Gillum “Dock Brown” Hopper, Jr.

Biography

https://www.amazon.com/Dock-Brown-Outlaw-Grayson-Kentucky/dp/194898...

In 1842 Gillium Hopper, Jr., alias "Dock Brown," arrived in Pine Knob, Grayson County, Kentucky, along with his brother Pinkney and his father Gillium Hopper, Sr., alias "John Brown." Another brother, Moses, joined them from Indiana. For the next nine years, these fugitive criminals continued their murderous ways. Dock Brown married Emily Ross, in the process killing her brother and eventually killing his own father to cover up the crime. The "Browns" robbed travelers, murdering them and depositing their bodies in nearby Big Mouth Cave. In the end, the remaining "Brown" borthers killed each other and the Kentucky saga came to a violent end.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82410305/gilliam-hopper

Absolom's younger brother, Gulliam Hopper Jr.

It is written in the book "Rutherford Revisited" in an article entitled "The Hopper Chair" and submitted by Mr. Joe Bone, that Absolom's outlaw brother, Gillum/Gilliam Hopper Jr., alias Dock Brown was buried in the Hopper family burial plot. According to the above mentioned article and the book "Dock Brown The Outlaw of Grayson County (Kentucky), 1876 by Colonel Wm. R. Haynes, Absolom and his brother, Gulliam died on the same day in a gun battle with each other. As quoted from "The Hopper Chair", "He (Gulliam Hopper) had been suspected of robbing and killing several people in Kentucky, including his own father and brother." Gilliam had been jailed. The article goes on to say that Gilliam's slaves had been sold to Absolom to help pay for court costs. Somehow Gilliam had gotten out of jail and Absolom had found his brother hiding outside of his farm in an attempt to steal back his slaves. A few hours after the gunbattle that had left Gilliam Hopper dead, Absolom died of his wounds in his home.

From Ancestry Forum

I can offer a little on the Doc Brown story. I've seen the book and passed on it before my researching days and it's now out of print again. It's my understanding that sometime in the next couple of years there will be another printing. Doc Brown was a local outlaw of the Pine Knob, Grayson County, Kentucky area. He was a horse thief for starters. The Pine Knob area was once a booming little community and was on the main route to St. Louis. When wealthy cattle buyers would travel toward St. Louis, in that time frame at the end of the day, they'd knock on someone's door and offer money for a supper and a place to rest that night. Doc Brown would offer them a night's keep and then murder them in their sleep for the money. I've been to the old homestead where the foundation and chimney still stands. The house had burned originally. When Doc Brown became a wanted man, he hid out in a cave called "Big Mouth Cave" which was just over the hill from the house. There is a small cemetery on the property called the "Dock Brown Cemetery". In it are Brown, Gulliam (John) b. 10-17-1776 d. 5-27-1848 s/o Brown, Pinkney b. 11-18-1816 d. 2-1-1878 s/o Gulliam (or John) Brown There is much more to this story and I don't recall all of the details, but one important factor is that the original family was supposed to have had the surname "Hopper" and changed it to Brown. If I remember right, they weren't originally Browns at all and would therefore have no connection to the Brown family. Ron Boone

https://www.pineknob.com/shows.html

Dock Brown - Legend of an Outlaw - In 1842 Gillium Hopper, Jr., alias "Dock Brown" came to this rural community of Pine Knob along with his brother Pinkney and his father Gillium Hopper, Sr. alias "John Brown". These men won the hearts of everyone with their charm, good looks, and wealth. Unknown to residents of the county and state, they were in fact wanted men from McMinnville, TN. However, for the next 9 years the Browns would become one of the most well liked families in Grayson County, KY. Dock Brown would eventually marry Emily Ross, the mayor of Leitchfield's daughter, killing his brother for her love, and then killing his own father to cover up his wrong doings. Travelers passing through the area would be killed for their belongings and buried in nearby Big Mouth Cave. Although the story is a gruesome tale, the life story told on stage at Pine Knob captures the charm and comedy of this infamous outlaw. The cast bring music, dance, comedy, history, and drama to life on stage complete with a log cabin, church, and hotel as part of the set for this true life story of "Dock Brown - Legend of an Outlaw". This is the outdoor drama that opened the theatre in 1987, a true story about the community that happened on the theatre grounds. Pictured are Marvin Kipper as "Dock" and Deborah King as "Emily Ross".

References

• Helen Curry Deveny, compiled by. Descendats of Gillum Hopper (1776-1848) of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky, 1990 page 145-146 Archive.Org