Carol,
Thanks for your info. I just found out about my Chambers info gong this
far back after receiving it from a cousin. As far as proof, I have not
gotten that yet. Below is some info on the Col. David Chambers you
mentioned which is quite interesting. I have no idea who wrote it as I
found it among some materials "up in the attict."
Some other might find it interesting as well.
Cheers!
-Troy
*************
David Chambers
Col. David Chambers was born in the village of Allentown, Northhampton
County, Pennsylvania, the 25th of November 1780. His mothers maiden
name was Mary Woolsey. His father, Joseph Gaston Chambers, also a
native of Pennsylvania, was an educated man, a graduate of Princeton
College, New Jersey, at the commencement of the revolution; and was not
only a belle-letter scholar, but also an inventive genius - which was
evidenced by the invention of a peculiar species of repeating gunnery,
patronized by the naval department of the U.S. Government during the
last war with England; which was ready to be developed on Lake Ontario,
where a large ship was prepared for action armed with these guns, under
the command of Commodore Chauncey. Peace supervened before a battle was
fought or a gun fired in action, and the invention fell dormant. As to
the utility and destructive character of the invention, it is sufficient
to state that it met the entire approval and warm commendation of Major
General Jacob Brown, and Commodore Rodgers. In addition to this J.G.C.
invented a new alphabet, or an attempt to form a complete system of
letters, with a view to the more easy and perfect spelling and
pronunciation of the English language. After much expense in founding
type to print, that invention also became a nullity.
Col. David Chambers received his entire education at the hands of his
father, who adopted teaching as a pursuit. That education was thorough
in English and its various branches together with a fair course in the
latin and Greek languages and the German. At a very early age he was
placed in adventurous and responsible situations and employments. In
the year 1794, at the age of 14 he was employed as a confidential
express, at Williamsport in Maryland to carry dispatches from Gen. Henry
Lee of Virginia (commandant of the Army detailed to quell the whiskey
insurrection in Western Pennsylvania) to President Washington, then at
Carlysle in Penna. He there had private conversation with the
President, General Alexander Hamilton, then Acting Secretary of War; and
received other dispatches from Gen. Hamilton to be delivered to Gen. Lee
at Cumberland in Maryland - at the same time the Genl. conferring
pointed commendation and encouragement of the youthful agent, to carry
the dispatches with speed and safety, accompanying the compliment with a
donieur from his purse. In 1796, after serving a term as clerk in a
small retail store, he was placed in Aurora daily newspaper office in
Philadelphia, then conducted by Benjamin Franklin Bache (grandson of Dr.
Franklin) to learn the art of printing. His fathers fortunes induced
him in the fall of the same year to remove west, and as there was no
binding agreement, the son was recalled from the handling of type, in
which he had promptly become proficient, and placed at the plow tail in
Washington County, Western Pennsylvania, where the inhabitants then
lived in a very primitive state, enjoying but little of convenience, and
none of the luxuries of life. Mr. Bache in a letter that he should
continue with him; alleging that the business was respectable, and
would increase in usefulness, and no doubt would thrive in it. In
1801, he made a perilous trading voyage in a flat boat loaded with
flour, down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, then under
spanish Government. From New Orleans he returned by ship to New York,
occupying fifty-six days in the passage, and suffering much privation
from want of provisions and water.
At the age of 21 he married Susannah Glass, and settled on a fertile
farm in Brooke County, Virginia, a short distance from the present seat
of Bethany College; his wife being foster sister of Miss Brown, the
first wife of Rev. Alexander Campbell, President and founder of that
Institution. After pursuing agriculture in a laborious way for thirteen
years, he sold his possessions in Virginia and removed to Zanesville,
Ohio in October 1810 - that place having been made the seat of the State
Government which it retained only two years. He bought one half of a
newspaper establishment then a year in operation, entitled the
Muskingum Messenger - became its chief Editor, and was appointed State
printer by the Legislature, during the two years they remained. On the
return of the legislature temporarily to Chillicothe, he sought and
obtained the office of Secretary of the Senate of the State; and
obtained the same appointment at the first and second sessions of the
Legislature at Columbus, the permanent seat of the government.
In 1812-1813 he acted as aid to Major General Lewis Cass, and executed
various orders of that officer, in detailing and organizing militia
companies for the seat of war. In 1816, at the organization of the Bank
of the United States, he was appointed by the President of the United
States one of the Commissioners to received subscriptions to that
institution in Ohio. Having occupied at different times the offices of
Mayor of the town and clerk of the court of common pleas and Supreme
Courts; in 1821 he was elected one of the six representatives to which
Ohio was then entitled in the 17th congress; his competitor being the
Hon. John C. Wright, afterwards a representative from a different
district, and also a Supreme Court Judge. He never was absent from his
seat in Congress more than a single day during the entire term. He
voted for the resolution declaring the slave trade piracy; and also the
resolutions acknowledging the independence of the South American
Republics. Failing in a re-election from causes not worthy of detail,
in the Spring of 1823, he retired to an extensive farm he had improved
five miles above Zanesville, on the west bank of Muskingum river, where
he continued an agricultural life, being a constant operative up to the
year 1856. During this period he was elected by his fellow citizens of
Muskingum County to represent them in the State legislature nine
different terms; seven sessions in the house and two sessions in the
Senate; and at last term in 1844 was elected Speaker of that body, which
closed his legislative career.
In 1850 a convention was called to frame a new constitution for the
State , and he was elected a delegate in conjunction with Judge Richard
Stillwell to represent the old County of Muskingum in that body; who
perfected a constitution at an adjourned session in the City of
Cincinnati in March 1851, which closed Col. Cs public official
labors. He then in 1856 became again a resident of Zanesville, the seat
of his early labors, nearly half a century past - a man of leisure, in
good health, 78 years old, having eleven living children and one dead -
eight sons and four daughters, with a numerous posterity, some of the
third generation. His stature is 5 feet 10 inches, tolerably robust
make - dark complexion and eyes and aquiline prominent Roman nose,
having a strong voice and fluent in speech. His present wife was Mrs.
Triphenia MGowan, a second marriage at the age of 66.
In early life he adopted Democratic Republican principles, and was a
zealous political disciple of the school of Thomas Jefferson. Supported
the War of 1812, together with the administration, editorially in his
newspaper. Voted for Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J.Q. Adams, Wm. H.
Harrison and Z. Taylor for Presidents. Followed in the wake of H. Niles
of the Baltimore Register, James Madison and Henry Clay, as men he
esteemed of incorruptible virtue, and ever worthy of honor. Belonged to
the old Whig Party - then a Republican as of old and sworn opponent to
the extension of slavery, and the aggressive schemes of Southern
Oligarchs.
Garyfrc(a)aol.com wrote:
I would like to know your proof that David Chambers who married Ann Gaston
first and 2) a Sloan (Sarah I think) was the son of John Chambers of
Trenton. If you consult the History of Somerset Co NJ you will find that
John Chambers there who died about 1767 mentions his son David in his will
(it does not give his spouse). However, Hugh Gaston, apparently a neighbor
of this John Chambers does identify David Chambers as the husband of Ann.
Also, are you aware that there was another Col David Chambers who I believe
was the son of John of Trenton; this David did NOT receive his promotion for
"colonel" until AFTER the Rev. War for other achievements in the military.
Col David who married Ann Gaston rec'd his title of Col. during the
Revolution.
The names of the children of David and Ann are not too hard to find; he had
some by each wife.
I cannot give you sources as I am at my son's for a few days and my
"stuff"
is at home. If you go to rootsweb surname list and look for a Chambers entry
with zink behind it, you might wish to contact her. She descends from this
family and has spent many years trying to find proof that John Chambers of
Somerset was the father of Col David. However, she will be able to help you
distinquish between the two colonels and I believe that the "other" one is
the one who descends from John of Trenton. If you have proved your line back
to Col David who married Ann Gaston then you need to look at the Somerset Co
NJ Historical Society publications. (hardbound in some libraries).
I will be at home by the end of next week. My e-mail address there is
cchurch(a)voyager.net if you wish to contact me where I can look at my NJ
"stuff".
My Chambers are lost in Wilkes Barre PA in 1779 and I have checked out many
different Chambers lines in colonial America trying to find mine. So far I
am still looking!!
Carol Chambers Church
cchurch(a)voyager.net