Hampton D. Hamilton was born in Bedford county, Tennessee, November 12, 1824. His parents were South Carolinians by birth, and were named, respectively, Thomas and Hollie Tucker Hamilton; the former died in Gentry county, Missouri, in 1850, and the latter died in the same county in 1854 His parents removed from Tennessee when our subject was eight years of Age, and located in Lafayette county, Missouri, where they remained but one year, when they removed to Ray county, this State. After a year’s residence in the last named county they once more changed their place of abode and this time settled upon a farm in that portion of the Grand River country now known as Grundy county, and there our subject worked upon his father’s farm and attended the early schools until he had attained the age of twenty-one, when he left home and began to work for himself. He secured employment upon the farm of Mr. Graham, of Livingston county, and there worked six months, and for the next two years worked in various places. In the spring of 1849 he journeyed to the golden shores of California, and after a three years sojourn in the then newly-discovered gold fields, he returned home, in 1852, and bought the farm upon which he now lives, where he has lived since the above date. This farm consists of 340 acres of as valuable land as there is in the county, is all under fence, and 160 acres of it under cultivation.
On the 6th of January, 1853, Mr. Hamilton was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth R. Hill, daughter of John and Elizabeth Hill, residents of this county. Nine children have blessed this union, all living, and are named as follows: Hollie E., Mary R., Henry, Annie M. (now Mrs. John Doty), Sallie F., Emma H., Ezra T., Elton L. and George W. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and are kind neighbors, and esteemed by all who know them.