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![Show Contents]() Hamelton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of HameltonWhat does the name Hamelton mean? 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. Hamelton Coat of Arms CreationIt will be noticed that many Hamiltons have as crests an oak tree rising penetrated transversely by a frame saw. The motto is " Through." The story is that the first Hamilton, a Sir Gilbert was obliged to fly from the Court of Edward II. in 1323 for slaying a John Despencer. He was closely pursued, and Hamilton and his servant changed clothes with two woodcutters, and, taking the saw of the workmen, were in the act of cutting an oak tree when their pursuers passed. The servant took notice of them, and Sir Gilbert called out " Through," and thus the Hamiltons got their crest and motto. 1 Early Origins of the Hamelton familyThe 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 familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamelton research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1282, 1296, 1307, 1333, 1392, 1495, 1504, 1520, 1528, 1563, 1575, 1580, 1600, 1604, 1607, 1610, 1623, 1626, 1633, 1636, 1637, 1640, 1646, 1650, 1655, 1658, 1659, 1663, 1666, 1668, 1669, 1670, 1674, 1679, 1685, 1701, 1706, 1707, 1715, 1719, 1720, 1721, 1734 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hamelton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hamelton Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Hamilton, Hamelton, Hameldon, Hamildon, Hamylton, Hambleton and many more. Early Notables of the Hamelton familyNotable 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, 1st Earl of Haddington (1563-1637), Scottish administrator, Lord Advocate, judge, and Lord Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire; Patrick Hamilton (c. 1575-1658), a minister of The Church of Scotland during a turbulent period in Scotland's history, also a poet; Archibald Hamilton (1580-1659), the fourth Anglican Archbishop of Cashel, nominated Bishop of Killala and...
Another 161 words (12 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 IrelandSome of the Hamelton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 159 words (11 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Hamelton migration to the United States | + |
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 2
- Johan Hamelton, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1660 2
Hamelton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John Hamelton, who landed in Mississippi in 1798 2
| Hamelton migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: 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
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Through
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- 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)
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