James Hamblin, London to Barnstable

May 11, 2015 — 5 Comments

My 10th great-grandfather made the trip from England to America in 1639, establishing himself before sending for his wife and children.  He was one of the first settlers in Barnstable, MA, where he and his wife are buried.

James Hamlin (Hamblen) was living in London, England, in 1623. He came to New England and settled in Barnstable, Massachusetts, where he was a proprietor. He was admitted a freeman March 1, 1641-1642 and was on the list of those able to bear arms in 1643. He was a town officer.

James arrived at Barnstable in 1639. (Source: Virkus, “Abridged Compendium”). HAMBLEN, or HAMLIN, came from London. He first came to America without his family, in 1639, and they came later. It is believed that he was obliged to flee England due to religious persecution. He was a Puritan, and member of Rev. Lothrop’s church in Barnstable. He became a Freeman 1 MAR 1641-42. He was appointed constable soon after. He and his wife were members of the church in Barnstable at the settlement of Mr. Jonathon Russell in 1683.

James Hamblen (1606 – 1690)
is my 10th great grandfather
Eleazer Hamblen (1648 – 1698)
son of James Hamblen
Isaac Hamblin (1676 – 1710)
son of Eleazer Hamblen
Eleazer Hamblin (1699 – 1771)
son of Isaac Hamblin
Sarah Hamblin (1721 – 1814)
daughter of Eleazer Hamblin
Mercy Hazen (1747 – 1819)
daughter of Sarah Hamblin
Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Mercy Hazen
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of Martha Mead
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
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

James Hamblen, so far as has been ascertained, was the first of the name who settled in America. He came from London and settled in Barnstable, Massachusetts, in the Spring of 1639. Of his earlier life very little has been learned; records exist, however, from which some traces of him are supposed to have been discovered. The name of Hamblen appears frequently in th records of Plymouth Colony. The first mention is “March 1, 1741-2. James Hamblen was propounded for Freeman.”March 15, 1657, James Hamblen served on inquest on the body of a child, Simeon Davis.June 3, 1657, James Hamblen was sick and could not serve on the Grand Enquest.The name of James Hamblen appears in the list of Freemen of Barnstable in 1658.June 7, 1670, James Hamblen served on Grand Enquest; same day he was member of a trial jury.May 29, 1670, James Hamblen, Juni, and James Hamblen Seni, in list of Freeman.March 6, 1671, James Hamblen served on a jury.June 3, 1679, James Hamblen served on a jury in the case betgween Capt. John Williams and Edward Jenkins.July 7, 1681, James Hamblen served on juries.July 6, 1682, James Hamblen summoned to serve on a jury, and served.In the list of Freemen of Barnstable for 1689, among others appear the names of James Hamblen, James Hamblen, Jr., John Hamblen, Eleazar Hamblen. From Genealogy of James Hamblen and His Descendents and The Hamlin Family

As nearly all the first settlers of Barnstable came from London and the County of Kent, it is probable that James Hamblen,the ancestor, came from that city, as stated by Mr. David Hamblenin the New England Historic and Genealogical Journal. Ofhis early history, little is known. He appears to have been anearly member of Mr. Lothrop’s Church,’ though the date, is notfound on tie record. His son Bartholemew was baptized April24, 1642, but the baptism of his older children, James and Hannah,do not appear on the record. It is probable that they wereborn in England, and that neither they nor their mother cameover so early as the father. This was a common occurrence inearly times. The father came over, and when he had provided ahome sent for his family.He was one of the earliest settlers, and was in Barnstable inthe spring of 1639. His houselot, containing eight acres, was at Coggin’s Pond, and was one of those that I presume were laid outunder the authority of Mr. Collicut. It was bounded northerlyby the lot of Gov. Hinckley, easterly by the Commons, (now the ancient graveyard) southerly by the Commons, and westerly by the highway, which at that time after crossing the hill on the westturned to the north on the borders of the pond to Gov. Hinckley’sold house, which stood near the pond, and thence turnedeasterly, joining the present road at the head of Calve’s PastureLane. In 1686 the present road was laid out through Hamblen’s lot, and leaving a triangular shaped portion of it on the north ofthe road. Afterwards, in 1693, the location of the road havingbeen changed, the Hamblens were allowed to enclose that part of the old road situate between their land and the pond, and adjoining to Gov. Hinckley’s. The westerly portion of the roadwhich was discontinued, opposite the south end of the pond, wasreserved as a public watering-place, and is so occupied to thisday.His other lands were six shares and six acres of upland in$he Calves Pasture, twenty acres of upland, and the meadow onthe north, bounded easterly by the land of Henry Bourne, andwesterly by the land of Dea. John Cooper. His great lot of fifty acres was bounded south-westerly by the great Indian Pond, southerly by the lot of Thomas Lothrop, and northerly by theCommons. It was the most northerly of the Indian Pond lots,and his son John built a house thereon. The Hamblens were among the first settlers in that part of the town, and that region of country is now known as Hamblen’s Plain.In 1686 James Hamblen, Senior’s, house is described as standingon his twenty acre lot, on the north side of the highway, between the houses of Mr. Russell (known in modern times as Brick John Hinckley’s) and Dea. John Cooper’s, now owned by Mr.William Hinckley and others. In the year 1653 this land is calledon the records Mr. Groom’s land, but in the following year, 1654,Goodman Hamblen’s.James Hamblen, Sen’r, died in 1690. In his will dated Jan.23, 1683-4, he names his wile Anne and all his children. To Jame she gave £10, to Bartholemew, £5, and to his daughter Hannah,”according to ye desire of my mother,” £5. All the rest of his esta-te he gave to his wife during her natural life, and after her deathto be divided equally among his children He had a large real estate.His personal estate was appraised at £19,17.3.Goodman Hamblen was not much in public life. He was anhonest man, a, good neighbor, and a sincere christian. He was industriousand prudent in his habits, and, brought up his children to walk in his footsteps. His descendants have, with few exceptions,inherited the good qualities pf their ancestor. The Hon. HannibalHamlin, Vice President of the United States, is the only one amongthem who has been eminent in public life. To give a full genealogyof the family would require a volume. I cannot use all the materialI have collected without transcending the limits of a newspaper article.Several of this name came over early. Capt. Giles Hamlin, ofMiddletown, was a shipmaster, an,d a man of note in his time.There was a Clement Hamlin of Boston, in 1776,. James, of Barnstable,is supposed to have been a brother of Giles, but I have seen no evidence that renders it probable. Capt. Giles wrote his name Hamblin; James Hamblin. This is not conclusive evidence ; but if they were brothers the probability is they would have written their names in the same manner. On the Colony Records, except in two instances, his name is written, Hamlen. The exceptions are aninstrument to which he affixed his own signature, and, an exemptipnin 1657 from serving on the grand jury in consequence of sickness.His sons wrote their name Hamblen, Rev. Mr. Lothrop wrote the name uniformly, Hamling; Rev. Mr. Russell Hamblin. In 1642 James Hamlin ws admitted a freeman of the Colony, and in 1643 was constable of the town of Barnstable. The usual spelling is Hamblin, but the descendants of James are not uniform. Eleazer,the great-grandfather of Vice President Hamlin, dropped the b as a useless letter, and his descendants have continued to do so.

Family of James Hamblen.

His son James and daughter Hannah were probably born in England, his other children in Barnstable.I. JamesII, HannahIII. Bartholemew, 11th April, 1642, bap. April 24IV. John, 26th June, 1644, bap. June 30V. Sarah, 7th Nov. 1647, bap. same dayVI. Eleazer, 17th March, 1649-50, bap. same dayVII. Israel, 25th June, 1652, bap. same day This record shows that Goodman Hamblen was very exact in the performance of what he believed to be a religious duty, that none of his children should die unbaptised.

sources:

U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700

The Hamlin family : a genealogy of James Hamlin of Barnstable, Massachusetts, eldest son of James Hamlin, the immigrant

Geneological and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. By John Woolf Jordan. Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1913 – 1162 pages.