Hopie "Hope" Etheridge

Rebecca Marks was the daughter of Thomas Marks and a Spivey wife who may have been Esther but definitely had a sister Elizabeth (named in his will). In 1771, when his will was made, Rebecca Marks was already married to William Mackey. Those who accept Rebecca Marks as the mother of Hopie Mackey identify this William Mackey as someone close to the Ridley family of (near Southampton/Nansemond County), VA. Records from "the Ridley Book" referenced in the History of Worth County, GA claim that a Robert Ridley married William and Rebecca McKay's daughter Nancy, and that they all came down to Georgia sometime after 1780 or 1790. The other more interesting story is that the William Mackey who fathered Hopie Mackey was the son of an Indian trader involved with the Indians at Oconee Old Town, which research has shown was occupied until 1715. In this version, William Mackey married the daughter of a Creek Indian prince (sometimes reported as Cherokee, but Creek would be more plausible) or at least fathered a son William, daugher Hopie, and possibly daughter Nancy with this "Indian princess." This story, which has passed down through the Etheridge and Mackeys of Georgia, began with a notation on William Mackey's will (the son of William Mackey and brother to Hopie). This is the disputed note "NOTES: Will of William Mackey, 1789-1870, son of William and Hoppoi Miccoi Mackey, Legend from Indian affairs was that Hoppoi was the daughter of Creek Indian Chief Miccoi. Mackeys grandfather allegedly operated a trading post on the Oconee River, before Wilkinson was made a county." Unfortunately, William Mackey, Sr's will (married to Rebecca Marks?) was lost. It might have been able to clear up some of the continuing controversy. The puzzling mystery to me after following all the comments about Hopie's parentage is why anyone would put a note with that much detail on a will if there was no basis for it. There is a Rebecca Mackey in the 1820 census of Wilkinson County but I'm not convinced this one is William's wife. It is clear to anyone who has researched this family that there were multiple Rebecca Mackeys, William Mackeys (as many as 25), and Rebecca Marks in the post-revolutionary Southeast. ' Family trees superimpose these individuals without documentation. Would be interested in hearing from anyone with more concrete information. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Marks-982