Cornelia (Chamberlain) Kerr (1766 - 1844)

Born 28 Feb 1766 in Camden, New Jersey

Ancestors

Wife of David Kerr — married 15 Apr 1785 in Old Homestead,Beaver,Pennsylvania,USA

Descendants

Died 15 Jan 1844 at age 77 in Shelby, Richland, Ohio, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jesse Haverfield [send private message]

Biography

When Cornelia Chamberlain was born on February 28, 1766, in Camden, New Jersey, her father, Richard Chamberlain, was 43, and her mother, Mary Stout, was 40.

She married David Kerr on April 15, 1785. They had 11 children in 20 years.

She died on January 15, 1844, in Shelby, Ohio, having lived a long life of 77 years, and was buried there^[1].

Chapter VI: Life and Death of Cornelia Kerr in Ohio.

"Cornelia Kerr was 65 years old when she came with her children to Richland county. Too late in life to build a home and form friendships with the world, she lived only for and with her children. The first year, as we have already noted, was spent on a farm at Millsborough. Then her children took homes for themselves and the circle was broken. Ebenezer went to Mount Vernon, Robert bought a farm and married, and Jesse also moved on a farm in "beech woods." Mrs. Kerr never took title to any land in Richland county, nor did Mary. Jesse built a log house for them on his farm, where they lived together for some years. His wife died in 1833, and until he married again in 1836 they kept house for him. The last years of her life were spent at Jesse's home, where she died January 15, 1844, at the age of 78, surrounded by most of her children, and is buried in the old cemetery at Shelby* David Kerr third says: "I was present and saw grandmother breathe her last. Uncle Robert was the first to speak, and he said: 'Gone to her grave in a full age, like as a shcock of corn cometh in, in his season. - Job, v, 26," I am now reminded by the older members of the family that during the removal from New Jersey to Western Pennsylvania, when on the summit of the mountains, they cooked and ate their noonday meal and then held a prayer meeting in gratitude to God for their safety thus far on their journey. She often told the children they gathered acorns on the mountains that were as sweet as chestnuts. Perhaps their hunger told them so.

• During the month of December 1897, Mrs. C.W. Sipe, daughter of John Kerr second, living at Shelby, Ohio, had the bodies of Cornelia, her son John, his wife and his brother David, and all other deceased members of that branch of the family, removed from the old abandoned cemetery at Shelby to Oakland cemetery. The inscription on her tombstone says she was born in 1764 instead of 1766 as our record shows, and that she was 80 years old at her death."^[2]

Other Facts

• Fact: Residence (1790) Washington, Allegheny, Pennsylvania^[3]
• Fact: Residence (1800) Second Moon, Beaver, Pennsylvania^[4]
• Fact: Residence (1810) Shenango, Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA^[5]
• Fact: Residence (1820) Greene, Beaver, Pennsylvania^[6]
• Fact: Residence (1840) Richland, Ohio^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49966563/cornelia-kerr: accessed 13 December 2022), memorial page for Cornelia Chamberlain Kerr (28 Feb 1766–15 Jan 1844), Find a Grave Memorial ID 49966563, citing Shelby-Oakland Cemetery, Shelby, Richland County, Ohio, USA; Maintained by Kim Kerr ♥ (contributor 26047466).
2. ↑ History of the Kerr Family from 1708, Particularly the descendants of David And Cornelia Kerr Compiled By Samuel P. Kaler, Columbia City, Indiana, 1898 pages 17-18
3. ↑ 1790 United States Federal Census https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/595863?mark=deb51ed6779d33cda1b6a9b9ba9e11e07da09595b1b14a56727e152958a26408
4. ↑ 1800 US Federal Census https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/595870?mark=a2ec818ac6d8ab09016cee4fae238cbed445d51f2e0a34baaa85d8339c4a0b7c
5. ↑ 1810 US Federal Census https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/595878?mark=c4f9f4fe92c255a0eb278594b2b65d5baf75ed4366a686c25725022a8edb0322
6. ↑ 1820 US Federal Census https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/698181?mark=cebdcd927c7ae0e8ea269ec313c9a4d4bc957aab0575903badf96e157b772525
7. ↑ 1840 US Federal Census https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/698186?mark=47dc54cfd71b1dc8eeed7771a31e68420cd228bf7b9e1aa7b35359ce6cb777d5

See Also:

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org ), entry for Cornelia Chamberlain (PID https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/24ZV-H2H); contributed by various users.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Jesse Haverfield for creating WikiTree profile Chamberlain-1302 through the import of Haverfield Family Tree.ged on Aug 17, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Jesse and others.