JOHN CHAMBERS
THE STORY AS I KNOW IT
The story of the Chambers family
connects Quaker families found around the London Grove
Meeting in south eastern Chester county PA. They
were directly connected to the Gregg, Sharp, Allen, and
Miller families. They all owned extensive
properties in New Garden, Kennet and a bit of Londongrove.
The Chambers themselves were large landowners near-by in
Delaware. And from this group there is a direct connection to
the Pennock, Pusey and Hayes families
found surrounding the Monthly Meeting site.
John Chambers was born about 1662 in Acastor,
Selby, Yorkshire England. It is not yet known
who his parents were. Acaster is equal distance between
York and Selby. It is considered park of the
Selby district. The village is about 6 miles from the city
of York and on the river Ouse which flows out of York.
John married an unknown woman somewhere between 1687 and
1690. They had 2 or 3 children before her death, possibly
in childbirth, in 1697. He was a Quaker. It is not know
whether he was born into a Quaker family or became a
Quaker. But when he married his second wife, Deborah
Dobson, in 1699 it is recorded from
England & Wales Quaker Birth, marriage and Death Registers
1578 - 1837. re Monthly meeting of York.
Most likely the village of Acastor did not have a Quaker meeting
and thus had the 6 miles to York to connect to a meeting.
John and Deborah Chambers had 3 children in
Acastor. An unknown source states that John
Chambers had livestock and farm produce taken by the
government because of non-payment of tithes. This led to
the family of five children emigrating to the Delaware
Valley area. John had brought a certificate
from Friends of York, England dated 1st month, 5th day
1712/13 which was presented to the Philadelphia Monthly
Meeting.
From History of the Chambers of Hilltop by John Whiteclay
Chambers II John and Deborah Chambers began
farming on White Clay Creek in Mill Creek Hundred
Delaware in 1715 with their 5 children. It went on
to say that the eldest child, John jr. died in
1717. He would have been 27 years old. If that is true
then
he would have been born in 1690 to first wife. If all his
children came to America with him then it would suggest that
first wife had 2 children. We know the name of two
sons Richard Chambers, and William
Chambers because when they married John Chambers
was noted as their father. New Garden Monthly meeting
Marriage Certificates, pg 63 & 64
In 1720 they officially bought 664 acres from the William
Penn family. One source says the name of the farm
was Hopyard, but the History noted says in the 20th century it
was called Chambers Rocks Farm. The main house was called
Hilltop. The family continued on the farm for the next 250
years. At one time the extent of the land owned was over
1000 acres. Today it is mostly protected as White Clay
Creek park with at least one of the houses still standing on the
property at the Visitor's Center. While the river had
planned to be dammed to provide Newark with water, it was never
flooded, nor will it ever be. from the Mill Creek
Hundred History Blog
http://mchhistory.blogspot.com/2021/05/restoring-chambers-family-farm-in-20th.html
The children of John Chambers are believed to be
1. John Chambers Jr. born 1690 in
Yorkshire, died 1717 New Castle County Delaware
2. William Chambers born before or
when first wife died in 1697, wed Elizabeth Miller
3. Richard Chambers born 1700 to Deborah,
wed Eleanor Miller, died 1773 in Delaware ie
brothers wed sisters
4. unknown so far
5. unknown so far
John Chambers died on his farm Oct. 7, 1730 from the Chambers
History . Deborah Dobson Chambers died in
1731. I don't know, but would guess they were buried
on their farm.
If you know the answer please CONTACT US
Who was his first wife
What were the names of the 2
unknown children
Where are they buried?
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