Re: Irish Chamberlains from Boston
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In reply to:
Irish Chamberlains from Boston
Henry Chamberlin 5/15/00
Henry, Here is a "cut & paste" of a message I had previously posted on the Whitaker Family Genealogy Forum.It was easier than re-typing the whole thing ;-)I will add the children of John (b 1814) at the end of the note.
Kathy Hanford Merz in WA state
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My ggg grandfather was John CHAMBERLAIN, b 10 Dec 1814 (Knockfin, Queens Co. IRE) and died in Polk Co. Oregon USA 1891. He told a story to his children of his father Theophelus Chamberlain (s/o Joseph of Knockfin in the County of Queens) and his mother (2nd wife of Theophelus) Catherine WHITAKER. John left Ireland after the death of his father in 1831 as the oldest son of his father's first marriage "fell heir" to his father's estate. John said that he and his sisters (Jane, Susan, Fanny & Marie) came to America. Jane married a Mr. TWIST and settled in Philadelphia and Susan married a Mr. STEARNS and settled in NY. Each of the older sisters "took in" one of the younger sisters. John stayed in PA for approximately 4 years learning the blacksmith trade. He then sailed on a whaling ship "around the Horn", jumped ship in Mexico and arrived in California by 1839. He was the government blacksmith at Sutter's Fort. I have much information on John in CA and in OR, where he moved to in 1846. He married 1st to Nancy HESS at Sutter's Fort in January of 1846 and they moved with her father & family to OR in the Spring.
By January of 1849 he married my ggg grandmother Maria SMITH in OR. Nancy HESS remarried but I've found no divorce records or any records of John and Nancy in OR. John had 7 children with Maria and in 1865 he deserted the family and moved back to California. In 1868, Maria filed for divorce and was granted one. She remarried and John married a 3rd time to Teresa de la Pena.
John returned to OR in 1889 and resided with his oldest child, my 4gr grandmother Olivia Virginia "Jennie" CHAMBERLAIN HANFORD JOHNSON MOORE. He died in 1891. In late 1880s John sent a letter to his son John Wesley CHAMBERLAIN answering questions his son posed regarding his family. He stated again that his mother was Catherine Whitaker. In this letter (but not the original story he had told) he mentions 2 brothers Richard and "Offie", probably short for Theophelus. He tells of his sisters again, but sadly reflects that he had lost touch with them all many years prior.
I have found the record of his sister Jane who married James TWIST in NY. They did reside in PA and then in OH. I tracked them though the census to 1850, but have not researched beyond that as yet, due to being sidetracked by other family lines.
U.S. cousins have been to Queens Co. IRE and visitied Knockfin and the family who now resides there. The family name is ALLY. The surname ROE also is connected but I do not have exact lines. There are descendents still in Ireland.<<<
The children of John CHAMBERLAIN (also spelled in records as CHAMBERLIN, but he only spelled it "-lain"):
Olivia Virginiab 5 Nov 1849
James Theophelisb 31 Mar 1851
John Wesleyb 7 Mar 1853
Franklin Pierceb 1 Mar 1855
George Keelb 3 Mar 1857
Minerva Janeb 4 (or 11) Feb 1859
William Richardb 2 Jun (or Jan) 1861
Sources:
Family papers (including bible type listings)
Divorce record 1864 (Polk Co. OR)
US Census 1850-1920 (OR, CA, WA)
Death certificates; cemetery records
More Replies:
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Re: Irish Chamberlains from Boston
Michael Mahoney 12/26/02
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Re: Irish Chamberlains from Boston
Henry Chamberlin 5/30/00