Monday, April 23, 2012

FRANCIS HOPKINS WAS A Loyal "TORY" Hung by the neck

Why the Hopkins left New York

ii. THOMAS HOPKINS, b. May 06, 1660, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts; d. April 21, 1676.

Notes for THOMAS HOPKINS:
KILLED BY INDIANS IN 1676
               
Generation No. 3

3.  FRANCIS3 HOPKINS (JOSEPH2, WILLIAM1) was born 1720 in Roxbury,
Suffolk, Massachusetts, and died 1780 in Washington County, Virginia.  He married MARY MERCY JOSLIN September 01, 1743 in East Greenwich, Rhode Island  Kent County, daughter of HENRY JOSLIN and ELIZABETH MATTESON.

Notes for FRANCIS HOPKINS:
FRANCIS HOPKINS WAS A "TORY" DURING THE  "REVOLUTIONARY WAR".
HE WAS A RENEGADE BANDIT, NOT
JUST A MERE "TORY", BUT ONE OF A BAND OF ROBBERS AND MURDERERS, AROUND THE SETTLEMENT OF HOLSTON.
FRANCIS CAME INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WILLIAM CAMPBELL LIVED,
AND DURING HIS BEING THERE, WILLIAM CAMPBELL'S GATES WERE PLACARDED THREATENING HIS LIFE.  A FEW DAYS LATER CAMPBELL IN THE COMPANY OF HIS WIFE AND A LARGE NUMBER OF PERSONS WAS COMING HOME FROM CHURCH FROM THE EBBING SPRING MEETING HOUSE.
CAMPBELL DID NOT KNOW HOPKINS, BUT AS HOPKINS PASSED IT WAS STATED BY SOME ONE THAT THAT WAS HOPKINS.
WILLIAM CAMPBELL INSTANTLY WHEELED HIS HORSE AROUND, WHICH WAS A FINE HORSE
AND MADE OUT FOR HOPKINS.
IN A MILE OR TWO
HOPKINS CAME INTO SIGHT, AND HOPKINS KNOWING THAT IT WAS CAMPBELL; HOPKINS ALSO BEING ON A FINE HORSE TOOK OFF AT HIS BEST SPEED. THE RACE CONTINUED A MILE OR SO TO THE MIDDLE  OF THE FORK OF THE HOLSTON RIVER.
HOPKINS REACHING A BLUFF JUMPED HIS HORSE DOWN 15 TO 20 FEET INTO THE RIVER. CAMPBELL WAS IN CLOSE PURSUIT AND FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE RIVER. THE JUMP THREW HOPKINS OFF HIS HORSE.
HOPKINS WAS THE STRONGER OF THE TWO AND WAS ALMOST DROWNING CAMPBELL, WHEN EDMISTON AND SEVERAL OTHER MEN CAME TO HELP.
BY THIS ASSISTANCE
HOPKINS WAS SUBDUED AND TAKEN TO THE RIVER BANK.
ALL KNEW THAT HOPKINS WAS A DESPERATE CHARACTER AND KNEW THAT NO JAIL IN WHICH HE COULD BE SECURED. THEY HELD A CONSULTATION, AND DECIDED THAY THEY WOULD HANG HHIM AND DID SO FORTHWITH, BY STICKING HIS NECK IN THE FORK OF A LEANING SYCAMORE TREE WHICH BENT OVER THE RIVER.
FRANCIS
AND HIS MEN WERE TERMED  "BANDITS, ROBBERS, AND MURDERERS. HE WAS ALSO PASSING COUNTERFEIT MONEY AND HE WAS FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED AUGUST 20 1778 AT WASHINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA. HE WAS IN NEWSBURY, NEW YORK, WYOMING VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, AND WASHINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA.
FRANCIS
SON WILLIAM WAS CAPTURED   

Now this is all that actually occurred in the County records, but 100years later Draper started checking incidents of historical interest and according to his report, Francis Hopkins was hanged by William Campbell and a Negro, Thomas about 1779. Is was said he was a Tory and many other things...but from a very careful study, the conclusion is that the occurrence was occasioned by the fact that the Scotch-Irish were unhappy with the people who migrated down from Connecticut, New Jersey and New York...even in Draper's account, it appeared that Campbell chased Francis Hopkins and hanged him, only because he was told that he was a trouble-maker.....
    




8. viii. HANNAH HOPKINS, b. March 03, 1757, Orange Co, NY; d. August 26, 1852, Pomp, Morgan Couunty, Kentucky

.  HANNAH4 HOPKINS (FRANCIS3, JOSEPH2, WILLIAM1) was born March 03, 1757( I have 1766)  in Orange Co, NY, and died August 26, 1852 in Pomp, Morgan Couunty, Kentucky.  She married THOMAS LEWIS March 03, 1784 in Washington Co, Virginia by Thomas Woolsey, son of WILLIAM LEWIS.

Notes for HANNAH HOPKINS:
DIED AT
ELK FORK OF LICKING RIVER, MORGAN COUNTY, KY.
MARRIED BY BAPTIST MINISTER THOMAS WOOLSEY.
HER PENSION APPLICATION WAS APPROVED
JANUARY 28, 1850 AT AGE 83.
1850 CENSUS OF
MORGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY
BURIED AT
GREEN LEWIS CEMETERY, POMP, MORGAN COUNTY, KY.

Notes for THOMAS LEWIS:
THOMAS LEWIS (
05-03-1755 to 08-09-1849) WAS BORN either IN WALES or in Virginia. There is no record so far of his origin, and there are several Thomas Lewis's. It is very easy to confuse them.  We do know as a young man he was living iN WASHINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA. THOMAS, WHILE A RESIDENT OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA, ENLISTED AND SERVED AS A PRIVATE IN THE VIRGINIA TROOPS AS FOLLOWS.
FROM JUNE 1776, SIX WEEKS IN CAPTAIN A. BOWENS COMPANY, COLONEL A. CAMPBELL'S REGIMENT. FROM SEPTEMBER 1776, TWO MONTHS UNDER SAME CAPTAIN. FROM JULY 1780, FOUR MONTHS AS A RANGER
AND SPY IN CAPTAIN A. BOWENS COMPANY. COLONEL WILLIAM CAMPBELL'S REGIMENT.
FROM DECEMBER 1780 THREE MONTHS IN CAPTAIN JAMES CRABTREE'S COMPANY, A. CAMPBELL'S REGIMENT
AND WAS IN AN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INDIANS.
THE SOLDIERS MOVED TO
KENTUCKY IN 1782 AND SETTLED ON DICK'S RIVER. IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR, THOMAS LEWIS ENLISTED AND SERVED TWO MONTHS IN CAPTAIN JOHN DOWNEY'S COMPANY. COLONEL BARNETT'S REGIMENT AND WAS IN GEORGE ROGERS CLARK'S EXPEDITION TO THE FALLS OF THE OHIO AND UP THE WABASH RIVER. HIS BROTHER HENRY HOPKINS LEWIS WAS A COLONEL IN THE LOCAL MILITIA.
IN 1784 THOMAS LEWIS MARRIED HANNAH HOPKINS WHEN BOTH WERE RESIDENTS OF
WASHINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA. HE DIED AUGUST 9, 1849.
HE WAS GRANTED A PENSION UPON HIS APPLICATION EXECUTED
SEPTEMBER 25, 1833 (AGE 76) WHILE A RESIDENT OF MORGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY.
HANNAH WAS ALLOWED A PENSION UPON HER APPLICATION EXECUTED
JANUARY 28 1850 WHILE A RESIDENT OF MORGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY. REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION CLAIM #9124.
THOMAS DIED IN
MORGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY. A PIONEER SETTLER OF THE COUNTY, HE AND HIS WIFE HANNAH HOPKINS FOUNDED A VAST MOUNTAIN CLAN. HE WAS BURIED IN THE FAMILY CEMETERY AT POMP, KENTUCKY JUST OFF KENTUCKY RT. 7.THE GRAVE SITE WHICH BECAME THE FAMILY CEMETERY WAS PICKED OUT BY THE OLD PATRIOT WHEN HE SETTLED IN THE VALLEY WHERE HE DIED. IT IS HIGH ON A STEEP KNOLL OVERLOOKING THE LUSH FARMLANDS HE ONCE OWNED, EMBRACED BY A SWEEPING CURVE OF THE LICKING RIVER. WITHIN SIGHT OF THE OLD GRAVEYARD IS THE PLACE WHERE, ACCORDING TO FAMILY LEGEND, HE BUILT THE FIRST HOUSE IN THE COUNTY.
A HOUSE IS THERE
NOW BUT NOT THE ORIGINAL ONE
BURIED
GREEN LEWIS CEMETERY, POMP, MORGAN COUNTY, KENTUCKY.

LISTED IN
DAR (DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION) PATRIOT INDEX, PRINTED JANUARY 1979, LISTED ON PAGE 414.
SERVED IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR AS PRIVATE FROM
WASHINGTON COUNTY, VA. AS A   "SPY AND RANGER"  RECEIVED PENSION OF $41.33 PER ANNUM BEGINNING MAR 4,






2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the information..I am a descendent of Thomas and Hannah (Hopkins) Lewis. They would be my Great Great Great Great Grandparents. Their son Gardner had two sons (out of many children) Tillman and James. Tillman is my Great Great Grandfather on my Grandmother's Virgie (Lewis) side and James is my Great Great Grandfather on my Grandfather Ollie Sargent's side.

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  2. Great way bro start a country with murder and no trial before his people.I am proud of Francis he fought for what he believed as well as my rev war American grandfathers.

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