The area in which the town of Hampton is located had been inhabited by French settlers in the 1600s while First Nations had called it home since time immemorial. The United Empire Loyalists however were the first to establish permanent settlements in the area shortly after arriving in 1783. It was in 1785 that Kings County was established in NB and in 1795 the Parish of Hampton was created out of parts of Sussex and Kingston parishes. One area of the town, known now as the Lower Norton Shore, was originally known as the Yankee Shore because of all the Loyalist immigrants in the 1780s. By 1871 Hampton had a population of 250. By 1904 it grew to 800 and also included a post office, 3 stores, 3 hotels, a match factory, a grist mill, a saw mill and 3 churches. At this time it also included the community of Hampton Ferry and the village of Ossekeag which had a population of 500 and was home to a post office, 7 stores, a hotel, a machine shop and 4 churches. It was also the site of a station on the Intercontinental Railway and a junction on the Hampton-St. Martin's railway. The name Ossekeag is Mi'kmaq for "marshy brook" Hampton was incorporated as a village in 1966. It became a town in 1991. Hampton is located in the Kennebecasis River valley, where the river flows into a wide flood plain. The Hampton Marshes contain a diverse assortment of wildlife and are one of the town's major tourist attractions. Although Hampton is located far upstream from the Bay of Fundy, its high tides have some effect there nonetheless. The marshes flood every spring during the run-off, and then the water levels vary during the course of the year, offering a constantly changing landscape for different animals, birds and fish. In late years, the marshes have suffered from an invasion of Purple Loosestrife. The old Hampton Gaol at, built around 1870, was designated protected in 1976 as a New BrunswickProvincial Historic Site.
Notable people
The town of Hampton is the birthplace of: John Peters Humphrey, ; artist and sculptor John Hooper; MLA Bev Harrison; Colin Jardine, bassist for folk punk band, Sleepy PUNK; NHL referee Tim Peel; singer/songwriter Jessica Rhaye; journalist/New Brunswick author Dorothy Dearborn; and journalist/New Brunswick author Stuart D. Trueman. Steve Fossett once made a crash landing outside Hampton, in an aborted attempt to be the first balloonist to fly solo non-stop around the world. The Solo Challenger departed Stratobowl, South Dakota, on January 8, 1996. Fossett called it "the most embarrassing day of my life," but a woman from the town thought otherwise. Forcing her way through the crowd that gathered, she offered him a miniature Canadian flag. "Welcome to Canada," she said. Fossett sighed wearily and thanked her. As the shire town of the county, Hampton is also home to the
Hampton New Brunswick has four different schools: Dr. A.T. Leatherbarrow Primary School, Hampton Elementary School, Hampton Middle School, and Hampton High School. Their High School is represented by a variety of athletic teams including basketball, soccer, golf, football, hockey, and track and field. Their athletic mascot is the Hampton Husky.
