A few years ago, the scientific world was startled by the announcement by a noted chemist, Mr. Atkinson, that he had discovered how the ancient Egyptians had made the bricks used in their walls and buildings. The process was a stubble and straw process that had been unknown to modern experimentation, and was re-discovered by him from a cursory reading of the biblical account of the Israelitish captivity. Mr. Atkinson found the truth of the axioms: "the old is ever present in the new." "The past is our heritage for the asking."
Rational research was the price he had to pay for this discovery. It is ever thus. The present has its roots deeply hidden in the past, and he who would comprehend the present must diligently dig among these branching roots for the causes of its existence.
Very early in life I became interested in the traditions of my ancestors. In the summer of 1862, before I was six years of age, I made my first experiment in working out family history. A two-days journey was taken among relatives near Madison, IN. If course, I cannot forget the popcorn, the apples, and the cookies, but the one thing that impressed me most was that on the home-trip, as we were ascending the Madison hiss, we were able to count fourteen boats coming and going upon the Ohio -- a much larger number than we would find afloat now.
Genealogy, as generally used, is exclusive, it inhibits the "no kin" to suit the genealogist writing. His interest in a family name narrows to the immediate ties of his ancestry. Beginning with "self" he says, "These are ours; those are not of us."
Early in the '80's, in the city of Terre Haute, I met a man who had for two or three weeks received my mail, wondering from day to day what it all meant. His name was the same as my own, even to the initials. Meeting him at his office, I traced my ancestry back to the Revolution; he did the same with his ancestry. We could not hitch on then, but just one generation further back reveals a tie of relationship. From this time on I became more alert in discriminating between my kith and kin and unrelated families of the Chambers name. At the request of my two uncles, Alexander and Stephen Avery, I began to reduce all facts I learned to writing, especially the facts of tradition which they were able to give me concerning my own people.
Before the end of the 19th century I had collected much data concerning a number of families in this country, and had received from Charles Edward Stuart Chambers, head of the Chambers Journal House of Edinburgh, Scotland, much useful information concerning his ancestry. It was about this time that I began to prepare my notes for publication, but as I was hardly able, financially, to attempt so thankless a project, I have postponed from year to year this undertaking, thinking, perhaps, that next year my notes will surely be given to the printer.
But in fact, I was not ready to go to press. Since 1900, three printed pamphlets, prepared by exclusive historians, have come to me. I have received much help from these. By means of letter-writing I have come in touch with most of the Chambers families in this country and in Canada. Letters have been sent to genealogists, family historians, school superintendents, county clerks, pastors of churches, secretaries of lodges, librarians, accidental references, etc., for special facts desired. I have gleaned state and county records, have visited old churchyards, have studied pioneer trails, and have added to my ever-changing stock of old material all new facts thus found. Often have I met those who were anxious to give me the names of father, mother, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and those of all the children, even down to the latest arrival, but when the name of grandfather or great-grandfather was asked for, their information suddenly came to an end.
Guided by the rule of court procedure which assumes the innocence of the accused until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, I have assumed that all members of the Chambers order have a common kinship, and that our doubts and ignorance of facts should not be accepted as evidence of non-relationship. The Chambers name in America includes those of English, Scotch, and Scotch-Irish descent. In some families there is an ad-mixture of French, Spanish, Indian, Negro, or Mexican blood. During the World War I was a teacher in a military school at Bryan, TX. One day I found with my mail a letter addressed to Mary Chambers. It had been given to me by mistake. Mary Chambers was a young colored woman of the community. In the same city I became well acquainted with Willard Chambers, Texas' representative of the Ford Automobile Company, and president of the Chambers Wilson Motor Company. He gave me a ride now and then, and told me about his people. Among the Chambers historians who have contributed to this volume are the following:
Attorney David A. Chambers, McGill Bldg., 908 G. Street NW, Washington, DC;
Attorney Henry A. Chambers, Chattanooga, TN;
Alexander Chambers, Danville, Hendricks Co., IN;
Spier Bruce Chambers, Lewis P. O., Vigo Co., IN;
Robert E. Chambers, Spencer, Owen Co., IN;
E. T. D. Chambers, Fish Commissioner, P. of Quebec, Quebec;
Attorney David W. Chambers, Newcastle, IN;
Alexander Chambers, Deputy, Jefferson Co., IN;
Stephen Avery Chambers, Brevard, NC;
William Grant Chambers, Dean of the School of Education, University of Pittsburg, PA;
James H. Chambers, president Dios Chemical Company, St. Louis, MO;
Willard Chambers, mgr. Chambers-Wilson Motor Company, Bryan, TX;
John Chambers, veteran Civil War, Muncie, IN;
F. C. Chambers, salesman, Steubenville, OH;
C. A. Chambers, mgr. Consolidated Coal Corp., Detroit, MI;
Henry Chambers, author and publisher, New Orleans, LA;
George Chambers Calvert, banker, Indianapolis, IN.
In the above list there are the names of four attorneys, three school professors, seven business men, three authors and publishers, and two farmers. More than half of these are now dead, and all of their records have been entrusted to me, to be used in the publication of this History. In addition to these lists and a number of smaller lists, I have had the privilege of checking up with three printed pamphlets sent me. These were genealogical, and credit is given the authors for the facts used. Without these lists and pamphlets this book could not have been written.
It may be of interest to know of the following geographical references:
Chambers Street, New York City, NY
Chambers County, AL
Chambers County, TX
Chambers, Floyd County, GA
Chambers, Holt County, NE
Chambers, Burke County, NC
Chambers, Pittsburg County, OK
Chambersburg, Brown County, IL
Chambersburg, Orange County, IN
Chambersburg, Miami County, OH
Chambersburg, Gallio County, OH
Chambersburg, PA
Chambers Island, Green Bay, WI
Chambers River, Inlet Lake Itasca
Chambers Creek, TN
Chambersville, Calhoun County, AR
Chambers River, North Australia
Chambers Pillar, North Australia
I shall have occasion to mention some of these in the body of this work.
A year ago I came across the original records of the old Virginia Company, which was organized in 1606, and operated at Jamestown, Virginia, during the first quarter of the century. One of the most trusted men in this company was one George Chambers. This information caused me to make some changes in my notes. Throughout my investigations I have uniformly held to the theory that the Chambers families that can not relate on this side of the Atlantic, if the facts were obtainable, would in a few centuries unite back in England or Scotland; very few families would hitch on beyond the English Channel.
After the sale of this book is completed, should some one desire a copy, please write me; I shall hold the forms set up just as long as I can, for such emergencies.
Assuring all readers that I have made an effort to treat fairly the various patriarchs bearing the Chambers name,
I am very sincerely,
WILLIAM DAVIS CHAMBERS