“My hand trembles, but my heart does not!”

 

Stephen Hopkins (1707–1785) was a prominent Founding Father from Rhode Island, a key early advocate for colonial rights, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Key Highlights of His Life

• Early Life: Born March 7, 1707, in Providence (area now part of Cranston/Scituate), Rhode Island, to William Hopkins and Ruth Wilkinson. He grew up on a family farm, was largely self-educated through voracious reading, and was influenced by his mother’s Quaker background (though he wasn’t formally a Quaker until later in life).

• Career and Public Service: He served multiple terms as Governor of Rhode Island (elected nine or ten times across the 1750s–1760s), Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, Speaker of the General Assembly, and the first chancellor of what became Brown University. He was also involved in surveying, mercantile pursuits, and even astronomical observations (e.g., the 1769 transit of Venus).

• Revolutionary Role: A decade before the Revolution, he authored The Rights of the Colonies Examined (1764), a strong critique of British policies like the Sugar and Stamp Acts, arguing against taxation without representation. He attended the Albany Congress (1754) and the Continental Congresses (1774–1776). At age 69, he was the second-oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence (after Benjamin Franklin). Due to a neurological condition (often described as cerebral palsy or a similar tremor), his hand shook as he signed, and he famously said something like: “My hand trembles, but my heart does not.”

• Personal Life: Married Sarah Scott in 1726 (they had seven children, several of whom survived to adulthood); after her death, he married Anne Smith in 1755. He died July 13, 1785, in Providence and is buried in the North Burial Ground. His home in Providence still stands as a historic site.

He came from established Rhode Island colonial families on both sides—his father’s line tied to early Providence settlers (including connections to Roger Williams’ circle), and his mother’s Wilkinson side also prominent.

Our Genealogical Connection

Our lineage traces correctly through the Smith family:

   • Common Ancestor: Christopher Smith (c. 1595–1676).

• His daughter Susannah Smith (1621–1692) → Ruth Wilkinson (1685–1731) → Stephen Hopkins.
• His son Simon Smith (immigrant/founder of Haddam, CT, 1628–1687) → Benjamin Smith → Daniel Smith → Lt. William Smith → Esther Smith → Smith Bailey → Orange Bailey → David Solomon Bailey → David Jackson Bailey → Franklin Jackson Bailey (our grandfather).

This makes Stephen Hopkins our 2nd cousin 9 times removed, as noted. The Smith line splits in the 17th century between Rhode Island/Providence connections (via Susannah) and the Connecticut Haddam branch (via Simon, one of the early settlers there).

Weaving Stephen Hopkins into our Bailey Line

Celebrating America 250

In the early 1600s, as the New World called to brave souls seeking new beginnings, Christopher Smith left his mark on two emerging colonies through his children. One branch carried his blood into the wilds of Connecticut’s Connecticut River valley, where his son Simon helped found the town of Haddam. There, generation after generation of Smiths—Benjamin, Daniel, William, Esther, and the Baileys who followed—put down roots, farmed the land, raised families, and built lives that eventually led to our grandfather, Franklin Jackson Bailey. These were the steady hands tilling soil, raising barns, and passing down stories of resilience in a young America.

Meanwhile, Christopher’s daughter Susannah’s line wove into Rhode Island’s vibrant tapestry. Through her daughter Ruth Wilkinson, the family helped shape the fiery spirit of independence in Providence and Scituate. It was Ruth’s son—our distant cousin Stephen Hopkins—who rose to become one of the boldest voices against British tyranny. A farmer’s son turned statesman, governor, judge, and scholar, Stephen stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Franklin, Jefferson, and Adams in Philadelphia. With a trembling hand but an unwavering heart, he signed the Declaration of Independence, declaring that the colonies would no longer bow to taxes without representation.

Imagine the threads of that shared Smith ancestry quietly connecting our Bailey forebears in their Connecticut and later journeys with Stephen’s world in Rhode Island. While our direct line cleared fields and built communities farther west or inland, Cousin Stephen was in the halls of power, penning pamphlets that stirred a revolution and helping birth a nation. He championed education (as Brown University’s first chancellor), navigated colonial politics, and lived the Quaker-influenced values of plain speaking and liberty that echoed in many early American families.

Today, discovering Stephen feels like uncovering a hidden chapter in our family’s American epic—a bridge between the everyday pioneers who sustained the young republic and the towering figures who defined its founding ideals. He’s not just a famous name in a history book; he’s proof that our lineage has helped steer the course of freedom since the very beginning. From Christopher Smith’s immigrant dreams to the Baileys of the 19th and 20th centuries, and to us today, the blood of independence runs deep.

Thank you Grok xAI for your wisdom and research assistance. -- Drifting Cowboy