The Hamelton family name, was a Norman name that came to
Scotland from
England. It is thought to derive from the village of Hamilton or Hameldune near Barkby in the county of
Leicestershire. The village name comes from the Old English elements "hamel," which means "blunt," "flat-topped," or "crooked," and "dun," which means hill. There is a town of Hamilton near Glasgow, which took its name from the family, but may in turn have spawned more instances of the surname.
Early Origins of the Hamelton family
The surname Hamelton was first found in
Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of
Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of
Renfrew, East
Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland, where they were granted lands by King Robert the Bruce of
Scotland. The
Clan traces its origin to the Earls of Mellent in
Normandy who arrived in Britain with William the Conqueror in 1066 AD. They were granted lands in Hambleton in
Buckinghamshire. Soon after, Sir William de Hambleton accepted a challenge from John de Spence. Spence was killed, drawing the wrath of King Edward II of
England. Sir William fled northwards with his entourage to Scotland, hotly pursued by the king's men. With their pursuers close behind them, Sir William and his servant exchanged clothes with two wood cutters and, using their saw, they cut down a large oak tree to bridge a river. Finally, when at last the tree fell, Sir William cried 'through' and they escaped across the river over the tree. The
Clan Hamilton has retained this motto since that eventful day.
Early History of the Hamelton family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamelton research.
Another 315 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1333, 1392, 1296, 1495, 1520, 1504, 1528, 1528, 1563, 1637, 1575, 1658, 1580, 1659, 1623, 1600, 1640, 1626, 1669, 1650, 1685, 1610, 1674, 1633, 1655, 1666, 1650, 1701, 1719, 1604, 1670, 1636, 1668, 1607, 1679, 1646, 1720, 1663, 1715, 1707 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Hamelton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hamelton Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Hamilton, Hamelton, Hameldon, Hamildon, Hamylton, Hambleton and many more.
Early Notables of the Hamelton family (pre 1700)
Notable among the family at this time was Sir Patrick Hamilton (d. 1520), a Scottish nobleman, and younger brother of aforementioned James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran; his son, Patrick Hamilton (c.1504-1528), Scottish Protestant martyr, charged with heresy, sentenced by Archbishop Beaton, and burned at the stake in 1528; Thomas Hamilton...
Another 211 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hamelton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Hamelton family to Ireland
Some of the Hamelton family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 305 words (22 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Hamelton family to the New World and Oceana
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Hamelton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Amos Hamelton, who landed in Virginia in 1650 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Johan Hamelton, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1660 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Hamelton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- John Hamelton, who landed in Mississippi in 1798 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Hamelton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Edward Hamelton, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
- Robert Hamelton, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
- Eliza Hamelton, aged 16, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833