Family History


 
Janet Hampton / Rhea - John Hampton's daughter??

There is a possible baptism in the Scottish records for Janet is in 1671, in Arbuthnott, Kincardineshire, Scotland :-
- 1 Aug 1671 Janet daughter of Adam Hampton in Barnsehill.

However the baptisms for the Hampton family concerned may not have survived. We have John Hampton and a Andrew Hampton associated with Dunnottar parish (see John's parentage page). Dunnottar's parish records do not survive for baptisms before 1672, nor marriages before 1755, so any baptisms & marriages recorded there before those dates are now lost and this could include those of the Andrew & John Hampton families that appear in other Dunnottar records.

One conclusion to draw from the available documents is that Janet Hampton is possibly NOT the daughter of John.

Why is Janet may not be the daughter of John. (I have in part used some of Karl Hampton's paper in compiling this)

  • The nagging question is, upon what do we base the conclusion that Janet was John's daughter, other than the fact that everyone and his dog has reported it? The answer it would seem is most often the Cox or Dobson research (even though most family histories do not note their sources).
     
  • The inscription on her tombstone in the Old Tennett Church Cemetery, Monmouth County in New Jersey reads "Here lies the body of Janet Rhea who departed this life January ye fifteenth in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred sixty one aged about 93 years", i.e. born ca. 1668. The only surviving possible baptism is one in 1671 in Arbuthnott daughter of Adam, but as mentioned above Dunnoottar records are lost for this date period..
    Some people claim John is the son of James Hampton, this John being baptised in Abuthnott in 1658. However that baptism would make him too young to be Janet's father. However that still may be the correct baptism for John if Janet is a actually a cousin. This would make sense if John's marriage to Katherine Cloudley was actually his first marriage at age 19.
     
  • Next question is - upon what did they (Dobson and RB Cox) base this assertion? Most probably a document recorded in NJ on March 26, 1685 with the names of John Hampton's children, brought to the Province in 1683: Janet, Elizabth, Lideah, John, David.” That would seem to be a reasonable basis upon which to make the assertion and therefore I can understand the assumption.
     
  • We know from Scottish Quaker Records that show JOHN HAMPTON with a marriage on 7 December 1675 in the home of Alexander HAMILTON of Drumbouy to KATHERINE CLOUDSLEY. The same records also show daughter Elizabeth b. Oct 11, 1676; Lydia b. May 14, 1678; son John b. Sept 6, 1681; but no record of a daughter Janet? Or a first wife unknown (Katherine alleged to be wife #2)?
     
  • Then we must also deal with the fact that Janet Hampton is a separate indentured servant of the proporietors and not part of John Hampton's family. John's other children and wife all came under his family as did that of the other heads of household that were indentured. Janet is also the only female indentured in this particular group.
     
  •  Then there is the Will of John Hampton as a source of the relationship between John Hampton and Janet. A careful reading of the Will makes it most difficult to see that Janet is John's daughter. It appears that John (or whoever wrote the will for him) was quite specific that Janet was not named as his daughter. It would appear to me that John specifically indicates who is a son or daughter and grandchild. Janet is not named as a daughter and her children are not named as grandchildren unlike John's other children and grandchildren. (see John's will). This is odd if she is indeed his daughter.

 


Acknowledgements
http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/a/m/Karl-Hampton/GENE1-0001.html

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