Litchfield enquirer., 1859-11-03
MRS. STOWE AND DR.. HOPKINS
WOOINGv

KEY. SAMUEL HOPKINS, d. D.--Mrs. Stoves
new story, called "The Minister'S Wooing"
! has introduced this eminent divine to the ac-
qualntance of thousands of individuals who
never before heard of his existence. To such
persons some account Of his life drawn from
authentic sources, may be interesting. He
was born in Waterbury, Conn, September H.
l72l. Graduated at Yale Colleye in l74I
In December of that year he went to North
ampton to study divinity with the celebrated
Jonathan Edwards December %, l743, he
was ordained in Great Burlington (then cal
led Honssatonnock), and remained there till
January Is, 1869, when on account of the d
intuition Of the society and the want of sup
port, he was dismissed by an ecclesiastical
council. Anril IL, ITO, he was settled in the
ministry in Newport, r. l. In December,
l716, when the British took possession of New
port, he left town, and retired to his family.
which he had before sent to Great Darlington.
During the summer Of l777 he preached in
Nee~buryport Tie afterwards preached in
Canterbury and Stamford. In the spring of
1850 he returned to Newport the British hav-
ing evacuated the town III the preceding fall
tic found his society SO much diminished and
impoverished that he had no prospect of o
maintenance but supported by weekly con-
trbutl"n and the donations of his friends, he
continued to preach to them till his death,
which occurred on the 29th of December,
le03, at the age of 50 years.
Df Hopkins was twice married. Not long
after his settlement at Great Darlington he
was betrothcd to Young woman Of that
town. But the unexpected return of former
lover OF the fair lady caused her to ask the
doctor TO release her from her engagement to
MN, which he consented to do with very great
regret. Not daunted, however, by this iii sue
cess, ne sought and Won the heart and hand of
Mss johanna Ingeisoll, to whom he was
married In the year 1853. She died August
81, 1893. On the 18th of September, 1884,
Dr. Hopkins married Elizabeth West of New
port one Of his parishioners, who survived him.
From these facts it will be seen how much
Mrs. Stowe has drawn on her imagination in
writing her story, and how utterly she has dis
regarded dates. The time of her novel is as
late as the summer of 1894 This is rendered
certain by tho introduction of Aaron Burr,
who is called on his first appearance member
of the United States Senate, and it is after
ward stated that his wife is dead
Burr's term Of service in the Senate COM
menced in 1901, and terminated in 1891
Mrs Burr died in the spring of 1894. So
that, at the beginning Of the story, DR..
Hopkins, was at least seventy-three years old,
and had probably married his second wife
Indeed, during his whole residence in Newport
he was married man, with the exception of
the year after the death Of his wife, All this
may be of no Importance, but, as many per-
sons will obtain all their knowledge of Dr.
Hopkins from this book, it is we'll that it
should be known that it is almost wholly I'M
reliable as to the events of his life Whether
it gives any more correct view of his religious
opinions must be decided by some one more
competent to judge. 1t may be interesting to
some to compare Mrs. Stoves views in regard
to his theology with those Of DR.. Charming,
which may be found in his sermon at Newport,
delivered July q. 1885, Published in the
fourth volume of Channing's works. Boston
transcript, October %.