Lambeth Hopkins of North Carolina and Georgia

Lambeth Hopkins was born sometime in 1741 or before. The date is calculated from the fact that he was listed as a chain carrier for John Hopkins in a survey in Orange County, NC in 1755. Since chain carriers in such surveys were usually the son or brother and were almost always 14 years or older to carry out this important function, we may assume that Lambeth Hopkins was at least 14 years old in 1755 and thus was born in 1741 or before.

As was noted in the discussion of Lambeth Hopkins' age, he was a chain carrier for John Hopkins listed in Hopkins' Granville Grant issued on 29 Oct. 1755.  This warrant for a survey was issued as Number 40.  Wm. Churton was the agent for Granville.  The grant consisted of 300 acres on both sides of the Deep River about a mile below Solomon Aldridge's land. The fact that Lambeth Hopkins was a chain carrier for John Hopkins is a very strong indication that John Hopkins was Lambeth's father. The following quotes are from a paper written in 1997 by Harold Hopkins whose ancestor was Dennis Hopkins of North Carolina:

The [Hopkins] family was first found in Orange Co. in 1752, entered land on the Deep River in 1755 and remained there until the 1790s as their lands fell respectively into newly formed Guilford and then Randolph (by 1779). In the 1790s all or most members migrated to Georgia and from there some moved in 1808 into Kentucky and some moved westward across the South.…

…In Orange County Records, Vol. l, Granville Proprietary Land Office, Abstracts of Loose Papers, edited by William D. Bennett, there is a recorded a warrant survey, made 5 Nov 1756, which resulted in an earlier Granville Grant on 12 Jan 1761 to John Hopkins of 200 acres situated on both sides of Deep River. Sworn chain carriers for the 1756 survey were Wm. Allred and Lambeth Hopkins. Some researchers think it likely that both Lambeth and Dennis were sons, or possibly younger brothers, of John Hopkins. Lambeth and a John Hopkins -- perhaps a younger one -- later appeared in Anson County, NC, to the south of Orange, and still later in Montgomery County, formed from Anson County.…Other Hopkinses in Randolph County -- Charles Hopkins and Richard Hopkins may also have been close kin.…

The Lambeth Hopkins believed by some to be a brother of the elder Dennis, and who had been a sworn chain carrier in the 1756 survey for a Granville Grant of 200 acres to John Hopkins on Deep Creek in Orange County in 1761, appeared on no further records in this area. In 1763, a Lambeth, believed to be the same one, was listed as a tythable in Anson County, NC, and received Crown grants there in 1769, 1772, and 1773. Later he was in Montgomery County, NC, which had been carved off Anson. Still later, covering at least some of the Revolution years (1776-1783) he was in Wilkes County, GA, and served during the war in a company of Georgia Militia. He received several land grants -- some for his Revolutionary service -- and acquired fairly large landholdings. He also lived in Washington and Greene counties. He died in Jackson County, GA, in 1798.…

There were other probable brothers of Lambeth and the elder Dennis, including a John, David, and a Joseph. Lambeth's widow, Priscilla Hopkins, is believed to have been a daughter of a member of the Bankston family that had been associated with the Hopkins family in early Orange and Anson counties in North Carolina and later in Georgia. Hopkins men believed to be Lambeth's sons were William, John, Lambeth Jr, and Richard, along with four "younger sons" named in his will: Samuel, Solomon, David, and Joseph Hopkins. Most of Lambeth's children lived at least for a time in Jackson County, GA. …

It was here [in Jackson County GA] where several members of our known North Carolina family, kin of Lambeth and William of early Wilkes County, GA, began moving and settling in the 1790s. The Hopkins newcomers had frequent contact with Lambeth's family.

A year after Lambeth Hopkins's death in 1798, his widow Priscilla Hopkins helped found the Mars Hill Baptist Church, near Watkinsville, GA, then a part of Jackson County and later in Clarke Co. (December 1801). Other founders included her family, the Bankstons. In September 1803, Moses Hopkins joined this church "by experience," meaning he probably had not belonged previously to any Baptist church. Elijah Hopkins had joined six months earlier, in March, also by experience. The Clarke County, GA, area many years later became a part of the new county of Oconee, carved off Clarke in 1875.…

Dennis Hopkins, the ancestor of Harold Hopkins is the primary focus of the paper, but the paper delineates the relationships of the early Hopkins and is therefore valuable to all those who are researching their ancestors who may be descendents of these early Hopkins. Here is a link to the full text of the paper.

Marriage

Lambeth married his wife Priscilla some time before 1764 when his son William was born. A date of about 1762 is being given here, although it could have been later.  Lambeth is on the 1763 tax list in Anson County NC which means that he most likely was married by then.  Priscilla Hopkins, Lambeths wife, is thought by Harold Hopkins, Hopkins researcher, to be the daughter of Peter Bankston.  Bankston is a variation of Bengtson. The first ancestor of this line is recorded in Philadelphia in 1695. Land records in which Hopkins and Bankston families are associated from Orange County NC in the 1750's, Anson County, NC in the late 1760s and early 1770s and the fact that Jacob Bankston was one of the executors of Lambeth's will support this theory.

Information extracted from an email from Harold Hopkins:

Bankstons were in Orange County NC in 1752 when the county was formed. Daniel Bankston had land in close proximity to Lambeth Hopkins in Anson County NC.

Peter Bankston's wife was named Priscilla as was the wife of Lambeth Hopkins. Peter Bankston joined the Mars Hill Baptist Church of Oconee Co. GA before his death in 1802. Priscilla Hopkins was a founding member of this church.

Children

From an email from Harold Hopkins, 02 Dec. 2000:

William Hopkins born February 7, 1764, (I have the actual pages out of Nathaniel Williams bible where this is recorded); died November, 1845 (if this date was recorded in same bible, the page must be missing); married Charity _______, who was born 1767 died 1836 (this birth date is in the bible but not the death date all of the bible except for the two pages I have were lost in a house fire years ago.)  Their five children: William Jr.; Mary E.; Julia Anne; John and Dennis.  [Sent to Harold Hopkins by Debra Hebert, a descendent of William Hopkins.]  William was probably the oldest sonhe was with Lambeth in the Georgia militia unit in 1778.   William is believed by his descendents to have died in Mississippi near one or more of his sons.  William served with his father in the Wilkes county militia as shown by the roster listed below.  Since he served in 1778 and was born in 1764 he was 14 years old at the time of his service.

From the records of Judy Voran, (dates and children taken from a certified copy of the Age Book and Bible pages of Lambeth Hopkins, John Hopkins son)

John Hopkins was born 1769.  From tax lists he was probably in Jackson County, Georgia as late as 1810.  At about that date ( he must have moved to the Duck Creek are near Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee.  There he died Dec. 12, 1813 from an Indian arrow wound received at the Battle of Talladega during the War of 1812.  John and his wife Elizabeth (Autrey) Hopkins had eight children: Priscilla, Nancy, Lambeth, John, Elizabeth, Mary, Mahala, and Permelia. The fact that the first of John and Elizabeth's daughters is named Priscilla and their first son is named Lambeth is circumstantial evidence that John Hopkins is the son of the elder Lambeth. At this time there is no firm documentary evidence and may never be so since the older children of Lambeth Hopkins are not named in his will. Lambeth, son of John also had a son, Richard Lambeth, and William Williams Hopkins, son of Lambeth named one of his sons Eugene Lambeth. Eugene Lambeth named his second son Eugene Lambeth. Thus, the name Lambeth persists through four generations through John from the elder Lambeth.

Again from the email from Harold Hopkins to Judy Voran, 02 Dec. 2000:

From the Jackson County, Georgia tax list of 1798, it appears that there were four sons of Lambeth Hopkins in Jackson County, Georgia at the time that Lambeth died: Willliam, John, Richard and Lambeth Jr.  Richard might have been the third oldest son and Lambeth Jr. fourth oldest.  Samuel, Solomon, David, and Joseph were the children named in their fathers will in 1798.  The fact that they were named in their fathers will does not necessarily mean they were minor children, although since Joseph Clarkson was appointed the guardian of Lambert's son Joseph we can assume that Joseph was a minor at the time of his fathers death.

An older daughter of Lambeth and Priscilla very possibly married Joseph Clarkston (who also appears on the 1798 Jackson County tax list) as evidenced by the fact that Joseph Clarkston was named as the guardian of Lambeths son Joseph in Lambeths will of 1898. A Druery Clarkston is listed as one of the founding members of the Mars Hill Church in Oconee, GA immediately under the names of Prisilas Hopkins and Jemima Bankston.  Drusiler Clarkston is mentioned in the church records for 1808 and Drucillar Clarkson in 1809.  [From an email by Barbara Niemeyer to Harold Hopkins 30 April 2000.] Another daughter, Mary, possibly married Sherwood Hodges.   

Anson County, North Carolina

Lambeth was listed on the 1763 tax list of Anson County NC. ¹

The following text is for a Warrant and Survey for a land grant along the Yadkin River bounded by Samuel Parsons.

No. 224--Warrant of Survey--Lambeth Hopkins for One Hundred & Fifty Acres of Land in the County of Anson on the No E side of the Adkin River above Garr Creek, joining Saml. Parson's upper line. First  (?) day of May 1769. Survey--This Plott Represents the Hundred and fifty acres of Land in Anson County N.E. of the Yadkin Beginning at a Stake by a Black Gum on the River Bank near opposite of a High Cleft of Rocks about 1/2 Mile above the Mouth of Garr Creek and Runs N. 10 W. to & with Saml. Parsons upper Line 42 chains and 73 links the S. 90 (?) W. 38 (?) Chains and 73 Links then S. 10 E. 34 chains and 73 links by a Turky Oak on the River Banks then down the River to the Beginning. 

Surveyed for Lambeth Hopkins the 8th of July 1768.  [Chain carriers: John Beard and and Sampson Barn

]No. 2581  County Anson; Acres 150; Grant No. 99; Issued 16th December 1769. Book 20, Page 507. .

There are two entries for the same date in 1771:

150 acres in Anson S.W. of the Yadkin, joining a hill side S. of the head of a small meadow (on the) upper side of Rockhole Creek. 

No. 3315. 18 Nov 1771. Patent Book 20.  pg. 715. ⁴

500 acres in Anson on the Yadkin river,  joining a cleft of rocks nearly opposite the mouth of Gan [Garr?] creek and the bank of the sd. river below Danl Bancksons Canoe Landing.

No. 3316, 18 Nov 1771. Patent Book 20, pg. 715. ⁵

The following text is for a land grant of 200 acres of land on the Peedee River in Anson County, NC, four years after the first grant. The warrant, however, was entered in 1769, the same year as the first grant was received.

No. 2964--County Anson; Name Lambert Hopkins; 200 Acres; Grant No. 137; Issued Jan 22, 1773; Entry No. 224; Entered 3 May 1769.

This Plot Represents 200 acres of Land in Anson county on the SW side of Peedee River Beginning at a Stake in William Ellis's Line on the Clover Fork of Long Creek, and Runs thence No. 35, Wt. 179 Poles to a small forked Red Oak thence No. 55 Et.. 179 Poles then So. 35 Et. 179 Poles, then So. 55 Wt. 179 Poles to the Beginning.  Surveyed for Lamberth Hopkins, Octob. 7th 1772.⁶

Lambeth Hopkins.  200 acres in Anson on the S.W. side of Peedee River, joining William Ellis on the Clover fork of Long Creek.     

No. 4077. 22 Jan 1773. Patent Book 22. pg 154.⁷

There is a deed recorded on the 13th of April 1774 in Anson Co., NC from Lambert Hopkins to John Calloway, pr. by Daniel Bankston.⁸

The following court order is dated 13 April 1774 in Anson County. It puts Lambeth Hopkins in the neighborhood of the Bankstons and lends support to the theory that Priscilla Hopkins was a Bankston.

Ord. road be laid out the best way from Salisbury road above Andrew Banks [Bankston] to the mouth of Huwary River and the following: Daniel Bankston, Jacob Bankston, Jacob Calloway, Lambeth Hopkins, John Martin, Jacob Carter, Joshua Carter, Buckner Kimbell, Andrew Bankston, Dunkin Rone, William Hendley, Drury Ledbetter, John Walker, and John Calloway lay out the same.⁹

The following is a court record in Anson, County, North Carolina for the 12th of July, 1774.

Ord. Job Calloway be overseer of rd from County line to Lince's Cr. and that hands of Zacariah Henderson, Ge. Runnald, James Rogers, Sr., James Rogers Jr., John Dunn, Edward Moore, John Walker, Robt. Walker, Stephen Treadwell, Wm. Hendley, Tunstall Rone, John Potete, Joseph Henderson, Jacob Bankston, Andrew Bankston, John Calloway, Jacob Carter, John Martin, William Ellis, Lambert Hopkins, Moses Cooks Jr., John Cooks, and John Royal work same.¹⁰

On the 14th of July, 1774 a deed from John Martin to Lambeth Hopkins, pr. by Edward Moore was recorded.¹¹

Lambeth Hopkins was on a Grand Jury list for Anson County in 1775¹²

Lambeth Hopkins was an independent farmer in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. This was not an area of the wealthy planters with plantations of thousands of acres and hundreds of slaves. This was an area where a man might get a grant of several hundred acres, farming it with his sons and the help of other family members and supporting his family by his crops and his hunting. Families and family groups lived and moved together. In Anson County. Lambeth Hopkins was associated with families such as the Bankstons, the Allreads, the Duncans,the Elliots and the Roans. As he moved from Anson County NC to Georgia, some of these families can be found with him in the various locations to which he moved his family. Lambeth Hopkins signed his documents so although he might not have been very literate, he could at least sign his name.

Estate Papers for Lambeth Hopkins transcribed by Dawn Gore.