Family:James Hamblen and Ann Scott (1)

Immigration

"When or how James Hamlin came to America has not been discovered, but an approximate inference is ascertained when the members of the family left England and came to America from the dates of the baptisms of his children above; and the dates of the births of the children born in Barnstable. It appears to have been the custom of the family to baptize the children on or near the day of birth if possible; so that the dates of baptism are supposed to be about the dates of birth of those born in England. The first record of his children born in Barnstable is that of Bartholomew b. Apr. 20, 1642, we have found no record either in England or Barnstable, of the birth of the child, Hannah; but infer that she was born in England, between 1636 and 1642. Possibly the family was broken up about the time of her birth, preventing the record of her birth, or it may have been recorded elsewhere from where the others are found. It is believed the James Hamlin came to America without his family about 1638-9, and that they followed him later. While no record of the fact had been discovered; other circumstances render it probable that he was obliged to leave his family and flee England to escape religious persecution. This may account for the failure to discover the time and manner of his passage; which may have been intentionally concealed, for his escape and safety. He was a Puritan and a member of Mr. Lathrop's church after the latter came to Barnstable. We have seen that he came from London; he may have been a member of the Independent church there, and fled from the persecutions of Archbishop Laud, under Charles I; but there is no proof of it."

Residence

"In 1899 the home lot of James Hamlin in Barnstable was visited by the writer and a picture of it obtained through the kindness of Mr. Gustavus Hinckley, of Barnstable, and Miss Deborah Hamblin, of Yarmouth, Mass., the latter a decendant of James Hamlin. The home lot of James Hamlin, senior, of eight acres, probably one of those laid out by Mr. Collicut, was bounded north, and west by a small and beautiful sheet of water, anciently known as Coggin's and also as Cooper's Pond; the present county road passing through it east and west leaves a triangular piece of about two acres of the north end, where the buildings were located, between the highway and the pond, occupied in 1899 by Mr. A. T. Jones. The ancient dwelling thereon has been gone for a century, but its site was nearer the line between the Hamlin lot and the lot of Gov. Hinckley to the eastward, and from which it was separated by a rough, loose, stone wall. Mr. Gustavaus Hinckley stated that a well was anciently situated on the line between the two lots; but had been covered over by the wall for many years; that he remembered when a boy of finding it by dropping pebbles in the holes in the wall and hearing them fall into the water in the well; but its exact location he had forgotten. On the opposite or north side of the pond was the lot of Henry Coggin; a public watering place on the shore of the pond at the southern apex in ancient times, intervening between it and the Hamlin lot. A modern house stands on the Hamlin lot west of the site of the ancient dwelling. The present highway was laid out through the Hamlin lot in 1686, and the balance of his lot laid south of this road — between it and the commons. The ancient grave yard lies to the eastward. [hkb — sources in Barnstable told me in 1995 that the ancient graveyard was the commons in the early days]. His lands as described on the records in 1667 were as follows: Eight acres of upland, be it more or less, butting westerly upon ye Highway against ye pond. Easterly by ye commons, bounded northerly by Thomas Hinckley and southerly by ye commons. (This was his home lot above described, but the ancient highway which went north to the pond was changed in 1686); also three shares in Calves pasture bounded westerly by Gdd. (Goodman) Bearse, easterly by John Phinney: two shares more bounded westerly by John Phinney, easterly by Gdd. Bearse; one share more bounded westerly by ye lands of Henry Coggin, deceased, easterly by John Phinney: six acres of upland more or less, in ye sd Calves pasture bounded easterly by John Phinney, westerly partly by John Phinney and partly by ye beach; twenty acres of upland, more or less, bounded easterly by Henry Bourn, westerly by John Cooper, northerly to ye great creek by Jewell's Island; one acre of marsh meadow, more or less, bounded easterly by John Crocker, westerly by Thomas Hinckley; forty acres of upland butting against ye Great Indian pond running northeast into ye woods, bounded southerly by Thomas Lothrop's and northerly by ye commons."

Name spelling

"The correct spelling of his name is a question of doubt. As a matter of fact, people in those times were not particular, and the same individual did not spell his own name uniformly, in many instances; there was no standard of English orthography then. In the foregoing pedigree the name is spelled Hamelyn and Hamelin, in the record of baptisms, Hamblin and Hamlin; in the colonial records, Hamlene, Hamlen, and Hamblen. His pastor, Rev. Mr. Lothrop wrote the name uniformly, Hamling; Rev. Mr. Russell, a successor of Mr. Lothrop, wrote Hamblin; but as signed to his will, it is spelled Hamlin. The descendants spell the name variously: Hamlin, Hamlen, Hamline, Hamblin, and Hamblen."

"There is a tradition that four brothers, who were his descendants, agreed, upon their separation, each to spell the termination of the name differently. The time and place where this occurred, or the individuals are not known; but in matters of this kind traditions are not of much value until established to positive evidence."

"The name Hamlin, like other English names appears in various forms, and many instances appear where the same spelled his name differently. Hamlin is undoubtedly the most approved Anglicized form of the name; the I, in the name is manifestly an interloper."

"In Domesday Book it is found spelled in Norman French, Hamelin; in the roll at Dives, Hamelin; in the Battle Abbey Roll, Hameline: later, but at an early period in Devonshire, England, Hamlyn; which form is retained by some to the present time. The descendants of James Hamlin, of Barnstable, Massachusetts, will be found variously spelled, viz: Hamlin, Hamline, Hamlen, Hamblin and Hamblen. We have endeavored to adopt the form used by the members of the family, respectively: except, that in some instances the same persons have changed the spelling of their own names!"

• Andrews, H. Franklin. A Genealogy of JAMES HAMLIN of Barnstable Massachusetts, eldest son of James Hamlin, the immigrant, who came from London, England, and settled in Barnstable, 1639. Exira, Iowa, 1902

Links

• Descendants of James Hamlin

1.   The parish records of St. Lawrence, Reading, Berkshire, England, contain, as we suppose, the baptisms of his children who were born in England; and the burial of one child;
   
   BAPTISMS.
   Hamlin, James, son of James, Oct. 31, 1630
   Hamblin, Sarah dau. of James. Sept. 6, 1632
   Hamlin, Mary dau. of James July 27, 1634
   Hamlin, James son of James April 10, 1636
   BURIALS.
   Hamlin, James Oct. 24, 1633
   
   Thus is appears that the oldest child died in England.