Willard Knowles Hopkins was born 19 Jun 1812 in Harwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts to Joshua Hopkins and Bridget Small. He is one of ten kids, eight of which I have names for so far. He had an older brother named John, and two baby brothers named Joshua and Samuel. The four sisters, Orpha, Juliana, Sarah Jane, and Mary Amanda. The other two children I don't know anything about yet. It is said there were 5 girls and 5 boys, so possibly the two unknown children died young, one boy and one girl? (Speculation.)
In 1817, Joshua & Bridget moved their small growing family to Tuckertown, New Jersey.
On 21 Mar 1836, in Burlington county, New Jersey, Willard married Lucy Ann Read. We believe she was born in New York but don't know much about her yet. (Marriage record found at LDS family history centery on microfiche by my sister!)
Approx 1838-1840, the family moved to Greenwich, Ohio. Joshua & Bridget and their clan, John & his wife Levica, and Willard & Lucy. According to stories from Mary Amanda, (Joshua's youngest), written down in 1973 from the memory of her granddaughter,
"Joshua Hopkins left New Jersey because he didn't want his sons to be sailors. For he said a sailor's life was a dog's life. Grandmother remembers walking over the hills of Pa. Joshua Hopkins intended to go farther west, but when he got to Ohio the man who was bringing his furniture through by ox team got drunk one night and left their funiture out in the rain. so they went no farther west. "
Willard & Lucy had 2 daughters and possibly a third child. Mary Ann Hopkins was born 31 Jan 1840 in Greenwich, Ohio. Lucy Maria Hopkins was born in early 1842 in Greenwich, Ohio.
Sadly, Lucy died 2 Mar 1842 in Greenwich, Ohio and is buried in Ninevah Cemetery.
On 5 Dec 1843, in Greenwich, Ohio, Willard married Jane Ursula Easterly. Jane was from Gloversville, New York, born 21 Sep 1822. Together, they had eight children, William W, Albert J, Francis T, Elizabeth Jane, Julia E, Isadora A, Armon Bartine, and George Halstead.
Willard and Jane are in the 1850 census in Greenwich, Huron, Ohio. On the previous page are his brother John & family and his father Joshua & family.
In 1860, still in Greenwich, Ohio! Father Joshua still next door. (Note that Willard is listed as Wm K, and Joshua is listed as Josiah.) Brother John has moved to the nearby town of Ripley.
June 1878 newspaper clipping mentioning his death. (From the Rutherford B Hayes Presidential Library)
Online book about Huron county, Ohio history with Hopkins family history in it! (First link, Second link).
Another book resource: Genealogies of Mayflower Families" pub. 1985 pg. 365
I have recently connected to several people working on the Hopkins family and seen some pictures of relatives, but don't have any with known photos of Willard yet. If you are related and able to identify people in photos or interested in sharing information, please contact me!
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