This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: Chance/Sommerau/Crippen/Anthony-Evans/Langley/Elliott/Roberts/Ellison
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/YUI.2ACIB/292.298.355.1.1.1.1.1
Message Board Post:
The numeral numbering system evolved as new discoveries were made for the various
Benjamin/Samuel/and William Chance's. They do not always follow family groups or
wives or birthdates, but rather, are identified based on the most recently identified
person. Hence:
Benjamin I, b. 1742-43, England (sometimes listed as 1740), m. RachAel (possibly
Sharpless?) (note the "A")... this line is the most positively identified family
group of all of the Benjamin's due to the research done by descendants of son, Ezekiel
Chance, who is buried on the family farm where the descendants still live today. Any
alteration to this group is not accurate. There is no Samuel listed as a sibling to this
Benjamin in the J. F. Chance book.
Benjamin II, b. 1753 in Md., m. Jane Howard in 1773... multiple documented evidence: The
marriage of Jane Howard and Benjamin II is reported in the Chester Monthly Meetings on
8/3/1773, reporting that Jane and Benjamin were married by a Priest on 8/3/1773....
source: Early Church Records of Delaware Co., Vol. 1, pg. 177.... also, Hilda writes:
"pg 184: "I live near Delaware and Chester County Courthouses and three large
Historical Societies, and have searched all of these and the Quaker records in Widener
Institute. The reports that Benjamin m. Rachel Sharpless are groundless, and the writers
of the large volumes of Sharpless histories said it is not so. Benjamin Chance m. Jane
Howard 1773 and she was removed from the rolls of Quakers for marrying out of
Unison." Also: DAR Patriot Index, Cent. Edn., Vol.1, Pt. 1;Hilda's book is
SCR's source, source #'s.111 and 165.
Benjamin II is the son of Samuel I, b. 1740 in Bedford Co., Pa. and REBECCA Sharpless.
They are identified as a family group in the Sharpless Family Book as " "Samuel
and REBECCA Chance came to inhabit Middletown in Edgmont Twp., (now in Delaware Co.).
Samuel and Rebecca bought with them son, Benjamin, aged 17 and a daughter (Sarah) aged 29
(or "19"?) . This was in the tenth year of King George III. Dau. Was named
Sarah." Also, PG. 105 of Hilda's book documents later land deed in Wayne Co., NC
from SAMUEL to son, BENJAMIN, Feb. 24, 1797." Other family members in NC during
same land transactions are Benjamin II's sons: Wm., George, Lewis and John.
Also:1783-1790: there is a Samuel and Benjamin Chance of Chester Co., Pa., who served in
Cpt. Hugh Reed's 6th Company, Thorn-bury, Pa.
Benjamin III was found later, identified as b. July 1784/d. 1838 (Ms.), m. Charity Cagle.
Father was Philemon Chance of the Md>NC line.
Benjamin IIIa was found still later, identified as the son of John and Sinai Chance of
Craven Co., NC. Brother: Samuel IIa and Stephen.
Benjamin IIIb was found still later, identified as son of Samuel III. This Benjamin was
b. 1821 in Belmont, Ohio, d. Nov. 22, 1865 in San Antonio as a result of assignment with
the 15th Ohio Volunteers in Texas.
Benjamin IV has only circumstantial documentation, with the exception of the 1820
Shortcreek, Harrison Co., Ohio Census, where he is listed as "Sr." and his son,
Benjamin V is listed as "Jr.". I have not been able to find my earlier work
which provided his birthdate as age 62 in the year 1820, but will continue looking. My
information that he may be the son of Daniel and Esther Barnes Chance came from Wanda
Chance in a letter to me dated June 17, 2000. The dates for Daniel and Esther Chance of
Queen Anne's Co., Md. agree with the timeframe of Benjamin IV.
The connection of Benjamin IV to Rachel (Raad/Radd/Rad) comes from "Raad" being
the last name given to Rachel by "D.J. Chance" (Dorothy Chance?) on Nov. 7, 2000
on the Chance
FamilyHistory.com site. She identifies Rachel Raad from an article that
appeared in the Ohio Quarterly, "Gateway to the West." I have not seen the
article in the Quarterly, but that appears to be the place where the Radd name is first
attached to the Rachel who was b. 1750 in Va. Further, D. J. Chance further writes/quotes
Hilda's 1981 book, pg. 216 (which I don't have) "Benjamin Chance, b. ca.1750
NC, m. Rachel Radd, b. 1750 VA. (this part is in agreement with Benjamin IV) To Jersey
Co., IL. Son, Ezekiel. See OH Quartrly, "The Gateway to the West." "
Here, we know she has her Rachael/Rachel mixed up because Rachael was the mother of
Ezekiel who moved to Jersey Co., Ill. and was wife to Benjamin I (see above), not Benjamin
II.
To further complicate Benjamin IV, we have the DAR application for Mrs. Mary C. Ballard
SAYS: " DAR Patriot Index, Centennial Edition shows " Benjamin born ca. 1753 in
Maryland, died 29- Nov. 1816,", which is correct for Benjamin II, but then she goes
on to say, " wife - Rachel - PS - NC." The Benjamin b. 1753 m. Jane Howard in
1773.... not ANY Rachel/Rachael.
I believe it will have to be up to the DAR to study this data and the varying opinions of
current researchers in order to have final and clear opinions rendered in the case of
Benjamin II and IV.
Please Note that there is no confusion over the identies of Benjamin I and Benjamin IV...
they are two separate individuals. Please refer again to Benjamin I above for
clarification.
Benjamin V is the "Benjamin, Jr." listed on the 1820 Harrison Co., Ohio Census
with his father, Benjamin, Sr., and another Benjamin Chance. Data on the Benjamin's
V, VI, and VII are not in dispute and came from Wanda Chance. I believe they are all
descendants of Benjamin IV, son of Daniel and Esther Barnes Chance of Md. and NC, where
Daniel died after 1819.
I will contact the DAR to ask for their help in determining the correctness of the many
questions raised in data included in previous applications to the DAR.
Earlayne