Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameSarah Hopewell 
Birth25 April 1764
Death11 June 1836
BurialRiverview Cemetery, North’d, PA
Father5G GF Daniel Hopewell (~1723-<1776)
Mother5G GM Mary Beckett (1737-1816)
Spouses
Research notes for Sarah Hopewell
Meiser lists Sarah Hopewell as buried in Riverview. He lists people chronologically and Sarah D (Hopewell) Cowden d.11 Jun 1836 is the earliest born Hopewell present. She was w/o John Cowden d.12 Jan 1837. Their daughter Deborah b.1807 is also listed in Riverview.
My Comments notes for Sarah Hopewell
Paul William Hopewell analyzed the family bible entries for Daniel and his wife Mary and tried to determine what happened to each daughter. He noted the birth of Elizabeth who he knew married in 1775, a daughter whose name was unreadable in the bible but who died young, a daughter Mary who he knew married James Hepburn (business partner of John Cowden) in 1781 and moved with him soon thereafter to Northumberland, a daughter Sarah born in 1764, a daughter Martha who he knew married in 1783 and a daughter Rebecca who died young.
So, to reconcile the will and the bible as it relates to the daughters, Paul reasoned that the three daughters referred to but not named in Daniel’s will were Elizabeth, Mary and Martha. He basically lost track of Sarah and concluded she must have died before Daniel’s 1776 will. He did note that John Cowden who was mentioned in Floyd’s as owning the store where James Hopewell first worked was a business partner of James Hepburn and he also noted that Daniel’s son Beckett named a son John Cowden Hopewell in 1814 and Paul said: ”I do not know what significance to attach to this name”, by which I think he meant he found that curious but had no explanation.
I have determined though that daughter Sarah married John Cowden and like her sister Mary moved to Northumberland and was very much alive at the time the will was written. This fact escaped the research of Paul Hopewell. So I disagree with his analysis about the daughters in one important aspect. My explanation as to the will only making bequests to three daughters is that Elizabeth was married at the time of the will and so the three daughters he referred to were his three single daughters at the time of his will.
So, to reconcile the will and the bible as it relates to the daughters, Paul reasoned that the three daughters referred to but not named in Daniel’s will were Elizabeth, Mary and Martha. He basically lost track of Sarah and concluded she must have died before Daniel’s 1776 will. He did note that John Cowden who was mentioned in Floyd’s as owning the store where James Hopewell first worked was a business partner of James Hepburn and he also noted that Daniel’s son Beckett named a son John Cowden Hopewell in 1814 and Paul said: ”I do not know what significance to attach to this name”, by which I think he meant he found that curious but had no explanation.
I have determined though that daughter Sarah married John Cowden and like her sister Mary moved to Northumberland and was very much alive at the time the will was written. This fact escaped the research of Paul Hopewell. So I disagree with his analysis about the daughters in one important aspect. My explanation as to the will only making bequests to three daughters is that Elizabeth was married at the time of the will and so the three daughters he referred to were his three single daughters at the time of his will.
Children Names notes for Sarah Hopewell
J L Floyd lists these children for John and Sarah: Elizabeth married Dr. Wallace (Wallis?), Deborah married William McQuhae a Scotch artist, Sarah married James Merrill, Mary married Judge Bradford, Rebecca married James Hepburn, Anna M married Judge Donaldson and John H.
The statement that Rebecca married James Hepburn is interesting. I would think he was the son of James Hepburn and Mary Hopewell. But “The Hepburn Family” says James married someone else and in 1850, there was a Rebecca Hepburn wife of Samuel living in Carlisle. She was 39, he 44. A son was named Hopewell Hepburn. Maybe Rebecca married Samuel Hepburn, though “The Hepburn Family” also says he married someone else.
Then there is the the James Merrill connection. James was born in Vermont and died in New Berlin. “The Hepburn Family” identifies the second wife of James Merrill as Sarah, widow of Samuel Hepburn and daughter of John Cowden. She is buried with James in the New Berlin Cemetery and her tombstone says daughter of John Cowden. A published history of Union County says that James Merrill married first Miss Mary Hepburn daughter of James, second Mrs. Sarah Hepburn (daughter of John Cowden) and third Miss Sarah Lewis.
All of this is a muddy scrambled picture that I haven’t cared to really get straightened out. It just shows how close the Hepburn and Cowden families were.
The statement that Rebecca married James Hepburn is interesting. I would think he was the son of James Hepburn and Mary Hopewell. But “The Hepburn Family” says James married someone else and in 1850, there was a Rebecca Hepburn wife of Samuel living in Carlisle. She was 39, he 44. A son was named Hopewell Hepburn. Maybe Rebecca married Samuel Hepburn, though “The Hepburn Family” also says he married someone else.
Then there is the the James Merrill connection. James was born in Vermont and died in New Berlin. “The Hepburn Family” identifies the second wife of James Merrill as Sarah, widow of Samuel Hepburn and daughter of John Cowden. She is buried with James in the New Berlin Cemetery and her tombstone says daughter of John Cowden. A published history of Union County says that James Merrill married first Miss Mary Hepburn daughter of James, second Mrs. Sarah Hepburn (daughter of John Cowden) and third Miss Sarah Lewis.
All of this is a muddy scrambled picture that I haven’t cared to really get straightened out. It just shows how close the Hepburn and Cowden families were.
Census History notes for John (Spouse 1)
1790. John Cowden lives in Northumberland County, most likely in Northumberland Borough. John has 1 male over 15, none under, and 5 females. A neighbor is James Hepburn.
1800. John Cowden lives in Point Township. He is 26-44. Living with him are two males 16-25 and seven females: two under 10, three 10-15, one 16-25 and one 26-44.
1810. John Cowden lives in Northumberland Borough. He is 45+. Living with him are four males: one under 10, one 10-15 and two 16-25 -- and seven females: one under 10, two 10-15, two 16-25 and one 45+. James Hopewell is now probably 10-15 and could be one of the two males in that age bracket.
1820. John Cowden lives in Northumberland Borough. I have learned the names of his children from Floyd's -- two of whom are named John H and Rebecca - and by comparison it is clear that there are extra people in the Cowden 1820 household -- 2 extra young males, and an extra 45 year-old plus male and female. If John Hopewell was born in 1775, then he would have been 45. Could this be John Hopewell and his wife Rebecca and two of their sons including James? Do both John and Rebecca die soon thereafter?
1830. John Cowden age 60-70 lives in Northumberland with a wife the same age and two younger males and two younger females.
1800. John Cowden lives in Point Township. He is 26-44. Living with him are two males 16-25 and seven females: two under 10, three 10-15, one 16-25 and one 26-44.
1810. John Cowden lives in Northumberland Borough. He is 45+. Living with him are four males: one under 10, one 10-15 and two 16-25 -- and seven females: one under 10, two 10-15, two 16-25 and one 45+. James Hopewell is now probably 10-15 and could be one of the two males in that age bracket.
1820. John Cowden lives in Northumberland Borough. I have learned the names of his children from Floyd's -- two of whom are named John H and Rebecca - and by comparison it is clear that there are extra people in the Cowden 1820 household -- 2 extra young males, and an extra 45 year-old plus male and female. If John Hopewell was born in 1775, then he would have been 45. Could this be John Hopewell and his wife Rebecca and two of their sons including James? Do both John and Rebecca die soon thereafter?
1830. John Cowden age 60-70 lives in Northumberland with a wife the same age and two younger males and two younger females.
Research notes for John (Spouse 1)
Involved as secretary of the first Fire Company organized in 1796.
My Comments notes for John (Spouse 1)
John Cowden was a very important early businessman in Northumberland. His name appears often in the borough’s early records.
He marred Sarah Hopewell. He was a business partner, at times and in some ventures, of James Hepburn, another important early Northumberland businessman. The lives of the Hopewells, Cowdens and Hepburns are intertwined in the first half of the nineteenth century. Another name that crops up often in association with the Hepburns and Cowdens is that of Joseph Priestley.
From a history of early Northumberland: “The First National Bank of Sunbury was originally incorporated as The Bank of Northumberland, 1 Apr 1831, with Joseph R Priestley as cashier, James Hepburn president and the following directors: John Cowden, John B Boyd, James Merrill, ... John Taggart, ... James Hepburn....On 1 Jul 1865 the bank surrendered its state charter and was organized as .... First National Bank of Sunbury.”
He marred Sarah Hopewell. He was a business partner, at times and in some ventures, of James Hepburn, another important early Northumberland businessman. The lives of the Hopewells, Cowdens and Hepburns are intertwined in the first half of the nineteenth century. Another name that crops up often in association with the Hepburns and Cowdens is that of Joseph Priestley.
From a history of early Northumberland: “The First National Bank of Sunbury was originally incorporated as The Bank of Northumberland, 1 Apr 1831, with Joseph R Priestley as cashier, James Hepburn president and the following directors: John Cowden, John B Boyd, James Merrill, ... John Taggart, ... James Hepburn....On 1 Jul 1865 the bank surrendered its state charter and was organized as .... First National Bank of Sunbury.”