Is Richard Hankins (d abt 1798, Hopewell, Hunterdon, NJ) the same Richard Hankins baptized in Pangbourne, Berkshire, England in 1747?

In my research on Richard Hankins, I haven't been able to identify his parents or his place of origin. So I was excited when I saw several trees on Ancestry that identified his parents as Simon and Jane Hankins of Pangbourne, Berkshire, England. 

My excitement didn't last long - once I took a closer look at the info. And since I've been seeing the connection to Simon and Jane popping up again, I figured I'd write a bit about why I don't support that identification 

Richard Hankins of Hopewell, Hunterdon County, New Jersey

What I know about Richard Hankins, the earliest Hankins ancestor I've been able to identify, is that his will was probated on March 7, 1798 in Hopewell, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The earliest record I've found for him is 1778 when he appeared on a taxpayer roll in Hopewell. In 1783, he conducted the inventory of the estate of Benjamin Reeder. In 1792, Richard is listed as on the rolls of Hunterdon County Militia (which included all free, able-bodied white men between the ages of 17 and 45). 

He married Elizabeth Pinkerton, daughter of Henry and Keziah Pinkerton. Richard and Elizabeth had eight children, Hannah (bef 1776-after 1809), Mehetable (bef 1780-before July 1849, wife of John Akers), Ralph (1775-1863), Elizabeth (bef 1780-after 1850, wife of Asa Burroughs), Sarah (about 1787-1850, wife of Lucas Weart), Daniel (1788-1871), Rachel (1790-1853, wife of John Barton) and Mary (1793-1882, wife of John McDaniel). 

Richard's youngest daughter Mary is enumerated in the 1880 census in Spafford, Onondaga County, New York. The census entry states that both her parents were born in Scotland. 

Based on this information, Richard Hankins was born between 1747 and 1775 based on the 1792 militia roll. He was likely born in the earlier part of the range since he appears to have had children starting in the early 1870s. Richard may have been born in Scotland, if the person providing information about Mary Hankins's father's birthplace in 1880 had the correct information (100+ years after Richard's birth, and 82 years after his death). 

Online, unsourced trees on Ancestry state as a fact that Richard was born in 1747 in Scotland. 

Richard Hankins of Pangbourne, Berkshire, England

Several trees on Ancestry show the Richard Hankins, son of Simon and Jane Hankins, baptized on April 8, 1747 in Pangbourne, Berkshire, England as being the same man as the Richard who died in Hopewell, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. None of the trees with the information have any sources indicated. 

I did searches on Family Search, Ancestry, and FindMyPast to see what I could learn. On February 2, 2021, I searched on FindMyPast for all people with the last name Hankins (and varients) within 10 miles of Pangbourne, Berkshire England. The results came back from several databases (all indexes, no images of original records) including the Berkshire Probate Index, the Berkshire Baptisms Index, the Berkshire Burial Index, the Berkshire Marriages Index, England Marriages 1538-1973, England Births and Baptisms 1538-1975, and the Sarum Marriage License Bonds. A further search was done at FindMyPast for Richard Hankins (and variants) for the period 1700-1820 within 50 miles of Pangbourne without finding additional records. 

From these indexes, I was able to recreate several generations of the Hankins family in the Pangbourne area. 

Generation 1

1. Christopher Hankins married Martha Woodhouse on 10 February 1661/2 in Pangbourne, Berkshire, England. Christopher was buried on 9 April 1692, Martha was buried on 20 Jun 1709, both in Pangbourne. Their children were all baptized at Pangbourne.

        i. Anne baptized 15 Jun 1665

        ii. Elizabeth baptized 20 Jan 1666/7

        iii. John baptized 17 Oct 1669, buried 22 Aug 1689

          iv. Martha baptized 17 Oct 1669, buried 4 Apr 1674

          v. Dorothy baptized 22 Mar 1673, married in 1697 to William Hope in Pangbourne

2.        vi. Symon  baptized 22 Mar 1673

Generation 2

2. Symon Hankins baptized 22 March 1673 in Pangbourne. He married Joan Catherins on 8 Apr 1695 in Pangbourne. Symon was buried on 4 Jan 1722, Joan was buried on 21 Aug 1750, both at Pangbourne. Their children were all baptized at Pangbourne

3.        i. John baptized 5 Jan 1695/6

           ii. Mary baptized 7 Nov 1697

           iii. Simon baptized 4 Oct 1699, buried 27 Jun 1702

           iv. Edward baptized 30 Oct 1701, possibly buried on 25 Jun 1732

           v. Simon baptized 10 Oct 1703 buried 25 Feb 1705

           vi. Richard baptized 12 Sept 1705 buried 27 Jun 1721

4.        vii. Simon  born in 1707, baptized 30 Mar 1709

           viii. Willoughby baptized 28 Oct 1707, buried 2 Nov 1707

           ix. William baptized 3 Jun 1711, possibly buried 11 Jan 1763

           x.  Diana baptized 10 Jun 1716

Generation 3

3. John Hankins baptized 5 Jan 1695 in Pangbourne. He married Mary Cottrell on 10 Jul 1721 in Purley, Berkshire, England. Their children were all baptized at Pangbourne. 

            i. Richard baptized 2 Sept 1722

            ii. John baptized 2 Sept 1724

5.       iii. Mary baptized  30 Jun 1727

4.  Simon Hankins born in 1707 (per marriage record), baptized 30 Mar 1709 in Pangbourne. He married Jane Hedges on 9 Feb 1730/1 in Yattendon, Berkshire, England. Simon was buried on 7 Mar 1779, Jane was buried on 17 Aug 1756, both at Pangbourne. All their children were baptized at Pangbourne

            i. Simon baptized 28 Sept 1731, buried 1 Oct 1731

6.         ii. Edward baptized 26 Dec 1732

            iii. Jane baptized 28 Oct 1734

            iv.  David baptized 30 Nov 1736. Married Mary Jacuqes 15 Jun 1762 at Reading St. Mary, Berkshire

            v. John baptized 1 Jan 1738

            vi. William baptized 17 Dec 1740, buried 25 Dec 1740

            vii. Mary baptized 24 Feb 1741/2

            viii. Isabella baptized 30 Sept 1744, buried 30 Apr 1747

            ix. Richard baptized 8 Apr 1747, buried 30 Apr 1747

            x. Thomas  baptized 5 Aug 1750, buried 29 Jul 1751

Generation 4

 5. Mary Hankins baptized 30 Jun 1727 in Pangbourne. She married John Rolfe on 13 May, 1757 in Pangbourne. 

            i. Mary Hankins, daughter of Mary Hankins, baptized 19 Jan 1752, buried 28 Dec 1754

6. Edward Hankins baptized 26 Dec 1732 in Pangbourne. He married Hannah Gibson on 23 Jun 1757 in Pangbourne. Edward was buried on 17 Oct 1768 in Pangbourne. 

Hannah, Edward's widow may be the Hanah Hankins who married Joseph Blackman on 17 Jun 1771 in Tilehurst, Berkshire. 

All their children were baptized at Pangbourne. 

            i. Edward baptized 4 Jun1758

            ii. Isabella baptized 22 Feb 1760

            iii Jane baptized 11 Apr 1765, married Ralph Parr 26 Feb 1786 at Tilehurst

            iv. Absalom baptized 28 Dec 1766

So where does all this leave us? 

Two choices - either the two Richard Hankins' are the same man - or they aren't. 

For them both to be the same person, and for all the facts presented in the online trees to be true - then 

Richard needs to have been born in 1747, and have been one of the oldest men in the Hunterdon County militia. 

His mother, Jane, would have needed to travel from Pangbourne, Berkshire, to Scotland to give birth to Richard in the first few months of 1747 and return to Pangbourne to have him baptized on April 8. Pangbourne is just outside of Reading in the south of England. Assuming Jane went to just across the border with Scotland to give birth - the border is roughly 330 miles north of Pangbourne. In the 1740's, a stagecoach could cover the distance between London and Manchester (a distance of about 200 miles) in four and a half days - so assume about a week by stagecoach from Pangbourne to anywhere in Scotland. 

And some other Richard Hankins needs to have been buried on April 30, 1747 in Pangbourne, the same day Simon and Jane's daughter Isabella was buried. 

Is all of this possible? Yes. Is it likely, I don't think so. 

 More likely, the Richard Hankins who died in Hopewell, Hunterdon County, New Jersey about 1798 and the Richard Hankins, son of Simon and Jane Hankins, baptized on April 8, 1747 in Pangbourne, Berkshire, England are two different people. And the parents and origin of Richard Hankins of Hopewell, Hunterdon County are still unknown. 

If you'd like to see more information about the sources for this post, you can visit my trees on Ancestry.com 

Richard Hankins of Hopewell, Hunterdon, New Jersey is found in my Hankins-Sornberger tree at https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/161131565/person/332254940448/facts   Not all my sources are in this tree - I'm still reviewing, and resourcing old research and adding it to the tree with better documentation. 

Richard Hankins of Pangbourne is found in my https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/174211922/person/122260777196/facts  The sources for this tree have links to the records on FindMyPast

Please feel free to email me if you have questions about my though process on the two Richards.