by Karen Yvonne Hamilton, 2025
Jane Ann HOPKINS was born on September 18, 1847, in Colquitt, Georgia, to Frances Elizabeth HARRIEDE (HARRARD) Frances Elizabeth HARRIEDE (HARRARD) (1832-1865) and James HOPKINS (1828-1865).
In research, Frances Elizabeth’s last name is spelled differently on many documents. Harriede. Harrod. Most legal documents use ‘Harrard’, so that is what I use here. Her first name is often misspelled ‘Francis’. Again, I go by legal documents rather than census records.
SIBLINGS
- Charles W was born in 1854 in Colquitt, Georgia
- James Berrian was born on November 1, 1857, in Colquitt, Georgia
- John Simon was born on January 14, 1859, in Colquitt, Georgia,
- Henrietta “Rita” was born on December 3, 1863, in Colquitt, Georgia
In 1850, Jane lived with her parents in Lumpkin County, Georgia.
MARRIAGE
Jane Ann HOPKINS married Justin Everett KNOWLES in Key West, Florida, on May 11, 1865, when she was 17 years old.
A few months after her marriage to Justin in 1865, Jane Ann’s parents, James Hopkins and Frances Elizabeth HARRARD Hopkins contracted yellow fever and died on the same day, August 11, 1865 on Knockemdown Key. They left behind four children ranging from 12 years old to five. Jane Ann took into her own household her siblings, Charles and Henrietta. She and Justin may have also taken in the younger boys, James and John. (That the Hopkins died of yellow fever is family lore; it has not been verified. Yellow Fever epidemics were a frequent occurrence at that time. Jane Ann did record in her mother’s bible that her parents died on the same day, however.)
Life on the Florida Keys had to have been hard enough just trying to provide food and shelter amidst turbulent weather and isolation from medical care and other people. James and Frances Hopkins would have had no help as they lay dying of yellow fever. In the extreme southern areas of Florida, the threat of yellow fever lasted all year round (Huffard, 84). As Key West had a port that brought goods from the tropics, it also brought yellow fever. And from there and other southern ports, an American epidemic was born. Life in those times were fraught with fear, grief, treatments that were often as horrendous as the virus, quarantines, collapsed economies, and crippled transportation.
READ MORE ABOUT Yellow Fever (Yellow Jack or the Yellow Plague) in Florida
By the summer of 1866, Justin’s mother, Hannah Prance, died in Key West, 20 days after giving birth to George Washington on May 7, 1866. It was not unusual for women to retreat to Key West, some 20 miles west of Cudjoe Key, for the medical expertise in childbirth, so Hannah probably had gone there when her time for childbirth was near. There is no record of what she died of, although we can assume it had to do with the birth of baby George. Now motherless, the infant George was taken in to be raised by Justin and Jane Ann in Key West.
In 1868, around the time when the Ten-Year War in Cuba started, Justin and Jane lived in Key West, as did others in the Hopkins family, who appear to have moved from Georgia to Florida at some point between 1847 and 1865. The Hopkins may have left Georgia due to the Civil War.
CHILDREN
- George Washington was born on May 7, 1866, in Key West, Florida
- Silas Everett was born in March 1868.
- Hannah Elizabeth was born on October 10, 1869, in Key West, Florida
- James Everett was born in 1873 in Key West, Florida
- Clara Dena was born on December 18, 1879, in Key West, Florida
- Alphred ‘Tukie’ Pillage was born on December 18, 1882, in Key West, Florida
- Leonora “Lela” was born on October 18, 1884, in Key West, Florida
- Belle Corrine was born on November 1, 1889
In 1870, Justin and Jane Ann lived on Knockemdown Key. Living in their household were their two-year-old son, Silas, and Justin’s little brother, George, who was now 3 years old. Recall that Jane’s parents had died leaving several small children which Justin and Jane Ann were now raising, Charles was now 16 and Henrietta was 10.
In 1870, Jane lived on “the Keys lying Eastward of Key West” with her husband and their two sons, George and Silas. Also living in the household was her brother, Charles and her sister, Henrietta ‘Rita’.
In 1880, Jane and Justin lived with their children, George, Silas, Hannah, and James at 444 Frances St in Key West.
In 1885, Jane and Justin lived on Watson St in Key West with their children, George, Silas, Hannah, James, Clara Dena, Alfred. At age 16, Hannah worked as a tobacco stripper at the cigar factory.
In 1900, Jane and Justin lived at 1126 Virginia St in Key West with their son, Alfred and daughters, Clara Dena (and Clara’s daughter, Violet), Lela, and Belle. Justin worked as a sponger.
Jane’s husband Justin Everett passed away on December 29, 1900, in Key West, Florida, at the age of 53. They had been married 35 years.
In 1910, Jane lived at 1013 Catherine St in Key West with her daughter, Lela. Jane and Lela both worked as ‘strippers’ at a cigar factory. Jane’s daughter, Belle lived next door at 1011 Catherine with her husband, Claude Freeman and their daughter.
In 1920, Jane lived with her daughter, Bell Freeman at 515 West 10th Ave in Tampa, Florida. Also at the home were Edna (Bell and Claude’s daughter), John Canizares Rodriguez (Jane’s grandson and Bell’s nephew), and William J. Hall, a boarder. Claude and John worked as cigarmakers in a cigar factory. The boarder, Hall, worked as a riveter in the shipyard.
In 1930, Jane Ann lived at 1116 Seminary St in Key West, Florida with her son, Alfred and his wife, Elizabeth. Also living in the household were Ed and Jestin Woodson (Jane Ann’s grandsons who were the children of her daughter, Lela).
DEATH
Jane Ann HOPKINS died on May 6, 1933, in Key West, Florida, when she was 85 years old. She was laid to rest in the Key West Cemetery.
From research notes of Jane Ann GARCIA Rowland: “Jane A. lived with Alpherd P. the last years of her life. She was buried in Sophia Johnson’s family plot until her grave was leveled to erect a vault for Walter Johnson. Miss Elaine Johnson claims her bones are still under the vault. Her headstone was just standing up in the back of the lot. Lela, Alpherd P. and Elizabeth, and my Uncle John and my grandmother, Clara Dena Lariz are all buried in the McCook Subdivision. No one has a headstone. A.P. and Elizabeth are in an unpainted vault and Lela beside it with only a rectangular cement casing.”
Frances Hopkins Bible 1846
I am in possession of Frances’ bible, passed down to me by my aunt, Jane GARCIA Rowland. I am able to transcribe much of it because I know the names. The underscores I couldn’t figure out. I do know that Justin was born Jan 8th. My records say 1847 in Long Island, Bahamas. Also George Washington’s biological parents were Justin’s parents, John Thomas Knowles and Hannah Elizabeth Prance. He is Justin’s brother. Their mother died 20 days after giving birth to George. Infant George was adopted and raised by Justin and his wife, Jane Ann. – KYH, 2025
TRANSCRIPTION:
Frances Elizabeth and James Hopkins died the 11th August 1865.
Henrietta Hopkin born the 3 of December 1863
Thomas Knowles son was married to Jane Hopkins at Key West the 11th of May 1865
George Washington Knowles was born May the __ in the year of our lord 1866. May 7th 1866
Justin Everet J E ___ Knowles was born 1 January __ the year our lord Jan 1 1844.
FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY FACEBOOK GROUP: Consider joining our group for more on Florida Keys History.
FLORIDA EVERGLADES HISTORY FACEBOOK GROUP: Consider joining our group for more on Florida Everglades History.
Exploring Florida History 