Giles Hopkins was born 1607 in Hursley, Hampshire, England to Stephen Hopkins (1581-1644) and Mary Kent (c1582-1613) and died 26 April 1689 Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts of unspecified causes. He married Catherine Whelden (1617-1689) 9 October 1639 in Plymouth Colony, Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Biography
Gravestone for Giles Hopkins at Cove Burial Ground in Eastham MA.
Giles Hopkins was baptized on 30 January 1607/8 in Hursley, Hampshire, England, to parents Stephen Hopkins and his first wife Mary (Kent?). It should be noted that the long-standing Constance Dudley myth was disproven in 1998: the Hopkins family of the Mayflower was not from Wortley, Gloucester as had been previously speculated and published.
Giles came with his family on the Mayflower in 1620, at the age of 12. He volunteered for service in the 1637 Pequot War but was not called. He married Catherine Wheldon in 1639 at Plymouth; the family moved shortly thereafter to Yarmouth, living there for about five years before moving on to settle at Eastham, where he died sometime between 1688 and 1690.
Marriage & Family
On 9 October 1639 he married Catherine Wheldon in Plymouth and had ten children, recorded at Eastham, Plymouth Colony. They moved to Yarmouth and later Easton. Catherine was listed in his will (as "Catorne") but likely died sometime shortly after him.
- Mary Hopkins (1640-1700)
- Stephen Hopkins (1642-1718)
- John Hopkins (1643-1643)
- Abigail Hopkins (1644-1691)
- Deborah Hopkins (1648-1727)
- Caleb Hopkins (1650-1728)
- Ruth Hopkins (1653-1738)
- Joshua Hopkins (1657-1738) - md Mary Cole and resided in Eastham MA. Several children.
- William Hopkins (1660-1728)
- Elizabeth Hopkins (1664-1664) - infant died after about 1 month in Eastham MA.
Children
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Elizabeth Hopkins (1604-1615) | 13 March 1604 Hursley, Hampshire, England | 12 May 1615 Hursley, Hampshire, England | |
| Constance Hopkins (1605-1677) | 11 May 1605 Hampshire, England, United Kingdom | 25 November 1677 Eastham, Massachusetts, United States | Nicholas Snow (1599-1676) |
| Giles Hopkins (1607-1690) | 1607 Hursley, Hampshire, England | 26 April 1689 Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts | Catherine Whelden (1617-1689) |
Vital Records
- BAPTISM: 30 January 1607/8 at Hursley, Hampshire, England, (Parish Church) son of Stephen and Mary (Kent?) Hopkins.
- MARRIAGE: Catherine Whelden on 9 October 1639 at Plymouth.
- DEATH: Between 5 March 1688/9 and 16 April 1690 at Eastham.
Old Cove Burial Ground
Cove Burying Ground is an historic cemetery located in Eastham, Massachusetts. It is Eastham's oldest cemetery, dating to c. 1646. It is notable as the final resting place for several Mayflower pilgrims.
Pilgrim Monument
National Monument to the Forefathers, commemorates the Mayflower Pilgrims, (including this person) who came to Plymouth Colony in 1620 on the Mayflower. Dedicated on August 1, 1889, it is thought to be the world's largest solid granite monument. Located on an 11 acre hilltop site on Allerton Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
References
- Here Shall I Die Ashore - The Story of Stephen Hopkins: Bermuda Castaway, Jamestown Survivor, and Mayflower Pilgrim by noted genealogist and early American historian Caleb Johnson. A very exhaustive collection of Family History of this famous English colonist and his descendants.
- Caleb Johnson, The American Genealogist 73:161-171, “The True English Origins of Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower”, July 1998. His first wife was not Constance Dudley, though this erroneous name is given by older references.
- Hopkins in Massachusetts
- History of Cape Cod by Frederick Freeman (2 Vol, 1600+ pages, Publ 2017) - The Annals of Barnstable County, and of Its Several Towns, State of the art technology restores many rare local records and histories.
- Giles Hopkins - Mayflower History
- Will of Giles Hopkins - Descendants of Giles Hopkins
- MainTour Plymouth Colony]