I would just like to thank MPGriffiths for posting the url for this resource, in the thread "Presenting to a church in 1547". http:///www.coaley.net

I have often wondered how long my family name (Hopkins and variants) has been in the Forest, and the resource shows how common my family name was in Gloucestershire in general and in the Forest in particular in 1608.

I have not been able to get back beyond 1774 (approx) on this site for my own particular ancestry because there is no record of my gt gt gt grandfather's baptism, but this list shows that people of our name were there at least in 1608, and presumably before that.

The list (Men & Armour for Gloucestershire in 1608) shows that little changed in some ways, even for emigrants. Presumably the King could call on the men on the list when needed. My great grandfather emigrated to NZ in 1860, and in 1917 three of his grandsons (my uncles), were fighting in Flanders, called on by King and country just as before, but not from the Forest - instead "from the uttermost ends of the Earth".

The only difference over 300 years was that England had expanded to a vast empire from which soldiers could be recruited/conscripted, and the country provided the weaponry, not the individual soldier.

Thanks again MPGriffiths for such an interesting reference.

? are you researching the HOPKINS line for your gt gt gt grandfather's baptism

? when did he marry

there are : 9 early HOPKYN records and 34 HOPKINGS records.

Gloucestershire Genelogical Database lists early HOPKYNS records e.g. Will of James HOPKYNS 1578 Awre Fisherman :

Yes, I have been trying to find his baptism record so I can go back further.

Here is the marriage record for my gt gt gt grandparents, from the Parish records here:

Marriage of Philip and Sarah Hopkin

Record_ID: 47091
Entry_Number: 141
Year: 1793
Month: Dec
Day: 2
Grooms_Surname: HOPKIN
Grooms_Forenames: Phillip
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: Parish of Woolaston in the County of Gloucester
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: HOPKIN
Brides_Forenames: Sarah
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Of this Parish
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns: [not stated]
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: The mark of William Williams
Witness_2: William Hulin
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Tho[ma]s Edmunds Curate
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P278 IN 1/9
Page_Number: 39
Parish_Chapel: St Briavels
Soundex_Groom: H125
Soundex_Bride: H125

Three notes -
1. Philip and Hopkin are spelled in various ways in the records, which tripped me up a few times in searches on this site. Philip/Phillip Hopkin/Hopkins.
2. Philip married a Sarah Hopkin - as she came from the same small area of the Forest, I have always wondered whether they are cousins. There are two possible baptism records for Sarah - Record_ID: 288479 and Record_ID: 288470. Both are a close match with her date of burial and age at date of death. I suspect that the first record is more likely to be the one, because of her parents' names which continue to recur throughout the family. Their son (my gt gt grandfather) was named Thomas (Record_ID:539).
3. Sadly the marriage record does not include Sarah's parents' names.

Philip's will 1847 is in the resources on this site, and I have tried finding his beneficiary brother Charles' baptism record to see if I could find their parents' name, with no success. Not knowing his approx age in relation to Philip made it a bit hit and miss.

Philip's Will of 1847 - as you know, lists all his *10 children but the Executor is Charles ROBERTS Snr of the Parish of Chapel Hill, Monmouth - and looking at the HOPKIN baptisms these also appear in Monmouth as well as Hewlesfield.

* William, Philip, Thomas, Charles, Mary, Alice, Jane, Elizabeth, Sarah & Maria

His brother Charles HOPKIN according to the Will, was living at Staple Hill, Near Bristol and would be attending the sale.

There is on the 1841 Census, at Stapleton - Bristol

Charles HOPKINS - 60 - Miller - not born in County
Elizabeth HOPKINS - 50 - born in County
Elizabeth HOPKINS - 27?
Mary HOPKINS - 20

---

Googling, it would seems: Charles HOPKINS of Stapleton in 1841 was bankrupt - and the case would be heard - June 29, July 27

1830 Pigots Directory of Gloucestershire
Stapleton

Charles HOPKINS Miller - Stapleton, Bristol
Elizabeth HOPKINS - Milliner

and a few other HOPKINS

---

---

--

? 1851 census, Monmouth,

Elizabeth HOPKIN - Widow 64 - Staymaker, born Redcliff, Bristol
Charles HOPKIN - son - 26 - born Redcliff, Bristol

----

1841 Census, Chapel Hill, Monmouth

Charles ROBERTS - 60 Tailor - all born in County
Mary ROBERTS - 68
James HOPKINS - 65 - M/S (Male Servant)

---

If you look at the marriage of Philip HOPKIN to Sarah - one of the witnesses was William WILLIAMS.

William WILLIAMS married Philippia HOPKIN at Hewlesfield - 4 November 1784
witnesses were: Warren HOPKIN and Mary HOPKIN .

Warren was christened at Hewlesfield: in 1775 - parents: William & Susan

Philip & Sarah HOPKIN named their children

Philip 1794
Mary 1797
Elinor 1798
William 1799
Charles 1803
Thomas 1804
Sarah 1810
Anne 1813
Jane 1814

1841 census

Phillip HOPKINS 65
Sarah 65
Alice 25
Maria 20

There are HOPKIN baptisms in Hewlesfield - look for family names i.e.

Elinor HOPKIN - 1770 - parents: James & Mary

? There is a Philip HOPKIN - christened at Llandogo Monmouth - 1772 parents: William & Frances

More work needs be to done.

The Will of Thomas HOPKINS of Hewlesfield dated 1817 - Shipwright (on Ancestry)

Mentions his two daughters, Mary HUGHS and Sarah HOPKINS - and that Will WILLIAMS owes him £20 a legacy from his sister.

If you Google

A2a

This is the National Archives which shows where records are kept.

Had a quick look for HOPKINS of Hewlesfield and these include

Marriage settlement lease and release - 1776

Between James HOPKINS of Chepstow (Mon) - shipwright and Lewis WILLIAMS of Chepstow (Mon) Glazier

(Held at Gloucestershire Archives)

and

Morgage 1765

James HOPKIN junior formerly of Brockwear, Hewlesfield, now Chepstow etc etc - held at Gloucestershire Archives

Thank you for all your hard work.

In the past, I followed up the Philip Hopkins you mention who was baptised in Llandogo in 1774 through the parish records on this site. I was subsequently in touch with descendants of that Philip (one of whom lives in Wales, and one who lives across the ditch in Australia), and that Philip is definitely not my gt gt gt grandfather.

The Llandogo connection was of interest to me, because years ago Mike Johns (who had/has Monmouthshire genealogy interests) published a family tree for the Hopkins family because his mother is connected to us. Mike started the tree with "my" Philip, but had no earlier records. He pondered in passing whether there was a connection "to the Llandogo lot", and when I questioned him on his basis for thinking this, he said there was a lot of similarity between the first names of the Hewelsfield and Llandogo families, and they were just across the bridge from each other.

I have personally yet to find a definite connection, but you seem to have identified some possibilities. There are still no parish records for the baptism of either Philip or his brother Charles in any of the Parishes covered by this site, yet Philip is described on census records (I forget which one[s]} as born in county.

I will try again to see if there is a baptism record for Charles in Llandogo.

Thanks again.
John

Assume you have gone through all the HOPKINS listed in the Forest of Dean Section:

Gloucestershire Marriage Allegations 1637-1837
and
Marriage Bonds 1730-1823

which include

30 March 1747

Warren HOPKINS - profession: Ship Carpenter - residence: HUELSFIELD

Mary YOUNG : residence: Landogo in the County of Monmouth

Marriage by Bond: he signs

Witness 1: James HOPKINS a Ship Carpenter of Huelsfield

other Witness: T HILL

Sealed and Delivered in the presence of: Frances HILL

The groom and James HOPKIN are bound in the sum of £200. To marry at Huelsfield

but also listed as

Licence:

30 Mar 1747

Warren HOPKIN - aged 26, Widower of HUELSFIELD

Mary YOUNG - about 22 - residence: Lapdog

Back to checking the National Archives for HOPKIN/HOPKIN Monmouth etc

Google: A2a

Again, many hit's inc

Charles HOPKINS born Monmouth, Monmouthshire Militia Discharged

Reference: WO 97/1100/80

Date: 1792-1819

Description: Charles HOPKINS born Monmouth, Monmouthshire
Served in Monmouthshire Militia
Discharged aged 48

birth c 1771

This can be downloaded on Findmypast