Stephen Hopkins was born in Upper Clatford, England back in 1581 to John and Elizabeth. In 1609, you could find him working as a minister’s clerk. In that same year he left his wife and family on a voyage to Jamestown, Virginia aboard the Sea Venture. Two months into the journey a storm blew them off course and he wound up in Bermuda where the ship sunk.
He would be stranded there for four years before being rescued. Once back in England he, his wife and children boarded the Mayflower in 1620. They arrived in the New World after three months at sea. Once there he worked as a tanner and merchant until his death in 1644.
What you may not know about Stephen Hopkins is that he is believed to be the only Mayflower passenger with prior New World experience, he was one of the forty-one signatories of the Mayflower Compact, and an assistant to the governor of the Plymouth Colony through 1636. Until tomorrow keep that smile on your face and show those pearly whites.
Comments(14)