Person:Giles Hopkins (1)

Giles lived for a time in Plymouth but about 1638 moved to Yarmouth. He was a highway surveyor of Yarmouth (Mattakesse), 1642-3, and surveyor of Yarmouth and Eastham (Nauset) until 1662. He was among the first settlers of Eastham 22 May, 1655 and in 1655 he was one of the list of freemen of Eastham and one of 29 voters there. His will dated 19 January, 1682, proved 5 March 1689, mentions his wife Catherine and his sons Stephen, William, Caleb, and Joshua. His son Stephen was made executor. Of his children, the first four are believed to have been born in Yarmouth, the remainder in Eastham.

Will of Giles Hopkins

19 January 1682/3

"To all Christian people to whome these presents shall com know ye that I Giles Hopkins of Eastham being sick and weak of Body and yet of perfit memory do declare this as my Last will and Testament on this ninteenth day of January in ye year of our Lord 1682 I bequeath my Body to ye grave in decent burial when this Temporal Life of mine shall have an end and my soul to god that gave it in hopes of a blessed Resurection at ye Last day 2ly my will is that my son Stephen Hopkins shall possess and Injoy all my Upland and meadow Lying and being at Satuckit that is to say all my upland and meadow on ye southerly side of ye bounds of ye Towne of eastham that is to say all my Right and title Intrest and claime to all those Lands from ye head of Namescakit to ye southermost part of ye long pond where mannomoyet cart way goes over to Satuckit and from thence to ye head of manomoyet river and so as our Line shall run over to ye south sea all ye Lands between thos bounds and ye westermost bounds of ye purchesers at satuckit river all these Lands I give Unto my son Stephen Hopkins and to his heirs forever: and half my stock of cattill for and in consideration of ye above sd Land and half stock of cattel my will is that after my decease my son Stephen Hopkins shall take ye care and oversight and maintaine my son William Hopkins during his natural Life in a comfortable decent manner. 3ly my will is that all my Lands at Palmet both purchesed and unpurchesed both meadows and upland and all my Lands at Pochet and my third part of Samsons neck and what other Lands shall fall unto me as a purcheser from ye fore mentioned Bounds of my son Stephen Hopkinses Lands and potanomacot all these fore specified Lands I give unto my sons Caleb and Joshua Hopkins to be equaly devided between them: further my will is that if either of my sons Joshua or Caleb Hopkins dye having no Issew that then these Lands which I have given them to be equally devided between them fall to him that surviveth. 4ly. I give unto my wife Catorne Hopkins and to my son William Hopkins the improvment of too acres of meadow Lying at ye head of Rock Harbor during my wifes Life and ye one half of that too acres I give Unto my son william during his Life and after ye decease of and after ye decease of my wife and son william I do give this above sd too acres of meadow to my son Joshua Hopkins and his heirs forever: as also after my decease I give Unto my son Joshua Hopkins a parcel of meadow Lying at ye mouth of Rock Harbor according to ye bounds thereof specified in ye Towne Records of Lands: it I give unto my son Caleb Hopkins a parcel of meadow Lying at Little Nameskeket according to ye bounds thereof specified in ye Towne Book of Records of Lands. It. I give unto my wife my now dwelling House and halfe my Land and halfe my orchard that is by my house: by Land I mean half my Land that is about my house both fenced and Unfenced during my wifes natural Life, and then ye above sd housing and Lands to fall unto my son Joshua Hopkins; the other half of my Land and orchard I give to my son Joshua Hopkins after my death that is to say ye other half of my Lands Liying about my house. It. I give unto my son Caleb Hopkins one pair of plow Irons. It. I give Unto my son Joshua Hopkins one payer of plow Irons. It. I give Unto my son Joshua Hopkins my carte and wheels. It. I give unto my wife ye other half of my stock and moveables I say to my wife and my son William or what parse of ye moveables my wife shall see cause to bestow on my son William Hopkins. It. I do appoint my son Stephen Hopkins to be my true and Lawful executor of this my Last will and testament to pay what is payable and Receive what is due. And to ye truth and verity hereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal ye day and year above written. Signed and sealed in presence of us, ye mark of Jonathan Sparrow. Giles Hopkins (seal) Samuel Knowles. Jonathan Sparrow and Samuel Knowles witnesses to this will made oath in Court ye: 16 th: of April 1690 that they saw ye above sd Giles Hopkins signe seal and declare this to be his Last will and Testament. Attest Joseph Lothrop. Clerk. I ye above sd Giles Hopkins do declare where as by ye providence of God my Life has been prolonged unto me and by Reason of age and disabillity of Body Lam Incapatiated to provide for my owne support and my wifes, my will further is that my son Stephen Hopkins from this time and forward shall possess and Injoy all my stock and moveable estate provided he take effectual care for mine and my wifes Comfortable Support during our natural Lives witness my hand and seal this fifth day of march 1688/9. Witness Mark Snow Giles Hopkins (seal) Jonath Sparrow The within mentioned Mark Snow and Jonathan Sparrow made oath in Court April ye: 16 : 1690 that they saw Giles Hopkins within mentioned signe seal and declare ye latter part of this will within mentioned to be his Last will and Testament. Attest. Joseph Lothrop, Clerk. Duly Compared with the original and entered April ye: 22 : 1690. Attest. Joseph Lothrop, Recorder.

1. ↑ Johnson, Caleb, personal webpage on Stephen Hopkins [1].

   Citing Caleb Johnson, "The True Origins of Mayflower Passenger Stephen Hopkins," The American Genealogist, 73(1998):161-171.

2. ↑ General Society of Mayflower Descendants. Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Descendants of the Pilgrims Who Landed at Plymouth, Mass. December 1620. (New England - United States: General Society of Mayflower Descendants., Various)
   Vol. 6, p. 5-7.
3. ↑ Hopkins, Timothy. " 'Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower and Some of His Descendants," NEHGR, Vol. 102 (Jan 1948), p. 46.
4.   Hinckley Record, Mayflower Descendents
   FHL #973 B2md Vol. 5, p.87.
5.   Merrick Genealogy (2)
   FHL #929.273 M55lm, p. 20.
6.   "Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower", pp, 1-2; published 1988 by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 4 Winslow St., Plymouth, MA 02361.
7.   Curtis, Joseph O. The descendants of Elisha Cole who came from Cape Cod to what is now Putnam County, New York, about 1745. (New York: T. A. Wright, 1909).