Hopkins (Y-DNA)

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Status summary

As of December 30, 2015:

As of May 21, 2021

  • Big Y-700 testing of two Y-DNA descendants of Stephen Hopkins have posted.

IMPORTANT Read me First

Paper Trail

For more information see: Austin, John D., Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: vol. 6 Hopkins and Pilgrim Hopkins Heritage Society Lineage database. Names in bold font have Y-DNA descendants who have Y-DNA tested.

First Generation

Stephen Hopkins[1] was the son of John Hopkins & Elizabeth Williams, baptized the "last of Aprill" 1581 at All Saints Church, Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England[2] He died at Plymouth sometime between the writing of his will (6 Jun 1644) and his inventory (taken 17 Jul 1644)[3]

Stephen was twice married. His first wife had the given name of Mary and they were married before 13 May 1604 (when their first known child, Elizabeth, was baptized), likely in Hampshire, England.[4] Mary was buried at Hursley, Hampshire 9 May 1613.[5] He was next married at St Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel, London, England 19 Feb 1617/8 to Elizabeth Fisher[6]

While currently unproven, many sources, including the Pilgrim Hopkins Heritage Society believe he was the Stephen Hopkins who was a passenger aboard the "Sea Venture" which left Plymouth England in Jun 1609 (among a fleet of nine ships). The fleet was struck by a hurricane and the Sea Venture ended up becoming ship-wrecked in the Bermuda islands.[7]

Also see: wikitree profile as well as a 2007 Novel by Caleb Johnson: Here I Die Ashore...

Stephen had three children by his first marriage: Constance, Giles and Damaris (the last died young). By his second wife, he had Oceanus (d. young), Caleb (never married), Deborah, Damaris, Ruth and Elizabeth.

Second Generation

Giles Hopkins[8] was baptized Hursley, Hampshire 30 Jan 1607[/8]. He married Katherine Whelden at Plymouth 9 Oct 1639 and had ten children: Mary, Stephen, John (d. young), Abigail, Deborah, Caleb, Ruth, Joshua, William (prob. never married), and Elizabeth (d. young).

Third Generation

Stephen Hopkins married[9] Mary Merrick 23 May 1667 Eastham and had nine[10] children (born Eastham): Elizabeth (1668), Stephen (1670 m. Sarah Howes), Judah (1677/8 m Hannah Mayo & Hannah Mayo), Samuel (1682 m Lydia Rich), Nathaniel (1684 m Mercy Mayo), Joseph (1688 m Mary Mayo), Benjamin (1690 m Rachel Lincoln) and Mary

Caleb Hopkins apparently married twice[11], first Mary Williams about 1684 and second, bef 1709 Mary ____. By his first wife he had three sons: Caleb (c1684 m Mercy Freeman), Nathaniel (c1684 m Lydia ____ & Sarah ____) and Thomas (c1700 m Deborah Bickford) and by his second wife had daughter Thankful born Truro 1709.

Joshua Hopkins married Mary Cole 26 May 1681 Eastham and had eight children (born Eastham): John (1684-1700), Abigail (1686), Elisha (1688 m Experience Scudder), Lydia (1692), Mary (1694/5), Joshua (1697/8 m Priscilla Curtis), Hannah (1700) and Phebe (1702).

  1. Pilgrim Hall Museum Stephen Hopkins biography.
  2. Roser, Susan E.,Mayflower Passenger References (from contemporary records and scholarly journals) (2011, 2015, Stewart Publishing & Printing, Canada), pp. 249-263, citing TAG 79:241-49
  3. [1] Transcription of Will and Inventory online at the Pilgrim Hall Museum website
  4. [2] Pilgrim Hopkins Heritage Society website
  5. Roser, op. cit., p. 250 from TAG 73:163
  6. ibid., it is currently unknown if Elizabeth was a maiden or a widow.
  7. [3] Pilgrim Hall Museum online biography for Stephen Hopkins
  8. Pilgrim Hall Museum Giles Hopkins biography.
  9. Stephen had a second wife, Eastham Apr 1701 Bethia LINNELL Atkins, but no children by this second marriage.
  10. Some sources give a tenth child, Samuel, born ca 1680, died young.
  11. His first wife would have been too old to have a child born in 1709.

DNA Results R1b-FGC71615

Previous Y-DNA testing

Previous Y-STR testing through the Mayflower Society and the Hopkins DNA Project] Hap'group R1b (M343;M269 etc) - Genetic Family D has suggested the Hopkins lineage belongs to the R1b-M269 Y-DNA haplogroup, which is quite common in Western Europe. The R1b clade predictor at Nevgen.org has further refined the prediction to be U106>>Z381>>L48>Z9>Z331>FGC49702>FGC12346.

NGS/WGS testing

Next Generation Sequencing/Whole Genome Sequencing (NGS/WGS) testing of patrilineal (all male line) descendants of Stephen Hopkins will be able to confirm this prediction and identify a more precise haplogroup classification for the Hopkins lineage. As of 21 May 2021 two Big Y-700 test have been completed for Y-DNA descendants of Stephen Hopkins. The results of these tests document the Stephen Hopkins family falls somewhere under: U106>>Z381>>L48>Z9>Z331>>FGC12346>FGC49706>A10233>BY3322>A10236>FGC49708>FGC52137>FGC52139>FGC52155>FGC52156>FGC71620>FGC71615.

With enough NGS/WGS testing, we may also be able to define branches of the Hopkins family in America.


References and External Links

  • Austin, John D., Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: vol. 6 Hopkins, General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA. Third edition 2001
  • Roser, Susan E., Mayflower Increasings From the Files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD, Second edition 1995, 1996. pp. 62-67
  • Roser, Susan E., Mayflower Passenger References (from contemporary records & scholarly journals, [www.stewartbooks.com Stewart Publishing & Printing], Canada. Second edition 2015
  • Johnson, Caleb, Here Shall I Die Ashore: Stephen Hopkins, Bermuda Castaway, Jamestown Survivor and Mayflower Pilgrim Xlibris Corp., 2007
  • Johnson, Caleb, The American Genealogist 73(1998):161-71 "The True Origins of Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower: With Evidence of His Earlier Presence in Virginia"
  • Christensen, Ernest Martin, The American Genealogist 79(2004):241-49 "The Probable Parentage of Stephen1 Hopkins of the Mayflower"


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