Zadock Hawkins was born in about 1773 in Derby, New Haven, Connecticut. His parents were Eleazer Hawkins and Damaris Wooster. He married Lydia Wilmot, daughter of William Wilmot and Lydia Perkins, 4 August 1754. They had nine children. Descendants and relatives lived mainly in Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, New Brunswick, Ontario, New York, Indiana, Ohio Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.