William Hammond (died 1685)

William Hammond (c.1635–c.1685) was an English gentleman and Grand Tourist. He has been identified since 1792 as the William Hammond who was an original Fellow of the Royal Society.

The Hammond family had been established Kent landowners since 1551. In the 1550s the monastic property that became St Alban's Court, at Nonington, was bought by Thomas Hammond. The name was because of its previous association with St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire. On the Dissolution of the Monasteries it had come to Christopher Hales; via his heiresses to Alexander Culpepper of Bedgebury; and a member of the Culpepper family had sold it on to Thomas Hammond. Sir William Hammond (1579–1615) was the grandson of Thomas Hammond.

Anthony Hammond of Wilburton (identified also as of St Albans's Court, Kent) was son of Sir William Hammond (1579–1615) of St Albans Court. William Hammond (born 1614) the poet was his brother. Their mother Elizabeth Archer or Aucher, daughter of Margaret Sandys, was the granddaughter of Edwin Sandys, Archbishop of York.Sir Miles Sandys, 1st Baronet was therefore his great-uncle. The main seat of Sir Miles Sandys was Wilburton. Elizabeth Aucher was sister of Sir Anthony Aucher, Member of Parliament (withdrawn) for Rochester.

Involved in the draining of the Fens, Anthony Hammond was an adventurer in the Bedford Level: he was one of those with shares in the original 1631 indenture (as "Anthony Hamond of St Albons in the Count of Kent, Esquire"). He had a supervisory role, in drainage work started from 1649 by Sir Miles Sandys, 2nd Baronet (died 1654) and others, under Cornelius Vermuyden, and was paid £20 per month. Superintendent of the South Level in 1654, he was replaced in that post by Samuel Fortrey, the following year. The Hammond's Eau drain is named after him.

...
Wikipedia