cole and her calfe an d a Bull at Yarmouth wch is in the keepeing of Giles Hopkins wch is an yeare and advantage ol d and half the curld Cowe Also I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth the Cowe called S mykins and her calf and thother half of the Curld Cowe wth Ruth and an yearelinge heiffer wt h out a tayle in the keeping of Gyles Hopkins at Yarmouth Also I do give and bequeath unto m y foure daughters that is to say Deborah Hopkins Damaris Hopkins Ruth Hopkins and Elizabeth H opkins all the mooveable goods the wch do belong to my house as linnen wollen beds bedcloathe s pott kettles pewter or whatsoevr are moveable belonging to my said house of what kynd soeve r and not named by their prticular names all wch said mooveables to be equally devided amongs t my said daughters foure silver spoones that is to say to eich of them one, And in case an y of my said daughters should be taken away by death before they be marryed that then the par t of their division to be equally devided amongst the Survivors. I do also by this my will ma ke Caleb Hopkins my sonn and heire apparent giveing and bequeathing unto my said sonn aforesa id all my Right title and interrest to my house and lands at Plymouth wth all the Right titl e and interrest wch doth might or of Right doth or may hereafter belong unto mee, as also I g ive unto my saide heire all such land wch of Right is Rightly due unto me and not at prsent i n my reall possession wch belongs unto me by right of my first comeing into this land or by a ny other due Right, as by such freedome or otherwise giveing unto my said heire my full & who le and entire Right in all divisions allottments appoyntments or distributions whatsoever t o all or any pt of the said lande at any tyme or tymes so to be disposed Also I do give moreo ver unto my foresaid heire one paire or yooke of oxen and the hyer of them wch are in the han ds of Richard Church as may appeare by bill under his hand Also I do give unto my said heir e Caleb Hopkins all my debts wch are now oweing unto me, or at the day of my death may be owe ing unto mee either by booke bill or bills or any other way rightfully due unto mee ffurtherm ore my will is that my daughters aforesaid shall have free recourse to my house in Plymouth u pon any occation there to abide and remayne for such tyme as any of them shall thinke meete a nd convenyent & they single persons And for the faythfull prformance of this my will I do mak e and ordayne my aforesaid sonn and heire Caleb Hopkins my true and lawfull Executor ffurthe r I do by this my will appoynt and make my said sonn and Captaine Miles Standish joyntly supe rvisors of this my will according to the true meaneing of the same that is to say that my Exe cutor & supervisor shall make the severall divisions parts or porcons legacies or whatsoeve r doth appertaine to the fullfilling of this my will It is also my will that my Executr & Sup ervisor shall advise devise and dispose by the best wayes & meanes they cann for the disposei ng in marriage or other wise for the best advancnt of the estate of the forenamed Deborah Dam aris Ruth and Elizabeth Hopkins Thus trusting in the Lord my will shalbe truly prformed accor ding to the true meaneing of the same I committ the whole Disposeing hereof to the Lord tha t hee may direct you herein

June 6th 1644

Witnesses hereof By me Steven Hopkins

Myles Standish

William Bradford



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Criminal Counts against Stephen:

1607:  Mutiny on ship bound for Virginia.  Sentenced to death, but sentence commuted on behal f of his wife and children.

1636:  Assault and Battery of John Tisdale, fined ÂÐ5. 40s.

1637:  Disorderly Conduct:  Allowing drinking and scuffleboard in his house on a Sunday, allo wing servants to get drunk.

1638:  Disorderly Conduct:  Allowing three friends to get drunk at his house

1638:  Price Fixing:  Selling beer and nutmeg above the accepted price limit

1638:  Breach of Contract:  Failing to properly provide for his servant Dorothy Temple per hi s contract.

1639:  Illegal Sale of Alcohol without a License


From the Rootsweb database of David Torrey.