Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-12-19
TRENTON HISTORY.
The Pioneer Of the Hopkins Family
in this Vicinity.

Written for THE AMERICAN bv r. e. II. OF
BaIarivaie, Mass.
A large part of the early sci tiers OF Lon
dondery and Windham, N. H., came from
the north OF Ireland, and were chiefly OF
a Scotch Irish race. Many OF tin. Scotch
prev ious to 100 left Scotland ON account
of wars aud prosecutions and went TO Ire
land and settled, go that In course of time
I he race became somea hat mixed, aud
at this date there are places in the north
of Ireland where there is as much Scotch
blood as Irish.
In IT'S a number of emigrants, some
sixteen families, landed in Boston, and no,
long after petitioned for grant OF land
which had already been promised by the
governor of the colonies TO actual settlers.
fheir petition was soon after granted.
and then buying the titles OF the Indians,
hey settled and named the place London
derry for their native place in Ireland.
They were no doubt induced to settle
here partly because the soil WAS we'll
ada pied TO he raising Of fax, with which
occupation they were already familiar.
Among these migrants WAS family hy
the name OF Hopkins, and all or nearly
all by that name In New England are their
descendants. John Hopk iDs, the elder,
had quite family, some born in Ireland
some in this country. About the same
time as these families landed, OF hers came
over, went farther east forming settle
ments In yarmouth, Freeport, New
castle and other places in Maine. These
settlements were all more or less con-
nected by ties of nationality and re-
lationship, and were for many years in
their early history closely allied to each
other.
One William Hopkins, grandson OF
the first John, born in Londonderry, n.
H., about 1742, went to Freeport and mar
was Anderson. She was born in Freeport
about 1740.
William, his wife and one child,
moved to Trenton, Maine, and his WAS
one OF the FIRST families in the wsstes4.
part OF the town, but In what year 1t Is
hard to determine. They settled near
Oak Point, opposite Alleys island.
Some time after this, several OF William s
brothers and also several Anderson boys,
brothers of Mrs. Hopkins, came and set
tied in Trenton, so that as late as $500 II
may safely be said that about all Of the
settlers in that vicinity were in some way
related to each other.
Not long after these settlers came to
Trenton, several OF tbis same Hopkins
family came east and settled in Sedpwick
near Bluehill, and as distance was not OF
much Importance then, this probably
included Surry and the territory round
about. There MAS brother and ii
cousin OF William, OF Trenton, who
settled here; also at a later date one OF I he
daugh ters of Williams, and his son Sierl-
ing married relatives and settled in
Sedgwick, aud among the descendants
of this branch were the late Capt. William
Hopkins, of Bluehill, Robert. of Surry,
and later the Hopkins family, OF Els
worth, among them the Hon John d,
who is a worthy representative.
The early settlers In Londonderry were
not troubled by the Indians, but those
east were. 1t is said that one Hopkins
was killed and an Anderson who was at
work with him was carried to Canada by
the Indians in one OF their raids on the
Maine settlements. Both OF these men
we're relatives OF William Hopkins and his
wife, and may in some measure account
for the hatred which William had for his
dusky neighbors in Trenton. One thing
is certain, he hated them, and in return
they hated and feared him. 1t is a singu-
lar fact that although his family at diff
fefent times suffered many indignities
from the Indians when he was absent
from home, he was not harmed by them
while he lived. Perhaps he did not give
them chance, for like many early settlers
In this country he was ever on the alert
when Indians were near.
MIR. Hopkins was a man OF good in
teilect, naturally shrewd aud quick
wit'ed, and had fair education for the
time. He was very particular about
many things, espec iaIiy how the business
was done in the early days OF the new
town.
Al one time after the town was in
corporsted a certain citizen nominated a
Mr.. A. for town clerk. and at the