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The earliest HAMMETT record found in Virginia Colony thus far is in 1690 in Stafford County, a William HAMMET who may have been the same found thirteen years later in Richmond County:

The above record does not specify whether William HAMMET was a resident of Stafford County, nor what services he performed; however, it appears probable that many of the payments were for militia expenses, possibly the result of an Indian uprising? Capt. PEALE may have been Malachi PEALE who owned land in Richmond near William HAMMETT I of that County [source to be entered], and Sampson DORRELL'S surname may have been the source of the name of Dorrell's Run on which later William HAMMETTS owned property. Learning more about Morris CLERKE who was also paid for nine days may also provide further clues as to the identity of this 17^th Century William HAMMETT.

At least one, and possibly all, of the William HAMMETTS of Richmond/King George Counties, Virginia, was our earliest HAMMETT ancestor. The earliest record uncovered thus far for a William HAMMETT in Richmond or King George County, Virginia (none located in Old Rappa. as yet) is the following, whom we have titled William HAMMETT I for the time being:

Sarah, wife of William HAMMETT I, may have been neè BROWN, based on the following record:

It is known based on later records that William HAMMETT I resided adjacent to the BROWNS, most probably (although not yet documented) the same BROWN Family as above. However, the above record is twenty years earlier, the wife is not named and none of the individuals have been specifically identified as yet. Moreover, there appears to have been some confusion, on the part of either William HAMMETT or the Richmond Court Clerk as to the name of his wife:

As we continue to research the records of Old Rappa. and Richmond Counties, we will hopefully determine the actual wife of William HAMMETT(S); however, it should be noted that if the above Sarah BROWN was the wife of John ROSE, named 1683, then William HAMMETT I was probably significantly older than we have heretofore assumed.

3 Aug 1704 (Richmond OB3:398) In the action of Debt betwene James PHILLIPS, Plt. and Wm. HAMMITT Defendt. for Two hundred pounds of tobbo., the Sheriff having returned the Defendt. by Copy Left. Attachmt. is thereofre granted to the Plt. against the Estate of the sd. Defendt. for seven pr. of Mens Shoes and Two hundred pounds of tobbo: according to his Declaration returnable to the next Court for Judgment. (Order Book Abstracts of Richmond County, Virginia, 1702-1704, Ruth and Sam Sparacio, Antient Press, McLean, VA, 1991)

Was Wm. HAMMETT I, like his neighbor, William Combs, who died 1718/9 in Richmond Co, VA, also a shoemaker? (See Also William Combs of Richmond) The following records support the possibility that Sarah, wife of William HAMMETT I may have been neè BROWN:

John and Maxfield BROWNE above were the sons of William BROWN, Sr. who died bef 1683 in Old Rappa. County, and his relict, Elizabeth _____ who married (2) bef 1683, Evan MORGAN, who died 1683/4 in Old Rappa., and (3) bef 1685, a James TAYLOR whom we have not yet identified (Old Rappa. OB, 1683-1686, p. 38 (52)); Old Rappa. Deeds, 1686-1688:280-281). That this BROWN family was the same referred to in the 1683 deed above appears to be evident based on the following record:

Also to be considered is that many years later, in Culpeper County, is a James MASON (1745-1779) who married Mary BRODERICK, born 20 Oct 1745, Overwharton Parish Register, Stafford Co, VA, daughter of Christopher BRODERICK and Sarah HAMMETT (Cannon), and granddaughter of William HAMMETT II. Possibly of the same MASON family? See Also Josiah and other MASONS, and the BROWNS in respect to the family of John and Hannah (MASON?) Combs of Richmond, and their son-in-law and daughter, William and Elizabeth Combs Kendall, also near neighbors of the HAMMETTS, and with UNDERWOOD intermarriages as well. Also Note Evan MORGAN'S use of the phrase "my wife's youngest daughter," which implies that his wife may have also had older daughters.

By 1724 the land of William HAMMETT I in Richmond was part of the recently organized King George County (1720-21):

Of James HAMMETT, son of William HAMMETT II, later married, probably in either Stafford or Culpeper County, Hannah DODD, daughter of Nathaniel DODD (d 1784, Fauquier), and granddaughter of the above John DODD, born 1666 in Charles Co MD, the son of Richard & Mary DYNE Dodd. (Dodd Researcher Libbie Griffith) Whether the DODDS were later with the HAMMETTS in Stafford County is not yet known; however, Charles Co MD is yet another location that should be searched for early HAMMETT records.

14 Dec 1725 - 1 Jan 1725/6 (KG DBI:318-32) 14th/15th Dec 1725 between William HAMETT of Hanover Parish King George County Planter and John DOUGINS of Parish of Washington County of Westmoreland… by deeds of Lease and Release for ffour thousand pounds of good tobacco sold 100 acres on head of main branch of Gingotague and being part of Patent granted by the Proprietors of the North Neck to William HAMETT for 116 acres dated 10th July 1724 bounded .. Nicholas DONOHO'S line; land of Thomas NEWTON; land of John DODD; line of George PRATT… Presence Isaac ARNOLD, Wiliam x HAMETT Isaac ARNOLD, Junr. His mark Elizabeth x HAMETT John x GOFF his mark Recorded 7th Jan 1725 and Elizabeth the now wife of the said William HAMETT relinquished her Right of Dower and thirds at the Common Law.. Know all men … I William HAMMETT [sic] … am bound unto John DOUGENS in sum of 8000 pounds of good and lawful tobaco .. 15the December 1725. The condition .. if truly performs all agreements obligation to be void … William x HAMETT (Same witnesses) 7th January 1725 .. Bond recorded (King George County, Virginia Deed Abstracts, 1721-1735, Ruth & Sam Sparacio, The Antient Press, McLean, Virginia, 1986)

In 1726, we are confronted again with possibly-conflicting wives' names:

Do we have a many-married William HAMMETT (a condition we continue to experience in relation to the research of the many William HAMMETTS), or clerk or transcriber error?

We have not researched either the above David JONES, nor the following Robert JONES, but it appears that in addition to a possible BROWN ancestor, that we may also have a JONES -and a later direct line of SMITHS; i.e., a Genealogical Nightmare.

The above record may indicate that William HAMMETT II, who had married an Elizabeth by 1725, was the same as the Unknown HAMMETT who married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert JONES, particularly given that a Robert JONES of Essex Co Virginia, associated with both BROWNS and Combs:

It is not yet known, however, if either (a) the above is the same Robert JONES, nor (b) which HAMMETT that Elizabeth, daughter of Robert JONES of King George, married. Also, although not yet researched, later records in Prince William/Fauquier Counties VA indicate that William HAMMETT III, son of William HAMMETT II, who married Rosamund SMITH in Overwharton Parish in Stafford in 1755, was likely the father of a Nathaniel Jones HAMMETT. In the meantime, however, yet more questions arise due to the following record:

Is the above Sarah HAMMETT the same as Sarah (BROWN?) Rose who married William HAMMETT bef 1702? (2) Are the above William and John MARSHALL of the same family as the MARSHALLS of Culpeper who were near neighbors of William HAMMETT who died in that county in 1777, and who may be of the same family as the Westmoreland County MARKHAM-MARSHALL family who also removed to Culpeper? Also, although Westmoreland VA records have not yet been checked for HAMMETTS, at least one William HAMMETT, probably the same who was of King George(?) was recorded there; i.e.:

By May 1744, William HAMMETT I of King George is deceased. Although no estate records have been located in King George thus far, the following record provides the name of his only documented son, William HAMMETT II:

Is William HAMMETT of Stafford with wife Elizabeth in 1744 the same individual as William HAMMETT of King George with a wife Elizabeth in 1725? Was he the son of William and Sarah (BROWN?) (Rose) Hammett? Or possibly a grandson? The answers to these questions are not known yet, and the records of Overwharton Parish in Stafford County, Virginia, add even more to the confusion:

The above is the next HAMMETT record found in Stafford Co VA following the above 1690 record, and the earliest William HAMMETT record in the Overwharton Parish Register of Stafford County, Virginia, pre-dating the record of William and Elizabeth _____ Hammett of Stafford by several years, yet this William HAMMETT has married a Mary, not an Elizabeth. However, only two years later, we find William and Elizabeth HAMMETT in the parish records:

Is this the same William Hammett II of King George and Stafford? Apparently so based on later records; however, Elizabeth, wife of William HAMMETT in 1725 in King George cannot have been the same as Elizabeth, wife of William HAMMETT in 1742/3, and yet Margaret, Mary, and Charles HAMMETT of the above records all appear to have been the children of William HAMMETT II based on later records. Did Elizabeth (JONES?) die between 1737 and 1739, and he marry next a Mary who also died by 1742, and then a second wife named Elizabeth?

This is not known to us yet as we continue to sort through the various records; however, what is known to us are the names of most, if not all, of the children of:

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