Eusebius A. Hopkins c. 1798-1857: man of mystery

I was first made aware of the existence of Eusebius A. Hopkins about 30 years ago when confirming the presence of my Hopkins ancestors in Clarke and nearby counties in Georgia between 1799 and 1836. Eusebius’s loving parents conferred upon him a first name so unworn from use that he had it pretty much to himself --one nobody bothered to knock, it having been the name of a third and fourth century theological historian. Below is my list of the Clarke County records I’ve seen concerning Eusebius, who apparently was named for a Greek historian of the Christian religion who lived in the Third and Fourth Centuries, A.D. That the name wasn’t a household word can be deduced from looking at the many ways people of long ago handled this unusual handle.

Handles, rather. For as Eusebius lived out his days, almost nobody spelled his name right.The result was a multitude of spellings by scribes, lawyers, judges, census takers, tax authorities, and others. About the best way to locate his name today in list of Hopkins individuals of those early years is to look through all the E’s and the U’s and when you get to one you’ve never seen before, it’s probably him, with a Hopkins on the other end. It was a name nobody seemed to be familiar with -- or even pronounce -- in those days nearly two centuries ago when people used phonetics to approximate the way it sounded. A lot of these misspelled names continued to cling to their owners even after more people learned to read and found the letters didn’t always match the sound.

I introduce Eusebius to those who haven’t yet met him in the records, in the hope that somebody will recognize him in all his disguises as their own and lay claim to kinship with this prosperous gentleman who came to Georgia from Virginia. I have put together what events I can find about his adult life, most of which was spent in Clarke County, Georgia. Eusebius was born in Virginia about 1798 according to the census taker who enumerated him in Clarke Co.in 1850 as Euselius, or the transcriber for the Georgia census index printed since, who spelled him as Eullbins. He first shows up in the Clarke County militia about 1820 and as an unmarried poll on the Clarke tax list of 1822, almost always misspelled.

I’ve been unable to link him to other Hopkins families in Clarke and surrounding counties. Most young men who have attained their majority -- and are first listed as polls in their community -- almost always attain that age while living with their parents in the community, and that’s how genealogists studying that period determine their ages based upon reaching their majority and becoming eligible and obliged to serve in the local militia. Eusebius did serve in the Clarke County militia but I’ve been unable to associate him with a family.On 19 Dec 1826 he married Hannah Harvey in Walton County, adjacent to Clarke. In 1827 and 1828 he is not shown on the Clarke County tax list, but in 1829 he’s back and holds over 500 acres of land in Clarke and Coweta counties and is a slave owner. The mystery is how he managed to acquire the land and slaves. Did he inherit them back in Virginia. Did they come from his wife’s family in Walton County? Wherever they came from, he soon had more. His landholdings steadily increased up to 1836, the last year that I have information about his land holdings.

If I read the records correctly, Eusebius and Hannah must have died within a year of each other about 1856 and 1857.

Eusebius remains to me a mystery. In the 1850 census he had three sons, and it appears that two of them, John and William, were named in deeds related to the disposition of some of Eusebius’s properties after his death.

Items from the book, Records of Clarke Co. , GA 1801-1892, compiled by Robert Scott Davis.

Ucebrous Hopkins, page 114; on list, militia fines and oaths 1821.

Usbious Hopkins, page 208; on list of militiamen of whom most failed to show up for drill; 26 May 1821.

Usebius Hopkins, page119; on roster, militia fines & oaths 1821.

Eucebius A. Hopkins, page 219; proved his rights for 400 acres, Land Court Minutes, 6 Oct 1829, found in Clarke Co., file II.

Eunebius A. Hopkins, page 110; on list of names for Militia Fines & Oaths 1835.

Eusebeus A Hopkins, page 024, def. In suit by Bank of Augusta 1838.

Eusebius A. Hopkins, page 058, def.with John M.Booker in suit by William Thomason 1838.

Eurebius A. Hopkins, page 048; def. In suit by William Murray 1840.

Eusibas A. Hopkins, page 029; def. In suit by Clarke Co. Other defs: Elias Busby (principal), William Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Isma W. Wooldridge 1840.

Eusebius A. Hopkins, page 040; pltf., vs. Henry Easterling 1841.

Eusebias A. Hopkins, page 041; def in suit by Stinson S. Jarrell, Stephen Jackson, 1842.

Eusibusa Hopkins, page 033; def. In suit by Richard Dickson for use of

GA R.R. 1843.

E.A. Hopkins, Mrs (Hannah Hopkins, wife or widow of Eusebius Hopkins); page 220; death of, 19 Feb 1856, from rcds found in Clarke Co., File II.

Hannah Hopkins (wife or widow of Eusebius), page 013; Estate Rcds Clarke Co. 856.

Eusebens Hopkins, children of, page 013; Estate records Clarke Co. Court of Ordinary. 1858/63.

The Clarke County Tax Lists from 1822-36.

Name District

1822, Clarke Co.

Euselion Hopkins POLL TAX ONLY Blankenships

1823

Eusebious Hopkins POLL TAX ONLY Herndons

1824

Eulsebious Hopkins POLL TAX ONLY Herndons

1825

E.A. Hopkins POLL TAX ONLY Herndons

1826

Eusebious A. Hopkins POLL TAX ONLY Mastines

1829

Eusebus A. Hopkins

202.5 Acres, granted Tweedwell, Coweta Co., Wise’s District , GA LL 164 Dist 7

100 Acres, granted Milton, joining Robertson, Clarke Co.on Appalachee

He owned one or more slaves beginning 1829.

1830

Eusebus A. Hopkins - same as 1830 bue Clarke acreage is 108.

1831

Eusebus A. Hopkins - same as 1829 but Clarke acreage is 158

1832

Eusebus Hopkins

land in Coweta same but county name now Campbell

350 acres in Clarke joining Bryan on Appalachee has been added to 158 acres in Clarke. Total 710 acres.

1833

Eusebius A. Hopkins

40 more acres added (Lot 226 Dist. 19) for total of 242.5 in Campbell Co. Total acreage now 750.

This 40 acres may have been in Dooley Co., or what became Dooley Co.

1834

Eusebius Hopkins

same as 1834.

1835

Eusebius Hopkins

508 acres in Clarke, 202 in Coweta/Campbell, 40 in Dooley Co.

1836

Eusebius A. Hopkins

acreage roughly the same in same counties: Clarke, Coweta (Campbell), Dooley.

1837

Eusebius A. Hopkins

listed as taxpayer but I have no data for this and subsequent years.

Exsebrus Hopkins married Hannah Harvey on 19 Dec 1826 in Walton Co. GA.

Clarke County censuses 1830, 1840, 1850

The Eucseas A. Hopkins household in the 1830 federal census of Clarke County, GA, had two males verween 30 and 40 and one female between 15 and 20. I’m unable to account for the other white male in the same age bracket. I have his listing in the Georgia state census index for 1840, in which he appears as Usibius Hopkins in Clarke county’s 437th District.

In the 1850 census, he is listed as follows:

Euselius A. Hopkins 52 M Farmer born Virginia

Hannah 38l F born Georgia

Harriet 17 F born Georgia

John D. 13 M born Georgia

William 11 M born Georgia

Wengh(?) 9 M born Georgia

Sarah 6 F born Georgia

I have seen no listing in Clarke County records of Eusebius, his wife Hannah, nor any names of their children other than those apppearing in this paper.

Clarke County Deeds Index

Grantee Grantor deed date rec.date bk page

Eusebius Hopkins fr Benjamin Starks 17 Aug 1830 17 Jan 1831 O 241

Eusebius Hopkins fr William H Burney by 14 Dec 1831 28 Sep 1839 R 442

sheriff

Eusebius Hopkins fr John H. Lowe Sr. et al 6 Oct 1857 6 Oct 1857 V 334

Eusebius Hopkins fr Stephen Jackson et al 6 Oct 1857 6 Oct 1857 V 334

Grantor Grantee

E.A. Hopkins to Hiram Beasley 7 Sep 1844 14 Jul 1846 S 345

E.A. Hopkins to Jackson Hartwell Jr. 3 Feb 1849 3 Feb 1849 T 187

J.D. Hopkins et al to Willim Murray 7 Nov 1866 9 Nov 1866 X 364

W.P. Hopkins et al to William Murray 7 Nov 1866 9 Nov 1866 X 364

Eusebius Hopkins Estate to William Murray 7 Nov 1866 9 Nov 1866 X 364

by heirs & distributors

Eusebius Hopkins to William Murray 7 Nov 1866 9 Nov 1866 X 365

by sheriff

J.D. Hopkins to Col Dawson Patman 18 Mar 1876 1 Apr 1876 AA 588

J.D. Hopkins to Thomas B. Arnold et al 20 Apr 1871 19 Mar 1905 YY 520

Note: J.D. Hopkins and W.P Hopkins are believed by this compiler to be sons of Eusebius Hopkins, shown in the 1850 census as John D. and William.

Harold Hopkins  [email protected]

Hi cousins

... Here's what I know:

 Eusebius A. Hopkins married Hannah Harvey 19 Dec 1826, Walton Co., GA. Hannah was born 1811.

Their issue:
          Harriet Hopkins b. 1834, Clarke Co., GA, married Thomas Benton, 29 Mar 1859, in Clarke  Co.
          John D. Hopkins, b. 1836, Clarke Co., GA. married Cynthia Griffith, 13 Feb 1859
Clarke Co.
         William Pinkham Hopkins, b. 4 Sep 1839, probably Clarke Co GA, married  Susan Ann Duffey, daughter of Samuel J. Duffey, who was a son of  John Nelson Duffey of Butts Co., GA
          Heugh E. Hopkins, b: 1842, Clarke Co., GA
           Sarah Hopkins, b. 1844, Clarke Co., GA

I'm from the William "Pinkham" Hopkins and Susan Ann Duffey line. The census
records of GA ,1830-40-50-60, shows Eusebius as having been born in VA. around
Aug 1800. W. Pinkham moved from Clarke Co. to Henry Co. when he was around
21 years of age (he was teaching school in Henry Co.).

Lawrence "Larry" Vernon Hopkins
[email protected]