While browsing among some old Virginia records I found the following clipping: "Virginia genealogists claim that the name Chambers is a royal name in direct line of descent from Henry III of England. Ann Chambers Bispham of Mt. Holly, New Jersey, left notes proving her descent to be of this royal line." If this is true, it is quite probable that most persons of the Chambers name did not cross the English Channel with William the Conqueror, as claimed by some authorities, but that they trailed to the island after Henry II's marriage to Countess Eleanor of Provence in 1272. History tells us that "relatives of the new queen flocked into England, expecting and obtaining high offices in Church and State, titles, and grants of land. The queen's uncle became Archbishop of Canterbury."
Note how well the following statement from the letter of Charles Edward Stuart Chambers fits into this theory: "Gillaume (William) de la Chambre signed the regimen roll of Edward I (son of Henry III) at Berwick on the Tweed in 1296, as Baillee of Peebles." No doubt Gillaume was related in some way to the king, and for this reason he was given a position of honor and trust in his government. Berwick at this time was larger than London, and as the kind was planning the reorganization of Scotland, it was a position of high honor. In 1345 the records of Worcester, England, speak of Robert de la Chambre. The name was found early in this century in London, Yorkshire, Kent, and even in the Ross-shire toward the north of Scotland.
HISTORICAL SETTING
In the year 1618, under the "Five Articles of Perth," King James restored certain rights to the
Catholics. For this reason, many thousands of Protestants took passage for America. The real
contest, however, in this half century was between the Episcopal Church of England and the growing
Presbyterian Church. This date corresponds closely with the growth of Jamestown and the landing of
the Pilgrims and other non-conformists. George Chambers of Virginia, and Robert Chambers of Perth
Amboy, New Jersey, came over at that time.
In 1637, Oliver Cromwell and John Hampden planned to leave England for Ireland or America, but their passage was arrested. Perhaps it would have been better for the Stuart Royalty to have permitted them to peacefully withdraw from the island. In 1643, William Chambers, a Scottish Divine, was a leader in public thought in the Isles. In 1646, Richard Chambers headed a famous petition to Charles I. In 1650, Humphrey Chambers received big honors as a Biblical author. In 1652, Peter Chambers wrote a treatise on treason, and how it should be punished. George Chambers, in 1655, wrote against judicial astrology.
After the signing of the "Westminster Confession of Faith" in 1646, there followed in rapid succession the Cromwellian Civil War, the Restoration of Charles II, the overthrow of King James II, and the political and religious liberty of the reign of William, Prince of Orange. This was a half century of religious controversy. As early as 1670 the Quakers began to spread throughout Ireland in friendly competition with the Catholics for supremacy. It was in the next decade that Benjamin Chambers joined the party of William Penn on his first voyage to America.
William, Prince of Orange, came to the throne of England in 1689. The Catholics had lost control of the island, and James II had fled to France for help and protection. Ireland was made the fighting ground between the Catholics and Protestants, and William, being an excellent military leader, was the idol of his men. After his death, there was organized in his honor a secret society bearing the name of "Orangemen." Ireland was rent throughout with discord and bloodshed. There were in Ireland about 800,000 Catholics, 100,000 Anglicans, and 200,000 Non-conformists, including Quakers, Presbyterians, Baptists, and other independents. The Catholics were losing much of the land in Ulster, Antrim, and Connaught; and even middle and southern Ireland contained a number of Protestants. Many Scotchmen had entered Ireland for conscience' sake, but in 1704 Parliament passed the Test Act, or Holy Communion Act, which made the government Anglican, rather than Catholic. In 1714, the Schism Act was passed. This act required that all who taught or in any way conducted religious services should belong to the Anglican church. The wealthier Independents, -- Presbyterians, Baptists, Quakers, et al -- disposed of their property and immigrated to America, where they hoped to find religious liberty. Many of the most devout Independents, however, were forced to abide their time to get passage to America. But during the third of a century following Queen Ann, thousands of Non-Conformists, "Orangemen," and even Catholics found refuge in America from Anglican oppression. It was during this period that the patriarchs of most of the Chambers families first saw America.
In the pages which follow, if an immigrant is spoken of as Irish, his ancestors were probably in the mad rush for possessions in Ireland under Queen Anne, or before her time. The name Chambers per se is not Irish, and became so only by insulation among those who were Irish. If he is spoken of as Scotch-Irish, his stay in Ireland was brief, or he is the son of a Scotch father and Irish mother, or vice versa, or a descendant of such parents. If he is spoken of as Scotch, he may have sailed to America from and Irish port, but his blood was pure Scotch. Many Scotch immigrants left brothers and sisters in Ireland, whose descendants became Scotch-Irish, or perhaps, if there long enough, Irish.
FIRST SETTLERS
The Virginia Company, for the purpose of colonization in America, was formed in 1606. Settlement was
made at Jamestown in 1607. After 1609, this company had a Governor and Council. A share of stock
in the company was twelve pounds and ten shillings, and no oath of fidelity was required of the
stockholders. A charter was granted them by King James I in 1619, and in April of that year their
first general Court was held. The following facts are taken directly from the records of this Court:
"For auditors the Court in like sort have now made choice for the succeeding term," etc. On
this committee one member was George Chambers.
And again: "June 28, 1619."
"Auditors to be at the next Court to take their oaths and also against that time an exact account be given
of the state of the cash and what debts is owing, that if may be, half a capital may be divided among
the adventurers." George Chambers took this oath as an auditor.
On July 7, 1620, the Court grouped the members of the General Committee for special work as follows:
"(1) For the laws of England;George Chambers was a member of the third group.
(2) For the Orders for Virginia;
(3) For the particular Corporation
(4) For military discipline."
On July 18, 1620, George Chambers was appointed on a special committee "to consider the fittest course for a magazine or storehouse for tobacco." This committee was "to act with the Archbishop of Canterbury in regard to supplies intended to be sent to the colony this year." Also, in July 1620, George Chambers was appointed on a committee "to confer with the Lord Mayor in regard to bringing children to America." Many other references were made to George Chambers, but these are quite enough to show the esteem in which he was held by the old Virginia Company.
In April Court, 1625, James Chambers was places upon a committee; again, in 1634, he was mentioned. Also, in 1625, Thomas and John Chambers were recognized in some way by the Virginia Court. The above were English representatives of the Chambers family.
In 1635, Robert Chambers, in company with others, left his home near Stirling, Scotland, and settled at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Later he returned to Scotland. He is supposed to be the ancestor of many other Americans of the Chambers name. The fact that his old home was near Stirling identifies him as being of Scotch lineage.
Even before the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, the Chambers name was gaining a foot-hold in Virginia. From Virginia the name pushed westward into the newer states and up the coast even into Nova Scotia and Quebec. These immigrants were English. In the Blue Ridge section of North Carolina, as will be reported in succeeding chapters, most of the settlers bearing the Chambers name were Scotch, yet on the Yadkin, the Catawba, and along the rivers generally could be found traces of the names among the English settlements.
In August, 1922, I attended a reunion at Brookside Park, Indianapolis. Learning that in another part of the park a group of Chamberses were holding their reunion, I joined them long enough to find out that they were of English nationality, and that they had come to Indiana from New York. My cousin, Rev. E. M. Chambers, had quite an extensive conversation with representative men of this group and was well pleased with the courtesies extended him. He was glad to claim them as kinsmen, even though the tie which binds us to them is somewhat obscured by the passing centuries.
THREE BROTHERS OF 1689
The revolution against James II broke out in England in the fall of 1688. James II fled to France
and prevailed upon the French king to aid him in the recovery of his English throne. William Prince
of Orange, the husband of Mary (the oldest daughter of the old king), was invited to England to resist
the pretensions of the French king. This war became a religious war, England representing
Protestantism; France, Catholicism. For more than a century the House of Orange had been ardent
in its support of the Reformation. William II was the man of the hour.
War broke out in America between the English colonies and the French settlements lying to the North and West. The Jesuit missionaries encouraged the Indians along the border to resist the English advance. As a protection to the English settlers, soldiers were sent from the Isles to America. In 1689 five companies landed at New York. Many other companies landed at Boston, and other New England ports.
Among the soldiers who came to New York were three brothers by the name of Chambers. These were sent to different parts as a defense to the settlers. As the story goes (evidence collected from three sources agree on this point), these boys did not return to England. Living among the settlers for six or eight years, they became reconciled to the New World and married here, one making his home in New York, one in Virginia (perhaps West Virginia), and the third in Pennsylvania.
A part of this New York family crossed the boundary line, and perhaps for half a century lived in Canada, leaving there at the time of or soon after the war of 1812. In proof of this I submit the following letter from Mrs. Luella Wolff of LaFountaine, Huntington County, Indiana:
"Joseph Chambers was born in Canada, Feb. 29, 1792. He and his father, whose name we have lost, were both in the war of 1812. The mother's name was Sarah. Sarah's family were Joseph (mentioned above), Minor, Thomas Whiten, Amanda, and Sarah. Thomas went to Peoria, Illinois; Amanda married Henry C. Andrews; Sarah died in childhood. (Minor will be discussed later.) There came to Canada from New Jersey a family by the name of Gibbs. Joseph Chambers married Sally Gibbs. From Canada both the Chambers and the Gibbs families moved to Switzerland County, Indiana, and in about 1822, removed to Bartholomew County, Indiana and were among the early settlers of that county. Joseph Chambers was about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 190 pounds, smooth face, dark hair, brown eyes, rather quiet joker. He died Sept. 1, 1853. His wife, Sally Gibbs, was born Feb 8, 1794, and died at the home of Charity Carter, May 14, 1874, at the ripe old age of eighty years. Joseph and Sally were married in Canada, March 31, 1815.
To this union were born:
Sally Ann, married William Gibbs; born Aug. 11, 1816.
David James, born Nov. 10, 1818.
John Anson, my grandfather, born April 1, 1820.
Cyrenus W., born Sept 13, 1823.
Benjamin S., born Dec. 25, 1825; died March 8, 1826.
Amos (lived for years in Texas), born March 15, 1827.
Benjamin (the 2nd Benjamin), born Sept. 22, 1830.
Nelson, born July 11, 1832; died Aug. 31, 1834.
Charity, married Jonathan W. Carter; born Aug. 16, 1834.
Martha J., married John Allen Williams; born Aug. 20, 1838.
Sally, Charity, and Martha lived to be quite old. Most of the sons also lived to be old. On Dec. 23, 1838, John Anson Chambers married Rachel Smith, who was born near Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Nov. 21, 1820. The following are the names of the children born to this union:
Sallie Ann, Mary Ellen, Charles Lewis (my father), John P. , Minerva Jane, and William Rush."
Mrs. Wolff's letter contains much interesting information concerning the Gibbs, the Carter, and the Simmons families which I cannot use in this history. I hope some local historian will gather these facts and ultimately weave them into history.
Mrs. Wolff gave no information concerning Minor Chambers, but I have accidentally found his progeny. I shall let William L. Chambers, Clerk of the Circuit Court at Brookville, Indiana, recite the story of his ancestry:
Mr. William D. Chambers,
Dupont, Indiana.
Here is some of my family history, and I wonder whether I am a descendant of any of the Chamberses you have some history of.
Minor Chambers (my great-grandfather), was born in Germany. When a young man he went to Canada, then to Switzerland County, Indiana, where he died (date unknown). He had married a Miss Lee in Switzerland County, Indiana. Their children were: Sally C., who married a Cunningham: Palace C., who married a Fisher: Elizabeth, who married a William Snook: Thomas W., who married Lovey Lewis -- who were my grand-parents; and David Chambers, who married and located in Iowa as a farmer.
The children of my grandfather were: Margaret, died at age 22, Jacob, died at age 21; Sarah Carmine, died at age 74; Moluda Carmine, living; Mary Clark, living; William, living; Charles, died at age of 40, has a son Charles who is living; and Lewis Calvin, living who is my father.
Would be glad to hear from you, and would want a book if it included my ancestry.
Yours very truly,
William L. Chambers
W. L. is quite sure that his great-grandfather was born in Germany, then went to Canada and later to Switzerland County. As a man by the name of Minor Chambers was born in Canada, then came with others of his family to Switzerland County, it would seem that one historian or the other must be wrong. I hope that this book may be helpful in straightening out the kinks, so that the truth may appear to each. Evidently there are many descendants of this old family scattered here and there that the relatives know nothing about. Perhaps this book will help them get together.
C. A. Chambers, Detroit, Michigan, was for many years manager of the Consolidated Coal Company. He was born at Paris, Kentucky, and his father, C. T. Chambers, at Roanoke, VA. In Pioneer times, three brothers came to America, one settling in VA, one in N.Y. and one in PA.