As has been previously stated, one of the passengers on "The Welcome" in 1632 was Benjamin Chambers. After his return to Antrim, Ireland, four of his sons (about 1726) embarked for America to live. These sons were James, Robert, Joseph, and Benjamin. This family, being influenced by the Westminster Confession of Faith, carried Presbyterianism into the New World.
Landing at Philadelphia, these boys forsook the Delaware and sailed up the Susquehanna to a point one hundred miles to the northwest, where they established a mill with a part of their remaining capital. This mill stood at the mouth of Fishing Creek on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna, a few miles above where Harrisburg now stands. Learning of the opening of the West, these brothers each entered land for himself, as will hereinafter be stated.
James, the oldest brother, moved by way of Carlisle to Newville, twenty-five miles inland, where he spent the remainder of his life. Robert moved to a point at the head of Middle Spring near Shippensburg, ten or fifteen miles southwest of his brother, James. Joseph and Benjamin moved fifteen miles further southwest to a point afterwards known as Chambersburg. Benjamin, the younger son, remained here, but his brother, Joseph, returned to their former home at Harrisburg.
James had two sons, Ranold and Rowland. Ranold was born in Antrim, Ireland, ten years before their passage, and died at the age of 30, leaving a large grant of land in Cumberland Co., PA, to his son James. There were other children in this family but their names have not been learned.
James, the son of Ranold, was commander over three companies of soldiers during the French and Indian War, and fought a hard battle at Sideling Hill in April 1756. James had a son, John, whose home was also in Cumberland Co., who was the father of William, who became a Colonel in the American Revolution. William fought at Trenton and Princeton, and died in 1809.
The second son of the elder James, Rowland, had a son, George, and a daughter, Catharine. Her our genealogy is broken. Rowland was also born in Antrim, Ireland, perhaps about 1720. The two brothers were buried at Meeting House Springs on the State Road.
As a digression, it is perhaps proper to state that there was another Rowland Chambers (1759), honored in Great Britain as an eminent Presbyterian clergyman. He was perhaps of this family in Antrim, hence similarity of name.
Dr. William Chestnut Chambers, son of Colonel William Chambers, was born in 1790, and died in 1857. He was a classmate of President Buchanan in Dickinson College, and later studied in the Medical department of the University of Pennsylvania. He afterward became a flour and iron manufacturer.
Talbot Wilson Chambers, S.T.D.,L.L.D., son of Dr. W. C., was born at Carlisle, PA, in 1819. He was a graduate of Rutgers College, and studied theology at Princeton. He was pastor of the Collegiate Dutch Church of New York, and was regarded as one of the greatest clergymen of the century.
Benjamin Chambers, the younger of the four brothers, made deposition Dec. 8, 1736, that he was a millwright and that he was twenty-eight years of age. He, therefore, was born in 1708. When eighteen years of age he came to America, and in 1730 founded Chambersburg. In 1755 he and others built there a stone fort and stockade. In 1764 lots were laid out and sold to settlers. In 1788 Benjamin died, leaving at and near Chambersburg, a valuable estate. In 1803 Chambersburg was incorporated; in 1864, burned. For many years Chambersburg was known as falling Spring, and near it were the three natural parks, Wolfe Lake, Mont Alto, and PenMar.
The notes of Rev. Theodore Frelinghuysen Chambers, the historian of the Benjamin Chambers branch, have been and invaluable help in the choice of material for this chapter.
Another George Chambers was born at Chambersburg, PA in 1786; died 1866. He graduated at Princeton in 1804; was a member of Congress 1833-1837; member of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention 1846-47; and was appointed Judge of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 1851. Washington College conferred upon him the L.L.D. degree in 1864. He was an author of note and wrote among other things his "Tribute to the Scotch- Irish in America," which is still to be found in Eastern libraries.
Here is given a quotation from a letter written by Hon. Henry A. Chambers, of Chattanooga, TN: "I have a pamphlet sketch of the Hon. George Chambers, son of Benjamin Chambers, the founder of Chambersburg, and from this I learn that after founding this place, Benjamin Chambers returned to his native place in the old country, and induced a great many of his old friends, and acquaintances to come to America." (This George was perhaps a grandson of Benjamin).
The pamphlet to which Henry A. refers is doubtless the one published in 1873 by the Pennsylvania Historical Society, which contains similar facts.
Here a little and there a little and we are prepared to write the biography of another prominent member of this family. Benjamin Chambers was born at or near Chambersburg, PA, about 1745. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and later a government surveyor. He carried his chain and compass over the land where Rising Sun, Ohio County, Ind., now stands in the spring of 1798. In 1803 he had built a double log house and moved his family there. He sold land to settlers, most of whom came from Pennsylvania. In October 1807, he and Lewis Davis were given a large grant of land by the U.S. government for efficient services. On March 7, 1803, he was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel and Commandant of the Dearborn County Militia; on December 10th, 1805, he was commissioned Judge of Common Pleas in and for Dearborn County (Ohio County was formed from Dearborn in 1844).
By proclamation of Gov. W. H. Harrison the first House of Representatives of Indiana Territory convened at Vincennes, Feb. 1, 1805. It consisted of nine members, elected for a period of two years. At this meeting five persons selected from a list of ten were appointed a Legislative Council. The first regular session of the General Assembly was held at Vincennes, IN, July 29, 1805. Benjamin Chambers of Dearborn County, was elected president of the Legislative Council. The second session of the First General Assembly convened on the last Monday of October 1806. Benjamin Chambers was again president of the Council. He continued to hold this position till the close of 1808, when he resigned. For many years Judge Chambers was held in high esteem in his adopted state. We do not have the facts concerning his declining years, but we have reasons to believe that he removed back east before the time of his death.
(Recent letters almost definitely determine that Cincinnati was chosen as his home after his removal from Rising Sun.)
On May 16, 1901, while passing through the town of St. Omar, Decatur Co., I made an accidental discovery of relationship in this branch. An interview was held with the aged John S. Chambers, the substance of which is given below:
"My name is John Shimar Chambers. I was born at Monmouth, NJ, in 1811. My father's name was George, and my grandfather's name was Daniel. I remember seeing my grandfather once. My father and family were moving from New Jersey to Ohio. We stopped in grandfather's. He lived on land now in Chambersburg. The three brothers (three hills) were on grandfather's place, which was then pastured largely with sheep. He joked us about climbing to the top of a high hill for the fun of rolling down again. Grandfather was quite wealthy, and we understand that inquiries have been made for his heirs, but we have been too poor to employ counsel to look after our interests there." John S. had two brothers, Joseph of Kokomo, IN, and Daniel, who died in Ohio. It is quite probable that these are the Joseph Chambers branch, that is descendants of the third of the four brothers.
Isaiah Meneh Chambers was born at Mifflinsburg, PA in 1865. He is a Presbyterian clergyman of note, and resides at Merchantsville, NJ.