We would like to thank C.H. Dowdy for this history of the
Hambleton Family and the pictures of John and Mary Hambleton
and Henry F. Dowdy.

Alsey Hambleton was born about 1797 in either North Carolina or England, married Edith Hinton Smith in North Carolina with Burrel Brown as Bondsman and died in Tennessee, probably Henderson Co. His son, William Henderson Hambleton, was born 21 Feb 1819 in Wake Co., North Carolina, married Matilda Elizabeth Campbell, who was born about 1813 in North Carolina and died 1861 in Bloomfield, Stoddard Co., MO.

According to the "Cemeteries of Stoddard County Missouri 1839-1992", William is buried in Taylor Cemetery with the headstone inscription reading W. H. Hambelton 21 Feb 1819 - 9 June 1861 and the notation that this is the oldest grave in the cemetery. (note name difference). This information differs from that in the biographical sketch found in Goodspeeds "History of Southeast Missouri" :

"Joseph A. Hambleton. In the early settlement on North Carolina, there came a family from England named Hambleton, and one from Ireland, bearing the name of Campbell. A son in the former family, William H. and a daughter of the latter, Matilda, were born in that new country, and afterward became man and wife. The Hambleton family moved west to Henderson County, Tenn. but in 1850 boarded a flat-boat down the Tennessee, and at Paducah, Ky., took steamer for Cape Girardeau, where the early ships of the plain were to carry them to the site of Stoddard Co., Mo. They located about twelve miles southeast of Bloomfield and settled on unsurveyed land, populous in wild animals and game, to such an extent that the domestic animals were in constant danger from wolves. In 1849 the death of Grandfather Hambleton occurred, and while Grandfather Campbell was visiting his daughter, in 1855, he was taken away. It was in the spring of 1851, while the father was out showing the way to a tract of land sought by some strangers, that while the party was diverting themselves with hunting, the father was mistaken for a deer in a clump of brush, and was shot. He lived about twenty-four hours. Four of his eight children are now living: Joseph A., John F., Samuel A. and Daniel L. The subject of this sketch was born in Henderson County, Tenn., in July, 1840, and lived at home after his father's death, until he joined the Missouri State Guards, called out by Gov. Jackson. After six months with them, he joined the Confederate forces under Col. W. L. Jeffrey, and served until the surrender, at Shreveport, La. in 1865. He was in the battles at Belmont, Pilot Knob, Helena (Ark.), Chalk Bluff and other places, receiving a flesh-wound in the leg, and also in the arm. After reporting to Maj. Montgomery, of the Union forces, he was allowed to remain at home, where he soon after lost his mother. In July, 1862, he married Mary C. Smith. Of their three children, two, Amanda (now Mrs. H. F. Dowdy) and Mary Alice (now Mrs. John Dennington), are living. He lived at his wife's home, near Essex, until 1874, and then after a short time in Wayne County, returned and located in Bloomfield. At Piedmont, he served as city marshal, and spent about four years as deputy sheriff at Bloomfield. The next four years he and his brother were merchants at Essex, and in 1882 he settled on his present farm, embracing 200 acres, four miles from Dexter; 135 of this are finely improved. Mrs. Hambleton and the children are members of the General Baptist Church. Mr. Hambleton has been an Odd Fellow from his early years."

After Amanda Hambleton married Henry F. (Tucker) Dowdy - Picture of H.F. Dowdy
at her father's home in Stoddard Co., Mo. on 18 Feb. 1885, they moved to Charlie, Clay Co., Texas in 1890. Joseph A. and Mary C. Hambleton followed then shortly and Mary bought property in Clay Co. Texas in her own name. John S. and Mary Alice Dennington also moved to Texas, but John died during a visit back to Missouri and Mary Alice could not care for her family alone, so they moved back into her parents home. Amanda died as a kerosine lamp expolded in her hand on 3 Nov. 1900, burning her severely. She died on 25 Nov 1900, and is burried in the Charlie Cemetery, Clay Co. Texas. At the time of her death, Amanda's family included twins who had only been born on the 17th of July of that year. One of the twins, Francis Marion, was wet nursed by a neighbor (Mrs Norman) and survived. His sister, Amanda, was bottle fed by her grandmother, Mary Hambleton. Baby Amanda did not do well. Knowing what we do today, she was probably alergic to cow's milk, but no one understood that at that time. She finally died 26 July 1901. All the additional family responsibilities was apparently more than Joseph and Mary could take care of, for on 28 Aug. 1901 Mary Alice put 4 of her 8 children in Buckner Orphans Home in Texas. According to his son, Paul Dowdy, Tucker had a firey temper and there was a disagreement over the care that baby Amanda had recieved; the families seperated with Tucker buying out some property that they owned jointly and the Hambletons moved across Red River to an Indian Lease they had secured in Botsford, Indian Territory. One of Mary Alice's children (Louis) died in the Buckner Orphans Home and the Hambletons got the remaining children (Matilda Edith, Jennie Bell, & Joseph) on 5 July 1902. My father, Claude H. Dowdy tells me that Joseph A. and Mary Hambleton were living across the river near Temple, Cotton Co., Oklahoma when he was a boy and died there, but I have not found the graves.

C.H. Dowdy