Who Do You Think You Are - Nigel Havers 31st Jul

[Shona]

Looking at the Hamblion branch, Henry Hamblion's brother, Jeremiah, left an estate worth £1,000 in 1859. Henry left under £300. How much is that worth now?

[Shona]

Oooh - Henry and Jeremiah's father, William Hamblion, challenged someone to a dual!

This story is attached to one of the public trees on Ancestry:

A Colchester colt-breaker, labouring under a grievance, depatched the following letter to John Bacon, innkeeper of the Nelson's Head:

'I, William Hamblion, forward this challenge to John Bacon, to meet him any time or place, with sword of with any other weapon that John Bacon may think fit to appoint. An imnediate answer is rewuired. To John Bacon, Nelson's Head.'

The magistrates took a lenient view of the offence and bound over the pugnacious law-breakers to keep the peace, but he, not producing the sureties demanded, was consigned to the lock-up to cool his heels and ire.

Now that would have been a nice story to tell the son of the former Attorney General!

[Shona]

Ah - even more!

One of Henry Hamblion's sons was named William Henry Hamblion - he emigrated to Australia. Apparently, he has a long list of convictions in Australia from 1872 to 1906, including time in prison.

Off to investigate.

[Shona]

William Henry Hamblion, alias Hamilton, alias Hamlin, also known as Deaf Harry, was quite the petty criminal. There are lots of mentions of him in the police gazettes, theft, forgery, wife abandonment. Interesting to see he is described in the police records as a groom and a cab driver.

This is his prison record complete with a photo.

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/17...nSearchResults

[Shona]

The wife he abandoned was Sarah Spittle. They married in Sydney in 1873.

[Ann from Sussex]

It sounds as though they could get another episode out of the next generation back of Hamblions!

I enjoyed last night's programme. The information about coaches was interesting and so, to me, was the bit about bankruptcy. At around the time Henry was declared bankrupt so was my gt.gt.gt.gt.uncle who had a tailoring business just off Oxford Street. This was at the time when some tailors were beginning to use sewing machines, making things difficult for those who still worked by hand by under-cutting them. His son-in-law who was a licenced victualler had stood surety for him and within a few years he also was declared bankrupt. I have always thought the two business failures may well have been connected and now I think the situation was much like that with Henry Hamblion and his brother-in-law.

I did like Nigel Havers. I thought he brought just the right mix of seriousness and amusement to his discoveries...and he didn't go down the emotional route which is guaranteed to please me.

[Shona]

Originally Posted by Shona

Oooh - Henry and Jeremiah's father, William Hamblion, challenged someone to a dual!

This story is attached to one of the public trees on Ancestry:

A Colchester colt-breaker, labouring under a grievance, depatched the following letter to John Bacon, innkeeper of the Nelson's Head:

'I, William Hamblion, forward this challenge to John Bacon, to meet him any time or place, with sword of with any other weapon that John Bacon may think fit to appoint. An imnediate answer is rewuired. To John Bacon, Nelson's Head.'

The magistrates took a lenient view of the offence and bound over the pugnacious law-breakers to keep the peace, but he, not producing the sureties demanded, was consigned to the lock-up to cool his heels and ire.

Now that would have been a nice story to tell the son of the former Attorney General!

Found some more on the duel - which took place in 1840.

'With this alarming invitation, Mr. Bacon did not comply - nay more, when the defendant appeared in the taproom in propria persona with the ugly accompaniment of a tremendous bludgeon, he fled to his cellar, and there entrenched behind the XX and extra stout, he thought he was secure; when Mr. Hamblion proceeded to break in his windows, as easily as he broke in a colt, and after the evaporation of sundry big words departed...Mr. Hamblion pleaded the dishonour of a daughter as justification.'

[Ann from Sussex]

That's wonderful Shona. I do love the language of newspaper reports at that time. "The evaporation of sundry big words...." Lol!

[GenieDi]

I was in Colchester today and saw a lorry with Hamblion Transport on it. Did make me wonder if there is still any connection to the name.

[Shona]

Originally Posted by GenieDi

I was in Colchester today and saw a lorry with Hamblion Transport on it. Did make me wonder if there is still any connection to the name.

Hamblion is such an unusual name, the transport company must be linked in some way.