1790. James Hepburn lives in Northumberland County, most likely in Northumberland Borough. James has two males in his household over 15, five younger males and 2 females. The extra male over 15 is one clue that possibly John Hopewell and his mother may be living with James Hepburn. A neighbor is John Cowden.

1800. James Hepburn lives in Point Township. He is 45+. Living with him are eight males: three under 10, one 10-15 and four 16-25 -- and seven females: two under 10, two 10-15, one 16-25, one 26-44 and one 45+. Clearly this is too large a family for this to be just the family of James and Mary Hepburn. Mary, wife of James, is only 38 for example. I think it is possible that John Hopewell, his mother Mary, possibly his wife, and his infant son James Hopewell all live in this household.

1810. James Hepburn lives in Northumberland Borough. He is 45+. Living with him are one male 10-16, two males 16-25 and two females in each of these four age bracket groups: under 10, 10-16, 16-25, 45+.

I found the family bible of James Hepburn after my book (I) was published. He was b.28 Mar 1747 to Samuel and Jinnat. He left Ireland 16 May 1773. Children and some grandchildren named, especially those of Samuel. In addition to children I name, there wqs a daughter Jen b.1795 and William was not the twin of Andrew Doz. A few other dates here are off by a day or two, could be transcription errors.

The story of the Hopewell family is closely aligned with the Hepburn and Cowden families. James Hepburn and John Cowden were brothers-in-law (they each married daughters of Daniel Hopewell and Mary Beckett) and business partners. They were traders and merchants and apparently traveled often back and forth from Northumberland to Philadelphia and that would seem to be how they met the Hopewell sisters.

The linkage of the families began in 1781 when James Hepburn married Mary Hopewell. I think they became permanent residents of Northumberland before 1790.

Before 1800, the twice-widowed Mary (Beckett) (Hopewell) Eldridge moved to Northumberland and Daniel’s other daughter, Sarah, married John Cowden in the late 1790’s. I do not know which of those two events came first. John Cowden’s business interests may well have taken him to Philadelphia where he may have met Sarah. Did Mary Eldridge come to Northumberland in the late 1790‘s because both her daughters already lived there or did she bring her family closer to 1790 to be near her older daughter and then her younger daughter married after their arrival? It doesn’t really matter, it just would be interesting to know.

What I do know is that from the time they arrived until her death in 1816, Mary (Beckett) (Hopewell) Eldridge lived with one or other of her two sons-in-law. In particular, there always seem to be extra people in the James Hepburn household in early Census listings. And he of course made provision for her in his will.

According to “The Hepburn Family” by John F Meginnes abstracted by Paul William Hopewell, James and Mary had these children: Samuel (1782-1865) who married Ann Clay, Andrew Doz (1786-1861) who married Martha Huston, William (1786-1800) twin of Andrew, James (1789-1855) who married Maria Hiatt, John (1792-1838) who married Juliana Grant, Mary (1797-1825) who married James Merrill, Hopewell (1799-1863) who married Caroline Cauffman and Sarah (1801-1829) who married James Armstrong.

All of these children scattered from their Northumberland hometown and lived their adult lives elsewhere in Pennsylvania. Several found their way to Williamsport where the Hepburn name was quite prominent and that is how Mary (Hopewell) Hepburn came to be buried in Williamsport.

We know Mary’s maiden name was Hopewell from the record of her marriage. And most importantly, in her husband’s will, he made provision for Mary Eldridge -- his mother-in-law. Clearly, Mary was the daughter of Daniel whose widow was Mary Eldridge.

There was a person named Andrew Hopewell Hepburn whose genealogy was documented in the “Compendium of American Genealogy” -- which sounds like a reputable journal. His ancestor Samuel Hepburn of Scotland migrated from Donegal, Ireland to Northumberland, PA circa 1775. James, his son said to be of Philadelphia, married 24 Dec 1781 Mary Hopewell (1762-1826) daughter of Daniel of Mt. Holly, NJ and Mary Becket.

Mary may be the pivotal person in how this family came to Northumberland. She met and then in 1781 married James Hepburn, said to be of Philadelphia. He was probably by that time already commuting between the Philadelphia area and Northumberland and would soon, before 1790, become a permanent resident of Northumberland.

Mary’s younger sister Sarah later met and married John Cowden of Northumberland, business partner of James Hepburn. And then sometime after their mother’s second husband died in 1787, she too moved to Northumberland.