|
WHAT HAPPENED TO JAMES HAMBLETON
There is no record of James Hambleton as an adult in Maine or New Hampshire.
Warranty Deeds to and from his brother Jonas Hambleton (Book 7, Page 326;
Book 9, Page 767) have been erroneously attributed to James by researchers
inexperienced in reading early eighteenth century handwriting.
James Hambleton was “imported” to Westmoreland County on the “Northern Neck”
of Virginia, a peninsula as much as seventeen miles wide, lying between the
Potomac River to the north and the Rappahannock River to the south, and
extending seventy-five miles southeastward from Fredericksburg.
The name of James Hambledon or Hambleton appears many times in the Order
Books of Westmoreland County, Virginia, beginning on 26 April 1699, when
“James Hambledon servant to James Bourn is adjudged to be twelve yeares of
age and is ordered to serve according to law.” (Order Book 1698-1699, Page
34a) This meant that James Hambledon was at least twelve years of age and
could be ordered into servitude. In fact, James (born c. 1682) was in his
seventeenth year, but still a minor; and under a 1618 British law, orphaned
children could be kidnapped and forced into slavery on colonial plantations
(see Hoffman, Michael A., “They Were White and They Were Slaves: The Untold
History of the Enslavement of Whites in Early America,” Wiswell Ruffin House,
Dresden, New York, 1992, page 72).
On 27 September 1704, “James Bourn swore that hee had good right to claime
lands for the importation of five persons into this Colony, James Bourn,
Ellis Burn, John Yeo, James Hambledon and Owen Brynan, and assigned them
to Mr. George Eskridge.” (Order Book 1703-1705, Page 243a) This meant that
James Bourn was claiming “head rights” of fifty acres for each person
imported at his own expense, including himself. His claim seems not to
have been honored, as no land grant or deed to James Bourn was found; and
George Eskridge did not receive his first Northern Neck land grant, for
2298 acres, until 31 December 1715. (http://www.city-gallery.com/whiteoak)
On 26 March 1707, “James Hambleton, servant to James Bourn, for his arrogant
and sawcy words and behavior before this Court is ordered twenty lashes on
his bare back well laid by the Sheriff. James Bourn complaining to this
Court that his servant James Hambleton did violently assault him on the
Queen’s Road and the same being sufficiently prove, it is ordered that James
Hambleton do serve his master one whole year after all former tyme of service
by custome, indenture, order of Court or otherwise fully expired.” (Order
Book 1705-1707, Page 45a) Obviously the servitude was not voluntary. On
25 April 1711, James Hambleton’s petition for freedom was denied, “with one
year’s extra service due for runaway time.” (Order Book 1705-1721, Page 152a)
During his period of servitude, James Hambleton married Grace, whose maiden
name is unknown. By most accounts, they were married about 1705. They had
three children, named in their wills: James, John, and Anne.
On 24 September 1712 James Hambleton was still a servant, his master being
John Garner Jr. (Order Book 1705-1721, Page 198a) He had now been a
“servant” for an extraordinarily long time, thirteen and a half years, twice
the length of time we were told about in our history books. The reason for
his servitude is never stated in the Order Books. Under English law, orphans
were commonly bound as apprentices. There are several examples among the
11
| |