__________________________________________ Retyped by Arthur C. Hurlburt, with reformatting for better comprehension __________________________________________ T H E H U L B E R T F A M I L Y 1305- * With the ancestry of Walter Holbord THOMAS HULBERT William Hulbert and their connections with early emigrants to The New World * Henry Carlton Hulbert 116 Nassau Street, New York, N.Y. descendant of Thomas Hulbert of Saybrook, Conn. and Wethersfield Connections with Samuel Bennett, in 'James', 1635 to Lynn, Mass. the Hyde, Hurd, Partridge, Hardy and other families. 929.273 A1 #540 Page 1 O R I G I N The surname Hulbert is derived from "hurl-bat", a whirl-bat, a kind of weapon whirled when used. A "hurler" is one who hurls or throws, particularly one who plays the game of hurling. The wielder of the hurlbat was styled a "hurlbat", e.g., Nicholas (the) hurlbat, in conformity with the system at the time. Later on when surnames became a necessity, the appellation became a designation of the family of a hurlbat, who assumed it as a surname. As the game of hurling was played in various shires, Page 2 there were many hurlbatters, whose descendants assumed the appellation as a surname, and of course not in the least related to each other. All instruments were written by "clerks", clerics, or officials connected with the courts or record-offices. As the pronunciation is different in different parts of the country, so the surname was written in various ways, generally phonetically, by the clerks. As an example, we may mention one EDWARD HULBERT, a timber-merchant, who as late as 1672 occurs in various State Papers, Domestic, Charles II, as HULBAT, HULBORD, HULBERT, HOLBORE, and HOLBY, all of which can solely be ascribed to the carelessness or ignorance of clerks. It has been said that the surname, in some instances, is derived from Albrecht ou Ulbricht, i.e., son of Albrecht [Younge,II,396]. The earliest English records in which the name occurs do not bear this claim. Page 3 It has also been asserted that the surname is a sobriquet of a cloth-beater or wool-beater; the family in which we are particularly interested were clothiers in the early part of the fifteenth century. But, judging from records which shortly will be referred to, the earliest instances of the appearance of the surname would indicate an entirely different occupation. The name occurs first in the year 1305, when we find in a Patent Roll of 33 Edward I, that on March 20th that year, a "Commission of oyer and terminer was issued to Robert, son of Payne and others, on complaint by Peter Ernald de Ville, burgess of Bayonne [France], Fernand, his fellow, and Adam de Gelde, merchants of St. Sebastian [Spain], that whereas they had laden a ship beyond seas with merchandise to the value of Page 4 3,000 marks, for trade in England, and the ship was driven by tempest upon Porteland, Co. Dorset, and the worn out mariners had transferred themselves to those alive, Henry la Blake, and a large number of others, among whom we also find one GILBERT HURLEBAT [all, evidently, natives of Portland Island, Co. Dorset], entered the ship, carried away the goods, broke the ship and cut it to pieces. We find the name, next, in the county of Suffolk, when on June 16th, 1310, a commission of oyer and terminer was issued to William de Ormesby and Hervey de Staunton, on complaint by John de Sanoto Philiberto that Thomas Abboy of St. Edmunds, and a large number of others, among whom we also find one ROGER HURLEBATTE cut and carried away the herbage of his meadow at Lekford, Co. Page 5 Suffolk [in English law, an easement which consists in the right to pasture cattle on another's ground], and impounded his cattle without food, so that many of them perished." Finally, we find the name in county Salop [Shropshire], when on Sept. 15 1312 a commission of oyer and terminer was issued, on complaint by Wm. Orm, that Leonard Waldyn, of Sambrok, and many others among whom we also find one JOHN HURLEBADDE broke his house at Priors Halghton. Co, Salop, assaulted him, drove away 40 of his sheep of the price of 6 marks, maliciously killing them..." The name does not occur now until 1353, and then in the county of Gloucester, when we find from a Patent Roll of 37 Edward III, on July 4th, the "appointment of John de Keynesham Page 6 and THOMAS HURLEBAT to take in the county of Gloucester workmen and servants for the repair of the enclosures of the king's parks of Brymmesfeld..." From one of these probably descended ROBERT HURLEBAT who occurs in the year 1399, when on October 28th there is an "Inspeximus ["we have seen", a word sometimes used in letters patent, reciting a grant, inspeximus such former grant, and so reciting it verbatim]. It then grants such further privileges as are thought convenient, [5 Coke, 54], and confirmation of letters patent [French], of Edward duke of Albemarle, earl of Rutland, dated Windsor, Oct 8, 20 Richard Page 7 II [1396], granting, for life to ROBERT HURLEBAT the keeping of his park at Odiham [Hampshire] and wood at Whitmundeslee in his lordships there with the accustomed fees and profit, receiving 2d. and 1d. daily from the issues of the castle and lordship of Odiham." On March 19th, 1401, there is a confirmation inspeximus to the king's servant ROBERT HURLEBAT of 4d. daily from the issues of the castle of Odiham, in recompense of the office of Keeper of the Park of Odisham and the wood of Whitmundeslee with 3d. daily." Odiham is situated about five miles east of Basingstoke. On November 20, 1406 there was granted a patent to ROBERT HURLEBAT, John atte Wode, and John Weymakere of pavage Page 8 [a contribution or tax for paving streets or highways] for three years to be expended on the repair of the highway between Hertfordbrigge and Basyngstoke by supervision of Richard Spencer of Salisbury [Wiltshire], parson of the Church of Newenham." On July 10, 1424, we find from a Patent Roll that William Tank of Basyngstoke, Co. Southampton [Hampshire], gentleman, received a pardon for not appearing before the king's justices of the Bench to answer John Perveys, citizen and alderman of London, executor of ROBERT HURLEBATTE, late citizen and fishmonger of London. and JOAN his wife, executrix and late wife of the said Robert, touching a plea that he render 74s. 10d. In the absence of further data it is of course not possible to prove that this ROBERT HURLEBATTE is identical with the above mentioned ROBERT HURLEBAT. Page 9 Two years later, on June 1, 1426, Roberrt Lovell, of Ramesham [Rampisham]. Co. Dorset, esquire, had a pardon for not appearing before the king's justices of the Bench to answer John Perveys, citizen and alderman of London, executor of ROBERT HURLEBATTE or HURLEBAT, late citizen stokefishmonger of London and JOAN his wife touching pleas that he render L10. nor to answer Alice, late wife of John Blakeden, late citizen and goldsmith of London, and others. Rampisham, Dorset, is situated about 75 miles north of Portland Isle, Dorset, where the name first occurred with one GILBERT HURLEBAT. Fordingbridge is midway between Odiham and Basingstoke and Rampisham and almost on the boundry of Dorsetshire. Page 10 Farnham, Surrey, where the name next occurs, is situated about six miles east of Odiham and it is therefore, at least, plausible that the Surrey and Wiltshire family of this surname [to which county the first one of the line of whom we have any connected data, removed as we shall see later on] descended from the above mentioned ROBERT HURLEBAT of Odiham, Basyngstoke, and probably London, who evidently had interests both in Basyngstoke, Hampshire, and Rampisham, Dorset, as appears from the claims of his executor. It is also probable that they descended from the first GILBERT HURLEBAT of Portland Isle, Dorsetshire, but in the absence of any data proving such connections we have to begin the pedigree with one I. J O H N H U R L B A T T of Farnham, Co. Surrey, who bore arms: Page 11 Sable a cross between four leopards heads jessant de lis or. Crest: Out of a ducal coronet or a talbot's head argent and gules, collared of the last, ringed and studded of the first. These are the same arms as borne by the Corsham, Wiltshire, family of HULBERT. His second son, William, was born in 1490, from which we can infer that JOHN HURLBATT was born before (1457?). JOHN HURLBAT of Westbewyn [West Bedwyn], Wilshire, died there in 1506 "aged". And, as the family appeared near this locality in Wiltshire some years later, we may draw the conclusion that JOHN HURLBAT of Farnham, Surrey, is identical with JOHN HURLBAT of West Bedwyn and born before 1450 as he was styled "aged" in 1506. Page 12 The eldest son, ALEXANDER HURLEBOTTE, occurs in a grant of September 1544 to Wm. Sheldon of Weston, Warwickshire, of houses and land in the parish of Lawrence and All Saints in Evesham, Worcestershire, then in the tenure of....and of ALEXANDER HURLEBOTTE. The yougest son (continued in Part 2)