Lambeth Hopkins of Georgia

Revolutionary War Service

The independent farmers of the Piedmont region who moved to the Georgia frontier in search of new land were an independent lot. They were accustomed to freedom of thought and action and being subject to a government directed from across the Atlanatic Ocean and which was supported by a strict class system could in no way appeal to their independent character. Most of these independent farmers were Revolutionaries and Lambeth Hopkins was no exception. Lambeth Hopkins was no exception. He was a member of a Wilkes county, Georgia miliita company in 1778. However, these frontiersmen retreated in front of the British forces and Lambeth Hopkins is found on a Montgomery County North Carolina tax list by 1880. He most likely served in Revolutionary forces in Montgomery County because after his return to Georgia he appeared on a Wilkes County Georgia tax list in 1786 and was granted land as a bounty grant for Revolutionary service by the state of Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Archives and History has only a few original records from the period of the American Revolution. Among these documents that they do have are the originals from which the following four Wilkes County Militia rosters were taken. (Georgia Archives location information: Military Records. File Drawver 1. vol I, p. 1-100 G.M.A, [Georgia Military Affairs, vol. 1- 9) Typescripts and Photocopies of the Originals] 9, 10, 23.)

In 1779, Colonel John Dooly, commander of the Wilkes County militia regiment (sometimes referred to as a battalion) attempted to obtain pay for his men from Major General Benjamin Lincoln.  It is known that Dooly did send Lincoln at least two complete sets of pay rosters for the entire Wilkes County regiment.  Research into the more than forty surviving collections of Benjamin Lincoln papers, however, has failed to turn up information on what became of these pay lists. Possibly, the missing rosters are in private hands and will someday deposited in a major library, where they can be made available for research.

Lambeth Hopkins first served in a Wilkes County, GA militia regiment (p. 1) (p. 2)from 15th Aug to 15th Sept. 1778. The men in the company included:

"State of Georgia Dr to Robert Carr for Ranging as Captain of the Militia in Wilkes County by Order of Coln. John Dooly:"

From the 15th of August to the 15th of September 1778 this acct. Proven before me this 9 day of Janr. 1779

Robert Carr signed with a mark and William Downs and Col. John Dooley signed. Col. Dooley certified the amount owed.

From the 15^th of September to the 15^th of October 1778 this Acct. Proven before me th is 9 Day of Janr. 1779.

	His
Robert	X	Carr
	Mark
Wm. Downs
John Dooly Col
I do certfy the above amt.

¹³

Georgia Roster of the Revolution by Lucian L. Knight lists:

Hopkins: Isaac, Lambert, Samuel, William--p. 376-384

as Revolutionary soldiers.¹⁴

^{Sojourn in Montgomery County NC}

From a letter from Harold Hopkins to Judy Voran, Dec. 1998.

We have also found, through Tana's sleuthing, that Lambeth Hopkins, who had come to Georgia and was serving in Dooley's company in 1778, did not remain in Georgia but fled with others ahead of British forces in Georgia and presumably resumed service with military forces in another state against the British. A book by Mary Bondurant Warren on this subject lists Lambeth Hopkins among others, including John Peters. The presumption is that Lambeth's further service was probably in Montgomery County, NC, because a Lambeth Hopkins was found on the Montgomery County tax list in 1780. He was not shown in the 1790 census of North Carolina and had reappeared in Wilkes Co. GA on the tax list by 1786. The state of Georgia apparently decided that his military service against the British forces from another state entitled him to a grant from Georgia, putting him on a par with any other Rev. soldier who moved into Georgia after the Revolutionary War and sought bounty grants for their service.^15,16

A Lambeth Hopkins is found on the Montgomery County, NC tax list of 1786, but is not found on the NC 1790 US Census. He was apparently part of a group of people who were driven out of Gerogia by the British forces.

A Glimpse of the Experience of the Militia in Georgia and North Carolina

The following is the Revoutionary War petition of Thomas Bankston -- Ga., N.C. --File No.R477. Application dated 7 April 1835, age 75, Randolph Co., Ga. (this is almost certainly the son of Daniel Bankston. "Volunteered in 1778, under Capt. John Autry, Capt. Williamson & Col. E. Clark. In 1780 his father moved to North Carolina; he returned with him, and joined and army raised in upper part of Montgomery Co., under Capt. Harris, Col. Lofton & General Rutherford. After discharge of tour in 1781, returned to Wilkes Co., Ga., and joined company of Capt. Halms at Fort Demont. He served two years & 9 months.......(North Carolinian: A Quarterly Journal of Genealogy and History, vol. II, no. 1, March 1961, p. 786.)

This narrative, though not exactly replicating the experience of Lambeth Hopkins gives an idea of the movements of those from Georgia who fought there and then moved to Montgomery Co. where they fought again and finally returned to Wilkes County Georgia.

Return to Georgia

Washington Co, Green Co. and Wilkes Co. GA land records for Lambeth Hopkins.

--Page 217 Lambeth Hopkins 287 1/2 acres Washington County, bounded N. Vacant, E. Pittman, S. Oconee River, W. Harris. Warrant 2910, July 23, 1784.

--Page 286 Lambert Hopkins 230 acres (on reserve) Wasington Co. counded N. Phillips, S. E. and S. Tennill, W. Green Brier Creek. Survey 772 3-7-1786. (This is the tract of land which was sold by William and John Hopkins in 1808. At that time the land was in Greene County.)

--Page 361 Robert Thompson of Wilkes Co. to Lambeth Hopkins of said county for 200 pds. specie. 230 acres in Washington now Greene County, granted to Laughlin Phinney 27 July 1785. Signed Robert Thompson, Catherine (X) Thompson. Wit: Levy (X) Phillips, William Hopkins. Proved by William Hopkins 24 April 1790 before Wm. F Patrick J.P. Reg 6 May 1790.

--Page 366 Lambeth Hopkins 287 acres, Washington County, bounded N. Harris, E. Vacant, S. Timothy Pittman, W. Oconee River. Survey 797. July 23 1784.

p. 663. Deed Book E. Greene Co. State of Georgia. Lambeth Hopkins of Greene Co. sold to Joseph Browning of Greene Co. on 4 Sep 1792 for the sum of 150 pounds lawful money, 287 1/2 acres of land in Greene Co. granted 23 Jun 1790 to said Hopkins. Bounded by John Fielder and meanders up the Oconee River and vacant land. Wit.. James Fielder and Absalom Autrey. Rc. 18 Mar 1793. (p.123)

p. 370. Deed Book P. Greene Co. State of Georgia. Lambert Hopkins of Greene Co. sold to Mary Williams of Greene Co. on 16 Jan 1798 for value received, 176 acres of land in Greene Co. bounded by Williams Billingsley, Allan Greer, McCall, and John Conner land. Wit. George Stringfellow. Rec. 12 Feb 1799. (p. 317). ¹⁷

The following information is from an original document (cover) (p. 1)over 200 years old which is in the Georgia Archives in the Original Document Reading area. It is the document in which the surveyor was ordered to lay out 300 acres of land in Wilkes County for Lambeth Hopkins and includes the mention of John Autrey. (Gerogia Archives location information: Headright ad bounty Land Grant series RG-SG series 3-4-5. box 115 Location 8056.)

By the Court of Justices of the County of Wilkes To Samuel Caswell County surveyor for sd County You are hereby authorized and regquired to admeasure and lay out and or Cause to be admeasured and laid out unto Lambeth Hopkins -- A tract of Land which shall contain Three Hundred -- Acres in the sd County of Wilkes, near the head of the Little River containing the late improvement of John Atrey, in lieu of an old warrant, one Hundred acres these of one purchase

Taking especial care that the same has not heretofore been laid out to any person or persons: and you are hereby also Directed and Required to record the plat of the same in your office and transmit a copy thereof together with this warrant to the Surveyor General within three monts from this Date. given under my hand as Senior Justice of the sd Court. this 10th day of sept. 1784."

Lambeth Hopkins was on a tax list in 1786 in Wilkes County Georgia:

Capt Autrey's District, Received by John Autrey, Esqr.

Lambeth Hopkins 3 1/2 polls, 5 slaves, 687 1/2 acres Wilkes Co.

Note by Harold Hopkins:

"The state of Georgia apparently decided that his military service against the British forces from another state entitled him to a [land] grant from Georgia, putting him on a par with any other Rev. soldier who moved into Georgia after and the Revolutionary War and sought bounty grants for their service."

From a letter posted on the Internet, Dec. 1998.¹⁸

On a 1787 tax list for Wilkes County, GA, Lambeth is listed as Lambard Hopkins in Capt. Potts' District.¹⁹ "Hopkins, Lambeth, Washington County, 1790, Wilkes County 1790."²⁰

Lambeth Hopkins lived or held land in Wilkes, Washington, Green and Jackson County, Georgia. This did not mean that Lambeth moved from one place to another many times. He bought and sold land a number of times. However, Georgia counties were evolving from 1786 when he received his bounty land grant to 1799 when he died. He lived thirteen years in that area of Georgia among families like the Bankstons and the Autreys with whom he had shared the challenges, the privations and the successes of fighting for his Revolutionary beliefs and carving out a life for himself and his family on the Georgia frontier. If his birth year was near 1741 then he was 57 years old when he died in 1798. He still had minor children at home. The cause of his death at what was a relatively young age is not known, but he did have time to write a will in June 1798 some time before his death. Thus he most likely died of a disease rather than a sudden accident or heart attack.

Will of Lambeth Hopkins, the elder

Lambeth Hopkins will is dated 29th June 1798. Jacob Bankston, Jacob Autrey, Priscilla Hopkins (wife) Executors.

Jackson

In the name of God amen, I Lambeth Hopkins, yeoman, of the County of Jackson, being in a state of weakness & disease of body but of perfect mind & memory, knowing the certainty of Death sooner or later and being disirous to settel my concerns on earth in the best manner that I can do make this my last will & testament in the manner & form following, viz:

I resign & commend my soul to God hoping to obtain mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ & commit my body to the dead to be buried in a descent manner at the discretion of my executors, nothing doubting but I shall receive the same with the xxxx resurrection, and as to such worldly property as it hath pleased God to bless me with I dispose of it in the following manner:

It is my will that that the land or plantation which I now have together with the stock I now possess of horses, mares, and cattal with 3 Negroes, Molly, Cloe, & Fanny, also all the household furnishings & working tools, to remain in the hands of my widow during her life or widowhood

Also one note of hand for 240 odd dollars be left in the same manner as my other property are but if my widow should marry again then it is my will that my widow should have the third part of my estate & then the remainder to be sold & equally divided among my childering; another noat of hand for 12,000 lb. of tobacco I would wish & it is my disire that my disires that my executors would sell it for cash and that money put out to interest until the time that my other property is divided & then for this to be divided also in the same manner as above written. It is my will that my just debts be paid; also it is my will that my 4 youngest childering, namely, Samuel, Solomon, David (Dennis?) and Joseph should have each of them one year's schooling to be paid out of my estate. Lastly, I make and constitute Priscilla, my beloved wife; Jacob Abruberry; & Jacob Bankston the Executors of this my Last will & Testament, hereby disannulling all former wills.

I declare this to be my last will and testament.

Sealed signed & delivered in the presences of us who also were present with each other at the time

Jacob Bankston                                         Lambeth Hopkins (L  S)
                                             his
                                 Jacob  +   Aruberry [Autrey]
                                           mark
   
                            Priscilla her  Hopkins
                                            P 
        29th June 1798    mark

Jackson

State of Georgia}

Jackson County } Personally appeared before me, James Armstrong,, Register of Probate for sd. County; Jacob Bankston; Jacob Aruberry; & Priscilla Hoppkins, the subscribing wittnesses of the within will, who being duly sworn according to law, sayeth that they saw Lambeth Hopkins, late of this county, sign, seal and pronounce(?) the within will & that he was of sound mind and perfect memory & judgment at that time to their belief and knowledge and that they saw each other sign the same as witnesses as also Joseph Claxton (Clarkston?), who sayeth that the above is the hand writting of the decd. to the best of his knowledge.²¹

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