Originally from a section of Waterbury that is now in the
nearby town of Naugatuck, Joseph Hopkins (1730-1801) started
out as a silversmith and watchmaker. His shop was on West
Main Street in Waterbury, near St. James church, which
was at the corner of Willow Street.
Hopkins married Hepzibah Clark, a daughter of the Congregational
Churchs Deacon Thomas Clark. Clark, also a slave
owner, served as Town Clerk and Town Treasurer until his
death in 1767.
Hopkins pursued a legal career, becoming Justice of the
Peace in 1762. He was elected to the General Assembly 45
times, beginning in 1764; and he was the first judge of
probate for Waterbury. By the Revolutionary War, Hopkins
was considered to be the most prominent citizen in Waterbury
and dined with George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette
when they passed through Waterbury during the war.
Hopkins owned one slave, a woman named Silence Will whom
he purchased in Middletown, possibly in the 1760s. He was
also the executor of Cuff Capenys will. Cuff Capeny
was a free African American who served during the Revolutionary
War. In his will, dated 1777, Capeny left money for Silence,
servant of Joseph Hopkins. Hopkins freed Silence
in 1798.
Hopkins died in 1801 while in New Haven as senior assistant
judge of the county court. He was buried within
the land of his friend and neighbor, Mrs. Sarah Leavenworth,
in a cemetery plot that later became part of the Grand
Street Cemetery.