Three predominant Chamberlain families immigrated to America in the 1600s. These were the 1- Thomas, Edmond, William Chamberlain, presumably brothers; 2- Henry Chamberlain, known as the Black Smith, and 3- Richard Chamberlain of Braintree, MA.
Y-DNA tests show that these three families are unrelated. However, in my study of the Y-DNA data, I have found that in these three divergent lines of the Chamberlain family, at least two can be traced back to a single source. According to history, this might be the family of Lord Chamberlain to the Duke of Normandy and to King Henry I of England, William de Tancarville.
The origin of the Chamberlain surname
In January 1066, King Edward on his death bed granted the kingdom to Harold Godwinson, the head of a very powerful noble family in England. When the king died, Godwinson was proclaimed King Harold II. On the other side of the English channel, William Duke of Normandy was outraged.
Fifteen years earlier, William visited England and met with his cousin King Edward. According to Norman historians, the childless English King promised to make William his heir to the throne.
William was of Viking origin. The Vikings pillaged northern France in the late ninth and early tenth centuries. However, they eventually accepted that their territory of Normandy become part of France in exchange for peace. William and other Normans were descendants of these Scandinavian invaders. They grew up in Normandy loyal to the French kingdom.1
The Battle of Hastings 1066
On September 28, 1066, William, determined to have the promised throne, landed with thousands of troops and cavalry on Britain’s southeast coast. He seized the village of Pevensey. He then marched on to Hastings where he paused to organize his forces.
King Harold soon arrived near Hastings with his army. The day after his arrival, October 14, 1066, William led his forces in to battle. It ended in a decisive victory. Harold was shot in the eye with an arrow and died and his forces were destroyed. After his victory at Hastings, “William the Conqueror” marched on to London which submitted to his army. There, crowned on Christmas day in Westminster Abbey, he became the first Norman king of England.
William and other Normans spoke French which became the language of the king’s court. It gradually blended with the Anglo-Saxon tongue to give birth to modern English.1
Tancarville Castle, Normandy
One member of the King’s court was Count William de Tancarville of Tancarville Castle. His castle was built on a spur overlooking the Seine River in Normandy. He came with “William the Conqueror” to England. Though he returned to Normandy himself, his sons and descendants remained in England and occupied lands granted to them. William de Tancarville “is the progenitor of the Chamberlain family in England and America.”2
“John de Tancarville, son of the former Earl, was Lord Chamberlain to King Henry I”.2 Henry ruled England from 1100-1135. John “assumed his title as a surname. Richard, son of John, was also Chamberlain of King Steven and the surname Chamberlain has since his day been that of the family.”2
Famille de Tancarville
An English translation of a French record of the Tancarville family gives us a different version of the story. It is more detailed and therefore may be more accurate. It tells us that Guillaume de Tancarville (the French name for William) was the chamberlain to King Henry I.
Le Chateau Fort de la Tancrede, Picture from 1950s
Translation: “William I de Tancarville son of Raoul, chief chamberlain of Normandy and Angleterre. It seems certain that he was the chamberlain of Duke Robert Curthose, and his brother Henry Beauclerc, after his victory at the Battle of Tinchebray (1106). He was a close adviser to King Henry I of England.”3
When William the Conqueror died his oldest sons inherited the kingdom. Duke Robert Curthose ruled Nomandy and his brother William Rufus became King William II of England. Their younger brother, Henry Beauclerc, became King Henry I of England in 1100 when William II was killed in a hunting accident. Henry defeated his brother Robert for the control of Normandy in the Battle of Tinchabray.4
Rabel de Tancarville, the son of William, inherited the role of chamberlain of Normandy from his father. He refused to recognize Stephen as King of England for unknown reasons but quickly submitted. Therefore, apparently, King Steven confirmed him in his function as chamberlain.3
This French account gives us three successive chamberlains to the Duke of Normandy, Raoul, William and Rabel. The English chamberlains, John and Richard, are not mentioned in this report.
Do most Chamberlains descend from William de Tancarville?
About 100 living Chamberlain male descendants (mostly in the United States) were Y-DNA tested before 2011. Modern Chamberlain genealogist James Baldwin Parker concluded that the results of these tests “absolutely proves that there are more than a dozen Chamberlain ancestral lines in the States and elsewhere who are completely and totally unrelated to one another. Only one of them, if any, could be a Tankerville line.”5
The Y-DNA data shows that the Chamberlain families tested are very diverse. That is certainly true. However, I am not sure what this proves and what it does not prove. The data just hasn’t been studied thoroughly enough to come to any conclusions.
Therefore, I decided to examine the Y-DNA data. I would like to find answers to a couple of interesting questions: Are any of these diverse Chamberlains related in their paternal line? And, how many of these Chamberlain families, if any, can be linked to William de Tancarville and his family?
Y-DNA genetic analysis
We all have 23 pairs of chromosomes. We receive one set from our mother which is paired with another set we receive from our father. One of these pairs, the X and Y chromosomes, are sex chromosomes which determine gender. Those with two X chromosomes are female. While males always receive an X chromosome from his mother and a Y chromosome from his father.
23 pairs of chromosomes of the human genome
Mutations in genetic markers called STRs (short tandem repeats) are used to track genetic diversity in father to son generations
When a mutation occurs in the Y-chromosome, it will also be passed on to future male progeny giving that line its own trademark.
This information can be used for many purposes including the following:
1- To identify for an individual their own Chamberlain or non-Chamberlain paternal ancestor lineage.
2- To estimate the number of different ancestral lines that exist among Chamberlain families through out the world.
3- To trace known USA Chamberlain lineages to common ancestors and locations in England or other countries.
The Chamberlain Story now has its own Y-DNA research project. Join today!
Modern Chamberlain family groups
Twenty four males with Chamberlain surname were included in a Y-DNA analysis by the Chamberlain Association in 2003. Twelve of these entries were from the Thomas, Edmond, William (TEW) family. My brother, Ernest Martin Chamberlain, Jr., was included in this data. Our family ancestor in this article is identified as Spencer Chamberlain 1786-1853 (William).
Thirty-eight additional subjects were selected from an unsorted Chamberlain surname project FamilyTree DNA chart.6 I selected only entries that identified an ancestor and which tested 25 STRs. The STRs are identified in my report with numbers 1 through 25.
All 62 tests were evaluated and divided into families. I consider tests with 3 or less mutation differences to be the same family. There are 23 families. They usually had only 0-2 STR differences. After sorting, I assigned each family an identification letter, A through W. The Thomas Edmond William family (family A) was the largest with 18 individuals. The Spencer Chamberlain branch is A013.
Y-DNA Spread Sheet gives a brief ancestor description from all of the 62 Chamberlains who are organized into 23 familes. It shows the Y-DNA profile for 25 STRs for each individual. Also, genetic divergence (the average number of different STRs) is evaluated within the TEW family and also compared to to other families.
A key to identify the letter assigned to each family and the names of the 25 STRs is also given in the Y-DNA spread sheet.
A unique allele in Thomas, Edmond and William Chamberlain’s American family
The TEW family has a unique allele not found in any of the other 22 families, STR 21, allele 32. This may be very helpful in identifying relatives of the three brothers in England and other countries.
In my own family line, one mutation occurred in one of the nine generations between William Chamberlain and Ernest M. Chamberlain, Jr. (STR 24, allele 17) This could help us identify close relatives in the United States on our paternal line.
Finding the Y-DNA profile of the common paternal ancestor (CPA) of related families
Some individuals tested from the TEW family have no changes in their STRs. In other words, they have the same Y-DNA profile as their common paternal ancestor (CPA), Thomas, Edmond or William. Variance from the CPA was 0, 1 or 2 for each of the 18 individuals tested. The average divergence score through the generations since the brothers emigrated to America was 1. The average mutations in the Henry Chamberlain family from their common male ancestor was 1.8. 
It is helpful to know the most likely Y-DNA profile of the CPA of various groups of related families. The likely profile was calculated for each group by counting and selecting the majority allele in each of the 25 STRs. In a case where there is an equal number, either choice will result in the same score. Example: In STR 12, in B- Henry above, if either allele 17, 26 or 27 is chosen for the CPA, the average will still be 1.8.
My goal is to separate out all families unrelated to the paternal line of William de Tancarville. This should lower the divergence average as much as it is possible. When all unrelated families are removed, the common paternal ancestor profile should be very similar to that of William de Tancarville.
Separating out unrelated families
Some families will not be related to the Tancarvilles on the paternal line. In many cases, lines directly descending from the Tancarvilles may have passed on the surname though a female relative, or through an adopted male heir. Therefore, the Chamberlain name was passed on, but an unrelated Y-DNA family was formed Also, some unrelated families may have independently assumed the name of Chamberlain.
To separate the unrelated paternal lines, my first thought was to match the STRs of each family with those of all other families. Their scores, averaged and sorted, might separate related from unrelated families. If these differences were great enough, I thought, two distinct normal (bell curve) populations would be formed.
In the diagram below, each of the 23 families is represented by a letter. The number of different STRs between each family is presented. The averages when sorted ranged from 9.5 to 19.2. (A key to family identification for each letter is found in Y-DNA Spread Sheet)
Charting the distribution of the average scores shows a definite separation of three families from the other 20. I then checked the average number of mutations from the estimated profile of their common paternal ancestor (CPA) for the remaining 20 families.
The average number of mutations from the common paternal ancestor is now 6.8. This is down from the 8.3 average for all 23 families, but it is still much too high. Generations from William de Tancarville to the present should be approximately 2.5 times that of the early American immigrants. Therefore, compared to the average of TEW or Henry reported previously, the Tancarville average should be between about 2.5 and 4.5.
Another diagram was designed to visually observe how close or how far each family is related to every other family. Letters assigned to the various families are shown at the end of the diagram. Each family is compared to every other family. Low scores on the scale of 5 to 15 show families that are likely related. High scores show which families can not be related.
Observation of this diagram shows that seven families C, D, M, P, Q, R and S are completely unrelated. All of the families were sorted and the unrelated families (non color coded letters) appear on the bottom third of the chart. This lower third of the diagram shows that none of these families (uncolored letters) are found in the green (likely related) section, but many letters are deep in the orange and red (not related section).
The seven unrelated families were removed and a CPA Y-DNA analysis was done on the remaining 13 families.
Analysis of the 13 remaining families lowered the average to 5.5. However, this is still too high. Further observation of the spread diagram shows that in the 13 families, there are two independent groups.
Group 1 contains families A, B, E, F, N and W. These, after sorting, were placed in the top third of the diagram and colored blue. Fourteen of the “blue” families are in the “likely related” section when compared with other “blue” families. However, there are sixteen “yellow” but no “blue” families which fall in the orange “probably not related” section of the chart.
On the other hand, Group 2 “yellow” families show that 18 are “likely related” to other “yellow” families. While no “yellow” families, but 15 “blue” families, are “probably not related” to other “yellow” families. Families G, H, I, J, K, L and O are in Group 2. (Key to family identification for each letter is in Y-DNA Spread Sheet)
Separating the two groups of unrelated families again lowered the average mutation changes from the CPA. The CPA Y-DNA analysis for Group 1 average was 4.5, and for Group 2 it was 4.7.
Conclusions
Sixty-two Chamberlain males tested for their Y-DNA analysis were grouped into 23 families. Members of the three American families who immigrated in the 1600s have three or less STR changes in their Y-DNA profile.
Ten of the 23 families, C, D, M, P, Q, R, S, T, U and V are completely unrelated in their paternal line, based on their Y-DNA profile. However, it is highly likely that two groups of paternal families originated at about the time of the chamberlains of Normandy and England.
Thirteen of the families form two unrelated groups. Group 1, families are A, B, E, F, N and W; and Group 2, families are G, H, I, J, K, L and O. Both of these groups have one family with ancestor ties to France. (Group 1 family W, and Group 2 family J) Y-DNA data shows that family members of one, but not both, of these groups could be the direct line father-to-son descendants of William de Tancarville. (Learn about your paternal line with Y-DNA Analysis by FamilyTreeDNA)
Hereditary Office of Chamberlain
The family of Tancarville was of Norman stock, of likely Scandinavian decent, originating from the Viking Tancredus (fr. Tancrède). Tancrede was a companion of Rollo in the Norman conquest of northern France. His progeny was closely tied to the royal family and became the hereditary Chamberlain’s of Normandy and of England. The family was known as being, “in the highest ranks of the Anglo-Norman aristocracy, the lords of Tancarville”7 Tancrede founded and gave his name to the castle fort built on a cliff overlooking the Seine.
Tancarville Castle
Raoul fitz Gerald le Chamberlain (c. 1008- c. 1080) was the son of Gerald II and Helisende. His was the earliest known use of the patronymic “FitzGerald”. Raoul was an Officer of Duke Robert the Magnificent and commanded his fleet in 1029. Duke Robert placed his young son William in the trusted care of the Chamberlain’s household. Thereby, William (the future conqueror of England), was nourished, protected and educated in the skills of knighthood while in their gaurdianship.8
Guillaume I de Tancarville (c. 1045-1129) “le Chamberlain de Normandie et England”. Guillaume, son of Raoul and Avice, was the first to use the Tancarville name. He may be better known by the English version of his name – William de Tancarville.
Rabel de Tancarville (c. 1080-1140) “le Chamberlain de Normandie et England”. Son of Guillaume I and Maude d’Arques. Rabel de Tancarville remained the only chamberlain-in-chief of Normandy and England until Henry I of England created a separate hereditary office for England in 1133,9 and entrusted it to Aubrey (II) of Vere and his heirs.10
A second family held the office of Chamberlain
Aubrey de Vere II (c. 1085 – May 1141) was the eldest surviving son of Aubrey de Vere and his wife Beatrice. He may have been Norman, possibly from the region of Ver in the Cotentin peninsula of western Normandy.
Aubrey II served as one of the king’s chamberlains under Kings Henry I and Stephen. In June 1133 King Henry I awarded the office of Master Chamberlain to Aubrey and his heirs. His eldest son, Aubrey de Vere III, later was made Earl of Oxford. His descendants held that office and title which in later centuries was known as Lord Great Chamberlain until the extinction of the Vere male line in 1703.11
The ten known children of Aubrey II and his wife Adeliza include five sons and five daughters. It is unknown if any of these families took on the surname of Chamberlain.
Château De Tancarville – A Story Of Heritage In Danger
The website Normandy Then and Now recently published an article about the sad condition and need for restoration of the Chateau De Tancarville.
“The story of the château cannot be over, but now while it has stalled the buildings deteriorate and ancient carvings are lost. There are no longer open days, once hosted by the passionate local historical association. Doors are padlocked.”
“Château de Tancarville was registered as an historic monument in 1862. Pierre Bortolussi, architect from the department of Historic Monuments is still waiting to hear from any firms employed to undertake the renovations.”
“We look forward to the day when we match our postcard of château de Tancarville and tell the full history of this fascinating place.“12
An ancient abandoned complex, viewed through padlocked gates, will chateau de Tancarville survive to open again?
TCS Surname Y-DNA Research Project
The Chamberlain Story is interested in data on the all versions of Chamberlain and other surnames including: Chamberlain, Chamberlin, Chamberlaine, Chamberlayne, Chamberland, Chamblin, Shamblin.
The following surnames may also be related: FitzGerald, Vere, De Vere, Tankersville or Tancarsville. Or any name if you have reason to believe your genetic paternal line may be Chamberlain.
I am also interested in the surname Izatt from my maternal line.
Please let me know if you have done a Y-DNA test on any of these surnames!
Links:
Any surname is welcome to take the FamilyTreeDNA Y-DNA test. FamilyTreeDNA lab.
Key to identification of the 23 families for letters A through W: Y-DNA Spread Sheet
Summary Page 3- Other DNA studies
Thank you! Dennis Chamberlain
© Copyright Dennis D. Chamberlain, All rights reserved. The Chamberlain Story, 2019.
References:
1- https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-battle-of-hastings
2- William Richard Cutter, A.M., Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of B & EM. Volume II, Lewis Histories Publishing Co., New York 1908, pp.780-81.
3-https://www.geni.com/projects/Early-Norman-Families-de-Tancerville/1473
4- King Henry I of England, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_of_England
5- James Baldwin Parker, John Count of TANKERVILLE, Castle, Normandy, France, Message Boards www.ancestry.co.uk
6- https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/chamberlain/about/background
7- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tancarville_family, J. C. Holt, Colonial England 1066-1217.
8- Abid, Jacques Le Maho, Nicolas Wasylyszyn; Saint-Georges de Boscherville, 2000 ans, 1998, p. 12.
9- Abid, The Complete Peerage, vol. X, Appendix F, p. 53-55.
10- Abid, Geoffrey H. White, « Financial Administration under Henry I » Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Fourth Series, vol. 8 (1925), p. 56-78.
11- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_de_Vere_II, Cokayne, George: “The Complete Peerage”, v. 10. St. Catherine Press, 1910–58.
12- http://www.normandythenandnow.com/the-footballers-and-forgotten-chateau-de-tancarville-a-story-of-heritage-in-danger/
Dennis Chamberlain,My Dad Floyd Chamblin Families came from France during I think in The time of The Civil War I think they came in through Virginia then migrated to South Carolina. Which my Dad Aunt Lucille Champion had to go with her 2 Brothers to remove their Bodies from the grave because it flooded. She is the Descent of Herrietta Chamblin and her brother David.Her father name was Henry Chamblin they left France because of Religious beliefs .So Dad is Floyd (NMN) His father name was Henry Naler Chamblin and his Father name was William Chamblin born in Virginia.
Deaven Chamblin-Fonseca
It would be interesting to know if your Chamblin line matched with any of the known Chamberlain lines on a Y-DNA test. If any of your male Chamblin relatives take the Y-DNA test, be sure to let me know. Thank you, Dennis Chamberlain
Yes but my Dad Floyd Chamblin just died July 21,2021 in California. But I have a 1st cousin Robert Chamblin who is my Dad Floyd Chamblin nephew because Robert Chamblin is my Dad’s Floyd Chamblin brother Dion Kerrill Chamblin who goes by the name Leon Chamblin. I will try to find out his address in Warren Robin, Georgia. Also my Dad Floyd Chamblin has the youngest brother who died before my Dad his name was Erol Chamblin who has 2 sons younger then me.They would be my Dad’s Floyd Chamblin nephews by his brother Erol Chamblin. 1st.Son of Erol Chamblin would be Allan Chamblin 2.Son would be Rodrick Chamblin the 2 sons live in Stockton, California. I will try to find out.My distant cousin Jo An Chamblin Serrato who lives in California by San Francisco who says we are related to Tancredo of Tancarville Castle those who lived there also she sent a picture to my phone showing the ruined Castle in Normandy, France.Jo An Chamblin Srerrato sent picture of her in place of historic land mark with white sign with black letters Chamblin so at one time Chamblin was a tiny town.Now it’s ruined but Jo An said they had a old building on the historic site.So I will try so I would like to know more about my Dad’s Ancestors. By the way both of my DAD’S Brothers in lecturing my Dad served in The Navy.My Dad Floyd Chamblin and Leon Chamblin was on The Destroyer The USS Higbee the First Naval Ship named after a Female Officer on Board she was there Nurse.My Dad was on The USS Higbee when they were in Korea Protecting the South Korean from North Korea.
Hope you are able to find a member of your family who has the Y-DNA. Also, it sounds like you have a lot of interesting details about your family history. Let me know what you find. Thanks, Dennis Chamberlain
Good Morning;
My grandmother was Mary Amelia Chamberlin, Grand Rapids, her father was Levi. Ancestry takes this line back to John of Tankerville.
I just purchase the Y test from Family Tree and filled out the formfor the 23 and me on your site.
Perhaps these will tell us what the line really is?
Thank you
Hi Esmonde, Your own Y-DNA test will tell you about your Winslow line. To get a study of your family’s Chamberlain Y-DNA you will need to find a Chamberlain grandson of Levi Chamberlain. There is a small possibility that you and I will have a match in the 23&me DNA. If so I may be able to tell you something about your more recent Chamberlain family.
Hello,
I was interested to read that Sable above had a great grandmother who was a Chamberlain.
I am English, and am at present researching my Chamberlayne ancestors. My great grandmother was a Chamberlayne (sic), and her line can be traced directly back to the Chamberlaynes of Astley, Shirburn etc.
A big problem we face though, is the question of whether William or Guillaume de Tancarville really did have a son called John, or not. The ‘family legend’ garnered from Burke’s Peerage (often incorrect) is that he did, but where is the documentary evidence that King Stephen had a chamberlain named John, who renamed himself and his descendants ‘Chamberlayne/Chamberlain’? So far, we haven’t found it.
While the Tancarvilles retained their hereditary position of chamberlain in France, they eventually lost it in England, and it passed to the de Vere family, later Earls of Oxford.
Then there is the question of a William de Tancarville who according to the Early Yorkshire Charters, Vol 4., ‘The Honour of Richmond’, is married to a Theophania or Tiffany, (who had lands in Coleby, Lincs.,) (5th child of Stephen of Tréguiers and Hawise of Blois)…
However, according to Morvan, Frederic (2009). La Chevalerie bretonne et la formation de l’armee ducale, 1260-1341 (in French). Presses Universitaires de Rennes.,
the lucky man in question was not a William, but a Rabel.
I find Mr Earl’s contribution above very interesting. (re. John de Erleigh of Windsor). I would love to know, however, what gave him the belief …’ that John de Erleigh’s father was John de Tancarvile, son of William de Tancarvile. It was John de Tancarville who was Chamberlain to King Henry I.’
I have read his sources which he offers, but I can find no primary source which proves his thesis.
I wish it were true, because Burke says that William de Tancarville had a son, John, from whom was born Richard, etc, but we can find no proof of a John de Tancarville, except in the French line (Jean de Melun de Tancarville etc) – and they were only in France.
Another point is that Henry I of England gave the office of chamberlain to Aubrey de Vere and his heirs after him, (the Earls of Oxford) which leads me to wonder whether the Tancarville family, who had been chamberlains in Normandy and then in England decided to call themselves Chamberlayne/Chamberlain because their noses were out of joint, having been up-staged by the de Veres. I don’t know yet enough about the history of these particular royal chamberlains.
The other interesting thing is that there is evidence that the Tancarvilles were given land in Lincolnshire by Matilda:
“HARLAXTON appears in the Domesday Book as HERLAVESTUNE from a Danish or Norse name of HEORLAFS’TON
The ownership of the Manor of Harlaxton can be traced back to Maud (Matilda), the only surviving child of Henry 1st and a grand-daughter of William the Conqueror. In 1126 she granted some of the land in her Lordship of the Soke of Grantham, to William of Tancarville in return for his promise to provide ten knights for military service. Each knight was to receive a parcel of land, and some of these were in Harlaxton.
https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm109C8_St_Mary_St_Peter_Harlaxton_Lincolnshire_UK
There is also a theory that the Graham family originates with the Tancarvilles, who were given land in Lincolnshire.
‘ …De Tancarville, which held the Barony of Grantham in farm from the Crown after the Conquest for above a century. The English branches of the De Tancarvilles were generally named Chamberlain, and the Chamberlains of Lincoln, probably one of their branches, bore three escallops, which three escallops appear in the De Grahams or Granthams, originally from Lincoln also. It may therefore be inferred that William de Grantham was a younger son of the Baron of Tancarville, who had held the office of Seneschal of Grantham under his father.”…
http://1066.co.nz/Mosaic%20DVD/library/Battle%20Roll/Tankeruile.html
We keep digging.
Best regards,
Frances
Very interesting information.
Thank you.
Dennis C
https://books.google.de/books?id=-dEyAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA204&lpg=RA3-PA204&dq=Manor+of+Harlaxton+william+de+Tancarville&source=bl&ots=gm52bKzBKX&sig=ACfU3U3oNgNTFMg-YSPqDrp25t9WzdlxIw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwja_e7ypfz1AhUROuwKHQCwDGYQ6AF6BAg2EAM#v=onepage&q=Manor%20of%20Harlaxton%20william%20de%20Tancarville&f=false
Hello Dennis,
We have since realised that this William the Chamberlain (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tancarville-22) was Rabel’s (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tancarville-21) son from the Norman male line – which died out with Robert le Chamberlain (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tancarville-36) on 11 July 1302 when Robert was killed at the Battle of Coutrai.
He has nothing to do with the English line.
There were certainly two Chamberlains in the time of King Stephen called John and Richard, but connecting them to Guillaume I de Tancarville may be impossible, as there were many professional chamberlains throughout England, Scotland, Wales and France for several generations – every every member of the nobility, castle and abbey had their chamberlains.
The de Vere family are connected with the Chamberlayne family, though. The granddaughter of Margaret de Vere, (daughter of John, 7th Earl of Oxford), Margaret Lovayne, married Sir Richard Chamberlayne of Shirburn (b. abt. 1356, d. 24 Aug 1396).
Thank you! A lot of great information to research.
Dennis
Thank you for this information. I just received my big y dna results. Doing some digging!
Looks like there are a few options for the Y-DNA test on FamilyTreeDNA pages. Which one will work for this purpose?
Thanks,
Robert Chamberlain III
Hi Robert, If you select the Y-DNA option and then select the Y-37 option. The Y-37 test will tell you which one of the 23 Chamberlain families in my study you are related to. The lab does more expensive tests which give more precise information on your line. Here is what the lab says are the benefits of the larger tests:
“If you are looking to begin Y-DNA testing, the Y-37 Marker test will allow you to become familiar with Y-DNA results. However, if you want to know more about your paternal line through matching or participate in any of our free Group Projects, you will want to start with a Y-67 test. The Y-111 test will be of most benefit for those looking to confirm Y chromosome matching at our highest level between two living men. The difference between the Y-37, Y-67 and Y-111 tests is that we analyze more markers (STRs) which allows for more refined results including matches. The Big Y-700 is for expert users, it will provide 100K SNPs and additional STRs, however these markers will not provide more refined matching.”
I believe I could be a decendant of Thomas Chamberlaine the emigrant. I discovered this based on the lineage found on FamilySearch.org, a genealogy site by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Also
shown in an article from the Allegheny Valley, a story concerning Reisinger Family History page 414-415 and giving the generations from John, Count de Tankerville to Thomas Chamberlaine, who emigrated from Gloucestershire, England around 1670 and located in Henrico, Virginia. There he married Mary Wood, daughter of Major General Abraham Wood.
I would be interested in YDNA testing for possible confirmation.
Thomas Chamberlain, the immigrant was born about 1615. His father may have been Francis Chamberlain but no one knows for sure. There is no reliable source that can trace Thomas or his brothers to their English progenitors. Thomas the immigrant according to my study of Y-DNA data belongs to one of the two groups which may be direct descendants of the Tancarville family. The names Chamblin and Shamblen sometimes come from the French families.
A Y-DNA test will tell you if your are from the Thomas, Edmond, William brothers. Anyway, it will be very interesting what you find. If you decide to have the test, please use my link in the bar above every page of the Chamberlain story http://www.thechamberlainstory.com. This will connect you to the FamilytreeDNA lab who will do the test. Tell them you found them on The Chamberlain Story. Let me know your test kit #.
Thank you for your comments,
Dennis Chamberlain
I have been tracing my ancestry back person to person and my Chamberlain ancestry takes me to the Tancarvilles which may or may not be correct. I think we are descended from Henry Chamberlain, the Black Smith. My dad was a Chamberlin so these are direct ancestors. Both my brother and I have had our DNA done through ancestry.com. Would that provide the information you need to determine whether we are descended through the Tancarvilles?
Hi Beth, You probably are a descendant on the Henry Chamberlain line. It would be great, but unlikely that you can document your line all the way to the De Tancarvilles. My analysis of the Y-DNA data shows that the Henry line (line B) is in one of the two groups that goes back to Normandy, and may be from the De Tancarvilles. The second group apparently goes back to a different Normandy family. And there is a third group of unrelated families. Ancestry DNA will not help on this. A Y-DNA study would only confirm that you are part of the Henry line or that you are from a different Chamberlain line.
Dennis
Hello Dennis,
My name is Glenn Earls. My American Earls surname over the years has been spelled in various ways, such as Earl, Earle, Erle, Earll, Earles, and Earls. The origin of my surname is from England in the time just after William the Conqueror came to England. There was a manor called Erleigh just a few miles to the SE from Windsor which is where Willaim the Conqueror built his English home, Windsor Castle. The first Norman knight to take his name from Erleigh manor was John de Erleigh born abt 1105. His surname would have of course not been Erleigh previously. His name was derived from his lands and Manor at Erleigh which were given to his father by either by King Henry I in about 1100 or prior to 1100 by William the Conqueror. We do know from the records that in 1100 lands at North Petherton were given to the Erleigh family.
I believe that John de Erleigh’s father was John de Tancarvile son of William de Tancarvile. It was John de Tancarville who was Chamberlain to King Henry I. It was John de Tancarville who was given lands and a manor in close proximity to Windsor Castle so that he could carry out his duties to the king. It was John de Tancarville who had a firstborn son who was born in the manor of Erleigh, and who inherited the lands at Erleigh and that firstborn son became John de Erleigh. Once they had land in England they would have stopped using the Tancarville name and adopted the name associated with the lands they now occupied.
The second son of John de Tancarville I believe was Richard and he, as you point out, served as Chamberlain to King Steven.
As you know the right of Chamberlain was hereditary and that right belonged to the Tancarville family. John de Erleigh (b.1105) was never referred to as a chamberlain to the king, but his son William de Erleigh (b.1135) did serve as Chamberlain to Henry II. The fact is that it was a son of John de Erleigh of the manor of Erleigh who filled the hereditary function of Chamberlain and was part of the line of the Tancarvile’s through the de Erleigh line. It was William de Erleigh who in 1166 served as Chamberlain at the time of the Marriage of the King Henry’s Daughter. The British records state “Upon the assessment of aid for the marriage of Maud the King’s (Henry II) daughter certified that he held one knight’s fee by service of being the King’s Chamberlain”
William de Erleigh had a son named John de Erleigh (b. 1171) who also served as Chamberlain. The British records list that “William de Erleigh paid 100s. in 1176 for lands in Somerton which may have been alienated from the royal estate in that year. (fn. 163) His grandson John (II) de Erleigh, who had succeeded in 1199, held the estate in 1210–12 as a royal chamberlain;”
So 100 years later after the beginning of the Norman rule, it was Erleigh sons (of Tancarvile decent) who were serving as Chamberlain to the Kings of England.
Here are some references:
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/som/vol6/pp283-300
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/som/vol3/pp129-153
https://books.google.com/books?id=ayswAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA207&lpg=PA207&dq=british+history+william+de+erleigh+chamberlain&source=bl&ots=DiTw2jjuqC&sig=rZstomZz2D6YWtki4TxuxQ-G2xY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwieyYPq0d_fAhVlFTQIHSQWA00Q6AEwDHoECAQQAQ#v=onepage&q=british%20history%20william%20de%20erleigh%20chamberlain&f=false
http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/jdearley.html
That is really fascinating. Thanks for sharing this information and references, I will study this more. If John de Erleigh was the grandson of William de Tancarville the Earl Y-DNA should match with the Chamberlain’s. If you take the Y-DNA test, please let me know. Thank you, Dennis Chamberlain
I just received my y-dna results. I tested with Family Tree DNA. I just joined the R1a haplogroup project. My kit #885704.
You can email me directly if you wish to talk more about the results.
Glenn Earls
Some Chamberlain’s and some of the Earls share the R-M269 Haplotype. Thank you for the interesting information. Dennis Chamberlain
You should also compare the “de Erleigh” or Earle coat of arms with the Chamberlain coat of arms.
Just got the first set of my results and I might need help translating, lol.
Kit B570431
Feel free to email me
Hi Robert, Your Y-DNA test confirms you are in the Thomas, Edmond, William group. I only study the first 25 STRs, it looks like you did the full test. Some generation between William and you, DYS449 (the 21st STR) changed from 32 to 33. So all of your father to son progeny will carry this unique marker. Only the TEW group have 32 and only your close family will have 33.
Dennis Chamberlain
It’s interesting that you’ve chosen to do this. My great grandmother was a Chamberlain and we have apparent documentary evidence (garnered from biographies, marriage certs etc) to state that this branch of the family line are direct descendants of the Tankarvilles. At least, a biography lists Sir Edward Chamberlain’s family as claiming this in the 1400’s – close enough in time that it is more likely to be true, particularly as his position in society would indicate it. His son, Richard Chamberlain, was part of Henry VII and Henry VIII’s courts, apparently keeper of one of Henry VII’s parks, Captain of a ship under Henry VIII’s attack on France, sheriff of Oxfordshire etc etc.
Can I ask why you’ve chosen to look at Y-DNA instead of mitochondrial DNA? Y-DNA is not an entirely reliable indicator and excludes females. mitDNA would enable you to investigate the women as well, and therefore paint a clearer picture of relationships back to the first female in common, rather than just showing a relationship in Chamberlain surnames. If we are truly related to the Tankarvilles, we would all have the same(-ish) mitDNA as the female Progenitor – Helesinde (Tankarvilles apparent wife) which should be used in combination with the Y-DNA – where possible – to confirm the link. It would exclude those descendents who share the Chamberlain name but were actually born as the result of an affair – which could be why there are at least 3 separate families with the Chamberlain name in your analysis.
Great work though. If only all ancestry searches by name could have this analysis performed! (So many people would find they’re not who they think they are 😀 )
I would love to know more about your great-grandmother’s genealogy. What part of England were they from?
The Y-DNA test was done because it will follow the father-to-son line and therefore the Chamberlain family surname line. mDNA follows the mother to child line, and of course my mother was not a Chamberlain. Thank you for your comments. Dennis Chamberlain
Fascinating material – thank-you!
I’m curious though too that the mtDNA would not be considered valuable. Didn’t someone identify the remains of King Richard III through the modern descendants mtDNA? There has been some speculation, for which I have no direct source, that William de Tancarvile may also be the J mtDNA.
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Y-DNA has a unique purpose in that it is the only DNA test that can study the relationship of families with the same surname, in our case Chamberlain. This is because surnames are passed on each generation from father to son. Likewise, the Y chromosome DNA is always passed from father to son.
MtDNA is always passed from a mother to her children and continued through her daughters. This test is useful for other purposes. King Richard III became interesting when they found his bones in 2012. They extracted his DNA and then tried to find mother to daughter descendants of his family with the same mtDNA haplotype.
Thank you for the question, and I am really happy you enjoyed the article.
Dennis Chamberlain
Hi Dennis.
Hadn’t seen this message from you.
The Chamberlain branch my great-gran was from stayed fairly local in the villages close to Reading (E.g. Chievely and the surrounding villages) for hundreds of years. I’ve been able to trace them there directly to the early 1500’s, but then there is a gap where the relationships get a little less certain – there are too many sons (of brothers)l with the same names, so which one is the son of which is uncertain. As such I haven’t recorded individuals before 1540, though the family is in the historical record from before this time and other people have recorded direct ancestry further back. I won’t without verifying information though so I know mine is good back to 1540, but can’t say for sure for earlier times without needing to see more records. So I have been able to work from the Tankarvilles forwards, and the current Chamberlains backwards, and can see the linkage but can’t yet prove it.
Fortunately, the records for the Chamberlains in Chievely were quite good as they were a) wealthy for a time, b) owned many of the farms, houses, and something to do with owning/running the local church, and c) had many children that survived and stayed in the village.
My grandmother’s grandparents several generations back emigrated to the US and became mormons – with one Chamberlain having 55 children from 6 wives – all at the same time! The many hundreds of family members that claim heritage to that one individual seem to do so proudly lol, and much of their information exists on Ancestry.com – including family histories, biographies, photos etc. I found that aspect of the research quite interesting too.
Hi Sable
I received an email from a member of this Southern Utah Chamberlain family. He told me his line has been traced back to about the mid-16th century, all in Berkshire, England, somewhat near Oxfordshire. I have Y-DNA from a different person who also traces their line to Berkshire. They were in family H of my study which is in one of the two groups that I believe trace back to Normandy.
Dennis C.
Hi Dennis.
Yes, almost all of the US Chamberlain’s will trace back to the Berkshire family. The reason for this is simple: Thomas Chamberlain B:1821 moved to Utah. His son, also Thomas Chamberlain B: 1854, was a mormon with 6 wives and 55 children. So although not all American Chamberlains will be of the Berkshire family, the vast majority of them will most likely be.
Specifically, Chieveley, a small village in Berkshire, has been the home of the Chamberlains for as far back as I can trace. The history of the village goes back to before AD951 when King Edred granted the Manor of Chieveley to his servant Wulfric.
In AD960 this was given to the Abbey of Abingdon.
In the Domesday records, the manor was given by William the Conqueror to two people – William and Godfrey – who were to give the profits to the ‘Chamberlain’ of the abbey, though it doesn’t say who the chamberlain was.
In the reign of Henry I, ‘Herbert the Chamberlain’ was treasurer to the king and was granted various local manors. When he died, one of the manors at Leckhampstead was passed to his son, also Herbert who had married the mistress of Henry I (and subsequent mother of the Earl of Cornwall).
So it can be seen that there are at least two connectiions in the area to the Chamberlain name at and after the time of the Norman invasion: The Chamberlain of Abingdon Abbey and Henry, treasurer to Henry I and therefore likely a Norman that came over as one of William’s retainers. Also, due to the high trusted position of Henry the Chamberlain it is not so great a leap as to assume he was a descendent of the Tankarvilles or that he (or his parents) was a Norman.
Hi Sable,
Most Chamberlains in Utah come from the Berkshire family. However, most Chamberlain in the U.S. come from the Thomas, Edmond, William brothers, or Henry Chamberlain these families came over in the 1600s. I was raised in Utah and everyone would ask if I was related to the Chamberlains in southern Utah. The Chamberlains from Berkshire are family H in my study in Chapter D1. Very interesting history. Thank you.
Dennis Chamberlain
I am so happy I stumbled across this website! We are related somehow! I am also descended from the TEW line, I believe we are descended from Thomas but I will double check with my uncle on that. I just submitted my DAR application for Elisha Chamberlain and his father Moses Chamberlain. I am going to see if my dad and/or uncles or even my brothers would be up for participating in this DNA study. This is so exciting!
Hi Caitlin,
If your family does a Y-DNA test let me know, the information maybe very interesting.
I am glad to hear that you like my blog. Comments like yours are the only way I know if my writing is worth my time.
Thank you,
Dennis Chamberlain