_Samuel Wiley BUCHANON ____
_Claudius Reid BUCHANON __|
| |_Eunice WEAR ______________
|
|--Bernice Lou BUCHANON
|
| _Jacob Wesley CHAMBERLAIN _
|_Lola Olivet CHAMBERLAIN _|
|_Barbara Jane BECKETT _____
_________________________
_James Hamilton COLLINS _|
| |_________________________
|
|--David Gene COLLINS
|
| _Gene Floyd CHAMBERLAIN _
|_Wendy Jean CHAMBERLAIN _|
|_Glenna Lucille TILGNER _
__
__|
| |__
|
|--William (Jonathan) DOYLE
|
| __
|__|
|__
__
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| |__
|
|--Stephen HOPKINS
|
| __
|__|
|__
Stephen Hopkins was probably the son of Stephen Hopkins, Sr.,
a weaver and clothier who lived in the hamlet of Wortley in the
parish of Wotton under Edge, 16 miles from Bristol and who appears
in the Militia list for Gloucestershire, 1608. There is an
imperfect entry in the Wotton register records that show the
baptism of ---- Hopkins of Stephen Hopkins, October 29, 1581 who
was the fourth child and whose age would fit that of Stephen
Hopkins. No other child had been named after the father. There is
a baptism of a son William to a Stephen Hopkins, July 19, 1607, at
the hamlet of Wortley. After that the name of Stephen Hopkins
disappears from the register.
There was a man named Stephen Hopkins, probably our ancestor,
who sailed for Virginia in the Sea Adventure which set sail for
Jamestown on May 15, 1609. The Sea Adventure was the admiral's
flagship in a fleet of nine ships under the command of Sir George
Somers and Sir William Gates. Gates had recently been appointed
governor of Jamestown and was going out to assume his post. During
the voyage, a hurricane hit the fleet and scattered it. Months
later some of the ships, all badly damaged, arrived in Jamestown.
But the Sea Venture was wrecked on the island of Bermuda. Those on
board were immediately commanded to start building ships to
transport the company to its destination. There was much grumbling
and resistance since many felt they "might well feare to be
detained in that countrie by the authority of the Commander
thereof, and their whole life to serve the turnes of the
Adventurers with their travailes and labours."
Actually, as it turned out, the men who complained were
absolutely correct. Jamestown was a horrible place to go and, of
the people who did go, 80% died within a few years due to a
combination of overexertion, disease, hunger, malnutrition, and a
widespread tendency to drink. The Colony was run almost like a
penal Colony and many of the people who were there were treated
like slaves.
In an account of this voyage, Hopkins is described as one "who
had much knowledge in the Scriptures and could reason well
therein." The chaplain of the party chose him to be his assistant
"to read the Psalmes and Chapters upon Sondayes" after they had
become settled on the island. Apparently Hopkins began to "advance
substantial argumenents... that it was no breach of honesty,
conscience, nor Religion to decline from the obedience of the
Governor or to refuse to go further,... since the authority ceased
when the wracke was committed, and with it they were all freed from
the government of any man." These arguments were not well
received. Several men were promptly seized and brought before a
court-martial on a charge of "Mutinie and Rebelion." The men were
convicted but Hopkins was finally pardoned because he "made so much
moane, alleadging the Ruine of his wife and children in this his
Trespasse." (Purchas. His Pilgrimes, Book ix, pt. 2; comp. Gen.
Reg. xxxiii, 305.)
The story of the great storm, the shipwreck, and the wonders
of the strange land of Bermuda was passed on to William Shakespeare
by a friend the Earl of Southampton, an officer of the Virginia
Company. This inspired one of Shakespeare's greatest plays called
"The Tempest."
There are a number of indications that the Stephen Hopkins on
the voyage to Jamestown was the same as the Pilgrim. For example,
when he was on the first exploring party sent out to seek a
suitable place for habitation, the Pilgrims came across a sight
which was curious to them-- a small tree bent over and attached to
boughs and grasses woven together covering a deep pit. Hopkins at
once informed them that it was a trap used by the Indians to catch
deer. On numerous occasions, Hopkins was chosen to deal with the
Indians, as though he had prior experience with this. When Samoset
came to Plymouth and welcomed the Pilgrims he was lodged overnight
in Stephen Hopkin's house. When the messenger of Canonicus brought
the snake-skin full of arrows to Plymouth, Standish and Hopkins had
charge of him (Standish in the capacity as military commander), and
tried to get at the meaning of the message this snake symbolized.
In 1623 Hopkins accompanied Winslow on the mission to doctor Massasoit
just as he did in 1621, to help communicate with the Indians.
Politically, the ideas of rebellion were probably consistent with
Stephen Hopkins' character. He had no blind respect for authority
and he had many conflicts with the Plymouth magistrates in later
years over Sabbath observance and drinking. He insisted upon
selling liquor without a license and was often in trouble for his
free and easy way with "inferiours," being heavily fined on one
occasion for "allowing servants and such to sit in his house and
play shovelboard."
The church register of St. Mary Matfellon (Whitechapel)
records the marriage of Stephen Hopkins and Elizabeth Fisher,
February 19, 1617/18. Hopkins lived in the parish on the highroad
entering London at Aldgate near where Bradford, Carver, Cushman and
Southworth lived in or near Heneage House, Aldgate Ward.
Before the Mayflower set sail, the Merchant Adventurers
insisted that the Pilgrims bring more people with them. It was
felt a larger group would have a better chance of surviving and
people were selected who it was felt would add useful skills to the
group. It may well have been that Stephen Hopkins was selected
because he had past experience in the New World. In any case,
Stephen Hopkins, our ancestor, was among the "Strangers" added to
the group at this point. He brought with him his second wife,
Elizabeth, and his children including Giles, Constance (our direct
ancestor), and Damaris. Oceanus, Elizabeth's first child, was born
on the Mayflower. Stephen Hopkins also brought two indentured
servants-- Edward Dotey (from near Bristol, like Stephen Hopkins)
and Edward Leister.
When the Mayflower arrived on November 20, 1620, "they were
without a clear-cut patent for a New England settlement and did not
know where they were although they hoped they were north of the
boundaries of Virginia, so they would be free from the dominance of
James I. They were exhausted, undernourished, and near panic.
There was unrest among some of the passengers and "mutinous
speeches" were heard, so they drew an agreement, the Mayflower
Compact, before they landed. It was signed by forty-one male
settlers and indentured workers as the political basis for their
settlement." Among the signers was Stephen Hopkins. It is
considered one of the great documents of American history since it
is the first agreement to self govern in the New World.
They then elected deacon John Carver as their governor for a
one-year term. Carver died in the spring, and William Bradford was
elected in his place and served, in spite of many protests (by
him), for a great many years afterward.
After a month of exploration by Myles Standish, Stephen
Hopkins, and others, the site now known as Plymouth was selected.
They called it New Plymouth, named after the port they last saw in
England. The landing was not dramatic as it is depicted in
paintings to remember the event. They had been explored the area
for a month when they finally unloaded their belongings with
numerous small trips in a shallop from the larger boat. Plymouth
Rock would have been an inconvenient location and no mention of it
was made by anyone living at the time.
They began building in December and they suffered a general
sickness during the winter that killed 51. It was most likely a
result of a combination of scurvy, pneumonia, and tuberculosis
which was brought on by months of bad diet, cramped and unsanitary
quarters, exposure and overexertion in all kinds of weather.
Almost every household lost either a husband, wife or both.
Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins were one of only three households
that did not lose a parent. Among the dead was the baby Oceanus
Hopkins.
The Pilgrims were lucky in a great many ways. The Indians who
had lived where they landed had been wiped out by a plague a few
years before so they did not have land disputes with Indians (the
first year, at least). Also, they found an English speaking
Indian, Squanto, who came to them and showed them how to plant
corn. Without Squanto they might have died of starvation the first
year since most English crops did not grow. Eventually they were
able to earn the money needed to pay their debts to the Merchant
Adventurers by trading with the Indians for beaver skins. They had
planned to earn money by fishing, but no one knew how to fish and
they did not bring the right equipment. In spite of their
misfortunes they had every reason to be thankful to God and the
Indians. They celebrated with a feast that became a tradition
every year. For many years it was called Forefather's Day and it
was celebrated in October. Around the time of the Civil War it
became Thanksgiving.
Stephen Hopkins served as assistant governor of Plymouth from
1624 to 1636 and was a respected member of the Pilgrims in spite of
the fact that he was did not conform to the strict religious views
of the more religious Pilgrims.
_Erwin Dale REED _
_Valentine Dee REED _|
| |_Virginia SPAY ___
|
|--Bradley REED
|
| __________________
|_Sarah Marie DYER ___|
|__________________
__
__|
| |__
|
|--Aman SHIPLEY
|
| __
|__|
|__
______ TULLY ________
_Patrick TULLY __________|
| |_Unknown _____ ______
|
|--Catherine Ann TULLY
|
| _Archibald MCCOLLUM _
|_Margaret Mary MCCOLLUM _|
|_____________________
__________________________
_William A. VANDORIN _|
| |__________________________
|
|--Stella VAN DOREN
|
| _Asahel Harrington BROWN _
|_Temperance BROWN ____|
|_Isabella STEELE _________