David Hopkins - David Hopkins parentage

We can completely rule out William Hopkins and Ruth Wilkinson as parents of David Hopkins, as both of them died a full half-century before David was born. They died circa 1738 and David was born 1783. Readers, please take the time to encourage anyone perpetuating this error to correct their trees.

I have not seen any evidence that proves or disproves Peter Hopkins as father of David Hopkins 1783. It is possible.
Most trees cite three inconclusive censuses:
1. The 1790 Nash Co SC census has a Peter Hopkins and includes 5 males under 16 (David would have been 7), 4 males over 16, 6 females, and 9 slaves.
2. In 1800 there are two NC census entries for men named Peter Hopkins. One is from Nash Co SC -- same as the 1790 census -- and has a Peter Hopkins over 45 with 1 male 16-25 (David would have been 17), 3 females, and 6 slaves.
3 The second 1800 census shows a Peter age 26-44 solo in Hillsborough, Wake, NC, surrounded by a cluster of other Hopkins entries. This could be a different Peter or even the same one if he happened to be visiting relatives on the day the census takers came through there.
4. Interestingly (sadly) many of the trees have attached BOTH of the conflicting 1800 censuses to Peter.

However, somewhere (my notes don't say) there's a reference to an 1807 will for Peter Parker Hopkins citing sons Joseph, Wiley, William and John Jackson Hopkins. No David is mentioned. I have not seen this document.

I found that research on Family Search this morning. William and Ruth are out as contenders. Then I came across this web page just today. "https://loricrane.wordpress.com/category/family-names/hopkins-famil...; . It appears to show that Peter Parker Hopkins is not the father of our David. Peter did have a son named David, but he married a Milbrey Ferrel and only had two children Susan and Alsey. So, perhaps Joseph Hopkins and Elizabeth are the winners.

Has anyone found any actual evidence to support Joseph Hopkins and Elizabeth as the parents of this David Hopkins? I have not yet seen anything.

I am still searching for Joseph and Elizabeth and any sources for David's parentage. This information came from My Heritage and they claim to have 9 citations, but I don't know of what. I tried to sign up for their free trial, but I did that once before and now they want money. Do you know of anyone with a subscription that could look up those citations?

The 1850 census for Stoddard MO shows David listing his state of birth as Tennessee, not North Carolina. Maybe we've been looking in all the wrong places.

So here is what I've found so far....Family Search shows Joseph Hopkins and Elizabeth Harper living in Chowan, North Carolina in 1790. They married 25 April 1776. Family Search also shows Joseph as a son of Peter Parker Hopkins and Wilmoth Fowler. This would make Peter Parker a grandfather of our David not father. Family Search also shows a son of Peter Parker "Crawford" born in 1783 same year as our David. Peter Parker Hopkins did have a son David born in 1779, died in 1847, married Miley Farrell 1807. So not our David. Still looking.

From https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hopkins-10480

David Hopkins was born in 1783. David is most likely the son of Joseph Hopkins and Elizabeth Harper, but no birth record source has been found.

He married Catherine "Katie" Baysinger in 1810, Sumner County, Tennessee.

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I’m going ahead and disconnecting David as child of Peter Hopkins, Sr. & Wilmoth.

From https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hopkins-10480

David Hopkins was born in 1783. David is most likely the son of Joseph Hopkins and Elizabeth Harper, but no birth record source has been found.

He married Catherine "Katie" Baysinger in 1810, Sumner County, Tennessee.

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I’m going ahead and disconnecting David as child of Peter Hopkins, Sr. & Wilmoth.

Thank you @Erica Howton. I will keep searching for any record, reference, or book written on the Hopkins to try and find the correct parentage for this David Hopkins.

Posted this in another thread, but I'm moving it here: As another idea to pursue, Mary Sanders (great-granddaughter of David Hopkins and my great-grandmother) had lightly penciled in "David?" (with the question mark) on her notes as a possible father of our David Hopkins. I have no information as to where she got that name. I have not seen any documentation suggesting that it is correct, nor have I seen any of the type of confusion that usually results when we have a father and son with the same name. Still, it's worth keeping in mind as a slight possibility, since we're going nowhere with the other leads.

About the North Carolina versus Tennessee birth discrepancy: some areas have moved between both states. So a person could have been born in NC in 1783 but show as being from from TN in documents created after 1796. See below: "Greene County was created in 1783 by the North Carolina legislature from the former Washington County. In 1784 Greene joined two neighboring counties in declaring their independence from North Carolina. In 1785 these counties applied for admission to the United States as the State of Franklin. The request was denied. In 1789, when North Carolina was admitted to the United States, she ceded her westernmost counties including Greene County to the United States. The United States turned these counties into the Southwest Territory. In 1792 the Southwest Territory created Jefferson County partly out of Greene County. 1796 all the land in these Southwest Territory counties became part of the new State of Tennessee."

Interesting. So, the David Hopkins (1841) I found in Greene Tennessee, could have been born in North Carolina, and might be a possible parent of our David.

Sharon, if you do locate the source of your lead on a David Hopkins in Greene County, please let us know.

Evidence for David Hopkins Sr. and Agnes as parents of David Hopkins 1783-1858.

This list compiled by descendant Christine Eggett Burgoyne, ancestry.com tree 48325956, Ancestry member name burgoyn email burgoyn@yahoo.com. Compiled with the help of several other generous researchers. I hope you will contact me with any additional information or discussion you may have. Special thanks to researcher LeAnn Cryts Kelley for directing me to Greene County, and to the T. Elmer Cox Historical and Genealogical Library in Greene County TN.

CHRONOLOGY

1779. David Hopkins Sr. receives property in Guilford County NC (this property comes into play in a significant way in 1797). [document available *see note at bottom]

1783. Birth of son David Hopkins Jr. 1850 census says Jr born TN, but possibly born NC just before the family made the move.

1789. Greene County TN. David Hopkins Sr’s Will. Names wife Agnes, daughters Mary, Rebecca, and a third unnamed daughter (presumably all adults), and "the remainder of our minor children" who will live with Agnes until of age or married. (Sons James and David would have been minors, ages 14 and 7). Witnessed by George Hopkins. [document available]

1788. Greene County TN. For this tax year Widow Hopkins was billed for 100 acres, no residents on land. Billing usually occurred over a year after the billing date, and David Hopkins Sr. died in 1789, so this billing probably came out after his death. [document available]

1790. Greene County TN. George Hopkins [probably David Sr's brother] and widow Agnes Hopkins file David's will. [document available]

1790. Greene County TN. Agnes Hopkins and neighbor William Bingham file David's property inventory. [document available]

1793. Greene County TN. James Hopkins 18 (so born 1775), is apprenticed to George Hopkins to learn the trade of chair making until the age of 21. [document available]

1795. Greene County TN. David Hopkins 13 (so born 1782-83), is apprenticed to George Hopkins to learn the trade of chair making and to read, write, and cypher until the age of 21. [document available]

Related clue: Hopkins descendant LCK has a chair that her family says was made by a Hopkins ancestor.

1795. Greene County TN. Agnes Hopkins receives a land grant for 300 acres on the Nolichucky River. [document available]. So before her marriage to 2nd husband David Copeland.

1797. David Copeland and his wife Agnes, formerly Agnes Hopkins, both of Greene County TN, convey to David and James Hopkins, sons of deceased David Hopkins, land in Guilford County NC located on Rock Creek between the properties of Robert Peasely and Matthew Brown. Signed with marks, witnessed by James Veatch [presumably the one who married David Sr's daughter Mary Hopkins] and David Copeland Jr. [document available]

*anything marked "document available" has a doc attached to my Ancestry tree or is in my personal possession.

[Also working on -- not documented yet – a correspondent says that George Hopkins, presumably David Sr’s brother, had a son William; she is looking for the backup. That would explain the William that young David enlisted with: a cousin, not a brother.]