Dear Marie Brasington, Phila. PA . . . so nice to be back in touch, and
I really apologize that I did not act upon your info earlier. Anyway, I
have now located a copy of your very comprehensive Email to me about the
family of Esther Chamberlain. It was written on Aug 30, 2003 Re:
Withington/Chamberlain. And I replied that same day, all as attached
below. So with your good graces I would like to explore these things
further. I will also make every effort to locate the 1792 Sampler photo
which I know that I had, and if I can't locate it I will take another
copy. And if you can send me a mailing address & telephone, Marie, I can
put together some more materials and information.
I am: Peter Burrows, P. O. Box 1909, Annapolis MD 21404.(born Chicago
1938); phone (800) 521-6211; fax.410.626.0014.
Our earier corresp. was:
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3-31-2004 Marie to PB: Hello Peter, Unfortunately, I do not save
correspondence and have no idea what info that I might have sent to you
back in August 2003. I don't use a computer genealogy program and have
all my info organized by hard copy in folders, which I feel allows for
much more detail and is much safer I feel in the event of a computer
crash. I'd be happy to copy what info I have and am glad to share it
with you and Wendy on the Gemberling/Chamberlains. I was really hoping
to get a photo of Esther's Sampler that she made in 1792 which you also
offered previously. The Gemberling/Chamberlain Family were important
citizens in Harrisburg back in the early days and originally lived in
Philadelphia for a number of years upon their arrival from Germany where
Carl Gemberling was a cobbler. He was a large land owner in Snyder
County at one time, owning most of the land where present day Salem is
located.
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3-30-2004 PB to Marie: Dear Marie Brasington . . . my sister has gotten
the family research bug! Wendy is the one who owns our family 1792
Esther Chamberlain sampler. Later Esther became the wife of Peter
Withington (son of Peter Withington & Evelyn Shepler); parents of
Charlotte Withington m. Peter Oliphant; Eve Marie Withington m. Henry M.
Reifsnyder. Beyond those brief facts we know very little about her.
Wendy is presently in NYC and wants to be in touch. Do you by chance
still have a copy of your Aug 30, 2003 Email to me? I would like to
send it to her, but I have already purged it from my old Email file. If
you can find please send a copy of it to both of us.
She is: Wendy Burrows Carlton: wendycarlton(a)cox.net
What software program do you use? I use FTM version 11, but am very
much a neophyte.
It might be possible that we would come to Phila. My father went to
Jefferson Medical School, class of 1917; I have tried to pass along to
their alumni assn. much of his old Jefferson memorabilia, photos of
Phila prior to WWI, etc. He lived at 1109 Spruce Street, still standing.
My daughter graduated from Penn 1996. Small world.
We are very anxious to learn more about "Great Aunt Esther" Could you
also please send me a telephone # ? And finally, are you in touch with
anyone else who might be researching or closely associated with these
lines?
Warmest regards, Peter Burrows, Annapolis, MD 410-263-2501
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8-30-2003 PB to Marie: Dear Marie in Philadelphia . . . I have to say
that this is about as exciting news as ever I have received in thirty
five years of perusing genealogy! My family owns are quite lovely
sampler made and signed by Esther Chamberlain. It is dated 1792. I
will send you a photograph of it. Beyond this Sampler, which remains in
just excellent condition and has been museum framed and very carefully
cherished by our family for many generations, we have known very little
of Esther Chamberlain. We did not know where she lived, or her exact
dates, although we had presumed she lived in PA. I just est. that she
was born 1775-1785, and that was due solely to the nature of the
Sampler. We did know that she married to Peter Withington, though we
have no record of when or where. We knew that at least one of her
children was our ancestor, Eve Marie Withington who married Henry M.
Reifsnyder. I subsequently learned that another of Esther Chamberlain &
Peter Withington's children was Charlotte Withington who married to
Peter Oliphant. So of these distant times that was about it.
Each generation as we have moved closer to the present, of course we
know a little bit more. And so now you have brought much new insight
into these families of long ago, but so directly connected to us, on my
mother's side. To be specific Esther Chamberlain Withington would be my
grandmother's grandmother's grandmother! I am 3) . . . and the line is .
. .
9) Esther Chamberlain m. Peter Withington
8) Eve Marie Withington (1809-1875) m. Henry M. Reifsnyder; Eve sis
Charlotte m. Peter Oliphant. Eve & Henry had three daughters. Only one
of these daughters, Araminta, has desc. today
7) Araminta Reifsnyder (1830-1871) m. William Barger
6) Nellie Barger (1852-1924), their only child, m. William Kelly White
5) Mary Frances White (only child) 1875-1953) m. Walter Butler Palmer
4) Margaret Allison 'Peggy' Palmer (1905-1979) m. Dr. Samuel J. Burrows,
and they had 8 children
3) Victor Heiser 'Peter' Burrows (b. 1938) m. Pamela L. Steiner, 3
daughters
2) Rebecca Snow Burrows (b. 1970) . Erik R. Addington
1) H. Milo Addington (b. 2000) and Levi R. Addington (b. 2002)
And we live quite close, Annapolis, Maryland, and regularly go back &
forth to NYC where our two older daughters & two grandsons, Milo & Levi,
live. Our youngest daughter grad. from Univ. of Penn. in 1996. My
father graduated from Jefferson Medical College in June 1917. He lived
at 1109 Spruce Street, which building is still standing today almost
exactly unchanged from eighty five years ago. I would be very anxious
to share information, and to meet you. Please call me if you have a
minute, send me your address, and I will be able to send you much
information which I have: Peter Burrows, P. O. Box 1909, Annapolis, MD
21404 (800) 521-6211, fax.410.626.0014. I would be very interested in
attending the Sep 27 family gathering, although my youngest daughter
(the one who went to Penn and is now is her last year of law school) is
expecting her first child, with a due date of apprx. Oct. 1st . . . but
Harrisburg is quite close and if possible I would run up. Who is
handling details? Has this reunion been held before, etc. My best
wishes Marie and I am most anxious to speak with you and to share
information. Incidentally I have just recently returned from Saratoga
Springs, NY, where I located a long lost and toppled grave, which my
sister and I cleaned. She was Esther Ann Bailey White (1815-1854) the
mother of 6) Wm. Kelly White. So we sound a bit alike, Marie, and
indeed it is kind of a small world isn't it. Sincerely, Peter Burrows
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8-30-2003: Marie to PB:
Just recently, I placed a query on the Union County,PA list looking for
info for two of Charles Chamberlain's daughters, Esther, who married
Peter Withington and Ann, who married Christian Glass. These two ladies
are sisters to my 4th great grandmother, Elizabeth Chamberlain, who
married Reverend Anthony Houtz.
Peter is shown as a silversmith in Union County, PA 1814.
The Charles Chamberlain Family numbered 12, I have all their names and
spouses.
Esther was baptized 23 May 1773 at First Reformed Church in
Philadelphia. The parents were the sponsors.
Charles Chamberlain changed his surname at some point from GEMBERLING to
Chamberlain. His wife was Magdalena Steinmetz. His dates of birth and
death are 18 May 1727 - 10 Mar 1814. He served in the American
Revolution, Private Captain Tolbert's 2nd PA Reg. He is buried at
Harrisburg Cemetery, Section V. He's also listed on the bronze plaque
at the cemetery gate entrance. I have a copy of his will. Also, have
his parents names and where they lived in Saarland, but now France.
In addition to Charles, daughter, Sarah is buried beside him, along with
Sarah's husband, John Capp, Esq., a very influential family in
Harrisburg.
Another daughter of Charles, Frances, (Mrs. Jacob Albright) is buried in
the same plot, but she has no tombstone. I just recently made two trips
to
Harrisburg and cleaned the tombstones and took photos.
Sep. 27 is the GEMBERLING Reunion at Selinsgrove, Snyder County, PA
which I plan to attend. While in the vicinity, I will explore some
other places of
interest. Perhaps we can find Peter and Esther's tombstones in Union
County.
When I placed the query I mentioned above, I was unsure of the correct
spelling for Wittington/Withington, it's spelled both ways in some
of my info......thank you for correcting that!
I have more info, are you interested? I'm glad I ran across your July
queries today, quite by chance. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Marie. Philadelphia, PA