Hamblyn Street

When Charles and Mary Hamblyn arrived in New Plymouth on the Amelia Thompson in 1841, they not only found a new home but also a new spelling for the family name.  For generations, the spelling of the family name was at the discretion of the recorder. Variously, they appeared as Hamlen, Hambly, Hamley, Hamly and Hamlin. So it was that they left Devon, England as the Hamblys and arrived in to New Zealand as the Hamblyns. 

The family owned and farmed an area that covered 86 acres from the sand hills to Devon Road in Waiwhakaiho.  Charles farmed the south side of Devon Street and his brother Thomas arrived in 1885 to farm the land between McLean Street and the beach.

The family name is connected with many items that have survived through to the present day. Despite the fact that the family fled to Nelson during the First Taranaki War of 1861, china and a silver teapot survived because they were buried in the ground for safe keeping. There is also a needlepoint picture said to be stitched by Mary on the voyage to New Zealand. Puke Ariki holds ambrotype photographs of Charles and Mary's daughter Caroline, her husband Charles Foote and their child.

Charles and Mary were buried near the entrance to Te Hēnui cemetery in 1885 and 1884 respectively. The Hamblyn's have a long association with New Plymouth and family members have lived in Fitzroy for five generations.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.