The Descendants of John William Hamilton

Third Generation

8. James Hamilton (William , John William ) was born about 1732 in Ireland.

James was in Scottland at the time his father and uncle ran into trouble
in Ireland. James came to America to visit them, but later returned to
Ireland to live and marry. James died when his son Alexander[?] was
young. Being left alone by his mother, Alexander set out to find his
family in America. He did not know where they were, nor know how to find
them. He wandered about, first landing in Cuba and later coming to the
continent. James had four sons: Robert, William, James (or Thomas)
and John.

He had the following children:

	12	M	i	Robert Hamilton.
	13	M	ii	William Hamilton.
	14	M	iii	James?Thomas? Hamilton.
	15	M	iv	John Hamilton.

11. William Robert Hamilton MD (William , John William ) was born about 1738 in Ireland. He died after Jun 24 1801 in Hawkins County, Tennessee.

William Robert was a physician and studied under his uncle Robert
Hamilton. He was one of the earliest (dates vary according to sources
and range from 1757 to 1770) settlers of the Holston River Valley
entering into land near what is today Church Hill, Hawkins County,
Tennessee. Family tradition states that he migrated to Tennessee and
bartered with the Cherokee for lands that included practically all of
what is now Hawkins and Sullivan Counties, Tennessee and Scott County,
Virginia. He settled his family at the foot of Bays Mountain at Blairs
Gap. They lived in Blairs Gap until an outbreak of malaria forced them
to what is now Blountville, Tennessee.

This corner of Appalachia, near present day Kingsport, Tennesse, was
true frontier in the late 1700's. William Robert Hamilton was the second
man to settle the land west of the Wautauga Settlement. He had no close
neighbors, Wautauga and Jonesboro being the closest settlements to him.
He often climbed Bays Mountain to look over the valley to see if there
was smoke from another settler's cabin. Wolves still roamed the area,
requiring the family to guard the stock. The family lived in the river
bottom during the winter and moved up the side of the mountain in the
summer months because of malaria in the swampy lowlands.

By 1769 Daniel Boone was traveling through the area hunting, and the
next decade was one of discovery in the area. In March of 1775 Daniel
Boone cut the Wilderness Road, providing a route to Kentucky. When
Daniel Boone came back from his first trip to North Carolina, he crossed
the Holston at Curry's Ford. Seeing the smoke from William Robert
Hamilton's cabin, he spent the night there.

He was so isolated that he did not learn of the Revolution until
friendly Indians told him that the white men were fighting. William
Robert Hamilton's land grants were patented in London Records of the
London Land Office. At the onset of the American Revolution all land
grants were moved to Philadelphia and annulled. The land grants were
reopened for settlement and he was left with only a part of his original
survey. Family tradition has it that he served in the Revolution under
General George Washington, being the second man from area to volunteer.
He served for seven

Throughout most documentation and reference to William Robert, he is
simply known as Robert, probably so as not to confuse him with his father
William. William Robert, Sr. and Margaret Hamilton had 6 known children,
all named in his Will.

Information taken from William Robert Hamilton's will; Josephine
Hamilton's memoirs as told to Clara Reber Smith in Church Hill Tennessee
Area History (1754-1976); Lovetta Wood Carson and Patricia Scruggs
Trolinger; and all related by Mary Hamilton in February, 1999, then by
Sandy Rowe in August , 1999.

William married Margaret about 1762 in Ireland or Virginia.

They had the following children:

+	16	M	i	William Robert Hamilton Jr. was born about 1765 and died 1830.
	17	M	ii	James Hamilton was born about 1767 in Virginia. He married but his spouse is unknown. Before his father's death, he moved west, possibly western TN. Family tradition has that James lived up the valley road from Church Hill. He was a farmer. One day a friendly Cherokee warned James of an Indian raid. James took his gun along when he went to plow, telling his wife, when questioned, that he had seen some hawks. A little later he turned away from his plow to see an Indian standing behind his wife, who was sitting under a shade tree spinning. James took aim and shot the Indian who had already raised his tomahawk to scalp Mrs. Hamilton. The Indian fell around at the feet of Mrs. Hamilton, splattering blood on her spinning. The Indian was dead at Mrs. Hamilton's feet before she realized that anything was amiss. NOTE: Information provided Mary Hamilton by Lovetta (WOOD) CARSON and Patricia (SCRUGGS) TROLINGER. From Mary to WLSR February 1999, to me August 1999.
	18	F	iii	Catherine Hamilton was born about 1769 in Hawkins County, Tennessee.
	19	F	iv	Elizabeth Hamilton was born about 1771.
+	20	F	v	Elenor Hamilton was born about 1773 and died before 1810.
+	21	M	vi	John Hamilton was born about 1767.

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