John Hotchkiss

Personal and Family Information

John was born about 30 MAR 1544, the son of John Hotchkiss and Johanna. The place is not known.

He died about 31 MAR 1544. The place is not known.

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Multimedia

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Notes

Note 1

!Note: Probable Triplet Birth and Duplicate Baptism Entries – Barford, 1544/1545

The Barford parish registers document what appears to be the rare and tragic birth of triplets to John Hotchkiss and his first wife Johanna in late March 1544:

Joane baptized 30 March 1544, buried 1 April 1544

John baptized 30 March 1544, buried 31 March 1544

Robert baptized 6 April 1544, no burial recorded — apparently the sole survivor

Johanna buried 5 October 1544 — likely never recovered from childbirth <<<

Joane and John’s baptisms, performed on the same day, were likely emergency rites due to their critical condition. Robert’s later baptism may indicate better initial health.

However, the parish register also contains duplicate entries for all three children, dated exactly one year later:

Joane and John baptized again on 31 March 1545

“Roger Hoppkins” baptized 9 April 1545 — spaced identically to Robert's original entry, and almost certainly a scribal error for “Robert”

Joane and John buried again 1 Apr 1545

Robert Eskins, son of Jo: Eskinis, buried 1 Feb 1545 — in a different hand,

The 1545 baptisms and burials are almost certainly duplicates, likely re-entered into a newer or cleaner register from memory or rough notes.

“Roger Hoppkins” is almost certainly a copy error for Robert Hopkins.

The reuse of the exact dates strongly supports the duplication theory.

The Robert Eskins burial, entered in different handwriting, may indicate Robert actually died months later — possibly during winter 1544/45 — and the burial was finally recorded once register updates resumed.

Conclusion:

This set of records reflects a single triplet birth, followed by two infant deaths and the later death of the mother, with the final child lasting another 4 months. The 1545 entries are best understood as duplicate records — not evidence of another set of children, but an attempt by a scribe to reenter past events, which inadvertently introduced naming and dating inconsistencies. This case serves as a poignant example of how early modern parish registers — often rewritten from memory — can preserve both deep family loss and the messy human processes of recordkeeping.

!Source: Warwickshire Baptisms https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=R_21906760936&tab=this

First name John

Place Barford

Last name Hopkins

County Warwickshire

Birth year -

Country England

Baptism year 1544

Source Warwickshire Baptism Index 1538-1900

Baptism date 30 Mar 1544

Record set Warwickshire Baptisms

Father's first name -

Category Birth, Marriage & Death

Father's last name -

Subcategory Parish Baptisms

Mother's first name -

Collections from England, Great Britain

Mother's last name -

!Source: Warwickshire Baptisms https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FWARWICKSHIRE%2FBAP%2F001200650&tab=this

First name John

Archive Warwickshire County Record Office

Last name Hopkins

Archive reference DR0048/1

Birth year -

Document type Parish registers

Baptism year 1544

Register type Baptisms, marriages & burials

Baptism date 30 Mar 1544

Register year range 1538-1631

Father's first name -

Page 5

Mother's first name -

Record set Warwickshire Baptisms

Denomination Anglican

Category Birth, Marriage & Death

Place Barford

Subcategory Parish Baptisms

County Warwickshire

Collections from England, Great Britain

Country England

!Source: Warwickshire Burials https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=R_21906761064&tab=this

First name John

County Warwickshire

Last name Hopkins

Country England

Birth year -

Source Warwickshire Burial Index 1538-1900

Death year 1544

Record set Warwickshire Burials

Burial year 1544

Category Birth, Marriage & Death

Burial date 31 Mar 1544

Subcategory Parish Burials

Residence -

Collections from England, Great Britain

Place Barford

!Source: Warwickshire Burials https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FWARWICKSHIRE%2FBUR%2F000449048&tab=this

Record set Warwickshire Burials

Page 12

First name John

Burial date 31 Mar 1544

Last name Hopkins

Archive Warwickshire County Record Office

Burial year 1544

Archive reference DR0048/1

Death year -

Event type Baptisms, marriages & burials

Denomination Anglican

Records year range 1538-1631

County Warwickshire

Category Birth, Marriage & Death

Country England

Subcategory Parish Burials

Place Barford

Collections from England, Great Britain

Document type Parish registers