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The Chambers family came from Ireland, but, like many other people of that country, they were of Scotch origin. Gov. John Chambers, in his autobiography (written in 1851) says that they belonged to the Scotch clan Cameron and bore the name of that clan, but that refusing to join in the rebellion of 1645 they were compelled to leave their native land and seek a home elsewhere. It is presumed that they first visited France, where the name became corrupted to Chambre, (Camoron, Latin CaCamora, French Chambre, meaning chamber); afterwards they migtrated to Ireland and assumed by easy change the name Chambers, which name they were permitted by an act of the Britich Parliament to keep. There they did not long remain. In the early part of the 18th century many emigrated to America, settling for the most part in Pennsylvania, where numberous bands of Scotch-Irish had already located. From the frequency of the name at an early day we infer that there must have been more than one branch of the family, which took up its abode in that province. Among the number Rowland and Elizabeth Chambers, with several children, arrived about the year 1720. Who Roland's father was, we cannot positively say, but Dr. Edmund J. Lee, of Philadelphia, a careful genealogist and the author of "Lee of Virginia", has stated that his name was Arthur. As many of Roland's descendants, including 1 son, bore the same name, we are inclined to believe tha Dr. Lee had to be correct. It is likewise probable that several more of Rowland's brothers and sisters accompanied him. |
