OUR HAMILTON FAMILY ANCESTRY !
OUR HAMILTON FAMILY ANCESTRY !
WILLIAM HAMILTON
William Hamilton is our earliest traceable Hamilton ancestor. We are always hoping to find the true identity of his parents. William Hamilton was born in about 1808 in the state of South Carolina(1850 census). He was a farmer. When still a boy his family moved to Lincoln County TN. He was married in 1831 to Catherine A. Stevenson who was born on October 2, 1808 in Iredell County North Carolina whose family(Stevenson) had also moved to Giles Co. TN. She was described as a "short, chubby, and very cheerful little lady". The family moved to Limestone county Alabama in 1850 just after the birth of "Giller" or Gilbert Hamilton.
The William Hamilton family made two purchases of property in Alabama. One purchase was made March 13, 1857 and another January 3, 1860. William died in Limestone County Alabama on September 8, 1872 as reported in the "Athens Post" and was buried in the Wallace Cemetery, Coxey Alabama. A full obituary has not been found for William. Such a find might produce the names of his parents. William listed his parents as being foreign-born in census records. William was blind for about ten years before he died. No middle name or initial was ever used for Williams name. His name appeared on his headstone as 'William Hamilton". On two legal documents his name curiously appears as 'G.William Hamilton'. His wife Catherine, died on December 2, 1888 and is also buried in the Wallace Cemetery. Her father’s name was Rev. Elam Stevenson and her mother’s name was Lydia C. Paine. They had nine children of which Elam Carr Hamilton was the fourth.
Help us find William Hamilton's father.
ELAM CARR HAMILTON
Elam Carr Hamilton was born on February 1, 1842 in Tennessee. He was named after the Rev. Elam Stevenson, his maternal grandfather. He was a farmer and also a prominent Confederate soldier. He was married on February 5, 1871 to Sarah Angeline Riddle who was born on November 28, 1851 in Elkmont Alabama. They resided together in Limestone County, Alabama. To this marriage were born eight children. Elam died on May 5, 1915 and was buried in Ripley Cemetery. Sarah died on March 2, 1923 and is also buried in the Ripley Cemetery. Sarah Riddle's father’s name was Robert Preston Riddle and her mother’s name was Teresa Barnett.
CIVIL WAR MILITARY SERVICE
At the first call to arms in 1861, Elam Hamilton, a youth of nineteen responded and enlisted for the war in the company of Thomas H. Hobbs, then known as the Limestone Troopers but which became Co. F of the 9th Alabama Vol. Regiment Infantry which, under Gen Cadmus M. Wilcox bore high its colors for four years. This regiment at Salem Church on May 4th, 1863 retook from a Federal Corps the position lost an hour before and for this was complimented in general orders by the Confederate congress. Later in 1864 the regiment recaptured the line after the explosion of forty thousand pounds of powder had blown away a hundred yards of entrenchments. This has since been known as the Battle of the Crater. The 9th Alabama was also engaged in the bloody conflict at Antietam in September of 1862.
In Pickett's famous charge at Gettysburgh Elam received a desperate wound. In all of these desperate combats Mr. Hamilton did his duty manfully.
When the end came at Appomattox he returned to his home without any possessions except his courage and that confidence which always comes from a consciousness of a duty well done.
Thomas Telford Hamilton was the youngest child of Elam and Sarah Hamilton.
THOMAS TELFORD HAMILTON
Thomas Telford Hamilton was born on January 15, 1895 in Limestone County Alabama. He was a farmer/sharecropper. He was married on November 18, 1916 to Florrie Belle Hudson who was born on February 20, 1901 also in Limestone County where they resided together. They were both longtime members of Cross Key Methodist Church in rural Athens/Elkmont Alabama where he also taught Sunday School. Tom Hamilton died in 1985 at the age of 90 and was laid to rest in the Myers Cemetery in rural Cross Key Alabama. Florriebelle Hudson's father was Joseph William Hudson and her mother was Mary Lou Mcelyea. Tom and Florrie had eight children of which Elam Morris Hamilton was the fourth.
The possibility of William Hamiltons father being named James comes from statements made by Thomas Hamilton while he was still living. "Grandpa Hamilton (Thomas T) related to us as children that his great-grandfather (James) fought with Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox) in SC during the Revolution."
CHILDREN OF TOM & FLORRIE HAMILTON
SONS
--William 'Thomas'
--Elam
--Marvin
--Neil
--Gilbert
DAUGHTERS
--Violet
--Mary
--Sara
ELAM MORRIS HAMILTON
Elam Morris Hamilton was born on August 10, 1926 in Limestone County Alabama. He was raised in the Methodist church but made a profession of faith after attending services at the MT. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church in Athens AL one evening. He later became a Baptist Preacher. He served in the United States Navy during WWII in the South Pacific theatre of action. He was married on February 15, 1947 to Lura Bell Osborn who was born on September 3, 1928 in Madison County Alabama. Her parents were James David Osborn and Susie Viola Madry. They resided in Alabama and later in Illinois. Elam had been the pastor of First Baptist Church in Wyoming IL for 32 years when he passed away on 04/21/96. He is buried in the Wyoming IL City Cemetery.
Elam and Lura had sixteen children together.
KAREN (Beth), DOROTHY (Jean), NANCY, ALTON (Sonny)
JOHN, MARGARET, DAVID, WANDA, WENDY
ROGER, BARBARA, CHARLES, TERRY, ANTHONY(Tony)
MARY, & JOSEPH (Joe)