My 9th-great-grandfather, Giles Hopkins, son of Stephen & Mary (—) Hopkins, was baptized 30 January 1608 in Hursley, England, and died before 16 April 1690 in Eastham, Massachusetts. He married 9 October 1639 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Catherine Whelden, who was baptized 6 March 1617 in Basford, England, and died after 16 April 1690 in Eastham, daughter of Gabriel & Jane (—) Whelden.
Giles came to America on the Mayflower in 1620 with his father, stepmother and siblings. Catherine came to America with her father c. 1638. Giles & Catherine were original settlers of Yarmouth, which was incorporated in 1639 and of Eastham, which was incorporated in 1651.
Catherine & Giles were the parents of ten children:
1. Mary Hopkins, born November 1640 in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, died before 2 July 1700 in Eastham. She married 3 January 1665 in Eastham, Samuel Smith, who was baptized 11 July 1641 in Hingham, Massachusetts, and died 22 March 1697 in Eastham, son of Ralph & Grace (—) Smith.
2. Stephen Hopkins (my 9th-great-grandfather), born September 1642 in Yarmouth, died 10 October 1718 in Harwich, Massachusetts. He married (as his first wife) in May 1667 in Eastham, Mary Merrick (my 9th-great-grandmother), who was born there 4 November 1650, and died c. 1692, daughter of William & Rebecca (Tracy) Merrick.
Stephen married (as his second wife and as her second husband) 9 April 1701 in Eastham, Bethia (Linnell) Atkins, who was born 7 February 1640 in Barnstable, Massachusetts, and died 24 March 1726 in Harwich, daughter of Robert & Pennina (House) Linnell, and widow of Henry Atkins.
3. John Hopkins, born and died c. 1643.
4. Abigail Hopkins, born in October 1644 in Yarmouth, died c. 1690 in Eastham. She married (as his first wife) 23 May 1667 in Eastham, Ens. William Merrick, who was born 15 September 1643 in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and died 30 October 1732 in Harwich, son of William & Rebecca (Tracy) Merrick.
5. Deborah Hopkins, born in June 1648 in Eastham, died before 7 December 1727. She married 27 July 1668 in Eastham, Josiah Cook, who was born there 31 January 1643 and died there 31 January 1731, son of Josiah & Elizabeth (Ring) Cook.
6. Caleb Hopkins, born in January 1651 in Eastham, died before 22 May 1728 in Truro, Massachusetts. He married (as his first wife) c. 1683, Mary Williams, who was born 30 July 1652 in Boston, Massachusetts, and died c. 1707, daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth (Tart) Williams.
Caleb married (as his second wife) c. 1708, Mary (—), who was born c. 1664, and died before 22 May 1728.
7. Ruth Hopkins, born in June 1653 in Eastham.
8. Joshua Hopkins (my 8th-great-grandfather), born in June 1657 in Eastham, died before 31 August 1738. He married 26 May 1681 in Eastham, Mary Cole, who was born there 10 March 1659, and died 1 March 1734 in Orleans, Massachusetts, daughter of Daniel & Ruth (Collier) Cole.
9. William Hopkins, born 9 January 1661 in Eastham, died after 5 March 1689. William may have been disabled and was provided for in his father’s will.
10. Elizabeth Hopkins, born in November 1664 in Eastham, died there in December 1664.
Last Revised: 8 September 2024
Hello. Giles and Catherine are my great x 9 grandparents, so we are 1st cousins 7 or 8 times removed. I’d love to speak with you. My name is Jacqueline Rood Leopold and I live in Jupiter, FL. Deborah Hopkins married Thomas Cooke, and their great x 3 granddaughter Harriet Malinda Cook married Harlow Smith Rood – my great grandparents. My main question is whether you have any more detailed information about Catherine Whelden. I have information that her father was Gabriel Whelden, and her mother was Margaret Deguina, a member of the Wampanoag tribe. My ancestry dna did not show any Native American ancestry, but not sure if it would. Wondered if you know more. Would love to connect. Thank you.
Hi Jacqueline, it’s lovely to meet you. Actually, since Giles & Catherine are our 9th-great-grandparents that makes us 10th cousins. Are you sure your Deborah Hopkins married a Thomas Cook and not a Josiah Cook?
I have never come across a Margaret Deguina as a mother for Catherine Whelden. One source of information I have about Catherine is from WikiTree, which states:
“Catherine (aka Katherine) Whelden was christened 6 March 1616/17 in Basford, Nottinghamshire, England, daughter of Gabriel Whelden. He was a miller in Basford, Nottinghamshire, England. Katherine’s mother’s name was Jane (surname: Unknown). The family left England around 1638 for Plymouth, New England.”
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Whelden-1
Since Catherine was born in England her mother wasn’t a Wampanoag.
My Atwood family had a story about a female Native American ancestor from the Namasket tribe, but after years of research I could never find any evidence of it. And like you, I had no Native American ancestry in my DNA test results. There are some well documented marriages between Native Americans and the colonists, but probably not as many as some would like to believe.