Have you ever wondered why you were born in America? Why did your family decide to leave their home to come here? And, what was their life like when they got here?  This is the true story of one family that emigrated to the New World and has expanded into the Twenty-first Century. The Chamberlain story begins with Francis Chamberlain and Agnes Hayden in England during the 1600s, when the world was a different place.

Francis Chamberlain and Agnes Hayden

1580 Francis Chamberlain was born, I presume, in England. Francis contributed to our family gene pool a sense of adventure, entrepreneurship and bold risk taking. His connection, as father of Thomas, Edmond and William, is based on circumstantial evidence and can not be proved. However, unlike other prominent Chamberlain American immigrants, his connection can not be disproved.

1614 Francis Chamberlain married Agnes Hayden in Ugley, Essex Co., England,¹ a small, (and quite lovely) village about 30 miles north-east of London. Agnes Hayden was a wonderful choice for our family. She seems to have brought a balance to our genetic base with her contribution of spirituality, integrity and moral courage. Francis and Agnes are likely my eighth great-grand parents.

I spell Agnes Hayden with a “y” even though it was spelled Haiden on the marriage record which reads:  “CHAMBERLAIN, Francis & perhaps Agnes HAIDEN; m 1613/14 Ugley, Essex”. I believe the “perhaps” was recorded because someone was not sure how to spell her name, (I do not believe this means “perhaps” they were married, or “perhaps” Francis married someone else!). Anyway, her father’s name was spelled Hayden, so I will go with that.

The date on the record 1613/14 is from the old/new calendar systems. To avoid confusion, I have adjusted all my dates to the new calendar system.

Y-DNA study rules out Henry and Richard as father of the three brothers

Genealogist Prentiss Glazier stated that Francis is “presumably the father of Thomas, Edmond and William.”²  This statement is given greater credibility by our family (my brother Martin’s) Y-DNA test results.³

What is Y-DNA? There are two things that a father passes down directly to his sons. His surname and a small chromosome called the Y chromosome, which determines that the child will be a male. The haplotype profile in my family closely matches those of documented descendants of Thomas, Edmond and William Chamberlain which proves that we are indeed direct descendants.

On the other hand, our Y-DNA  does not match descendants of Henry Chamberlain or Richard Chamberlain. This shows that they are not closely related to, and disqualifies them as parents of the three brothers. So, sorry Henry, “you are not the father!”

This leaves Francis as the possible father. The time-line for Francis Chamberlain, Agnes Hayden and their three possible sons is smooth and without contradiction. Nevertheless, the evidence is circumstantial and a direct connection remains elusive.

1615 their first son Thomas Chamberlain was born

1617 their second son, Edmond Chamberlain was born

1619 their third son, William Chamberlain was born

The Voyage of Francis Chamberlain to Virginia

On July 12, 1621 Francis Chamberlain set sail from London on the Marmaduke,⁴  probably arriving in Virginia in October or November. Of course we cannot be certain that this Francis Chamberlain is the same Francis who married Agnes Hayden.

We do not know what happened to Agnes Hayden. However, if the Francis Chamberlain sailing the Atlantic on the Marmaduke is the same one who married her, the three brothers were apparently left in her care and/or the care of servants.

The only evidence we have for this being the same Francis is the time line which shows no contradiction at this point as his departure is about two years after the birth of William.

The glaring question is why would Francis leave his wife Agnes and three small sons behind? As you read on, the plot thickens and a possible motive is manifest.

Powhatan Indians attack the English settlements

On March 22, 1622  a few months after Francis Chamberlain arrived in Virginia, Chief Opechancanough led the Powhatan Indians in a campaign of surprise attacks on the English settlements and plantations, mostly along the James River. Using clubs, knives or any tool available they killed about 347 men, women and children, almost one third of the 1200 colonists.

Jamestown was saved by the warning of a young Indian living in the home of one of the colonists, Richard Pace.  The Indian woke Pace and told him of the planned attack. Living across the river from Jamestown, Pace secured his family and rowed to the settlement to spread the alarm. Jamestown increased its defenses and was not attacked. Survivors flocked to the protection of the more fortified Jamestown.⁵

April 1622 William Newce, had previously made an offer to pay the expense of 1000 colonists’ voyage to Virginia by the summer of 1625. The massacre, however, brought this enterprise to an abrupt halt. Captain John Smith wrote: “This lamentable and so unexpected disaster drave them all to their wits end. It was twenty or thirty daies ere they resolve what to doe; but at last it was concluded all the petty Plantations should be abandoned, and drawne only to make good five or six places.”⁶

April 1622 Some time in April there was a second massacre of between twenty and thirty persons. Much sickness followed the uprising. A period of intermittent warfare continued through 1632.

Rebecca Chamberlain arrives in Virginia after deadly Indian attacks

Rebecca Chamberlain arrived in Virginia from London in April on the Bona Nova. Her emotions were intense as land appeared on the horizon. She had not seen her husband Francis since he left England in July!  Two of Francis Chamberlain’s servants accompanied her and cared for her on the journey. Rebecca had given birth to a new baby boy during the voyage. She named him Francis after his father.

When she stepped off the ship with her new baby, she was horrified to find her new home settlement still reeling from the horrific disaster that had struck a few weeks earlier.  The residents were still in a state of shock and panic.

Two surveys give information about Francis Chamberlain in Virginia

16 February 1623 Francis Chamberlain had survived the attack. A survey of the living and dead in Virginia listed Francis and Rebecca Chamberlain as living in Elizabeth City.

7 February 1625 Francis Chamberlain Muster at Elizabeth City, Virginia.⁷ This census ordered by the Crown in June 1624 was taken, showing a total population of 1232 settlers and included numbers of weapons, livestock, grain, etc.. Virtually all information we have about Francis Chamberlain and his family in Virginia comes from this census. The muster lists Francis age 3, as born in Virginia. *However, If the child was actually age 3 by the date of the muster, his birth occurred during the voyage on the Bona Nova.

Francis Chamberlin age 45, Marmaduke 1621; Rebecca Chamberlin age 37,  Bona Nova 1622; Francis Chamberlin age 3, Born in Virginia.*

Servants: John Forth age 16, Bona Nova 1622; William Worlidge age 18, Bona Nova 1622; Sionell Rolston age 30, God’s Guifte 1623; Richard Burton age 28, Swan 1624.

Events in England

In England, the reign of King Charles 1 began on March 27, 1625. Charles believed in the divine right of kings and governed according to his own desire. Many of his subjects opposed his policies, especially the levying of taxes without parliamentary consent, and perceived his actions as tyrannical. His religious policies and his marriage to a Roman Catholic generated the antipathy and mistrust in reform groups of Puritans and Calvinists. They grew increasingly dismayed by Charles’s diplomacy with Spain and his failure to effectively support the Protestant cause abroad.⁸

1633 King Charles 1 began a series of reforms that attempted to ensure religious uniformity by restricting non-conformist preachers. He prosecuted those who opposed his reforms.

1634 King Charles 1 imposed a feudal levy known as ship money on the coastal counties. This proved to be a very unpopular tax.

Thomas and William Chamberlain set sail for Virginia

June 1635 Thomas Chamberlain age 20 embarked on the Thomas & John from Gravesend, England to Virginia.¹⁰ The port at Gravesend served all of southeastern England. Thomas likely lived in or near Billericay, Essex Co, England about twenty miles north of the port and which was considered a “hot bed for dissent”.¹¹

August 21, 1635 William Chamberlain age 16 embarked on the Thomas from Gravesend, England to Virginia.¹²

April 1644 The Chamberlain family was growing. Thomas had found a wife, a beautiful young woman named Mary Parker,¹⁴ who at age 15 arrived in Virginia on The Constance, October 24, 1635.¹⁵ She was now 24. They had two small children they named Thomas and Anne. Thomas’ brother William was still single at the age of 25.

We don’t know if Francis and Rebecca had any more children. Their son Francis was now 22 years old.

On April 18, 1644, an Indian massacre in Virginia was again staged by Powhatan Chief Opechancanough. The attack killed about 500 colonists, about ten percent of the population. This leaves us the question: What happened to the Chamberlain family?

Thomas and William’s relationship to the Spencer Chamberlain Family

With the arrival of Thomas and William in Virginia, the emigration of our Spencer Chamberlain line to the New World is complete. Thomas is the great grandfather of “Paugus” John Chamberlain who for at least 90 years was believed to be a direct ancestor of Spencer Chamberlain. This is our traditional family line and will always be an important part of our family history.

Spencer Chamberlain is from the family line of William, Daniel and Thomas. Thomas, the grandson of William Chamberlain, left many descendants in the vicinity of Westmoreland NH and Stockbridge VT.¹³

To be continued.…..

See Chapter 2- Thomas and William Chamberlain Leave Virginia Or, see where I believe Francis Chamberlain went. (See Chapter 3).

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

© 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 credit is given to Dennis D. Chamberlain and direction to  www.thechamberlainstory.com.

References:

1. Supplement to Torry’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700, p. 51.
2. Prentiss Glazier, Chamberlain Families of Early New England, The American Genealogist, July 1975 p.151
3. Study the Y-DNA of Ernest Martin Chamberlain Jr., conducted through The Chamberlain Association, Certificate signed by David E. Rothschild, M.D., October 28, 2003.
4. John Camden Hotten’s Original Lists, p. 254.
5. www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-chronicles/timeline.html
6. Fredrick William Gookin, Daniel Gookin 1612-1687, His Life and Letters, Chicago 1912, p. 42
7. John Camden Hotten’s Original Lists, p. 254.
8. wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles I of England
9. Index Project Batch Number PO1675-1, Familysearch.org.
10. John Camden Hotten’s Original Lists, P. 84
11. Prentiss Glazier, Chamberlain Families of Early New England, The American Genealogist, July 1975 p.151
12. John Camden Hotten’s Original Lists, P. 127
13. Prentiss Glazier, Chamberlain Families of Early New England, The American Genealogist, July 1975 p.153
14. Abid., p. 151.
15. John Camden Hotten’s Original Lists, p. 137.