CHAMBERLAIN, Robert Jr [703] ¹

  General Notes:

From <http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/4038/RobtChamb.html> :
Sandra Ferguson, an avid Chester County researcher, Woodward descendant, and owner of the Old Chester County Mailing List, tells us there were two groups of Chamberlains in Chester County: One line descends from Robert Chamberlain of Concord, subject of this page; the second group descends from Jonas Chamberlain who came from Ireland in 1731 and settled in Sadsbury.

In addition we find a Robert Chamberlain was received on certificate (dated 2/3/1706) at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting on 1/28/1707 from Horslydowns Monthly Meeting in England. We know our Robert Chamberlain was in Chester County much earlier than this, so we do not know for sure if this is another Robert Chamberlain, or our Robert Chamberlain belatedly providing his Quaker certificate.

An undated deed in Deed Book A, page 129 [last page of the book] next after one dated 14 June 1692, for a Robert King references land lying in Concord, bounded by land of Robert Chamberlins...Nicholas Newlin..., so we know Robert was in Concord prior to that date.

Robert Chamberlain, Sr., was son of Elizabeth, wife of Francis Hickman, by her former husband, a Chamberlain. This information comes from Fuhey and Cope's "History of Chester County, Pennsylvania". We know from wills that Elizabeth was daughter of Anthony and Margery Barley Stroud and also a sister of Joane Stroud Mendenhall, wife of Thomas Mendenhall (parents of Mary Woodward who married Nathaniel Newlin). The proof of Elizabeth's parentage is found in the wills of Anthony Stroud, Margery Stroud, and Benjamin Barley which are posted on a Mendenhall Documents Web Page <http://mendenhall.8m.com/mfadocs.html>. We find further from Fuhey and Cope that Robert Chamberlain had at least three Chamberlain sisters named in Elizabeth's will in 1698. One is verified: Sarah Chamberlain who married Richard Arnold on 2/19/1681 at the house of John Woolston in Burlington, New Jersey. They had children Thomas, Anthony, and Grace Arnold, and perhaps others. F&C also tells us that Robert had a half sister Mary Hickman who married Joseph Edwards about 1694 in Chester County.

Robert Chamberlain was born in Wiltshire, England. We do not know exactly when he came to America or if he married before or after he came. We do not find a marriage in Chester County records so he probably came with his wife and had married her in Wiltshire, England. We do not know the history of his wife, Mary Chamberlain, or her surname.

Although Robert Chamberlain purchased much land, his occupation is given as "felter" in 1713, and as "hatter" in 1716. It was the habit of Quakers to purchase as much land as possible in order to have a legacy for their children that would keep them nearby and in the Quaker faith.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Religion. Quaker

Robert married Mary [1085] [MRIN: 471].