Show ContentsHamblyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Hamblyn family lived in Gloucestershire. Their name, however, is local reference of Old French derivation. It is stems from the Old French root hamel, indicating that the original bearer of the name once worked at an outlying farm which was dependent upon a main village. Several areas in Normandy are called Hamelin.

Early Origins of the Hamblyn family

The surname Hamblyn was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where "three of this name are entered as under-tenants: Hamelin homo Hugonis filii Baldrici in Lincolnshire; Hamelin holding of Roger de Montgomery in Sussex, and also mentioned in Devonshire; and Hamelin of Cornwall. 'Whether Hamelin of Devonshire and Hamelin of Cornwall were the same person, does not appear. In the latter county Hamelin held twenty-two manors under the Earl of Mortaine. He is supposed to have been the ancestor of the Trelawny family, and to have resided at Treloen, one of the manors described in the Survey as his property." [1]

Early History of the Hamblyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamblyn research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1105, 1129, 1148, 1202, 1275, 1533, 1534 and 1539 are included under the topic Early Hamblyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hamblyn Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Hamelin, Hamelyn, Hamelen, Hamelyng, Hamelyne and others.

Early Notables of the Hamblyn family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Robert Hamlyn or Hamblyn, Abbot of Athelney Abbey (1533-1539)

Ireland Migration of the Hamblyn family to Ireland

Some of the Hamblyn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hamblyn migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Hamblyn or a variant listed above:

Hamblyn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Stephen Hamblyn, who landed in Virginia in 1638 [2]

Canada Hamblyn migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hamblyn Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. David Hamblyn U.E. who settled in Elizabeth Town [Elizabethtown], Leeds County, Ontario c. 1784 son of Silas Hamblyn Sr. [3]

Australia Hamblyn migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hamblyn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • C. Hamblyn, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Athenian" in 1849 [4]

New Zealand Hamblyn migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hamblyn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. JohnHamblyn, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand in 1855 [5]
  • Mrs. Hamblyn, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK with 6 children aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand in 1855 [5]
  • Mr. ThomasHamblyn, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand in 1855 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Hamblyn (post 1700) +

  • Richard Hamblyn (b. 1965), British environmental writer, historian and lecturer in the Department of English and Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London
  • Paul Hamblyn, New Zealand competitor at the 2006 Commonwealth Games-Men's 1500 metres

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Ernest William Hamblyn (d. 1912), aged 41, English Bedroom Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking [6]


  1. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ATHENIAN 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Athenian.htm
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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