William Hammond, 10th Great-Grandfather

July 13, 2015 — ancestors, Colonial America, history, settlers, William Hammond

Hammond Coat of Arms

My 10th great-grandfather was an early settler of Watertown, Massachusetts.  His father died and he was declared bankrupt in England before he emigrated.  William brought part of his family to America to settle before sending for his wife and younger children. By April 1634 they had all arrived in the colony. He frequently was fined for religious infractions and may have been a secret Quaker.

William Hammond
Birth: 1575, Lavenham, Suffolk, England.
Baptized: 30 Oct 1575, Lavenham, Suffolk, England.
Death: 8 Oct 1662, Watertown, Massachusetts. “Aged about ninety-four.

Father: Thomas Hammond, born and died in England.
Mother: Rose Trippe, born and died in Lavenham, Suffolk, England.

1629: On 26 Feb 1629/30, William Hammond was declared bankrupt in England.

1629: On “the 20th of November after that date, he departe[d] the land and fleeth into New England. Information from a 1656 law suit against William Hammond, citing this occurance. This would place him on the “Lyon” which sailed from Bristol on 1 Dec 1630/1631, and arriving in New England the following February.

Emigration: 1631. See above.
The Hammond family came to New England in at least three stages. In late 1630 or early 1631, John Winthrop Jr. noted receipt of £7 5s. from “Goody Hammond to send her husband.” This supports the conclusion that William Hammond was a passenger on the “Lyon” when it sailed from Bristol in late 1631.

On 26 Sept 1633, Governor John Winthrop, wrote to Sir Simonds D’Ewes, informing him that “Yours by young Hamond I received,” indicating that William Hammond Jr. probably sailed for New England in one of the ships that arrived in the fall of 1633. His sister Anne and brother Thomas may also have come at this time, because they are not included, a year later, in the passenger list of the “Francis”, which sailed from Ipswich, in the spring of 1634, with Elizabeth Hammond, (aged 47); Elizabeth Hammond, (aged 15); Sarah Hammond, (aged 10); and John Hammond, (aged 7) on board.

First Residence: William’s first residence was Watertown, Massachusetts.

Occupation: Husbandman.

Religion: Admitted to Watertown Church prior to 25 May 1636, (implied by freemanship.)

1636: Admitted as a Freeman, 25 May 1636.

1636: In his record of admissions to Scituate Church, Rev. John Lathrop, entered on 14 Apr 1636, “Elizabeth Hammon, my sister, having a dismission from the church at Watertown.”

1636: On 25 Jul 1636, William Hammond was granted forty acres in the Great Dividend.

1637: Granted eight acres in the Remote Meadows, 26 Jun 1637.

1641: Granted a farm of one hundred fifty-five acres, 10 May 1642.

1645: In the “year 1645 Rose his mother dyeth … but now in the year 1647 his son Thomas come from New England to be admitted to the land.”

1647: On 22 Nov 1647, “W[illia]m Hamond granted a letter of attorney unto Thomas Hamond, his son, to ask demand of the lord of the manor the possession of certain lands in Lavenham, in Suffolk which were the possession of Rose Steward, his mother.”

1647: William was a Watertown Selectman, 8 Nov 1647.

1656: Along with Isaac Stearns, William was an arbiter in a dispute between John Wincoll and Benjamin Crisp.

1656: “Old Goodman Hammond” was appointed to a committee to assign seats in the meeting house, 17 Nov 1656.

1660: On 6 Non 1660, Watertown Selectmen sent the constables to “Old Hamond to let him know, that contrary to order of town, he had entertained into his family such a person as is likely to prove chargeable, do therefore desire him to rid the town of such an encumbrance or otherwise to bear the burden thereof himself.”

In William’s will, dated 1 Jul 1662 and proved 16 Dec 1662:

“William Hammond of Watertowne … now about ninety years of age” bequeathed to “my loving dear wife Elizabeth Hammond my whole estate” for life;
and after her death, to “my son John Hammond all my houses, lands;”
to “Thomas Hammond son of my son Thomas Hammond, deceased,” £40 when twenty-one, but if he dies before that then “the £40 to be equally divided between the children of my daughter House, daughter Barnes, [i.e., Barron’s], children”; to “daughter Barnes” £30;
to “the four children of my daughter Elizabeth House deceased” £5 apiece; to “Adam Smith son of my daughter Sarah … one mare colt”
and to “my daughter Sarah Smith” £5.

The inventory of the estate of William Hammond totalled £467 16s. 9d., including £318 in real estate:
one dwelling house, an orchard £24;
23 acres of pasture land, £69;
11 acres of broken-up land, £48;
15 acres of meadow, £90;
8 acres of meadow remote, £15;
18 acres of land in lieu of township, £6;
1 Great Dividend, 40 acres, £40;
1 farm, 160 acres, £20; and
a part of a barn, £6.

His inventory also included “one great Bible and 3 other books” valued at 13s.

Married: Elizabeth Paine, baptized in Lavenham 22 Sep 1586. She was the daughter of William and Agnes Neves Paine. Elizabeth arrived in New England in 1634 on the “Francis” with her three youngest children. Elizabeth died 27 Sep 1670, in Watertown, Massachusetts, “aged about ninety years .”
Marriage: 9 Jun 1605, in Lavenham, Suffolk, England.

Children of William Hammond and Elizabeth Paine Hammond:

1. William Hammond, baptized 20 Sep 1607, in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. He was killed by Indians in June 1636. Not believed to have married.
2. Anne Hammond, baptized 19 Nov 1609, in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. She died there 7 Jun 1615.
3. John Hammond, baptized 5 Dec 1611, in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. He died there 16 Aug 1620.
4. Anne Hammond, baptized 14 Jul 1616, in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. Married 1: Timothy Hawkins. Married 2: 14 Dec 1653, Ellis Barron.
5. Thomas Hammond, baptized 17 Sep 1618, in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. He returned to England in 1647/1648, to reclaim his grandmother’s lands. Thomas married Hannah Cross in 1655. Their only child, Thomas, was born at Watertown, Massachusetts on 11 July 1656. Thomas Hammond, the father, had died on 10 Dec 1655, and Hannah, the mother, died on 24 Mar 1656.
6. Elizabeth Hammond, born about 1619. Married: Samuel House of Scituate, Massachusetts, about Apr 1636.
7. Sarah Hammond, baptized 21 Oct 1623, in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. Married Richard Smith of Long Island, by 1640.

William Hammond (1575 – 1662)
is my 10th great grandfather
Elizabeth Hammond (1620 – 1703)
daughter of William Hammond
Elishua Crowell (1643 – 1708)
daughter of Elizabeth Hammond
Yelverton Gifford (1676 – 1772)
son of Elishua Crowell
Ann Gifford (1715 – 1795)
daughter of Yelverton Gifford
Frances Congdon (1738 – 1755)
daughter of Ann Gifford
Thomas Sweet (1765 – 1844)
son of Frances Congdon
Valentine Sweet (1791 – 1858)
son of Thomas Sweet
Sarah LaVina Sweet (1840 – 1923)
daughter of Valentine Sweet
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Sarah LaVina Sweet
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse

WILLIAM HAMMOND – ELIZABETH PAINE
(1575-1662) (1586-1676)
William, the emigrant ancestor of this branch of the family in America, was born in Lavenham, County of Suffolk, England, where he was baptized October 30, 1575. He was the only surviving son of Thomas Hammond and Rose Trippe, his younger brother, Thomas, having died in infancy. He was left an orphan by the death of his father in 1589. He married Elizabeth there June 9, 1605 and their children were all born in Lavenham. Elizabeth was born 1586, also in Lavenham, daughter of William Paine.
William, along with his older children, came to America before his wife and younger children, though the exact year is not known. Elizabeth, aged 47 years, with children Elizabeth, aged 15, Sarah, aged 10 and John, aged 7 years embarked at Ipswich, England, in the ship, “Francis,” John Cutting, Master, in April, 1634, and joined her husband in New England.
William Hammond was admitted freeman in Watertown, May 25, 1636, and was grantee of seven lots and purchaser of three lots before 1644. His homestead of 40 acres was situated on the west of Common Street. It was bounded on the east and north by lands of his brother-in-law, Dr. Simon Eire, on the west by John Simson, Isaac Sterne and John Warren, and on the south by Thomas Boyden. Bond’s Hist. of Watertown (p. 1088) says, “It is probable that William Hammond settled first on the Cambridge Road, very near the Cambridge line. Whether this was a grant to him the records do not show. He sold it early and settled on his 40-acre homestall, situated east of Pequusset meadow. He also owned three small lots in Pequusset meadow, one of these granted to him and the other two purchased. This homestall passed to his son (grandson) Thomas.” March 10, 1642, in the division of lands, he was granted lot No. 76, in the 4th Division, containing 165 acres, and this, with his other holdings, made him one of the largest land owners in the town.
The records do not show that he was often an office holder in the town and this may have been due to his independence in religious matters, which may have made him unpopular with his more puritanical neighbors, although he does not appear to have been so unpopular as some of his most intimate friends. His near neighbor and most intimate friend appears to have been John Warren, who came from the same locality in Suffolk County, England, and between whose family and his own there appears to have been considerable intimacy for several generations prior to the settlement in America.
On occasion there were fines “for an offense against the laws concerning baptism,” and “for neglect of publick worship” 14 Sabbaths at 5 shillings each. Warnings were given “for not attending publick worship”.
May 27, 1661, the houses of “old Warren and goodman Hammond” were ordered to be searched for Quakers, for whom they were known to have considerable sympathy. Considerable independence in religious matters, great love of liberty and sympathy for all who are persecuted for conscience sake seem to have been inherent family traits for generations past. It is probable that William Hammond and his intimate friend, Warren, were both inclined toward the religious teaching of Roger Williams, but were too conservative to subject themselves to the persecution that his more radical followers were compelled to endure. This view is supported by the fact that many of their descendants were rigid adherents of the Baptist Church. The tendency, however, in this family has been toward great liberty of thought in religious matters and many of the descendants have been connected with the Unitarian and Universalist denominations, while many in the later generations have held membership in no church.
The will of William Hammond is on file at East Cambridge, Mass., (Middlesex Probate No. 7167), dated July 1662; proved Dec. 16, 1672. He leaves to wife Elizabeth his whole estate during her life. To son, John, all lands, & after her death. To Thomas Hamond, “sonne of my sonne, Thomas Hamond, deceased,” œ40 at the age of 21 years. “If said Thomas, or any for him, oppose this will,” then he is not have the œ40. “Unto daughter (Hannah) Barnes, œ30, the same to remain unto her children.” “In case she again become a widow” she to have wood from his lands during her widowhood. To four children of my daughter, Elizabeth House, deceased, various sums of money. “To Adam Smith, son of daughter, Sarah, if he behave obediently to my wife after my decease, one mare, colt and œ20.” To daughter, Sarah Smith, œ5. Appoints widow, Elizabeth and John executors.
Witnesses– Matthew Bridge and Thomas Longhorne.
Inventory by Hugh Mason and Thomas Hastings, Dec. 16, 1662; œ457-16-9. Contains the following list of real estate:
25 acres of fallow land, 15 acres of broken land, 15 acres of meadow, 60 acres of meadow, &c.,
16 acres of land in low of ye town right, 40 acres in great dividend, 160 acres in a farm. Total, 331 acres.