An article from “American Heritage Magazine, Feb. 1962, by Richard B. Morris, professor of history at Columbia University in New York, tells about Boston lawyer James Otis. The title, ‘ “Then and there the child Independence was born” Long before [the battle of] Lexington, James Otis’ fight for civil liberties gave heart to the rebel cause…’ The article states that Otis was a Mass. delegate to the Stamp Act Congress in New York in 1765, where he had “the satisfaction of seeing his constitutional doctrine of no taxation without representation embodied by that body…Although far more moderate on the Stamp Act issue than either Patrick Henry or Daniel Dulaney, Otis plucked up his courage and under the pseudonym “John Hampden” published in the Boston press a sweeping denial of Parliament’s right to tax the colonies.’

People of Boston as well as their kinfolk in western Mass. may then have become well aware of Otis’ 18^th century articles. Possibly Otis was quoting the “patriot” John Hampden, as well as using his name.

In western Mass. when the county names were selected, they continued to identify with the English patriot whose cause Otis championed.

In our area of Maine, an influx of settlers from southern New England moved here, in some cases for land granted in exchange for services rendered in the Revolutionary War. It was called “The Great Migration.” Here in Hampden lived an aide to General George Washington, and who was involved directly with the “Boston Tea Party.” Other veterans’ services are listed in the town records.