Several of the ancestors of the Hamaker Clan have been traced back to royalty. Following is a list of the decendants and links to learn more about the castles that they left in the old country to come to America.
Dudley Castle Heritage
Dudo, an Anglo-Saxon, is said to have built and bestowed his name upon it, in A.D.700.
From the name of the founder of this castle, is derived the present appellation of Dudley, whose orthography has been much varied by writers at different periods.
At the time of the Norman conquest, as appears from Doomsday Book, this castle was granted to a Norman Baron, by the name of William Fitz Ausculph [Hamaker ancestor], who possessed, besides, twenty-five manors in the same county; but it remained not long in the possession of his family, for the daughter of William Fitz Ausculph [Hamaker ancestor], marrying Fulk Paganel [Hamaker ancestor], brought with her the inheritance of Dudley castle, which descended to her son, Ralph Paganel [Hamaker ancestor], who took up arms for the Empress Maud, and fortified it for her, when she contended with King Stephen for the crown of England.
Gervase [Hamaker ancestor], the son of Ralph Paganel, married Isabel, daughter of Robert, Earl of Leicester [ancestors], and they had a daughter Hawyse [Hamaker ancestor], who married, first, John de Somerie, [Hamaker ancestor] and secondly, Roger de Berkley, of Berkely Castle.
Ralph de Somerie [ancestor], a son of Hawyse and her first husband, John de Somerie, was Baron of Dudley in right of his mother, during the reign of Richard. In the 17th year of Henry A.D. 1233, when it is styled an "honor", it was seized by the king, because it's owner, Roger de Somerie, either neglected or refused to appear, when summoned to receive the honor of knighthood.
The writ is preserved, and may be translated thus,-"Because Roger de Somerie [ancestor], at the feast of Pentecost last past, has not appeared before the king to be girded with the military girdle, the Sheriff of Worcestershire is hereby commanded to seize on the honor of Dudley, and all the other lands of the said Roger within his jurisdiction, with all the cattle found upon them, so that nothing may be moved off without the king's permission. Witness the king at Wenlock."
In the 48th year of this reign, A.D. 1264, Somerie obtained the royal license to castellate his mansion at Dudley, which had probably remained unfortified ever since its dismanteling.
This castle remained in the possession of the Someries till the 15th year of Edward A.D. 1322, when John de Somerie, the last male heir of the name, dying, left his two sisters, Margaret and Joan, coheiresses, the elder of whom, Margaret, married Sir John Sutton, of the ancient and respectable Saxon family of Suttons in Nottinghamshire, who became, in her right, Baron of Dudley
- Margaret DeSomery inherited the Dudley castle from her brother. She married John Sutton.
- John SUTTON (DUDLEY) (BARON DUDLEY) was born on 25th of December 1400 in Dudley Castle, S, England.
- His daughter Eleanor Sutton (DUDLEY) was also born of Dudley Castle, S, England in about 1439. She married George Stanley (Bishop).
- Their son was John STANLEY
- His daughter was Elizabeth STANLEY
- Her daughter was Bridget Littleton
- Her daughter was Dorothy James
- Her son was Francis GRISWOLD probably the first to come to America prior to 1637.
- His daughter was Elizabeth GRISWOLD, the first of the line born in America in 1637.
- Her daughter was Hannah PALMER.
- Her son was Thomas FRENCH.
- His son was Christopher FRENCH.
- His son was Nathaniel FRENCH.
- His daughter was Lydia FRENCH.
- Her son was William BEEBE.
- His daughter was Agnes Cordelia BEEBE.
- Her son was LaVan HAMAKER.
In the thirteenth century St. Donats was held by the de Hawlye family. The Heiress Joan de Hawley married Sir Peter de Stratelynge (Stradling), a Swiss who was in command of the Castle at Neath in 1296.
The evidence is missing for a connection between these people and our line, which is:
Edward Stradling born about 1300 (possibly the son of Sir Peter the Swiss and Joan Hawley).
His son was the Sheriff of Glamorgan Edward Stradling born in 1330 and who died in St. Donats, Glamorgan,Wales about 1408. He was the Sheriff twice and he married Gwenlian Berkrolls and she inherited Coity Castle but that's another story.
Their Son was William Stradling born about 1365 of St. Donats, Glamorgan, Wales. Now I don't know if of St. Donates, is the same as when it says they were born in the Castle. He was married about 1424. He was called the Chaplain of South Wales and died in 1453 in Jerusalem during a pilgrimage!! He was 59 years old and it appears that he and his son made this journey together, because that son Sir Knight Henry Harry Stradling born in 1430, died in Famagusta, Cyprus, at the age of 24.
Harry's son Sir Thomas Stradling was born in 1454 in St. Donant's Castle, Glamorgan, Wales. The trouble is that the records show that his father died about 1451.
So without further information we may suspect that all of the preceding ancestors might not be blood ancestors. Or, maybe they were and the dates are just wrong.
Thomas' son Edward was born in St. Donats, but it doesn't say he was born in the Castle.
Edward's daughter was Catherine, also of St. Donats and she married Sir Knight Thomas Palmer.
Their son was Sir Knight John Palmer.
His son was Walter Palmer who was born in Parham, Somerset, N, England about 1585/1598. He died in America in Connecticut. We don't know where Sir Knight John Palmer died so we don't know if Walter was the first to immigrate to America or not. Why would a young man with a hereditary knighthood and Castle leave England? Perhaps he wasn't an oldest son.
His son was Jonas (Jonah) Palmer. Jonas was born in 1617 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts, which shows us Walter emigrated before that time. He married Elizabeth Griswold of the Dudley line, also of Royal heritage, the first of her line born in America in 1637. (The rest of the descendants of Elizabeth Griswold are listed above.)
KILKENNY CASTLE
Kilkenny Castle was bought by the powerful Butler family in 1391, and their descendents continued to live there until 1935.
In the year 1145 Harvey Fitz Walter was born, probably in England. His son was Theobald Fitz Walter or Butler, born in 1165 in West Dereham, Norfolk, England. But Theobald died in Ireland in 1206.
His son was Theobald Butler born 1200 in Arklow Castle, W, Ireland. He married a girl who was also of Arklow Castle.
Their son also was Theobald Butler born 1223 in Arklow Castle, W, Ireland.
His son also was Theobald Butler born 1223 in Arklow Castle, W, Ireland.
His son was Edmund le Butler or Botiller.
His son was Sir James Butler, Duke of Ormond.
His son was James Butler. Born on 4th of October 1331 in Kilkenny.
His son was James Butler. Born in 1362 of Kilkenny Castle, Ireland.
His daughter was Elizabeth Butler. She was born in England.
Her son was Gilbert Talbot. He married Elizabeth Greystoke Scrope, a widow whose father was born in Greystoke, Manor and claimed to be Garon Wemme in his will again another story.
Their son was Gilbert Talbot.
His daughter was Elizabeth Talbot.
Her son was Robert (Roger) Littleton
His daughter was Bridget Littleton.
Her daughter was Dorothy James
Her son was Francis GRISWOLD probably the first to come to America prior to 1637.
His daughter was Elizabeth GRISWOLD, the first of the line born in America in 1637. (The rest of the descendants of Elizabeth Griswold are listed above.)
Raglan Castle
How does one begin to describe the handsome majesty that is Raglan Castle? Raglan, with its great multi-angular towers and Tudor-styling, is unlike any other castle in Wales. The castle is probably most closely associated with Willam ap Thomas, who fought with King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. In 1426 ap Thomas was knighted by Henry VI, becoming known to his compatriots as The Blue Knight of Gwent.
Sir William Ap Thomas Herbert's son was Lord William Herbert Earl of Pembrooke who was beheaded in 1469. Our line comes through his daughter Elizabeth Verch William Herbert. She married Sir Knight Henry Harry Stradling. But he died at the age of 24 approximately in 1451. This creates a credibility problem because her son was born in 1454 in St. Donats Castle. Thomas Stradling also died young, before he was 26 years old. (For the rest of these descendants refer to Thomas Stradling.
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