Hey, apparently you're a branch off my line of Champions!
I find your Robert Cameron Champion 1826-1892 "m. Catherine Hanger, Ch: James
Elwood, Myron Holley, irving Robert, John Orion, Arthur Mark" on p 91 & 95
of the Ruth Crawley Champion book, THE CHAMPION FAMILY: 350 YEARS IN
AMERICA.
Robert Cameron Champion was one of eight children of Joseph Champion &
Elizabeth Adams, d/o Mark Adams & ? The family's roots were (like my
Champions) at Tuckahoe NJ, but moved to Lycoming County PA in 1818.
"Joseph Champion, a stove moulder, was encouraged to to PA at the time he was
preparing to 'go West' to join his three brothers, who had settled near
Cincinnati, Ohio. Walker & Vicars of Phila. owned a furnace at Tuckahoe and
the company induced a number of its employees to move to Pine Creek, Lycoming
Co., Pa. Good wages, 200 acres of land, etc., were promised.
"The Joseph Champion family made the trip from New Jersey to their new home
by driving one of the Walker & Vicar six mule teams plus a coaling wagon.
Traveling through Reading and Williamsport, PA, the stopped at Reading to
stay 3 months with Elizabeth's brother, Samuel Adams, because three of the
youngest children had become ill. The youngest child died in Reading.
"Joseph remained at the Walker furnace for years, but the company failed
after the Panic of 1837-40. Joseph moved his family to McKinney's Forge,
Loyalsock Twp., Lycoming County, in 1840. The forge closed many years later
and the Champion brothers became blacksmiths.
"About 1845, the family moved to Danville, PA., and worked in the Grove Bros.
Rail Mill, where the first railroad rails in America were made."
More about the family appears on page 95 but Ruth Crawley Champion didn't
know who Catherine Hanger Champion's parents were either. Just calls her
"Catherine Hanger of Tioga County, PA."
Ruth's book is out of print but is available on film from LDS libraries,
which is where I first stumbled on to it--everything else seemed to deal with
Saybrook CT Champions or the southern Champions. She didn't follow this
particular bunch further after listing the names (but not dates) of their
five children.
I'd be happy to follow Robert Cameron Champion further back to see how he
ties in with our immigrant Thomas Champion if you don't already have that
information.
Happy hunting, cousin!
Jan T