Staggs Family History

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    Deborah Hopkins (1626-1669)

    BIRTH: 1626 • Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA
    DEATH: 1669 • Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA
    FATHER: Stephen Hopkins (1580-1644)
    MOTHER: Elizabeth Fisher (1580-1647)
    SPOUSE: Andrew Ring (1616-1691)

    Deborah Hopkins was born in 1626 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the daughter of Elizabeth and Stephen. She married Andrew Ring on April 23, 1646. They had seven children during their marriage. She died in 1669 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, at the age of 43.

    Her story

    Born around 1626 in Plymouth Colony, Deborah Hopkins was one of the earliest children born in New England. Her father, Stephen Hopkins, had survived a shipwreck in Bermuda before joining the Mayflower voyage in 1620, where he signed the Mayflower Compact and became a prominent figure in the colony. Her mother, Elizabeth Fisher, was Stephen’s second wife and a stabilizing presence in the Hopkins household.

    Deborah grew up in a household shaped by resilience, intellect, and civic engagement. Her father was known for his outspoken nature and his role in the colony’s early governance. The Hopkins home would have been a center of activity, hosting discussions about law, faith, and survival in a new world.

    On 23 April 1646, Deborah married Andrew Ring. Their union joined two families with deep Pilgrim roots. They settled in Plymouth, where Andrew became a respected member of the community, serving in town offices and land transactions.

    Together, Deborah and Andrew raised a large family: Elizabeth (who married William Mayo and became the mother of Thankful Mayo), William, Deborah, Eleazer, Mary, Susanna and Samuel. These children carried forward the Hopkins and Ring legacies, marrying into other colonial families and helping populate southeastern Massachusetts.

    Deborah died in 1669, likely in Plymouth, at around 43 years old. Her name appears in her father’s 1644 will, listed ahead of her younger sisters, suggesting she was the eldest daughter. Though her burial site is not definitively known, she was likely interred in Burial Hill, the historic cemetery overlooking Plymouth Harbor.

    Deborah Hopkins Ring’s life reflects the quiet strength of the second generation of Pilgrims—those born into uncertainty and tasked with building a lasting society. Through her children and grandchildren, she helped shape the cultural and genealogical fabric of colonial New England.

    Legacy of Deborah Hopkins

    Parents

    Father: Stephen Hopkins (1580-1644)

    Mother: Elizabeth Fisher (1580-1647)

    Married

    Married Andrew Ring (1616-1691) on 23 Apr 1646 in Massachusetts

    Children

    • Elizabeth Ring (1652–1691)
    • William Ring (1653-1729)
    • Deborah Ring (1654-1667)
    • Eleazer Ring (1655-1749)
    • Mary Ring (1657-1731)
    • Susanna Ring (1659-1703)
    • Samuel Ring (1661-?)

    Documents

    • Birth Records
      • New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635, > Vol 2, G-O > Deborah, b. Plymouth say 1626; m. Plymouth 23 April 1646 as his first wife Andrew Ring
      • The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1847-2011 > Name: Deborah Hopkins; Event Type: Birth; Birth Date: 1622; Birth Place: USA; Father’s Name: Stephen Hopkins; Mother’s Name: Elizabeth Fisher; Page number: 47; Volume Number: 102
    • Marriage records
      • U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 > Name: Deborah Ringe; Maiden Name: Hopkins; Gender: Female; Marriage Date: 23 Apr 1646; Marriage Place: New England, USA; Death Year: 1669; Spouse: Andrew Ringe
      • New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635, > Vol 2, G-O > Deborah, m. Plymouth 23 April 1646 as his first wife Andrew Ring
      • U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900; Name: Deborah Hopkins; Gender: Female; Birth Place: MA; Birth Year: 1622; Spouse Name: Andrew Ring; Spouse Birth Place: En; Spouse Birth Year: 1616; Marriage Year: 1646; Marriage State: MA; Number Pages: 1
    • Death records
    • Other Records
      • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Volume 2 > Stephen Hopkins > Deborah Hopkins child of Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins
      • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Volume 2 > Deborah Hopkins > Children of Andrew Ring and Deborah Hopkins
      • American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) > Name: Deborah Hopkins; Birth Date: 1625; Birth Place: Massachusetts, USA; Volume: 83; Page number: 283; Reference: Gen. Column of the ” Boston Transcript”. 1906-1941.( the Greatest Single Source of Material For Gen. Data For the N.e. Area and For the Period 1600-1800.

    Relation of Deborah Hopkins to Steven Barry Staggs: 10th great-grandmother

    Page last updated November 7, 2025

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