The Quaker Journey
&
The Hambleton Line

In the mid 1600s, the Englishman George Fox had a personal revelation the changed lives of countless people. While traveling England, he realized the importance man's direct relationship with God. A relationship existing outside of the church, the Bible, and the state. The discovery of the need for people to connect to "God's light within" then led Fox to travel the country professing his truth.

Fox preached about his "Society of Friends" in places ranging from fields to churches. The latter venue often led to trouble because Fox had a hard time holding his message until after the preachers finished their sermons. This paired with other beliefs, like the refusal to serve as soldiers for the state caused Fox and his followers a lot of trouble. Towards the end of the 17th Century, Friends from England, Scotland, and Ireland left there homes I'm search of a place to practice their religion peacefully. During this time and likely for this reason, the Hambleton family traveled to North America.

James Hambleton most likely arrived in Maryland sometime in the 1660s or 1670s. The Hambletons remained devout Friends or "Quakers" for generations after their arrival. They took hard stances against slavery, appear to have avoided fighting in the War of 1812, and sided with controversial Hicksite Quakers when the Society divided in 1827. None of these decision were easy--refusing to fight could result in prison time and dividing sects meant leaving friends behind, but the family followed the course they believed in and thrived in their new home.

Areas of North American settlement
before 1675

A Quaker Meeting