Sarah Stiff Hopkins

If anyone is a descendant or family of Sarah and Charles Hopkins, we would welcome more information. I am related to her, however have no information on her after the time her family left England and moved to the United States.)

Sarah Neville Hopkins 1831 ~ 1889

• Also known as Sarah Stiff in her early years.

Daughter of William Neville Stiff and Rachel Jennings
Born: 27 Feb 1831, Rotherwick, Hampshire
Baptized: 27 March 1831 Rotherwick
Died: 10 May 1889, Staffordshire

Married Christopher Hopkins 11 October 1848 at Rotherwick, Hampshire, England
Christopher and Sarah had nine children with one dying as an infant.

Christopher and Sarah spent most of their years living in Penkridge, Staffordshire, England. Christopher worked as an Agricultural Labourer. He is listed on census records as, Ag Lab, Farm Lab and Carter.

Upon further research it has been discovered that Sarah used the maiden name of Neville on her youngest children's birth records. Thus the naming of this memorial Sarah Neville Hopkins.

Sarah was registered at birth as Sarah Stiff, however from 1863 to 1902 we find all records listing her maiden name as Neville.

Apparently Sarah considered herself a Neville, as did her brother Charles who remained in England. This being the case, only two of the children of William Neville Stiff and Rachel Jennings used the name of Stiff at the time of death.

Sarah's brother George went by the name of Stiff, then Neville, then Stiff. George's children are listed on birth registries as Neville, yet all children changed their name to Stiff.

All sources on John, Rachel's brother, indicate his name as Stiff.

Another brother, Joseph, chose to capitalize the "V" in his name . Thus the confusion of the names Stiff/Neville/NeVille.
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Sarah Hopkins death and burial record indicate she was buried in the Gaily Christ Churchyard, Staffordshire, England.
Sarah Hopkins in the "Staffordshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1900"
Name: Sarah Hopkins
Death Age: 58
Birth Date: 1831
Death Date: 1889
Burial Date: 10 May 1889
Burial Place: Gailey, Christ Church, Staffordshire, England
Religion: Anglican
Page number 16

There seems to be a question if the children of William Neville Stiff used the name of Stiff or Neville. Some were christened as Stiff and other children Neville. Some were christened as Neville and their birth record was recorded as Stiff.

We find the same situation with Sarah. On the children's birth and baptism records, sometimes their mother is listed as Stiff and sometimes as Neville. Neville is the name listed on her three youngest children's birth record.
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We have researched each of the children of William Neville Stiff and Rachel Jennings. Most of the memorials include the name they were known by at death. Other names have been included in the bio. This is within the guidelines of Find A Grave.

Only two children of William Neville Stiff and Rachel Jennings used the name of Stiff at the end of their life. Those two are George (b 1844) and John (b 1847).

I find it interesting that George used Stiff then changed to Neville, naming his children Neville. Yet we find on the 1881 census the family is recorded under the name of Stiff. Two more children are born to George after the 1881 census and they were also registered as Neville. All census records from 1891 forward lists the name of Stiff.
On George's death registration his name is recorded as George Stiff.
It appears that all of George's children returned to using the name of Stiff, though they were registered at birth with the name of Neville.