After the surprises of 1906, annexing two big families as kinsmen, I once more turned my attention to the South, with the following letters as the result:
Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 14, 1913
W. D. Chambers, Muncie, IN
Dear Sir:
Your letter of Jan 14, 1913, addressed to the Principal of Schools at Morganton, North Carolina, seems to have been referred to Hon. A. C. Avery, former Supreme Court Judge of North Carolina. He had two sisters who married men by the name of Chambers, kinsmen of mine. Judge Avery has referred the letter to me for reply.
HENRY'S DESCENDANTS
I was born and raised in Iredell County, North Carolina. That county is the second county east of Burke, of which Morganton is the countyseat. It has so happened that I have become, from various circumstances, to be considered as the historian of my branch of the Chambers family, and I suppose that is the reason Judge Avery, -- as he and I are related by marriage, -- sent your letter to me.
The most remote ancestor of which I have any direct account was Henry Chambers, of Lancaster or Chester County, Pennsylvania, who, in 1754, acquired lands in that part of the colony of North Carolina which is now the eastern part of Iredell county. I was practically raised on the place where he settled soon after he acquired these lands, and have often seen the last house he built and used as a residence. That place remained in the possession and ownership of his direct descendants until 1898, when the then owner, Maj. Pickney B. Chambers, then residing in Statesville, the county seat, became too old to look after the place, which was eight miles east of Statesville, and sold it to some other parties.
From time to time since my early manhood, when I had leisure, I have endeavored to trace his descendants. He had a large family of children, most of whom were born before he obtained the lands in North Carolina. Only two or three remained in the vicinity of his North Carolina home, and the other moved West or Southwest. I have been able to trace only a few of them. In my investigations, I have not been able to trace any of my branch of the family to any part of North Carolina, west of Iredell County, except one of the cousins who married Judge Avery's sister. He lived a part of the time at Morganton, and his younger children were born there or in the vicinity. His name was Joseph Franklin chambers. His children are Mrs. Jessie Co. Dickson, now of Jackson, Mississippi; Mrs. Kate L. Ross, wife of Dr. C. E. Ross of Morganton, North Carolina; and two sons: William Pinckney of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Waightsill Moulton, who, I think, lives at Charlotte, North Carolina.
If any other persons by the name of Chambers lived in Burke or Rutherford counties, I cannot now recall the fact.
During the Confederate war I heard of some soldiers by the name of Chambers from the western part of North Carolina, but did not get acquainted with them and have no memorandum indicating that anyone belonging to my branch of the family ever lived west of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina.
I happen to have a carbon copy of one of the statements about the Chambers family, prepared for some other person, which gives the names of the children of the Pennsylvania Henry and also of his sons Henry and Arthur, which I enclose for your information. Arthur was my great- grandfather, and, as you will see from the enclosed memorandum, his son, Maxwell, born February 1, 1791, moved to Indiana and died in Jasper County, February 9, 1847. I have no record of his descendants; possibly, you may be one.
As I am sometimes called upon, as now, for information, I would be glad if, when you have gotten such information as you want from it, that you would return to me the enclosed memorandum.
If you desire any further information about my branch of the Chambers family, please let me know and I will furnish it if I can.
Yours truly,
HENRY A. CHAMBERS.
Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 20, 1913
W. D. Chambers, Esq., Muncie, IN
Dear Sir:
Your letter of February 17, 1913, in regard to the Chambers family, and returning my memorandum of the early North Carolina members of my own branch of the family, has been received and read with interest.
Your letter, however, does not enable me to give any general information additional to that contained in my former letter.
In answer to your specific inquiries, I beg to say:
I am the son of Joseph, who was the son of Henry, who was the son of Arthur, who was the son of Henry of Pennsylvania, who, in 1754, obtained the lands now in the eastern part of Iredell County, North Carolina, as stated in my former letter. My father, Joseph Chambers, was born March 22, 1820, married Ellen Cashion, August 20, 1840, and died May 15, 1842, leaving me, his only child.
Maj. Pickney Brown Chambers (the last owner of "Farmville," the old Henry Chambers place) was the son of Joseph, who was the son of Henry, who was the son and namesake of the Pennsylvania Henry. He was born January 28, 1821, married Harriet Justena of Burke County, North Carolina, August 11, 1853, and lived in Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina, after the Civil War, until the death of his wife, and then went to his son, J. Lenoir Chambers in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he died Saturday, Feb. 18, 1905.
Enclosed Find:
(I) A copy of a letter dated September 23, 1899, from me to Dr. Edward Chambers Laird, then resident physician at Hot Springs, Madison County, N. Carolina; and
(2) A copy of a letter dated February 22, 1909, from me to Mrs. Rebecca Barnhill Hall of Corinth, Mississippi.
These letters contain the information I then had about the Chambers family. From them you may glean something of service to you. When you have made such memorandum from them as you wish, please return them to me. I am getting old and somewhat lazy and disinclined to write long letters, and will want these copies to use in a similar way with others, who, like you, may make inquiries about the family.
I am referring your inquiry as to your grandfather, Avery Chambers, to Judge A. C. Avery of Morganton, North Carolina. Judge Avery is now seventy-seven years of age and still busy in the practice of law, but in not very robust health. He could hardly give much time to investigation; but he is thoroughly proficient upon the history of the Avery family and, being a native and lifetime resident of Burke County, probably already knows as much about the old families of that county as anyone could without investigation. He is also well acquainted in Rutherford and other adjoining counties. The fact, however, that he sent me your first letter for reply indicates that he could not answer your questions.
It may be, as you suggest, that the Chambers family kept along the hill country near the Blue Ridge, because it resembled somewhat the country of their ancestors in Scotland.
My recent investigations in the preparation of a sketch of the Chambers family of Iredell County, North Carolina, for the Historical Society of that county, leads me to believe that my ancestor, Henry Chambers, like many others of the early settlers of Pennsylvania, left that colony because of the Indian troubles on the border about 1750 to 1760. The peace-loving, non-combatant Quaker government of Pennsylvania refused to protect the border settlers or to help or encourage them to protect themselves from the hostile Indians, and a great many settlers left that colony on that account.
In my correspondence years ago, as indicated in the copies of the letters enclosed, I was surprised, after coming to Tennessee, to find so many people by the name of Chambers in Tennessee and the Southwest; but I was unable to trace many of them, with any certainty, to my own branch of the family. Those of that name in east Tennessee were generally unable to give me much information about their ancestors. One family, however, traced back to a sailor who stopped off at Charleston, South Carolina. I take it, however, that of the Virginia, North Carolina and Southwestern members of the family could trace back to Pennsylvania. As you probably know, quite a number of people by that name live in Kentucky, some of whom, at least, trace back to Pennsylvania. One John Chambers of Kentucky was a great friend of William Henry Harrison and was, as I recollect, made Governor of the Northwestern territory.
I have the same information about the four Pennsylvania brothers that you have, -- one of whom is the founder of Chambersburg.
I would be glad to hear from you further in your investigations.
Yours truly,
HENRY A. CHAMBERS
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Our traditions are not clear prior to 1754. Henry had a family of nine children: Ann (Robinson) 1736; Robert, 1742, died in Georgia in 1814; Jane (Steele, afterwards Hart) 1744, died in Missouri in 1824; Catharine (Reid) 1746, died in Georgia in 1837; Elizabeth (Steele) 1748 died in 1810; Henry, 1750, died on "Farmville" place in 1817; Arthur, 1753, died in Iredell Co., N.C.., in 1819; James, 1755, died in 1804; Joseph, 1757, died at Salisbury, N.C., in 1784.
Of the next generation, I have the following records:
HENRY'S CHILDREN
Henry, 1776-1801; Jane, Elinor, David, Joseph, Nancy, Catherine, Maxwell, Margaret and Ransom. Major Pinkney B., the son of Joseph, married Justena Avery of Burke Co., N.C.; J. Lenoir Chambers of Charlotte N.C., was their son.
ARTHUR'S CHILDREN
Jane (Steele), 1777-1817; Samuel, who moved to Mississippi; Henry, father of Joseph, and grandfather of Henry A., the author of these notes; Sarah (Brem); Joseph; David; Maxwell, died in Jasper Co., IN in 1847; James and Robert.
I am glad to receive from you notes of families unknown to me. Should you come to Chattanooga, go to Temple Court Bldg. and you will easily find the law firm of Richmond, Chambers & Bowlin. Before you publish your history, I would be glad to know you personally,
Very truly yours,
HENRY A. CHAMBERS.
Henry A. Chambers, only child of Joseph and Ellen Cashion Chambers. Born May 17, 1841, in eastern part of Iredell County, North Carolina. Private in Company "C" of 4th Regiment of North Carolina State. Captain of Company "C" of the 49th Regiment of North Carolina Troops in the Confederate Army from May 3, 1861 to Dec. 2, 1862. Troops in Confederate Army from December 3, 1862, to the end of the Confederate War.
Taught boys' school and at same time read law at Morgantown, N.C. from mid-summer 1865 to end of 1866.
January 30, 1867, near London, Tennessee, married Miss Laura Lenoir, who died in 1891. Had two children by this marriage, one of whom, Henry Lenoir, born March 6, 1871, died April 5, 1872; the other Joseph Pinckney, never married, became a fine business man; was born October 6, 1875, and died November 16, 1920.
On May 1, 1867, Henry A. Chambers located at Madisonville, Monroe County, Tennesee, to practice law; as a Democrat was elected to represent that county in the Tennessee Legislature of 1871; and after he removed to London County in 1874, was elected as a Democrat to the State Senate of Tennessee of 1877.
Located at Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1888 to practice law, and has been a resident of that city ever since. Was elected as an Alderman of that city several terms, and after change of form of City Government was first chairman of the City Civil Service Commission.
Was made a Mason of Morgantown, N.C. in 1865, and was Worshipful Master of the lodge at Madisonville, Tennessee, several terms, and also of the lodge at London after removal there, for several terms; and in 1894 was Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of the State of Tennessee; and since 1904 to the present time has been the Chairman and has prepared the reports of the Committee on Foreign Correspondence of that Grand Lodge.
On December 31, 1895, he married Widow Lizzie Walker Tumor of Knoxville, Tennessee, who was a full cousin and principal bridesmaid of his first wife. This last wife died at Chattanooga, Tennessee, September 13, 1919. No children resulted from this last marriage.
J. E. CHAMBERS & COMPANY, SCHOOL ROOM EQUIPMENT
Waco, Texas, Dec. 26, 1924
Mr. W. D. Chambers,
Muncie, IN
My dear Mr. Chambers:
I recall your visit to Waco some years ago when you were on your way to Bryan to teach. I never heard from you after that and had wondered what became of you.
I now have news of you, through Mr. Davis, who tells me you are back in Indiana. I am glad to hear from you again and trust you are enjoying good health and that the world has been kind to you and yours.
As to my ancestors, I do not know a great deal, for which I am very sorry. My people came of Scotch-Irish stock and settled in North Carolina before the country freed itself from Great Britain. I had some people in Washington's army, and sometime after the war closed my great-great- grandfather moved from North Carolina to northern Georgia and settled on what is known as Big Sandy Creek. That part of the state was at that time a wilderness with no habitation except Indians.
My great-grandfather was W. A. (Will) chambers, and a very common name among my people. Allen is another name frequently found in my family. My grandfather left Georgia about the middle of last century and settled in Texas. He had a number of brothers who left Georgia about the same time. Some of them went west and settled in Ohio and other western states, and some to Kansas and Missouri. Soon the war broke between the states and there was a period of four or five years in which there was no communication between the North and the South. After its close we never heard of my people again so far as I know, outside of my immediate relatives.
I have told you very little and wish sincerely that I could tell you more. I am deeply interested, myself, but have so very little to start out with that I have never done much in that direction. Mr. Davis tells me that you are preparing to write the history of the Chambers family in America. I wish you may have much success and that I may be honored with a copy when it is finished.
With all good wishes, I am
Sincerely yours,
J.E. CHAMBERS
As a chapter will be devoted later to circumstantial evidence of relationship of all these Scotch Revolutionary heroes, only a few brief words will be thrown in here.
For years, Henry A. Chambers and others of the South have thought that in some way they were related to the four brothers who came over in 1726. Theodore Frelinghuysen Chambers in his notes always speaks of his ancestors as "the four brothers." The four were James, Robert, Joseph, and Benjamin. Henry was born in 1708; also Benjamin was born in 1708. If Henry and Benjamin were brothers, they were twin brothers. If such had been the fact, this relationship would have been easily established. Then Henry was not a brother of "the four brothers."
After 1726, the next Chambers immigration appears to have been in 1743. David, James and others came at that time. Evidently, Henry came with the "four brothers" in 1726, or with Peter, even prior to this time. If he had come in 1743, his wife and two of his children would have been foreign born. The "Farmville records" would not have overlooked such facts.
Henry, who resided in Pennsylvania (and perhaps, Maryland), until his family was about formed, felt the need of better home protection, as stated by Henry A., and, joining the Daniel Boone movement with his neighbors and friends, he became a pioneer of "New Scotland," as this western colony was called, on account of its high altitude and democratic spirit, and during the rest of his life, Iredell Co., North Carolina, was his home. How natural it was that the other relatives should follow, as it is a colonial law that kinfolks group together, travel together, and bury together.THOMAS
(The man of mystery)
Learning from my uncles that my ancestor, David, lived at or near Culpeper, VA, for a number of years after his
marriage, I attempted by correspondence to find such facts as were of record in that county in the hope that I
might learn something of his life before he started South and West.
I wrote to the superintendent of schools at Culpeper, asking a favor of him. He made the investigations asked for, but the information obtained was quite different from what I thought I had a right to expect. I append his letter and his findings from the court records of Culpeper County.
Culpeper, VA, April 28, 1906
W. D. Chambers, Muncie, IN
Dear Sir:
I send you notes of entries in the Clerk's office of Culpeper County to and from Thomas Chambers. The lease is so long that I do not have time to copy it, but I hope, however, I am sending you the data you want. I am sending you notes of all the records relating to Thomas chambers in this county. But Culpeper did not become a county until 1749, consequently all prior records would be found in Orange County. I find no record of David Chambers.
Yours truly,
T. W. HENDRICKS, Supt. of Schools
Deed Book A., Page 370, 1744. A lease for life to Thomas Chambers and Elizabeth, his wife, from the executors of the estate of Alexander Spotswood, deceased, to 150 acres of land, lying, etc.
Deed Book A., page 374, 1747. Thomas Chambers assigned all his right and title in the above tract of 150 acres of land to one Richard Nalle, etc., etc.
After this entry, the Chambers name does not again appear until 1791.
Succeeding investigations only deepened the mystery. The Culpeper settlement seemed to be a non- slaveholding Scotch center, but I could find nothing concerning its origin. This mystery continued till the summer of 1923, when I unexpectedly ran across this statement:
Early in the 18th century, under the direction of Peter Chambers, a large Scotch colony was formed on the upper Rappahannock. For a number of years he would acquaint himself with the arrival of immigrant ships, and if there were any Scotch on board, he would persuade them to unite with the Rappahannock settlement. Even as late as 1723 he was interested in building up this Virginia settlement.
After reading this statement, I studied the geography of the Rappannock settlement and found that Culpeper County (formerly Orange County) was the site of this early colony; hence, Thomas Chambers is a probable son of Peter, The Rappahannock pioneer. There are those who claim descent from the boys of 1689; that is, descent from the son who made New York his home. It may be that Peter is the Virginia soldier of that date, but I hardly think so. My impression is that Peter fought under the Prince of Orange in England or Ireland, and that he came across in the first or second decade of the new century, not later than the passage of the Schism Act in 1714, when as a good and faithful "Orangeman" he sought religious liberty in America. Coming not alone, but with a colony of Orangemen, he was able to secure lands from the Good Governor Spotswood on favorable conditions, entirely separate from the lands of other colonies. How natural it would be that when the time came to organize a county, they should call it Orange, in honor of the Prince of Orange. How natural that, as slaveholding interests began to press upon them, and as Indian troubles threatened their peace and happiness, that the Scotch settlers should move westward.
Thomas Chambers, selling his land in 1747, is not heard of again in the settlement. Evidently he led the way to a new home in the West. The colonel law of kinship may have urged him a little ahead of the colony that he might find a suitable burial place for his father. At least from family traditions it is known that David did not leave the Rappahhock settlement until seven years later. Any reader of Virginia history ought to know that the name "Culpeper," given to the new county of 1749, would be offensive to an Orangeman. Most of the ardent enthusiasts sought new lands in North Carolina, and when the time came to name their county, they gave it the name of the former Protestant Prince, "Orange." Here, for more than half a century, the inhabitants enjoyed that political and religious liberty for which their ancestors had fought. Peter and Thomas Chambers were both laid to rest. The new generation met the urge of the Northwest. From the headwaters of the Ohio down to the Carolinas every man heard the call to new territory. Some, of course, could not go, but there were but few families that did not at least lose a relative in it. Note the following facts, clipped from Indiana history:
In 1808, Joel Chambers erected his cabin at the head of Lick Creek, near Half Moon Springs, in Indiana. (Perhaps some settled as early as 1800, but no names until 1808). In 1811 the little settlement was considerably increased by a party of North Carolinians who were on their way to Vigo County on the Wabash, but meeting Zacharias Lindley (perhaps the first settler), and having known him in their native state, they were prevailed upon by him to stay and settle in this county.
SAMUEL
Among the party of fifteen families was Samuel Chambers, who opened the first store in the
county and put into it $600.00 worth of stock. The village about this store became known as
Chambersburg. It was laid out as a town in 1822. The plat consisted of 272 lots. The
first white child born in the county was William, the son of Samuel chambers (1812). These people were
most all Quakers, being descendants of Quakers back in Orange County, North Carolina.
William left no children. Henry Chambers, of Paoli, belongs to this branch, but has lost the whereabouts of his ancestors and their descendants.
FROM HISTORY
In 1814, Samuel Chambers was chosen Justice of the Peace in Washington County, IN. Two
years later, Orange County was formed and he was made Justice of the Peace in this county.
Toward the end of 1816, he was made Associate Judge of Orange County.
In 1818, Samuel Chambers was first sent to the Legislature of his state. From that time until
1837 he was generally to be found either in the Legislature or the Senate.
How the descendants of so prominent an ancestor should so completely lose themselves is a puzzle to me. There is no tradition. All the facts given above have come from the record. By the way, how does this argument hold together: Peter, the "Orangeman" of the Rappahannock; Thomas, the lessee of Orange County, Virginia; Joel, the grandson, Orange County, North Carolina; Samuel, the legislator, Orange County, Indiana; then lost off the map? Can someone close up the last century? I have not succeeded in tracing the progeny, and have only vague notions of their whereabouts.
As this book is going to press, I am led to believe that the relatives fell back to the Ohio, and are now immersed in the population of Louisville, Kentucky.