Here Shall I Die Ashore: Stephen Hopkins - Bermuda Castaway, Jamestown Survivor, and Mayflower Pilgrim

by Caleb H. Johnson

In the spring of 1621, Plymouth Colony sent Stephen Hopkins to make the first visit to Wampanoag sachem Massasoit to present a red horseman's coat as a gift and sign of friendship. For most ordinary Englishmen, venturing off into the depths of unexplored America would have been a once in a lifetime adventure: but not for Stephen. By the time he turned forty, he had already survived a hurricane, been shipwrecked in the Bermuda Triangle, been written into a Shakespearean play, witnessed the famine and abandonment of Jamestown Colony, and participated in the marriage of Pocahontas. He was once even sentenced to death! He got himself and his family onto the Pilgrims' Mayflower, and helped found Plymouth Colony. He signed the Mayflower Compact, lodged the famous Squanto in his house, participated in the legendary Thanksgiving, and helped guide and govern the early colonists.
Yet Stephen was just an ordinary man, with a wife, three sons, seven daughters, a small house, some farmland for his corn, and cows named Motley, Sympkins, Curled, and Red. These are the extraordinary adventures of an ordinary man.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Historical

270 pages, Hardcover

First published November 20, 2007

About the author

Caleb Johnson, the author and historian behind MayflowerHistory.com, graduated from Texas Tech University with two majors (history and English) and two minors (computer science and archaeology). He subsequently earned an MBA with an emphasis in IT Management. In November 2020, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists. He has been researching and studying the Mayflower passengers since 1992, and has authored and edited a number of books including the 1173-page reference tome, The Complete Works of the Mayflower Pilgrims (Vancouver, 2003); The Mayflower and Her Passengers (Xlibris, 2005); William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation (Xlibris, 2006), and his best-selling work--a biography of Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins entitled Here Shall I Die Ashore (now also available in audiobook form). He also transcribed the Brewster Book Manuscript. His research has been used and cited by New York Times best-selling authors including Nathaniel Philbrick (Mayflower) and Nick Bunker (Making Haste from Babylon); he assisted with the Sally Fields episode of PBS's "Finding Your Roots"; and participated in the PBS show “Hit and Run History: Stephano—The True Story of Shakespeare’s Shipwreck” (2020). Caleb edited the scholarly historical and genealogical journal, the Mayflower Descendant from 2011-2014. Caleb has been on the forefront of genealogical research as it pertains to the English origins of the Mayflower passengers, discovering and publishing the English origins of Stephen Hopkins at Hursley, Hampshire (1998) and Peter Browne at Dorking, Surrey, England (2004). He discovered English records documenting the origins of Thomas Williams, Solomon Prower, John Hooke, John Crackstone, and others. In 2017-2019, he collaborated with Sue Allan and Simon Neal to piece together the English origins of William and Susanna (Jackson) White, Dorothy May, Elizabeth (Barker) Winslow, Isaac Allerton, and John Carver.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here Shall I Die Ashore' by Caleb Johnson is an excellent book for Stephen Hopkins descendants and those who are interested on those who came over on the Mayflower. What was their background? Why did Stephen Hopkins join this group?

This book clears up some genealogical clutter on the controversy about who was his wife and weaves a tremendous collection of historical details into an organized and riveting story. That story is backed up with well documented research in the footnotes and six Appendixes at the back of the book.

I had done quite a bit of research on Stephen Hopkins prior to reading this book and have my research agrees with everything that is in the book and the book fills in quite a few holes, making the puzzle of Stephen Hopkins much more complete.

I keep wondering why Stephen Hopkins survived to have tens of thousands of descendants. Why didn't he drown when the Sea Venture was being savagely tossed around in a hurricane? The Sea Venture was a new ship therefore the oakum which was a tarred fiber to hold the seams of the ship together like was still fresh and did not bar leaks during the hurricane. There were plenty of leaks but the biggest leak was never found. The food was gone, ruined by the torrential rains, when they sighted land. The ship with its starving crew was in the Bermuda Triangle which was well known even in 1609 to be a black hole of the ocean. The Sea Venture had to be forced to speed ahead and lodge upon some rocks. This was the northern shore of Bermuda.

How did Stephen Hopkins survive when he was found guilty of mutiny on the island? Shakespeare put him in his play The Tempest as Stephan. The penalty was death, of course. Later he lived through a famine in Jamestown. After all those death defying adventures, I have often wondered why did he bring his family on the Mayflower, wasn't he sick of the New World?

The only thing that I found missing was details of his negotiations between the Indians and the residents of the Plymouth Plantation. I think that Caleb Johnson did an excellent job of researching and writing this book.

I highly recommend it for any descendant of Stephen Hopkins or anyone wanting to know the background of the Mayflower passengers.

[Jan]

My ancestor Stephen Hopkins was quite a character. Legend has Hopkins as the inspiration for Stephano in Shakespeare's The Tempest. Stephano is drunk throughout the entire play. In real life, Hopkins was far more productive. His daughter, Constance, was the first town clerk in Truro, perhaps my genetic progenitor as Denver Election Commissioner. Not certain about the science of all that, but the story of Stephen is interesting.

[Wayne Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey! It's about my ancestor!

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just received my book. Stehpen Hopkins is my 10th Great Grand Father. I am also a decendant from Henry Samson, another Mayflower Pilgram.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this book because Stephen Hopkins is my 10th GGF through his daughter Deborah. I found it to be a well-researched and well-written biography.

Hopkins descendants who have strained their eyes to glean information from handwritten documents and then to put that information into context will find this book’s easy-to-read tales a welcome respite. The author includes Hopkins’ shipwreck on Bermuda and Shakespeare’s subsequent incorporation of “Stephano” into The Tempest, through his days at the Jamestown Colony and his trip over on the Mayflower, to his pivotal roles in the early government and as the colony's Indian liaison and ultimate his fall from grace. Footnotes throughout are made available for readers who want to know more.

The book is written on a YA level, so it would appeal to late elementary/middle school readers as well. The short chapters and supplemental photos bring history to life in a way that is sometimes lacking in the classroom, and for more of a challenge, those readers have available valuable Appendices that support the text.

According to the author, Hopkins has 10,000 descendants. I would recommend that Here Shall I Die Ashore be added to the library of any interested in the fascinating and complicated life of their Mayflower ancestor.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not every day that one gets to read a book about their 11th great grandfather. I found this book about Stephen Hopkins, Mayflower passenger, while researching family history. The book is a nice presentation of what has to be a lot of genealogy research by the author. The references cited in the book will no doubt take me new places sometime in the future as I dive deeper into the family history well. I learned a lot about the Mayflower and settlements at Plymouth and Jamestown.

It turns out that Stephen Hopkins was an adventurer and man of character who served as Assistant Governor in Plymouth until he was accused and convicted of price gouging on the sale of wine, beer and spices. He died a man with substantial experiences, belongings and accomplishments that most others could not claim.

A fun and educational read for me.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was truly an interesting read. Well researched and nicely complied. Although Stephen Hopkins played what history records as a supporting role in the settlement of Plymouth, one would have to also recognize that without the knowledge and wisdom Hopkins brought to the colony, history may well have read very differently. In a word he was a tolerant man a diplomat. This a rare quality for the time. Perhaps he was seeking nothing more than a better way. Courage and perseverance are words that come to mind. A truly amazing group of people who clearly knew not the impossible mission they were embarking upon.

[Elizabeth Pruett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I prefer biographies and autobiographies about ordinary but fascinating individuals. You know, the people who were not born to greatness but lived a life worth writing about -- whether that was on a dairy farm or in the white house. Right now, that person is Stephen Hopkins.

This ordinary man is also my 11th great grandfather, and I am so enjoying reading about him and his family. Don't forget, it was his wife, my 11th great grandmother Elizabeth Hopkins, who gave birth while traveling across the Atlantic.

I appreciated the author's attention to detail, his detailed and thorough research, and his ability to breathe life into the events of nearly 400 years ago.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a descendant of Stephen Hopkins, like seemingly everyone else who read this book. I figured he had a decent amount of descendants but I didn't think it would be over ten thousand. This book was a fascinating read though. There were very few parts that I thought were boring or tedious and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of time the story had me enraptured. This book would be interesting to many people, not just people who are descendants of the topic of the book. He lived a fascinating life and the author provides many interesting details about life in general. They were a given a gallon of beer a day instead of water while crossing the ocean!

[Laurie Groman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because, like most of the other reviewers, I,too am a descendant of Stephen Hopkins. So, I found it to be quite interesting. I love that I have a personal connection to such a fascinating part of history. It motivates me to learn more about this period of time & makes me appreciate the sacrifices that so many people made to begin this new civilization. The book was written in an easy style. Now, on to read Philbrick's Mayflower, which will give even more detail & depth to the story!

[Amy Ayers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this book I had just finished "A stranger amongst saints". I decided to read these books after discovering I am a direct descendent of Stephen Hawkins through his daughter Constance. I found it fascinating the extent of Stephen Hopkins role on the mayflower and his previous experience in Bermuda. The two books overlap quite a bit and content however each one has significant content the other book does not and a different perspective. I would highly recommend them to any of Hopkins descendants and to anyone who is interested in learning about what it was like during this time.

[Douglas Boren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good historical narrative on the incredible exploits of Stephen Hopkins. He was a castaway on Bermuda, a Jamestown survivor, even a death row survivor, a Mayflower passenger, a signer of the Mayflower Compact and as an important settler of the Plymouth Colony, was present at the first Thanksgiving.

This reads very easily, almost like a novel, and kept my attention throughout.

But the best part of this book is the realization that I am reading a factual account of my 11th Great Grandfather!

[Sherri Hessick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I recently discovered that I am a descendant of Stephen Hopkins and his daughter Constance. This book allowed me to meet my ancestor and also taught me a lot about Jamestown and Plymouth that I hadn't learned in school. Very well written, thoroughly researched, and beautifully illustrated.

BTW, Stephen Hopkins is my 12th great-grandfather. But this book would be fascinating for anyone wanting to know a little more about Jamestown and Plymouth life.

[Wanda Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's amazing the Pilgrims survived the hardships they encountered. I enjoyed this book. I'm a descendant of Stephen Hopkins, so my review may be a bit slanted to the upside. It contains a great deal of primary resource material for those interested in research.

[Scott MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intersting bit of colonial American history. Stephen Hopkins was at Jamestown and he sailed on the Mayflower. He was also shipwrecked in Bermuda on the Sea Venture, which was the subject of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Fascinating story for history buffs.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Describes the life of Stephen Hopkins as a narrative and has articles in the back of the book. I am a descendant of Stephen Hopkins and was thrilled to read of his adventures!

[Laura Lieberman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting biography of my boyfriend's ancestor

[Deanna Miget-King]

This is about my ancestor. I am a descendant through his daughter Constance, by his 1st wife. I am one of his 15th generation grandchildren. I am really looking forward to reading this book.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I probably wouldn't have picked this up based on the somewhat homely cover and the fact that half of the book is comprised of appendices from other sources. But Hopkins is my Mayflower ancestor and a fascinating character, the guy that was seemingly everywhere as the English made their move into the Americas. Now that Mayflower historians are getting over their hero worship for the more highly ranked members of the Plymouth company, there is more information about Hopkins starting to pop up. Homely looks aside, this is not a bad little summary of Hopkins. For something that dives a little deeper into his experience and that of the other folks who were basically indentured to the exploring companies, try Marooned, by Joseph Kelly.

[Kami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to over half of this with three of boys ages 14 and down. They all found it interesting although my nine yr old said it was scary, which tracks considering it mentioned a guy who murdered his pregnant wife and then ate her. 😬. I really enjoyed it and promptly finished the rest the next day. Highly recommend—interesting and clearly written by a historian who stuck to the facts, which I really appreciate.

[oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly a solid book. iffy subject material but did a decent job being impartial. learned some cool stuff. +1 for the shakespeare title (not necessarily +1 star just in general. the points of the universe)

[Graham Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the page count fool you, about a third of it is appendices!! Great account of Hopkins and the Mayflower voyage, the fourth such book I've read and the second one to focus on this particular man. Johnson is a valuable historian.

[Katherine Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because Stephen Hopkins is one of my ancestors, so I had a special interest. It was fun to learn about him and some of the events in 1600 America. It's not a long read, and the details are presented in a simple way, so to someone who knew nothing about him, it was a great introduction.

[Pat Messemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Stephen Hopkins is my 10th great grandfather. Doing genealogy research on my family history and this added so much to what I already had. Highly recommend to any Hopkins descendants interested. He was quite a character.

[Heather Moritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another descendant here, through his daughter Deborah. It sounded Stephen had quite an exciting life!

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredibly cool book! Amazing stories of an amazing life at the beginning of the early American colonies.

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of Stephen Hopkins life and the early years of the Jamestown and Plymouth settlements. Includes updated, important genealogical data for descendants of Stephen Hopkins.

[Barbara Byron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Hopkins............ before the Mayflower..... Hurricanes; Sailing in the 1600's and much more. A very intriguing and well presented history of early Jamestown is covered.

[Mrs. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fact-based, incredibly well-reasearched non-fiction book about Stephen Hopkins, described as "Bermuda Castaway, Jamestown Survivor, and Mayflower Pilgrim." This is NOT a historical romance.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting information about my Mayflower ancestor Stephen Hopkins here. He had a life full of both struggle and adventure!