Harry Ellis Chamberlain knew Spencer’s father was named John

In 1934, Harry Ellis Chamberlain hired a genealogist, Merton T. Goodrich, to search the records for “the discovery of the parentage of Spencer Chamberlain, born in Westmoreland, N. H.”¹ He was looking for a John Chamberlain, who according to tradition, may be the son or grandson of “Paugus” John.

Harry knew from Spencer Chamberlain’s grandson, Alonzo Chamberlain Phillips and other relatives, that Spencer’s father was named John, and his mother was an Indian named Winona. Spencer was born about 1786 and according to his army discharge record of 1815, he was born in Westmoreland, New Hampshire. However, there were no birth records for either Spencer or his father John in Westmoreland.

The existence of another John Chamberlain, the son of Henry, was well established in Westmoreland. He was married to Eunice Edson, there are birth records of their children, and they all appear neatly in the 1790 U. S. Census. Goodrich studied the available vital records and cross referenced them with census. In his report he wrote: “these records prove that Spencer Chamberlain… could not be the son of this John Chamberlain” ¹

Although there were six Chamberlain households found in the Westmoreland U. S. Census record of 1790, Spencer and his father could not be found. It was quite a challenge at the time to sort out these six Chamberlain families to find who was related to whom.

There were two Chamberlain families in Westmoreland

A huge break came when The Chamberlain Story recently received some letters by Ella E. Abbott, from Historical Society of Cheshire County.  This new information tells us that between 1750 and 1790 there were two Chamberlain families living in Westmoreland. These two families were separate, distinct and unrelated. Thomas Chamberlain’s family lived on the west side of town and Henry Chamberlain’s family lived on the east. Both families had a son named John.

Thomas Chamberlain and Abigail Pierce and their family came to Westmoreland from Middlesex County, MA. Thomas signed the covenant of the new Westmoreland Congregational Church in 1764 and transferred his membership from the church in Newton, Mass.

Henry Chamberlain and Susanna Hinds and their family came from Bridgewater, Plymouth County, MA. He was a descendant of Henry Chamberlain who emigrated from England. Henry’s family were Baptists. “The members of this (Baptist) society mainly came from Middleborough, (Plymouth) Mass.” ²

If Spencer is related to one of these families, it has to be the Thomas Chamberlain family. Our family’s Y-DNA test proves that we are not related to the Henry Chamberlain line.

John Chamberlain was born in Newton, Mass. about 1739

In 2016, internet sources listed a John Chamberlain born about 1734 as one of the sons of Thomas Chamberlain of Westmoreland. However, this information was not confirmed. Did John, the son of Thomas, really exist? Where did this information come from? And, on what basis was his birth year “about 1734” estimated?

I found that there were two John Chamberlains living in Westmoreland, but in the historical record, their identities had been combined into one, as if they were the same person.

The only published record I could find about Thomas’ son John was in the 1885 Cheshire County, NH Gazetteer. The following convoluted paragraph of the Gazetteer tells everything we know about him.  It is full of errors and is incredibly confusing, nevertheless, it contains some very valuable information when decoded:

“Thomas Chamberlain, a descendant of John, who came to this country in the Mayflower,” (this is not true),“was one of several who united in signing the church covenant, September 26, 1764, the first step taken towards forming a Congregational church in Westmoreland,” (this is correct and Thomas transferred from the church in Newton, Mass). “John Chamberlain, 3d, one of the original grantees of this town, was born in Newton, Mass.” (Yes! John is the son of Thomas and Newton is where Thomas came from! However, the term “3d” is nonsense.) “September 17, 1767, and married Eunice Edson.” (What??? That is the marriage date of John Chamberlain and Eunice Edson, but we are now talking about a different John Chamberlain. This John Chamberlain’s father was Henry and they  were Baptists!) “His fourth son, John, was born August 13, 1773.”³ (Obviously, now talking about the son of John and Eunice.)

Here is the corrected paragraph:

“Thomas Chamberlain was one of several who united in signing the church covenant, September 26, 1764, the first step taken towards forming a Congregational church in Westmoreland. John Chamberlain, one of the original grantees of this town, was born in Newton, Mass.”³

“His fourth son, John” is a phrase from the confusing paragraph above, which has given some the false impression that John was the fourth son of Thomas. However, this piece of information is irrelevant since it was referring to an entirely different person.

John was the sixth son of Thomas Chamberlain. He was born between the birth of Jedediah, who was christened on 12 June 1737 in Stoneham, Massachusettss⁸, and Increase Chamberlain who was born in Westmoreland in 1741.

Newton, Mass was the last location where Thomas’s family lived before they moved to Westmoreland. Job was John’s older brother who signed the Westmoreland charter in 1750. Only “adults” over the age of 12 signed. Due to this information and the known christening dates of Joshua and Jedediah, I was able to correct the birth years of these brothers. Joshua was born 1734, Job about 1736, Jedediah 1737 and John about 1739.

Thomas Chamberlain family signers and grantees of Westmoreland²

In 1750 “adult male citizens” signed the New Hampshire petition. Those who signed were apparently 13 years old or older. Those of the Thomas Chamberlain family and their estimated age at the time were: Thomas 47, Isaac 18, Joshua 16, Job 14, and Jedediah 13.

Two years later in 1752 the Chamberlains named grantees of Westmoreland were: Thomas 49, Isaac 20, Josiah 21, Joshua 18, Jedediah 15 and John 13.

Henry Chamberlain was not among the signers nor grantees, and his son John would only be ten years old at the time.

The Letters of Ella E. Abbott to Mrs. Chamberlain

Ella E. Abbott corresponded with a Mrs. Chamberlain for several years but never revealed her writing partner’s first name.  Her letters were to answer questions about the Henry Chamberlain line, but were filled with information about both families. Here are some selected quotes which tell about herself or give information regarding the Thomas Chamberlain family. Copies of these letters and other documents were provided to me by Alan Rumrill director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County.

“My Dear Mrs. Chamberlain,…”

“You are the first one that has written to me about the Henry Sr. line. The other Chamberlain family I am very familiar with although none of them have lived in town for years and years. Most of them went to Vermont different parts of it and I have been able to follow many of them. Jedediah you mention belonged to that line and not yours. I have known all about him.” – June 17, 1927⁴

“My father, a native, of Westmoreland was a Civil Engineer, a Justice of the Peace and a local historian of some reputation. He knew more about everything pertaining to Westmoreland and its inhabitants than any man living… He and I worked together on historical and genealogical lines during his life time and I continue the work. That is how I happen to know about those old families.” – August 1, 1927⁴

“Speaking of George W. Chamberlain, I am sure he knows more about Chamberlains than any other person for no one else that I know has made such a study of the family. Not sure that he knows who was the father of Henry Sr… I gave him valuable data concerning the other family of Westmoreland Chamberlains and I know he appreciated it… I think that other family had many of the characteristics of those of your line. They did not leave records behind them that were easily followed or traced. And, he even had to jump, almost, at conclusions in regard to them sometimes. They evidently came from North of Boston and were evidently connected with the “Paugus John” the Indian Fighter.”  – June 27, 1928⁴

(Note by Author, DDC) Abbott’s comment about Paugus John is both interesting and puzzling to me. I believe George Chamberlain must have got this information from corresponding with my Grandfather Harry Chamberlain, as Harry knew about the Paugus John story in 1927 or before. The only connection between the Thomas Chamberlain of Westmoreland and Paugus John, however, is that they both came from the same area north of Boston. There is no evidence that Paugus John Chamberlain, or any of his descendants, ever came to Westmorland. Nevertheless, in 1934 Harry Chamberlain did not know, and was still searching for his Chamberlain connection to Westmoreland.

“That other family of Chamberlains who were so numerous in town in early times were mostly or all children of Thomas. They were prominent while they lived in Westmoreland but all moved away, left not a vestige behind them. As far as I know they lived in the West part of the town while the Henry line were identified with the East part.” – March 7, 1930⁴

“I have told you there was another entirely different line of Chamberlains in Westmoreland from your Henry line. I am sending some of it to you… A descendant of Thomas3 who was one of the very early settlers, wrote to me sometime and told me of the sons of Thomas and also said there was one daughter whose name was Abigail. This seems probable for the wife of Thomas was Abigail.” 

“The Thomas Chamberlain line claim that Increase was the 1st male child born in the town in 1741 or 2 which was under the Mass. Charter, and that there had been a female child born before he was.”

“There is no record that this Thomas3 died in Westmoreland and after his wife died he might have gone to Vermont to live with some of his sons who lived in Stockbridge.”

“As a matter of reference I am sending you the other line of  Westmoreland Chamberlains. William Chamberlain1 first of Wobern, settled in Billerica, wife Rebecca. Daniel2 b. 1671, lived in Billerica, wife Mary. Thomas3 b. 1703, 4th child of Daniel lived in Newton. Was grantee of Westmoreland as well as some of his children. His Children were Isaac, Josiah, Joshua, Jedediah, John and Abigail, and perhaps Job and Increase.” – March 21, 1932⁴

This is the documentation I have been looking for to confirm that Thomas did in reality have a son named John Chamberlain. He was one of the grantees of Westmoreland proving he was alive and part of the family at age 13 in 1752. The two John Chamberlains of Westmoreland have often been confused as being the same person. However, neither the father Henry Chamberlain nor any of his sons signed the city charter in 1750, nor were they grantees in 1752.

Children of Thomas Chamberlain and Abigail Pierce

Thomas Chamberlain, b. 1703 in Billerica, MA and Abigail Pierce b. 18 May 1706, Woburn MA, d. 18 may 1769, Westmoreland, NH. They married 10 June 1730 in Concord, Middlesex, MA.¹⁰

I have done an extensive search for the source records of Thomas and Abigail’s children, their birth order and birth dates. Therefore, there are some differences in my record when compared with the prevailing records on the internet and in many genealogies. This new information, published for the first time on June 9, 2017 has cleared up earlier discrepancies.

1- Josiah Chamberlain b. 27 June 1731, Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts,⁶ d. 1782.
2- Isaac Chamberlain b. 30 October 1732, Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts,⁷ d. 1783 Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire.
3- Joshua Chamberlain baptized 22 Sept 1734 at First Church of Lynnfield, Essex, Massachusetts.⁸
4- Job Chamberlain born about 1736, location unknown. (I have found no information on the birth of Job. I chose this birth order because he was old enough to sign the petition of Jan. 30, 1750² and was considered an “adult male citizen of the town,” as was his 12 year old brother Jedediah.)² d. 22 March 1825 Brewer, Penobscot, Maine.
5- Jedediah Chamberlain christened 12 June 1737 Stoneham, Middlesex, Massachusetts,⁸  d. 1828, Stockbridge, Windsor, Vermont.

6- John Chamberlain b. about 1739, Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts. It has been reported that John was born in Newton,³ however, a fire in Newton destroyed church records in 1770⁸ and no birth records have been found. His father Thomas moved from Newton to Westmoreland. This places his birth order between Jedediah and the youngest brother Increase. John did not sign in 1750 but apparently was old enough to become a grantee of the Westmoreland charter by 1752. This John Chamberlain is the father of Spencer Chamberlain. To see the new evidence for this, read Chapter 15- The Unusual Household of Increase Chamberlain.

7- Increase Chamberlain b. 1741, d. 24 August, 1813, Stockbridge, Windsor, Vermont.
8- Abigail Chamberlain b. 31 July 1748, d. before 1820 Stockbridge, Windsor, Vermont.

Abigail Chamberlain married Henry Chamberlain of the other Westmoreland family. They were married 26 Feb. 1767 in Westmoreland.

The Henry Chamberlain Line, Six Generations⁹

1- Henry Chamberlain b. 1595, Hingham, Norfolk, England, d. 15 July 1674, Hull, Plymouth, Massachusetts, m. 1615, Hingham, Norfolk, England, June Freeman.
2- Henry Chamberlain b.1619, Hingham, Norfolk, England, d. 3 Dec. 1678, Hull, Plymouth, Massachusetts; m. 1651, Hull, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Sarah Jones.
3- Henry Chamberlain b.1654, Hull, Plymouth, Massachusetts, d. 6 May 1706; m. 1682, Jane.
4- Henry Chamberlain b. 11 March 1686, Hull, Plymouth, Massachusetts, d. 1718, Hull, Plymouth, Massachusetts; m. 14 May 1714, Lydia Vinton.
5-Henry Chamberlain b. 1716, Bridgewater, Plymouth, MA; d. 7 Dec. 1787
m. 16 March 1722, Bridgewater, Plymouth, MA, Susanna Hinds, 1722-1811

Children of Henry Chamberlain and Susanna Hinds⁵

1- John Chamberlain b. 11 May 1742 location unknown, probably Bridgewater.
2- Hannah Chamberlain b. 1746, Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts
3- Henry Chamberlain b. 1747, Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts (Married Abigail Chamberlain of the Thomas Chamberlain family 26 Feb 1767)
4- Lydia Chamberlain b. 4 April 1750, Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts
5- Lucinda Chamberlain b. 20 March 1751, Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts
6- Elizabeth Chamberlain b. 25 Feb. 1752, Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire
7- Ebenezer Chamberlain b. 10 Sept. 1754, Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire
8- Abigail Chamberlain b. January, 1756, Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire
9- Calvin Chamberlain b. 1760, Westmoreland, Cheshire, New Hampshire

It is believed that the danger of living in Westmoreland during the French and Indian wars 1754-1760 caused Henry Chamberlain and his family to return to Massachusetts until the danger had subsided. Therefore, the birth location of the last three children at Westmoreland may be questionable.

There were six Chamberlain families living in Westmoreland in 1790 according to US census records. Spencer Chamberlain was about 4 years-old and was indeed living in one of these households. See Chapter 15.

To be continued….Chapter 11- Thomas Chamberlain, Westmoreland Pioneer

© Copyright Dennis D. Chamberlain, The Chamberlain Story, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the written content of this site without express and written permission from the author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that credit is given to Dennis D. Chamberlain and direction to  www.thechamberlainstory.com.

References:

1- Merton T. Goodrich, Genealogist, The Search for Spencer Chamberlain’s Ancestry, report to sent to Harry Chamberlain, November 3, 1934
2- History of Westmoreland, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, www.nh.searchroots.com
3- Hamilton Child, 1736-1885 Gazetteer, Cheshire County, N. H., 1885 Syracuse, N.Y., p.519 (my comments in brackets)
4- Ella E. Abbott, Letters to Mrs. Chamberlain, copies sent to Dennis D. Chamberlain by Alan Rumrill director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County.
5- FamilySearch.org.
6- Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Town Records, 1626-2001, Image 156 Familysearch.org
7- Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Town Records, 1626-2001, Image 207 Familysearch.org
8- Thomas Chamberlain (3) Daniel (2), William (1), Born at Billerica, Mass. Aug. 1703; died in Vermont. (Type writer document, undated and unknown author) from The Historical Society of Cheshire County.
9- Ancestry.com, Public pedigrees.
10- James Parker, Thomas Chamberlain’s wife Abigail Pierce, http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/chamberlain/2676/

In 1853 Spencer Chamberlain told his grandson about the naming of Chamberlain Lake and the clearing of Chamberlain farm.

Chamberlain Lake was mentioned in the first paragraph of a document titled, “Spencer Chamberlain’s Ancestors”. This document presented the best information available about his family when Alonzo C. Phillips wrote it. This undated document was mentioned in a letter from Alonzo Phillips to his Chamberlain cousins in Spencer Iowa. The letter was dated December 21, 1927, when Phillips was 81 years old.

Spencer Chamberlain lived with his daughter Jeanette Phillips and her children in Glover, Vermont in his last illness in 1853. Her son Alonzo Phillips (Spencer’s grandson) was then 8. The document he apparently wrote many years later is an intriguing puzzle from its beginning. The last sentence of the first paragraph clearly shows it was from the memory of Spencer Chamberlain:

“The first Chamberlain that landed in this country of the Spencer Chamberlain family located on the east coast of Maine in 1700. One of the boys went up north in Maine not far from Moosehead Lake on a shore of a rather large lake and put it on the map as Chamberlain Lake. There he cleared up a farm and to this day it is known as Chamberlain Farm. Nothing of any further note is attached to his memory, only the naming of the lake and farm.“¹

This is true. There is a Chamberlain Lake in the Northern Maine Woods. It is 14 miles long and 2 miles wide and covers almost 11,000 acres. Chamberlain Farm is located on the east shore of Chamberlain lake even today, (2017).

Who named Chamberlain Lake?

I searched the history of Chamberlain Lake but had no luck finding how the lake and farm got their names. However, Spencer Chamberlain’s comment to his grandson from the 1850s may hold the answer to that mystery.

A land survey in the Allagash waterway of northern Maine was conducted from 1825 to 1833. They ran a monument line south of Apmoojenegamook Lake, (the lake’s original Indian name). This formed a base line for laying out townships to the north.²  When George W. Coffin published his map in 1835 the lake was labeled “Apmoojenegamook or Chamberlin L.”. (The last few letters are unreadable due to a crease in the map).³ Someone had “put it on the map as Chamberlain Lake”. This is just as Spencer Chamberlain described it!

The earliest white settlers began settling in the Allagash area in about 1837. A number of dams and locks were constructed on the Allagash River and various lakes beginning in 1841. These were built to facilitate the movement of lumber from the woods of northern Maine to the mills in Banger. Ebenezer S. Coe built Chamberlain Farm halfway up the eastern shore of Chamberlain Lake in 1846. The farm provided a source of hay and oats for workhorses, and winter vegetables for lumber crews. It also served as a lumbering depot on Chamberlain Lake.⁴

The Chamberlain who named the Lake was likely a prominent member of the survey crew that was working in the area some twenty years earlier. The survey took eight years. It seems reasonable that this work crew would also need a headquarters and a farm to feed its men and horses while they were working in the wilderness. Spencer said that “one of the (Chamberlain) boys” went up north, “cleared a farm and to this day it is known as Chamberlain Farm.” Eban Coe expanded that farm in 1846 to meet the needs of the lumber industry and kept the name.

Chamberlains settled on the east coast of Maine

Spencer believed that the first of his Chamberlain family line who landed in this country “located on the east coast of Maine in 1700.” This is not exactly correct, because Thomas and William Chamberlain arrived in Virginia in 1635 and re-located to Massachusetts in 1644. Our family’s Y-DNA test results prove that our paternal line through Spencer Chamberlain goes back to one of the Thomas, Edmond or William Chamberlain brothers.

Therefore, to find the time and location of the earliest Chamberlain settlements in Maine, I searched genealogical birth, marriage and death dates and locations.  I found settlements in Lebanon 1751, Hallowell 1767, and Brewer 1793. None of these were satisfactory because they were much later than Spencer’s description and more important, they were not on the coast.

Then I found a Chamberlain settlement in Rye, New Hampshire. It is right on the coast adjacent to the New Hampshire-Maine border. All the early births were recorded in Rye, New Hampshire, but by the 1800s it was evident that the majority of the family lived in York County Maine, just across the river. This is the first Chamberlain family to locate on the east coast of Maine. They located there sometime between 1701 and 1704.

William Chamberlain, of Woburn Massachusetts was the son of the William Chamberlain who emigrated from England. He married Deliverance Ferguson and they had four children. Their third child, Sarah, was born about 1701 in Cambridge Massachusetts. Their fourth child, William, was born in Rye, Rockingham, New Hampshire in 1704.

William Chamberlain (the third) married Mary Rand in Rye, New Hampshire 7 Nov. 1729. They had six children, Lydia, Samuel, William, Mary, John and Thomas. William, John and Thomas died in Pepperelboro, York County, Maine in 1812, 1832, and 1798 respectively. Samuel died in Augusta, Kennebec, Maine in 1811. It is possible that a son or grandson of one of these brothers worked on the survey crew between 1825 and 1833, cleared a farm and literally put Chamberlain Lake on the map.

It is believed that Spencer Chamberlain was born about 1786 in Westmoreland, NH. There is no evidence that William (3rd) or any of his sons came to Westmoreland, nor that they are direct ancestors of Spencer Chamberlain. However, Thomas Chamberlain, who was one of the early settlers of Westmoreland, was a nephew of William Jr, the first Chamberlain to settle on the east coast of New Hampshire and Maine.

Thomas apparently lived in Rye Rockingham, NH for a while when he was a child. Records show his younger brother was born there. Therefore, it is likely that Thomas and his parents Daniel and Mary, were among the first Chamberlains who, Spencer Chamberlain said, “located on the east coast of Maine”. Daniel and his brother William may have moved there together with their wives and children to Rye, Rockingham, New Hampshire in 1703 or 1704. Daniel’s family, however, moved back to Billerica between 1708 and 1712 by the time Thomas was nine years old.

Some of Thomas’ family returned and settled in Maine before 1810. Therefore, it is possible that members of his family were the ones who cleared the farm and named the lake.

Family Line of William Chamberlain, Jr.,⁵ (Son of the William Chamberlain who came to America)

William Chamberlain, b. 3 March 1652, Woburn, Middlesex MA, d. 20 Jan. 1734, Lexington MA. Deliverance Ferguson, b. about 1656, Woburn, Middlesex, MA. d. unknown. William and Deliverance m. 20 December 1698. Children:

1- “Child” Chamberlain, b. about 1699 Lexington, MA, d 1703 Lexington, MA.
2- Rebecca Chamberlain, b 1700 Billerica, Middlesex, MA, d. unknown.
3- Sarah Chamberlain, b. about 1701, Cambridge, MA, d. unknown
4- William Chamberlain, b. 1704 Rye, Rockingham, NH. d. 3 June 1781.

William Chamberlain b. 1704 Rye, NH, Married Mary Rand b. 3 Oct 1709, Charleston, Boston, Suffolk, MA., d. 5 May 1753, Hampton Rockingham NH. Children:

1- Lydia Chamberlain, b. 3 April 1738, Rye, Maine, d. unknown.
2- Samuel Chamberlain, b. 18 August 1740, Rye, Rockingham, NH., d.1811, Augusta, Kennebec, Maine.
3- William Chamberlain, b. 17 May 1743, Rye, Rockingham, NH., d. Pepperelboro, York, Maine.
4- Mary Chamberlain, b. 20 July 1746, Rye, Rockingham, NH., d. 1819.
5- John Chamberlain, b. 14 July 1749, Rye Rockingham, NH., d. after 1832, Pepperelboro, York Maine.
6-Thomas Chamberlain, 15 October 1752, Rye Rockingham, NH., d. 1798 Pepperelboro, York, Maine.

Daniel Chamberlain⁶

Daniel Chamberlain b. 27 Sept 1671 Billerica Middlesex, Massachusetts f. William Chamberlain, m. Rebecca Addington, d. 22 November, 1725, Billerica, Middlesex Massachusetts; m. 1694 Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts to Mary Swain 1673-1713.

Children of Daniel Chamberlain and Mary Swain⁶

1- Isaac Chamberlain b. 3 Aug. 1695, Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
2- Ebenezer Chamberlain b. 5 September 1698, Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts.⁶
3- Ephraim Chamberlain b. 16 January 1701, Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
4- Thomas Chamberlain b. 9 August 1703, Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
5- Johnathan b. 21 February 1708, Rockingham, New Hampshire, d. 23 January 1790.
6- Mary Chamberlain b. 1712, Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts, m. 1 December 1732, Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts, to Johnathan Cram.
7- Dorothy b. 25 December 1713, Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

To be continued ….

 Chapter 10- The Chamberlain Families of Westmoreland

If you got this far, please click Goodbye or Table of Contents. This will simply tell me that someone looked at this post. Thank you! Dennis Chamberlain

© Dennis D. Chamberlain, The Chamberlain Story, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the written content of this site without express and written permission from the author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that  credit is given to Dennis D. Chamberlain and direction to  www.thechamberlainstory.com.

References:

1. Alonzo Chamberlain Phillips, Spencer Chamberlain’s Ancestors, Unpublished document held by Chamberlain family.
2. Dean B. Bennett, The Wilderness from Chamberlain Farm: A Story of Hope for the American Wild. Shearwater Books, Washington, London 2001, p. 54.
3. George W. Cowen, Plan of the Public Lands of the State of Maine, surveyed under the Instructions from the Commissioners and Agents of the States of Massachsetts (sic) and Maine. 1 August 1835.
4.  Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Allagash History, www.maine.gov
5. Familysearch.org, New Hampshire Births and Christenings, 1714-1904, & New Hampshire Marriages 1720-1920.
6. Familysearch.org

The son of Paugus seeks to avenge his father’s death

After the fight at Seco Pond, the Indians left Pequawket and went to Canada. There was peace for a time. John Chamberlain returned to his family, farm and mill on the Chamberlain homestead at Baddacook in Groton north of Brown Loaf Hill.¹ That fall, however, a son of Paugus came to Dunstable looking for Chamberlain to avenge his father’s death.^2,4  (Butler’s account says he went to Dunstable which really makes sense. Apparently, the Indian would learn there that Chamberlain lived in Groton).

The son of Paugus went to a neighbor in the village with some pretended business that his design might not be discovered. The man thought the Indian resembled the old chief and therefore suspecting his errand. He went directly to the mill and told Chamberlain to look out for young Paugus. Chamberlain thanked the man and went right up to the house and got his gun and went back to the mill.

He took a stick and put his coat on it and then put his hat on top of it and stuck it up by the saw frame. Also, he cut a port-hole above the door so he could conceal himself and command the entrance to the mill. He had only gotten every thing ready when he saw the young Indian step out of the bushes at the edge of the mill pond.  When the Indian saw what he thought to be Chamberlain, he pulled up his gun and put a bullet through Chamberlain’s coat. The smoke from his gun had not passed away when a ball from Chamberlain’s gun pierced his heart, and with a savage yell he fell into the pond.^2,3

 

 

 

 

Fact or Fiction

There are several versions of this story and it is difficult to know fact from fiction. The above story is partially from my own family’s unpublished tradition, which I have modified with excerpts from Caleb Butler’s published edition which seems to be closest to reality. Historian Butler expresses this opinion regarding the story:

If ever young Paugus sought to avenge his father’s death, and it seems pretty evident, from tradition that he did, it was probably at Groton, where tradition places it, and the old dam, near School House No. 9, is said to have been the dam of Chamberlain’s mill and further, a deep hole in the brook, between the lands of Deacon Thomas Hutchins and Merick Lewis, is called “Paugus’ s Hole,” wherein it is said Chamberlain sunk his body after he had killed him.²

Land ownership of John Chamberlain

On May 31, 1727, Massachusetts granted the township of Suncook (now Pembroke NH) on the Merrimack River to sixty grantees who served in Lovewell’s expeditions. As a result, John Chamberlain received a tract of land granted “to the Officers and Soldiers lately in the service of the Province under the command of Capt. John Lovewell, deceased, and others, in an expedition to Pigwacket against the Indian enemy, and which shall hereafter acrue and fall to me as one of the soldiers under Capt. Lovewell.”¹

On January 5, 1729 John sold the Chamberlain homestead and mill at Baddacook to Samuel Woods, Sr., of Groton.¹

12 April 1729 John Chamberlain sold the land he had acquired in 1727 to Joseph Gilson of Groton for twenty pounds and ten shillings.

19 February 1730 He bought another farm at a place called the “Four Acres” in Groton from James Lakin.

John’s father-in-law, Thomas Woods of Groton, died and there was trouble settling the estate. On September 8, 1740, John Chamberlain and Amos Woods, two of the heirs, petitioned the Judge of Probate for Middlesex, to have Samuel Chamberlain, of Chelmsford, a gentleman, appointed administrator. A law suit followed.¹

20 April 1741 John Chamberlain deeded his farm to Samuel Chamberlain of Chelmsford, a gentleman.

20 August 1741 John’s wife Abigail, sold to the same Samuel Chamberlain and Josiah Sartel, of Groton, her share of her father’s estate, located on the north side of Brown Loaf Hill. George W. Chamberlain believes this Samuel Chamberlain is the uncle of Paugus John and the father of Souhegan John. He was also known as Captain Samuel Chamberlain, and is not the contemporary Lieutenant Samuel Chamberlain of Westford.¹

Children of Thomas Chamberlain II

Thomas Chamberlain  b. about 1639; d. 28 March or May 1727, (Grandfather of Paugus John). Sarah Proctor b. 12 October 1646 in Concord MA, d. 27 March 1727). Children of Thomas and Sarah (Proctor) Chamberlain (married 10 August 1666):⁵

1. 1. Thomas, b. 20 May 1667 Chelmsford MA; m. Elizabeth Heald
   2. Samuel, b. 11 Jan 1679, Chemlsford, MA
   3. Jane, b. 19 Nov 1682
   4. Elizabeth, b. 21 July 1685⁵

Children of Thomas Chamberlain III

Thomas Chamberlain b. 30 May 1667 Chelmsford MA; d. 11 May 1709. (Father of Paugus John).

Elizabeth Heald married Thomas Chamberlain 9 Jan 1690. She died at Groton 13 June 1699. Children of Thomas and Elizabeth (Heald) Chamberlain:

1. John, b. at Chelmsford 29 March 1692
2. Joseph, b. at Chelmsford 11 Oct 1693
3. Moses, b. at Chelmsford 3 July 1695 (twin)
4. Aaron, b. at Chelmsford 3 July 1695 (twin)
5. Gershom, b. at Chelmsford 18 October 1697; d. at Groton 29 March 1699
6. Sarah, b. at Groton 23 March or May 1699; d. 14 October 1699

Abigail Nutting  married Thomas Chamberlain 16 August 1699⁶, she was still living in Groton in 1718⁵. Children of Thomas Chamberlain and Abigail (Nutting) Chamberlain:

1. Elizabeth b. 26 May 1700; m. 25 June 1719 Jonathan, son of John Shattuck; lived in Groton until 1724 or 25, she was living in Pepperell, MA in 1738.
2. Abigail, b. 21 June 1701; m. 18 April 1723 to Thomas Woods son of Nathaniel Woods of Groton. Thomas Woods died at fight at Pequawket 8 May 1725.
3. Thomas, b. 3 February 1703; he had two daughters Azubah and Abia.
4. Jane, b. 2 February 1706
5. Mary, m. 9 April 1732 John Scott
6. Dorothy, m. February 1729 Nathaniel Lawrence son of Nathaniel and Anna Lawrence.
7. Sarah, b. 4 August 1709; m. James Shattuck.

Children of (Paugus) John Chamberlain

John Chamberlain b. Chelmsford, MA, 29 March 1692.

John Chamberlain married Abigail Woods, (daughter of Thomas and Abigail Woods of Groton), 13 October 1713).¹ Children of John and Abigail (Woods) Chamberlain:

1. 1. Elizabeth, b. 27 Oct., 1714; m. 23 March 1736, Jeremiah, son of Zachariah and Abigail Lawrence.
   2. Hannah, b. 18 January 1716.
   3. John Jr., b. 24 March 1720; m. 3 Dec. 1746 Rachel the daughter of Zachariah and Abigail Lawrence.
   4. Sarah, b. 27 April 1727.
   5. Abigail, b. 8 Jan. 1732
   6. Thomas, b. 2 Sept. 1735

Children of John Chamberlain, Jr.

John Chamberlain, Jr b. 24 March 1720; d. 17 March 1802.

Rachel Lawrence, daughter of Zechariah Lawrence and Abigail Parker, was born in 1727 and died 6 Oct. 1756, Groton MA).  John Chamberlain and Rachel (Lawrence) Chamberlain, married 3 Dec 1746. Their children were:

1. Rachel Chamberlain, b. 10 July 1747; bapt. 30 Aug 1747, Pepperell, MA; d. 13 Oct 1756, Pepperell, MA.
2. Abigail Chamberlain, b. 8 September 1749; bapt. 17 September 1749, Pepperell, MA; d. 17 March 1786, Groton, MA; 7 June 1770, Pepperell, MA, Edmond Shattuck, son of Benjamin and Dinah (Hunt) Shattuck.
3. John Chamberlain, b. 27 February 1752; bapt. 8 March 1752, Pepperell, MA, d. 30 Dec 1773*, Pepperell, MA. *(This death date would exclude this John Chamberlain as the father of Spencer Chamberlain, however, I have not yet been able to verify this date.)
4. Ede Chamberlain, b. 9 October 1754; bapt. 17 November 1754, Pepperell, MA. She was also known as Eda Chamberlain.⁷

Historic Monuments of Groton

As a High School senior project, Jonathan Pierce of Groton, Massachusetts photographed the historic monuments in Groton. He set up his own website. Some monuments were hard to locate, especially the John Chamberlain Mill location. Michelle Pierce and her son Jonathan finally found the monument and provided the correct photo for The Chamberlain Story. Here is the link to Jonathan’s website: www.grotonhistoricallandmarks.com.

Chapter 9- The Mystery of Chamberlain Lake 

Before he died in 1853, Spencer Chamberlain gave us clues that may help us find his ancestors, and information about the naming of Chamberlain Lake and the origin of Chamberlain Farm in Maine. Why was Chamberlain Farm cleared years before there were any white settlements and long before the logging industry came to the Allagash Wilderness?

If you got this far please go to “Table of Contents”, or click “Good Bye!” This will make my day to know that someone read my post. Thank you, Dennis Chamberlain

© Copyright Dennis D. Chamberlain, The Chamberlain Story, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the written content of this site without express and written permission from the author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that credit is given to Dennis D. Chamberlain and direction to  www.thechamberlainstory.com.

References:

1. George W. Chamberlain, John Chamberlain, The Indian Fighter a Pigwacket. Weymouth, Mass, 1898.
2. Caleb Butler, Paugus, son of Paugus & John Chamberlain of Groton, History of Groton, Massachusetts, 1848 p. 109
3. Alonzo Chamberlain Phillips, Spencer Chamberlain’s Ancestors, unpublished notes he as he remembers from his grandfather Spencer Chamberlain. About 1925.
4.  Samuel A. Green, M.D., Groton and the Indian Wars, Groton Mass. 1883.
5. George W. Chamberlain, One Branch of the Descendants of Thomas Chamberlain of Woburn, 1644, Weymouth, Mass., 1897.
6. The Chamberlain Family-The First Six Generations, http://www.babcockancestry.com/