Staggs Family History

BIRTH:30 April 1581, Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England
DEATH: 1644 • Plymouth., Massachusetts, USA
FATHER: John Hopkins
MOTHER: Elizabeth Williams
SPOUSE: Elizabeth Fisher (1580-1647)

Stephen Hopkins was born in 1581 in England. He married Elizabeth Fisher on February 19, 1617, in Middlesex, England. They had seven children in 14 years. He died in 1644 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, at the age of 63.

His story

Stephen Hopkins was baptized on 30 April 1581 in Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England, the son of John Hopkins and Elizabeth Williams. Before his journey on the Mayflower, Hopkins had already experienced the New World—he was the only Mayflower passenger with prior American colonial experience, having survived a shipwreck in Bermuda en route to Jamestown, Virginia in 1609 aboard the Sea Venture.

In 1609, Hopkins joined the Virginia Company expedition to resupply Jamestown. The Sea Venture was wrecked in Bermuda during a hurricane, stranding the crew for nearly a year. Hopkins was arrested for mutiny after challenging the authority of the expedition’s leaders, arguing for self-governance—a foreshadowing of his later role in Plymouth. He was pardoned and eventually reached Jamestown, returning to England by 1616.

Hopkins boarded the Mayflower in 1620 with his second wife, Elizabeth Fisher, and children Giles, Constance, and Damaris. During the voyage, Elizabeth gave birth to Oceanus Hopkins, the only child born at sea. The family was accompanied by two indentured servants, Edward Doty and Edward Leister, who later became involved in the colony’s first duel.

Hopkins was one of 41 signers of the Mayflower Compact, a foundational document for self-governance in the New World. His prior experience in Jamestown made him a valuable advisor in dealings with Native Americans and in survival strategies.

In Plymouth, Hopkins served as an assistant to the governor from 1633 to 1636, and volunteered for service in the Pequot War in 1637. He was a tavernkeeper, merchant, and emissary, often involved in negotiations with Indigenous leaders like Massasoit. His home was a center of activity, and he was known for his outspoken nature and practical wisdom.

He received six acres in the 1623 land division and was listed among the colony’s freemen in 1633 and 1636. His estate included books, indicating literacy and education, and his will was signed in his own hand.

Stephen Hopkins died between 6 June and 17 July 1644 in Plymouth, at about 63 years old. His descendants include many prominent New England families, and his adventurous life—spanning shipwrecks, mutiny, and two colonial ventures—makes him one of the most compelling figures of early American history.

Stephen Hopkins’s life embodies the spirit of exploration, resilience, and governance that defined the early colonies. His voice helped shape the principles of self-rule that would echo through American history.

Legacy of Stephen Hopkins

Parents

Father: John Hopkins

Mother: Elizabeth Williams

Married

Married 1st: Mary Kent (?-1613)

Married 2nd: Elizabeth Fisher (1580-1647) on February 19, 1617, at Saint Mary, Whitechapel: Whitechapel High Street, Tower Hamlets, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex, England

Children

With first wife Mary Kent

• Elizabeth Hopkins (1604-1613 to 1620), died young; did not emigrate
• Constance (1605-1670), Mayflower passenger; married Nicholas Snow
• Giles (1607-1689), Mayflower passenger; married Catherine Whelden

With second wife Elizabeth Fisher

• Damaris Hopkins (1618-1628)
• Oceanus Hopkins (1620-1621)
• Caleb Hopkins (1623-1651)
• Deborah Hopkins (1626-1669)
• Damaris Hopkins (1628-1666)
• Ruth Hopkins (1630-?) may have died before 1659
• Unnamed daughter born in Plymouth died in infancy
• Elizabeth Hopkins (1632-1666)

Documents

• Birth Records
  • History and Genealogy of the Mayflower Planters, Vol. I > Hopkins
  • Hampshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1536-1812 > Parish Registers > Upper Clatford > 1570-1724 > Name: Stephen Hopkins; Gender: Male; Record Type: Baptism; Baptism Date: 30 Apr 1581; Baptism Place: Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England; Father: John Hopkins
  • England & Wales, Christening Index, 1530-1980 > Name: Stephen Hopkins; Gender: Male; Christening Date: 30 Apr 1581; Christening Place: Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England; Father: John Hopkins
  • Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775 > Colonial Families of the United States of America, Volume V > Name: Stephen Hopkins; Birth Date: 30 Apr 1580 Or 1581; Birth Place: England
  • Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) > Name: Stephen Hopkins; Birth Year: 1581; Death Year: 1644; Source: Biography Index. A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines. Volume 9: September, 1970-August, 1973. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1974. (BioIn 9)
• Marriage records
  • London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 > Stephen Name: Stephen Hopkins; Gender: Male; Record Type: Marriage; Marriage Date: 19 Feb 1617; Marriage Place: Saint Mary, Whitechapel: Whitechapel High Street, Tower Hamlets, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex, England; Spouse: Eliza Fisher; Register Type: Parish Register; Reference Number: 17947931; Additional Reference Number: 183584
  • U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 > Name: Stephen Hopkins; Gender: Male; Marriage Date: 19 Feb 1617; Spouse: Elizabeth Hopkins
  • U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900; Name: Stephen Hopkins; Gender: Male; Birth Place: EN; Birth Year: 1581; Spouse Name: Elizabeth Fisher; Marriage Year: 1617; Number Pages: 1
  • Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775 > Colonial Families of the United States of America, Volume V > Name: Stephen Hopkins; Marriage Date: By 1618 or Earlier; Marriage Place: England Spouse: Elizabeth
• Death records
  • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Volume 2 > Stephen Hopkins
  • Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775 > Colonial Families of the United States of America, Volume V > Name: Stephen Hopkins; Death Date: 1644; Death Place: Plymouth. Mass
  • Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) > Name: Stephen Hopkins; Birth Year: 1581; Death Year: 1644; Source: Biography Index. A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines. Volume 9: September, 1970-August, 1973. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1974. (BioIn 9)
• Other Records
  • The Passengers of the Mayflower in 1620 [Plymouth Colony] > Hopkins
  • Lists of Passengers and the Ships Which Brought Them – 1620 > Mayflower > Hopkins
  • Signers of the Mayflower Compact > Stephen Hopkins
  • History and Genealogy of the Mayflower Planters, Vol. I > Hopkins
  • The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers > Stephen Hopkins
  • New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635 > Stephen Hopkins
  • Genealogies of Mayflower Families, Vol. II > Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower and Some of His Descendants
  • Mayflower Descendants and Their Marriages for Two Generations After the Landing > Stephen Hopkins
  • Mayflower Births and Deaths, Vol. 1 and 2 > Volume 2 > Stephen Hopkins > children of Stephen Hopkins
  • The Mayflower Reader > Mayflower Genealogies > Stephen Hopkins
  • Mayflower Deeds and Probates, 1600-1850 > Stephen Hopkins
  • Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 > Name:
    Stephen Hopkins; Residence Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts; Residence Year: 1632; Page number: 253
  • A gazetteer of Massachusetts: containing descriptions of all the counties, towns and districts in the commonwealth > Mayflower passengers > Mr. Stephen Hopkins
  • U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s > Name: Stephen Hopkins; Age: 35; Birth Year: abt 1585; Arrival Year: 1620; Arrival Place: Plymouth, Massachusetts; Primary Immigrant: Hopkins, Stephen; Family Members: Wife Elizabeth; Daughter Oceanus; Daughter Damaris; Son Giles; Daughter Constance; Source Publication Code: 2404; Annotation: Complete list of passengers on the Mayflower, all named with details of what happened to them. For other references to the Mayflower, see the index.;
    Source Bibliography: GEBLER, ERNEST. The Plymouth Adventure: a Chronicle Novel of the Voyage of the Mayflower. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1950, pp. 372-377.

Relation of Stephen Hopkins to Steven Barry Staggs: 11th great-grandfather

Page last updated November 8, 2025

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