Francis Marion Hopkins

Migration
He was one of apparently four brothers, but the only one who came to Texas. He had been a moderately well-off planter in Kentucky, but before he traveled to Texas, he moved to Indiana for a couple of years. This cost him heavily because he could not bring his slaves into a free state. He took his 2nd wife (his 1st wife having died in Indiana) and his children to Texas in 1823, intending to continue to Austin's new colony, but stopped at the Burkham Settlement to raise a crop of wheat and never left. He built his cabin on the edge of the Red River because virtually all long-distance travel in the area was by boat.

Married: 1st Catherine Elliott, 28 Feb 1800 Montgomery County, Kentucky.[3]
(6 children, to be added soon)

Married: 2nd Sophia Gudgiel, 1 Jan 1818 Gibson County, Indiana.[1][4]
Probably no issue.

Died: abt 1838 near mouth of Mill Creek, Red River County, Texas.
Burial location not known.

Tax Lists: 1800, Montgomery County, Kentucky.[5]

Military:
By tradition, he was in the Indiana militia during the War of 1812 and fought at the Battle of Tippecanoe, beside an Indian friend named "Cuthand." About 1823, he migrated with his family to the Red River District of Texas, accompanied by Cuthand, after whom Cuthand Creek was named. However, there is no documentation whatever for this story.[2]

He served as a Private, 4th Mounted Regt. (Evans'), Indiana Militia.[6]

Political
His signature appears on a petition dated 8 Oct 1830 to the county court of Miller County, Arkansas, for a "passable road" from Davis's Landing to the courthouse at Jonesboro.[2]

Land: 20 Mar 1849 Red River County, Texas.
Received 1st Class headright certificate #297 for 177 acres, located north of Avery. This was apparently claimed by his heirs.

Census 1810
Montgomery County, Kentucky, p. 351.[7]
Hopkins, Francis

Males
under 10 = 3
16-25 = 6
26-44 = 1

Females
under 10 = 2
16-25 = 2
26-44 = 1
45 & over = 1

Slaves = 2

Census 1820
Montgomery Twp, Gibson County, Indiana, p. 240.[8]
Hopkins, Francis (agriculture = 1)
Males: under 10 = 2
Males: 10-15 = 3
Males: 26-44 = 1
Females: 10-15 = 1
Females: 16-25 = 1
Females: 26-44 = 1.

Francis Hopkins was a Texan.
Sources
↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Handbook of Texas Online Hopkins, Francis M.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Clark, Pat B. History of Clarksville and Old Red River County (Dallas: Mathis, Van Nort & Co., 1937), pp. 26, 81
↑ Kentucky Compiled Marriages, 1802-1850 .
↑ Indiana Compiled Marriages, 1802-1892.
↑ Early Kentucky Tax Lists.
↑ U.S. War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815, Roll 103, Extract 602.
↑ Census Kentucky 1810 Montgomery County.
↑ Census 1820 Indiana Gibson County