Mark HOPKINS & Mary Frances SHERWOOD

Mark HOPKINS — of "The Big Four" of California
Mary Frances SHERWOOD

As with any famous person, you will find bogus pedigrees in print and online asserting a connection to Mark HOPKINS, one of the richest men in the United States in the late 19th Century. The problem of bogus pedigrees is especially acute with regard to Mark HOPKINS because he died without issue and intestate. The litigation over his estate lasted for decades, during which time there were those who had an extraordinary incentive to create a connection to our subject (i.e., to become his heir). Some of these pedigrees are being accepted by novice genealogists to this very day, in part because some of them are still contained in the LDS Ancestral File, but also due to the publication of Estelle Latta's deplorable book on his supposed genealogy (see below). So… do your homework on this one, and don't even think about asserting a link to Mark HOPKINS until you have consulted Timothy HOPKINS's book on HOPKINS genealogy (see below). And please note, the HOPKINS estate was settled decades ago, so even if you can prove a connection, there is no hope of getting any money from the estate. Absolutely none.

Despite all the documentation I've placed online showing that Mark HOPKINS, railroad baron, was the one born in New York (s/o Mark HOPKINS & Anastasia Lukens KELLOGG), people still email me arguing that he was the Mark HOPKINS born in North Carolina (s/o Edward HOPKINS & Hannah CROW), so I've created this page discussing the evidence. Please study this page. If you have evidence to the contrary, I'm always open to new data and to correcting any mistakes I may have made, but please don't write me about your unproven, undocumented family legend. It's your job to prove your legend, not my job to disprove it.

Husband: Mark HOPKINS (Jr.)
Birth: 1 Sep 1813, Henderson, Jefferson Co., NY
Death: 29 Mar 1878, Yuma, Arizona Territory
Disposition: buried Sacramento City Cemetery, Sacramento Co., CA
Occupation-1: merchant in New York
Transhumance: departed NYC 22 Jan 1849 on the ship Pacific, arrived San Francisco via Cape Horn on 5 Aug 1849
Occupation-2: 1849, New England Trading & Mining Company
Occupation-3: 1850, wholesale grocery w/partner, Edward H. MILLER, in Sacramento, CA
Occupation-4: 1855, entered hardware and iron business in partnership with Collis P. HUNTINGTON
Occupation-5: 1861-1878, founder and Treasurer, Central Pacific Railroad
Historical: namesake of San Francisco's Mark Hopkins Hotel (built on the site of his former home on Nob Hill)
Religion: Congregationalist
Politics: a Whig, then a Free Soiler, then an organizer of the Republican Party in California; ardent abolitionist
Father: Mark HOPKINS (Sr.)
Mother: Anastasia Lukens KELLOGG

Marriage: 22 Sep 1854, Presbyterian Church, New York City, New York Co., NY

Wife: Mary Frances SHERWOOD
Birth: 8 Mar 1818, New York City, NY
Death: 25 Jul 1891, Methuen, Essex Co., MA
Other Spouse: m2. 7 Nov 1887, Edward Francis SEARLES (1841-1920)
Father: William SHERWOOD
Mother: Lydia Ann KELLOGG

Not only were Mark HOPKINS and Mary SHERWOOD first cousins, Mark's parents were first cousins, the genetic consequences of which may explain our subject's lack of issue.

Adopted by Widow Mary Frances (SHERWOOD) HOPKINS:

After Mark's death, Mary legally adopted the adult son of her widowed housekeeper — an act she apparently came to regret because, in the end, she disinherited him. After her death, Timothy successfully sued for a portion of her estate, but the bulk of it went to her (much younger) second husband.

1. Timothy N. NOLAN-HOPKINS, b. 2 Mar 1859, Hallowell, Kennebec Co., ME; biological parents: Patrick NOLAN & Catherine FALLON

Keywords for search engines: USA, US, United States, California, Massachusetts, New York

Timeline
Year	Location	Event
1813	NY: Jefferson Co.: Henderson	birth of Mark HOPKINS
1818	NY: New York Co.: New York City	birth of Mary Frances SHERWOOD
1820 Census	NY: Jefferson Co.: Henderson	Mark HOPKINS, living with his parents
1828	MI: St. Clair Co.: St. Clair Twp.	death of Mark's father
1830 Census	MI: St. Clair Co.: St. Clair Twp.	Mark HOPKINS, living with his widowed mother
	NY: Niagara Co.: Lockport	Mark head of "Hopkins & Hughes" county store; firm succeeded by "Williams & Hopkins"
1840 Census	NY: Niagara Co.: Lockport	Mark HOPKINS living with his brother, Henry William SHERWOOD, Mark's future father-in-law, was also living in Lockport
1849	NYC to San Francisco	Mark HOPKINS, travels round the horn
1850 Census	CA: Sacramento Co.: Sacramento	Mark HOPKINS, unmarried head-of-household
1850-54	San Francisco to NYC	must have returned east
1854	NY: New York Co.: New York City	marriage of Mark HOPKINS & Mary SHERWOOD
1854-55	NYC to San Francisco	must have returned west
1855	CA	Mark HOPKINS, enters business w/C.P. HUNTINGTON
1860 Census	CA: Sacramento Co.: Sacramento	Mark HOPKINS, head-of-household
1861	CA	Mark HOPKINS, founder of Central Pacific Railroad
1870 Census	CA: Sacramento Co.: Sacramento	Mark HOPKINS, head-of-household
1878	Arizona Territory: Yuma	death of Mark HOPKINS
1880 Census	CA: City & Co. of San Francisco	M. F. HOPKINS, head-of-household
1887		marriage of Mary F. (SHERWOOD) HOPKINS & Edward F. SEARLES
1890 Census		census destroyed
1891	MA: Essex Co.: Methuen	death of Mary Frances (SHERWOOD) HOPKINS SEARLES

Sources:

1. Marriage Records published in the The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (Broderbund CD-239):

Mark Hopkins Mary Frances Sherwood 22 Sep 1854 Presbyterian Church (brick) New York City New York Co. NY

2. 1840 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #53-54 of 68; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1840 NY Niagara Co. Lockport Village pp. 92A-92B Henry K. Hopkins 000 021 - 001 010 0000001

These data indicate:

No. & Sex Age Class Therefore Born Individuals Inferred

2 males 20-29 1810-1820 = Moses (b. 1817)
= Mark (b. 1813)

1 male 30-39 1800-1810 = Henry K. (b. 1807)

1 female 10-14 1825-1830 = ?

1 female 20-29 1810-1820 = Juliette (b. 1815)

1 persons employed in learned professions and engineers

Henry Kellogg HOPKINS is Mark's older brother, and Juliette is Henry's wife. Henry was an attorney, and Mark studied law under him, so Mark is undoubtedly one of the younger males in the household. The other male is probable their younger brother, Moses, who was also not known to be married at this time. I cannot place the younger female (Mark had no sisters). She could be kin of Juliette or hired help. Or was she an unknown wife of Moses? Also in Lockport Village: William SHERWOOD, Mark's future father-in-law. Mark's mother was living in Lockport at the time of her death in 1837. [Samuel Lucas HOPKINS was also in Lockport from at least ca. 1833 until 1837, when he moved to MI.]

3. 1850 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image #18 of 220): Sacramento City, Sacramento Co., CA, p. 144B, 164/171, enumerated 7 Oct 1850, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1850 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

Mark Hopkins 34 M Mercht 1500 NY

Edw^d H Miller 25 M " 1500 "

Mark should be age 36. Mark and Edward were partners in a grocery business. Edward MILLER later became Secretary for the Central Pacific Railroad. There are almost no females or children on this and surrounding pages, just young adult males living singly or in small groups, hardly a surprise as the California Gold Rush was in full swing. This record is the only Mark HOPKINS indexed as being in California.

4. 1860 Census Images (online at Genealogy.com; Image #76 of 118): Sacramento P.O., Fourth Dist. Sacramento City, Sacramento Co., CA, p. 571A, PN 285, 2391/2320, enumerated 11 Aug 1860, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1860 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

Mark Hopkins 38 M Mcht 18000 20000 NY

Mary F " 32 F "

Albert Berget 20 M Laborer Mass

Ha???ce Meyers 35 M " Ger

Mark should be age 46; Mary should be 42. Sometimes women will lie about their husband's age to support the lie about their own age [my grandmother used to lie about her children's ages, so her lie about her own age would seem more plausible]. At this time, Mark was in the hardware business with Collis P. HUNTINGTON. This record is the only Mark HOPKINS indexed as being in California.

5. 1870 Census Images (online at Genealogy.com, Image #4 of 121; online at Ancestry.com, Image #300 of 417): Sacramento (Ward 4), Sacramento Co., CA, p. 320B, PN 4, enumerated ca. 9 Jun 1870, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1870 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1870: for an explanation of the column headings, please see
What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 15 19

27 36 Hopkins Mark 54 M W Treas^r R R Co 9150 8,655,780 New York /

_______ Mary F 48 F W Keeps House " "

Nolan Timmy N 9 M W attends school Maine /

Ah Sing 25 M C domestic China / /

Mark should be 56, Mary should be 52, and Timmy should be 11, yet there can be no doubt these are our subjects. It has long been contended (Latta 1953, et al.) that the dollar amounts in the "property" columns have been altered. In viewing the digitized image of the film, it appears the dollar amounts may very well have been altered, though it's hard to imagine how anyone managed to gain access to the original schedules or, for that matter, why the amounts would have been altered. It is absolutely clear, however, that no other part of the record has been visibly altered. So, while the amount of his property in 1870 may have later been an issue with regards to the settlement of his estate, which may have led to the possible tampering of this record, it's of no genealogical significance. This Mark HOPKINS is clearly the Mark HOPKINS who was Treasurer of the Central Pacific Railroad and he was born in New York. This record is the only Mark HOPKINS indexed as being in California.

6. 1880 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #6-7 of 22): California [St.], San Francisco, San Francisco Co., CA, Roll T9_74, pp. 701B-702C, PN 6-7, SD 1, ED 55, enumerated 2 Jun 1880, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1880 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1880: for an explanation of the column headings, please see
What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).

1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 11 13 24 25 26

* 42 48 Hopkins M F W F 52 / Keeping house NY CT MA

_______ Timothy W M 21 adopted son / At home Calif Calif Calif

Crittenden May W F 17 Niece / At home MO NY NY

Coolidge Julia W F 34 House Keeper / House Keeper Maine Maine Maine

Harwood John M W M 30 Servant / Coachman England England England

[next page]

* 45 48 Reed John W M 50 Servant / Night watchman England England England

Clune? E J W M 35 Servant / Groom PA PA PA

Needham J B W M 20 Butler / Butler NC NC NC

Hellen Sophia W F 24 Maid / Maid Germany Germany Germany

Mariotte Annie W F 45 Laundress / Laundress Italy Italy Italy

Ah Lo W M 18 Servant / Servant China China China

Ah Can W M 19 Servant / Servant China China China

*California

Mary should be 62, not 52. Timothy was born in Maine, not California, and his parents were born in Ireland, not California. Timothy ultimately married Mary's niece, May CRITTENDEN. (Widow Mary seems to have gone on a spending spree after the death of her frugal husband.)

7. 1890 Census: the 1890 Census Population Schedules were destroyed.

8. Photograph of Mark HOPKINS's tombstone (online at the "Hopkins Clearing House"). The stone reads:

MARK HOPKINS.
DIED
MARCH 29TH 1878.
AGED 64 YEARS.

9. Timothy Hopkins. 1932. John Hopkins of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1634, and Some of His Descendants. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, CA (available as a facsimile reprint from Higginson Books; online at GenealogyLibrary.com). Timothy was son of the HOPKINS's housekeeper, and he grew up in the HOPKINS household. After the death of Mark HOPKINS, he was adopted by Mark's widow, Mary (SHERWOOD) HOPKINS, and he married Mark's niece, so presumably Timothy had a lifelong and intimate knowledge of the family. In addition, while compiling the book, Timothy presumably had full access to Mark HOPKINS's papers and, as a trustee of Stanford University, the presumed cooperation of the editorial staff at Stanford Univerity Press and the research librarians at Stanford University Library.

10. Encyclopædia Britannica CD 98 — errors highlighted in red and discussed below:

Mark Hopkins
(b. Sept. 3, 1814, Richmond County, Va., U.S.--d. March 29, 1878, Yuma, Arizona Territory), California capitalist who helped build the Central Pacific (later the Southern Pacific) Railroad and for whom San Francisco's Mark Hopkins Hotel atop Nob Hill was named.
After his birth, his family settled in North Carolina. In 1845 he and his brother Moses left home for Kentucky and, when news of the Gold Rush reached them, moved on to California (May 1851). By the spring of 1852 Hopkins had given up unprofitable gold mining and started a grocery business in Placerville and, the next year, in Sacramento. In 1855 he joined with another Sacramento merchant, Collis P. Huntington, to form Huntington & Hopkins, which became one of the most prosperous mercantile houses in the state. In 1861 the two men were approached by an enterprising engineer, Theodore Dehone Judah, who envisaged a new transcontinental railroad; and in June a company called the Central Pacific Railroad was organized, with Hopkins, Huntington, and fellow merchants Leland Stanford and Charles Crocker as the major directors (the "Big Four"). In 1869 the main line was completed, meeting the Union Pacific at Promontory, Utah; feeder lines were soon added throughout California.
Hopkins' three partners eventually moved to San Francisco, and he began building a spectacular mansion there (at the site of the present-day Mark Hopkins Hotel). He remained in Sacramento, however, and the house was not completed until after his death. He died about a week after seeking a health cure in the Arizona desert.
Mark Hopkins, the businessman, was apparently not related to Mark Hopkins, the educator, as sometimes reported. For many years, there was also much confusion of identity between him and another Mark Hopkins (1813-76/77), who was originally from New York state and lived and operated businesses in Sacramento during the same period.

The 1850, 1860, and 1870 censuses (see above) clearly show that Mark HOPKINS, railroad baron, was born in NY. Nor is there any indication in the censuses that there were two Mark HOPKINSes in Sacramento — or even two in California. The only southern-born Mark HOPKINS in the entire 1850 census is a Mark D. HOPKINS (æ 2, b. AR) living in Independence Co., AR. We also have the book by Timothy NOLAN-HOPKINS, who grew up in the HOPKINS household, firmly attesting that Mark HOPKINS was born in NY — and surely he knew this information first-hand, directly from our subject. It's rather amazing for Encyclopædia Britannica to have made these errors, but all the more amazing for them to have made them while obviously fully aware of the existence of the true Mark HOPKINS. And our subject was, indeed, related to "Mark Hopkins, the educator" (President of Williams College); they are second cousins. The encyclopædia is further in error regarding when Mark HOPKINS came to California (see timeline).

11. Mark Hopkins. 1871. Evidences of Christianity. T.R. Marvin & Sons, Boston. Images courtesy of Ron Blitstein, who owns a copy of this book which is inscribed by the author: "Mrs. Mark Hopkins, from the author, Williams College, March 31st, 1880." The inside cover has the bookplate of "Edward Francis Searles," second husband of Mary (SHERWOOD) HOPKINS. While not proof that the two Mark HOPKINS'es were blood kin, the book certainly proves that the families were aware of each other.

12. Rockwell D. Hunt, ed. 1932. California and Californians. Vol. 2. Lewis Publ., Chicago (online at Ancestry.com). On p. 331:

By this time there had been formed in California an anti-slavery party which, though not strong in numbers at first, contained on its roster many prominent names, such as Collis P. Huntington, Cornelius Cole, Mark Hopkins, Charles and Edwin B. Crocker, and Leland Stanford. David C. Broderick, United States Senator 1857-59, also made his influence felt against the “slave oligarchy” that dominated the State politics of the time.

13. Rockwell D. Hunt, ed. 1932. California and Californians. Vol. 4. Lewis Publ., Chicago (online at Ancestry.com). Excerpt about Mark HOPKINS.

14. John Debo Galloway. 1959. The First Transcontinental Railroad: Central Pacific, Union Pacific. Simmons-Boardman, NY (reprinted 1981 by Arno Press, NY; online at the Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum). Excerpt about Mark Hopkins.

15. Mountain Democrat, Placerville, CA, 31 Dec 1892 (online at Ancestry.com):

E.H. MILLER, JR., secretary and controller of the Central Pacific railroad company, died at his residence in Alameda last Wednesday, from a complication of disorders. In the early days Miller was associated with Mark Hopkins at Sacramento.

16. Wikipedia.

Bogus Genealogies of Mark HOPKINS:

A. LDS. Family Search: Internet Genealogy Service: AF - Ancestral File (online at FamilySearch.org). Several lineages, including one making Mark the son of Edward HOPKINS and Hannah CROW (see next source).

B. Doyle Clinton Akers. 1992. The Hopkins/Coger Connection: including efforts in the 1920s to redistribute the estate of railroad builder Mark Hopkins. Self-published, Denison, TX. 87 pp (LDS Call No. 929.273 H774; LDS Film No. 1750757, Item 10). Abstract and Analysis.

C. Estelle Latta. 1953. Controversial Mark Hopkins. Greenberg, NY. An exceedingly verbose, paranoid, poorly documented, non-scholarly work devoted to promulgating the existence of a widespread conspiracy to obscure the "true" identity of Mark HOPKINS, whom she contends was born in North Carolina and had only one brother, Moses HOPKINS. These last two assertions, alone, are so patently untrue as to completely destroy the author's credibility.

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