Thanks Go To Larry Hamblen
Contact: lahamblen@hotmail.com
Read Introduction below photographs
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Lucinda and Pleasant Hamblen | |
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Martha Maranda Ensley, the mother of William M. Hamblen, was born May 22, 1843, in Savannah Georgia. She was the dauther of Joseph and Catherine Ensley. Martha married Thomas M. Hamblen on February 9, 1873. They had two children: Frances Florene Hamblen, born Nov 22, 1873; and William M. Hamblen, born Nov 23, 1874. Martha and Thomas were divorced, but we are unable to document. |
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This photo is of the William M. Hamblen family, 1912. William was b.Nov. 23, 1874, Franklin County, AR.
William pictured with wife, Fannie (Williams) Hamblen, b. 1879, Webster County, MO. Wm. was son of Thomas Hamblen of Franklin County and Martha Maranda (Ensley) Hamblen of Savannah, GA.
The children are front, (left to right:) Joseph Lester Hamblen, Dallas Eugene Hamblen, and Jesse Earl Hamblen; Fannie is holding Vera Rue Hamblen; girl standing is Goldie Mae Hamblen.
Pleasant W. and Lucinda in ca. 1896. They left Franklin County, Arkansas in 1878 and settled in Sherman, Texas. |
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This is a sad photo of Lucinda (Ransom) Hamblen at her husband's gravesite. His death date on the stone appears to read May 20, 1902. The stone also inscribes the Mason's Lodge logo. Both are buried in the West Hills Cemetery in Sherman, Texas.
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Hello Don,
My great-great-great grandfather, Thomas P. Hamblen, was an early resident of Franklin County. Still has descendants living there. Here is his story:
Thomas P. Hamblen, Pioneer to Franklin County, Arkansas
One of the early residents in Franklin County was my great-great-great grandfather, Thomas Hamblen. Although there is confusion about the birthplace of Thomas, it appears that he was born in Franklin County, Virginia, January 1, 1793. His father, Pierce Dant Hamblen (b. Mar 24, 1756, MD; d. 1843, KY), served in the Revolutionary War with the 4th Virginia Regiment, Continental Line.
Thomas' mother was Abigail (Vincent) Hamblen (b. Jan 30, 1760, VA; d. before 1843). The Hamblens moved to Sullivan County, Tennessee, before it became a state in 1796. It was part of North Carolina at that time. Then, by 1806 the Hamblens were living in Knox County, Kentucky (now Whitley County). Thomas Hamblen married (ca, 1822) Mary Dunn, daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Bollinger-Smith) Dunn of Speedwell, Claiborne County, Tennessee. The Dunns were old school Primitive Baptists, and it appears that Thomas became a Baptist too, if he wasn't one already.
In 1829 Thomas, Mary, and perhaps two daughters, moved to Jackson County, Missouri (where Kansas City is now situated). There they entered land. There they became charter members of the Pleasant Garden Regular Predestinarian Baptist Church of Pleasant Hill, Missouri. That church was constituted on the second Saturday in June, 1832. Before a meeting house could be built, the church met in homes of its members, most often in the home of Thomas and Mary.
From that location, the Hamblens moved south to Arkansas, and finally settled in Franklin County. It appears that Thomas arrived in Arkansas, via Missouri, by 1836/37. He settled, first, in Madison County on War Eagle Creek, where his brother-in-law, Francis Dunn had settled as early as 1832. Francis Dunn was magistrate there in 1832/33, and was elected as one of five representatives from Washington County to the Territorial House of Representatives in Little Rock , serving under the last territorial governor, William S. Fulton.
Thomas moved into Franklin County by 1839. He appears in the Assessor's book of 1839, and is listed in Goodspeed's as one of the early settlers to Franklin County. He is listed on the 1840 census of Franklin County in the White Oak Township. Also, on Monday, January 26, 1840, along with Eli Patty and James Morris, Thomas was appointed a commissioner to view and mark out a road leading north from Ozark to the Madison County line towards Huntsville. This appointment by the Franklin County Court was in response to a petition presented to said court by the citizens of the
Boston Township.On Monday, April 20th, 1840, Thomas Hamblen and Eli Patty reported to the court a new road had been marked out but there was a protest that the old road ought to be used. Thomas received $6.00 for six days service for viewing the new road.
Thomas and Mary were the parents of the following children: (1) Caroline, b. 1823; (2) Catherine, b. May 16, 1829; (3) Pleasant W. b. Jan 30, 1830; (4) Elizabeth Margaret, b. 1838); and John Vincent, b. 1843. I give the names of the children here so that I can develop the Thomas Hamblen story better.
Caroline married Swift Flowers Mullins, Jr. There is debate as to whether Caroline was the daughter of Thomas and Mary or not. Her children do appear in the probate records for Thomas. And with that evidence I list her as their daughter (Thomas would die intestate). Catherine married John L. Haynes and they settled in the Charleston area
of Franklin County. Pleasant married Lucinda Ransom, daughter of George A. and Margaret (Robins) Ransom of Franklin County. Elizabeth Margaret married George McWilliams; and John V. married Virginia Sutherland, daughter of George Sutherland.Thomas and Mary moved from Franklin County just across the line to Johnson County in 1855. There they entered land and farmed. In 1860 Thomas owned seven slaves. His son, Pleasant owned one slave. They were a part of the Southern culture. In 1861, however, the dark shadow of the Civil War moved upon the lives of Thomas and Mary, as it did the entire nation. Life would never be the same again for the Hamblens.
John, their youngest child, enlisted in the Confederate Army in February 1862. He enlisted with his brother-in-law, Andrew J. Ransom (Andrew became a captain). In July, Pleasant Hamblen enlisted as well. On October 4, 1862, Corporal John V. Hamblen was killed in action in the Battle of Corinth. He left a young, pregnant wife behind. Pleasant Hamblen deserted the Confederate army in May of 1863, probably to care for his family. In November of that year, Pleasant enlisted in the Union Army in Fort Smith, and served with Company K, 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Cavalry.
During this dark period Mary, Thomas' wife, died. Thomas' son-in-law, Swift Mullins, was killed near Clarksville; Caroline Mullins and several children died of either typhoid or diphtheria, and, also, Elizabeth and George McWilliams died. Pleasant Hamblen deserted from the Union Army to help his family move to Missouri. He moved his father, Thomas, there as well. Thomas died there on September 27, 1864 (Greene County). Pleasant rejoined his company and was discharged in Memphis, Tennessee, in September of 1865.
Thomas Hamblen, pioneer, has several descendants still living in Franklin County.