From: Earl


Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2002 4:58 AM

                                   DRAKE & HAMLIN IN ONCE UPON A TIME

In the mid 1600's in England, we know that it is almost a certainty that the 
English Drakes were Royalist, most gentry families were. However the Hamlins 
may have been Puritans. So here we have a love story a bit like Romeo and 
Juliet, one family backing the king and the middle of the road Protestant 
religion, and the other family backing the hard line no frills Protestants.  
War comes to their small town, the siege of Lyme Regis, the Royalists are 
routed, then the Parliamentarians take revenge. The young Drakes, Elizabeth 
possibly 13, Thomas around 10, and Ezekiel Hamlin, possibly 16 or more, with 
a biblical name. They see relatives involved, the Erles and the Poles, maybe 
even killed. Older relatives and relations die. By the time the King was 
executed in 1649 all three, Ezekiel Hamlin, Elizabeth and Thomas Drake, would 
have been impressionable teenagers.  All three may well have been caught up 
in the siege of Lyme Regis which is, no more than 10 miles from their home, 
Hamlin on one side, and the young Drakes on the other.  By the mid 1650s 
England had become a military state. Cromwell was Lord Protector and ruled by 
the Army, and Parliament was hardly ever called. The Royalists suffered loss 
of lands loss of income, and the Parliamentarians were very quickly 
disillusioned by Cromwell`s victory.  Thomas and Elizabeth possibly felt as 
children of Royalist families, they couldn't make a go of life there, and the 
new clean un-political world beckoned, and Ezekiel Hamlin was so bitterly 
disappointed that he too made a decision to emigrate. 

I would greatly appreciate information on the below Drake and Hamlyn/Hamlin 
family names. Would someone with the Drake and Hamlyn/Hamlin family data, be 
so kind as to fill in missing data and assist me in completing the English 
Drake and Hamlyn/Hamlin family with what is listed below. And may you enjoy 
the possible love story, written after the fact, 300 plus years. Now

                                    A  DRAKE, HAMLIN  LOVE STORY

Nicholas Hamlyn, cordwainer of St Mary Steps, Exeter, England, had his will 
probated
on 22 Jan 1624, with Augustine Drake as an overseer. Nicholas Hamlyn was the 
father of Stephen, and grandfather of Ezekiel Hamlyn/Hamlin, and was possibly 
real friendy with the Drake family, enough so to ask Augustine Drake to 
oversee his will. Ezekiel Hamlyn/Hamlin, bapt 1629, son of Stephen, also had 
some romantic feelings for one on the young Drakes he knew, an Elizabeth 
Drake of one of the surrounding towns. 

As neither Drakes, Elizabeth and Thomas, would inherit any great amount of 
property or money, not being sole heir, and in addition, neither possibly 
would Ezekiel Hamlyn/Hamlin, 
word filtered back to England that an ambitious person could make their way 
in the world with knowledge and hard work in America.

Ezekiel Hamlin, Elizabeth and Thomas Drake, left for America, possibly 
together and possibly in the early spring or summer of 1653/54. Elizabeth 
Drake was possibly dissuaded from seeing Ezekiel in England by her family, or 
Ezekiel from seeing Elizabeth, but this again is pure speculation.  Ezekiel 
Hamlin, possibly 25, finally married Elizabeth Drake, at least 18, his true 
love, on 8 Jun 1654, by Richard Bellingham, Governor of Massachussetts, and 
had the following children:  Ezekiel, b. 1655; Joseph, b. 1657; William, b. 
1659; Elizabeth, b. 1661; Mary, b. 1663; Benjamin, b. 1665; Hannah, b. 1667, 
and Mercy, b. 1669. Nothing further has been found on the life of Elizabeth 
(Drake) Hamlin, so she could have died in 1669, possibly at age 33, or 
continued on to live to an old age.

I'd really appreciate answers to the following questions.

1. On 22 Jan 1624, a probate will of Nicholas Hamlyn cordwainer of St Mary 
Steps, Exeter was made with Augustine Drake an overseer. What relation was 
Augustine Drake to Thomas and Elizabeth Drake? 

2. Was Nicholas Hamlyn the father of Stephen and grandfather of Ezekiel 
Hamlyn/Hamlin, bapt 1629, at St Davids Exeter? Or was he of another family?

Enjoy the stories, with great assistance from 2 real friends in England.

Earl C.
e1091@aol.com