User talk:Doonhamers

Hamer name. I have seen several accounts of the possible origins of the Hamer name and they are at odds with the research I conducted between 1992 and 1994 details of which can be found in the book I wrote at the time entitled The History of Hamer. I only had 500 copies printed which have all been given or sold. Occasionally copies appear in second hand book retailers. For those interested the following gives an account of my research into the origins of the name. Several people have put numerous theories forward as to how Hamer surnames were acquired and some are quite plausible. According to C.W.Bardsley (historian) the name Hamer was originally classed as a local surname. It represented 'of Hammer' a parish in the diocese of St. Asaph, North Wales or a village of the same name in Shropshire. However P.H. Reaney suggests a Hammer- Smith. Another common theory is that it is derived from the old Norse for hammer - shaped rock. Hammer is quite common in Norway, Denmark and Germany. Whilst Hammar is common in Sweden. Fortunately we have the vast range of the Church of the Latter Day Saints records, the International Genealogical Index (I.G.I) at our disposal. Of the nine thousand plus Hamers currently recorded when I did my research approximately 75% came from Lancashire. Of those recorded before 1600, 90% came from this county with the great majority of these coming from the Rochdale and Bury areas which are adjacent townships. In additional evidence from Wills registered at Chester from 1572 to 1858 for the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire re-in-force this theory. A study of all births and deaths in the 19th century for England and Wales also comes to the same conclusion. It is pretty safe to assume that the vast majority of all Hamers originated in Lancashire and probably from Hundresfield, Rochdale. In An Historical and Topographical Account of the Town and Parish of Rochdale in Lancashire in 1828 it is stated The word Hamer is perhaps derived from Ham, (Saxon) a village or small place, and mer or mere a stand or pool of water. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Fishwick F.S.A one of Rockdale's most eminent historians stated 'The Hamers, of course, took their name from the mere or small lake formed by the waters of the Hey brook. On a 19th century map of the area also shows Hey Brook House. The whole area of Hamer is on low lying land through which the brook Hey flows on its way to the river Roche. From the 13th century to the 16th century the Hamer name was to be spelt in a number of ways. In a document of 1401 it was shown as Hamore and in other documents Heymer and Haymer although the majority of documents I found spelt it Hamer. To my mind there is little doubt the name originated from the Hey Brook and the low lying mere it passed through which is now the Hamer district. There are theories how the Welsh Hamers got their name. In my research I found evidence in Bury Library of movement between religious sects from Bury to Wales during during the religious upheavals of the late 17th and 18th centuries. I don't doubt that the Hamers moved to Wales in those times as the name does not appear in Welsh records or the I.G.I as far as I am aware before the 17th century. Unfortunately I did not record that evidence. The earliest known Hamer that nearly all Hamers are possibly descended from is Robert de Hamer. He was shown in the poll tax list for the Parish of Rochdale, Lancashire for the year 1380-81 when there was a poll tax of three groats on every male. The was during the reign of Richard the Second. In the Parish of Rochdale 146 paid this shilling (3 groats= 1 shilling). The actual area the Hamer family lived in was Hudresfield which was within the Parish of Rochdale and ran just north east of the town centre and encompassed nearly all the land formed by the triangle Rochdale, Littleborough and Todmorden. I could find no evidence of Hamers before that date and virtually all Hamers I found research for up to 1600 came from the county of Lancashire.