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/180.181.189.291.294.29...
Message Board Post:
Hi Marilee,
Note, your question leads me to believe you have your Benjamin's mixed together!! A
common problem with lots of researchers, so don't feel too bad.
Benjamin I, b. 1742/3 (or 1740 by Hilda, sourced from Sharpless Family Book) married
RachAel (note the inclusion of the "A", which is clearly on her tombstone), b.
October, 1751 in Va, d. 1852 in Jersey Co., Illinois (b. Grimes -Neely Cemetery, alongside
her daughter--in-law, Elizabeth Grimes. Ezekiel was b. on the family farm, where his
descendants live today.
...I suspect that Rachael's surname was Sharpless (source Sir Hugh Chance's
Addendum to J. F. Chance's 1892 book, Chances of Bromsgrove), and am working with
Ezekiel's descendants to try to come to some conclusions on that point. One of
Hilda's sources, a Mrs. Stokes, also gives Rachael's surname as Sharpless.
I do not have much information on Benj.I and Rachael's son, William, so I am very
interested in seeing what material you have gathered. Can you "do" a Genealogy
Report if you are using FTM? You can copy and paste it to me at
"echance(a)ktc.com", if so.
All that I have on Ezekiel's brother, William is the following, from my notes, which
may or may not be this William:
"There is also a William and a "Zekiel' Chance listed in Orange Co., NC,
pgs. 94 and 95, respectively, on the 1790 Censuses. (sources: FTM CD #311, US Selected
Counties, 1790). Doubtful that these two could be the same 2, who are sons of Benjamin I
and Rachael, since that Ezekiel was not born until 1799."
Janet Rogers, a descendant of Ezekiel, and a diligent researcher, has found numerous
entries in Orange Co., NC records on various Chances who are unknown to me. No doubt this
is a "new" branch (at least to me). Among them, she reports:
"Orange Co., NC Marriages, 1779-1868: pg. 320: Ezekiel Chance, Bondsman (for
two 1784 marriages)." Janet continues, "This is the 'Zeke' Chance on
the 1790 Orange Co., NC census. Later he moved to Rockcastle Co., Ky, where he appeared
on the 1810 census but was gone by the 1820 census. Note that Rockcastle Co. is just NE
of Wayne Co., Ky. Janet theorizes that this Ezekiel may be a brother or cousin to her
Benjamin I and is working on this Orange Co. NC possibility. She has found one entry that
has Benjamin being born in Orange Co., NC in 1799, but this, too, must be a later Benjamin
because her Benjamin I was b. in England in 1742/3 (Hilda says 1740).
We have that Ezekiel's brothers (Benjamin I and Rachael's sons) were William, John
(b. abt. 1778), possibly a Thomas, and possibly a Levi, (Thos. & Levi are unproven.)
"cowens(a)icx.net" was my source on these two, but did not provide his sources,
which I need to get from him.
As you can see, neither Benjamin I nor Rachael (Sharpless?) Chance were born in NC. The
Benjamin & Rachel you are finding in NC are probably Benjamin IV and Rachel
(Rad/Radd?).
Do you have Benjamin I's line back to the Bromsgrove, England line, where he was born?
If you will send me an e-mail, I can provide you with the line back to very early
England.
As a final thought, please don't confuse Benjamin I and Rachael (of
England>Md>Va>Ky>Illinois) with Benjamin II and Jane Howard Chance
(Md.>Pa.>NC>Va.)... these are two distinct lines, who are constantly being mixed
up... and are further separated by Benjamin IV, b. 1748, and Rachel (possibly Rad/Radd) of
Md>NC>Ohio>and possibly Indiana. Benjamin III, b. July 1784, and Charity Cagle
Chance are also from the old NC line, from Md. and England. I have actually found 9
distinct Benjamins scattered all over this part of the country during this 50 yr.
timeline.
Earlayne