Pilgrim Hall Museum - Beyond the Pilgrim Story

Giles Hopkins travelled to America in a good-sized family group: his father Stephen, sister Constance, stepmother Elizabeth, half-sister Damaris, and two servants of the family, Edward Doty and Edward Lester. A half-brother, Oceanus, was born during the voyage of the Mayflower. We do not know the exact date of Giles' birth, but he was probably between 10 and 12 years old at the time of the voyage.

In 1639, Giles married Catherine Whelden; they had 10 children born between 1640 and 1664.

After his marriage, Giles moved to Cape Cod from Plymouth. He is first recorded as owning land in Yarmouth. Giles’ father, Stephen Hopkins, was the first Englishman to build in Yarmouth. The permission given to Stephen in 1638, however, to build a house on the Cape specified that he was not to permanently leave Plymouth. It was not until 1639 that the Plymouth Colony Court authorized a permanent settlement in Yarmouth.

Five years later, the town of Nauset was founded just beyond Yarmouth. Among the founders was Giles Hopkins’ brother-in-law Nicholas Snow. By 1650, Giles had also settled in Nauset (which was to change its name the following year to Eastham).

Giles Hopkins died between 5 March 1688/89, the date of a codicil to his will, and 16 April 1690, the date on which his will was admitted to probate.