Hannah was the daughter of William Hopkins and his first wife, whose name is currently not known. Later William married Hannah Andrews.

Birth order: eldest of three.

Siblings: Thomas and William.

No marriage record to Philip Goss has yet been found but they must have been married very close to when their first child [Capt. Philip Goss Jr. bp 7 Feb 1676] was born because Hannah was censured 16 Jun 1678 (month 4 day 16) by the church for "fornication with her husband before they were maryed and for flying away from Justice unto Road Island." 9 Dec 1678 (month 10 day 9) Hannah Hopkins alias Goffe was called to confesse her sins & manifest her repentance for fornication & running away to Road Island. She confessed & was absolved & received to take hold on the covenant.

The couple had two girls, Hannah in 1679 and Mary in 1680 and both apparently died as infants. Philip and Hannah then moved to Boston where, on October 6, 1682, Hannah gave birth to William.

Their marriage didn't seem to be a happy one and in 1684, Hannah booked passage with Thomas Wharfe of Charleston on the sloop 'Swan' that was going to Jamaica. She took baby William with her. While there, she eventually 'married' John Murray with whom she had a child.

In April 1690, Philip filed for divorce because she having broken covenant with him. Thomas Wharfe testified that he had taken Hannah to Jamaica and that he had seen her on several occasions there. That she was married to John Murray and had a child by him. At one point Philip Goss employed him to go to Jamaica and get William and bring him back but Hannah would not concede. She said he had one child (Philip) and she would have the other.

The divorce was granted on 10 Apr 1690. Documentation of Hannah's whereabouts, her relationship with John Murray and the custody request are in testimonials and court transcripts as well as transcribed in published family genealogies.

It is assumed that Hannah may have died in the devastating 1692 Jamaica earthquake which caused a huge tsunami and much death and devastation on the island. It caused most of the city of Port Royal to sink below sea level and thousands died.

Some have conjectured that William came back to Lancaster and settled there.

Sources: Record of the Commissioners of the City of Boston, 6:93; Roxbury Church Records, p 93;