Rebecca (Shelley) Chamberlain (1625 - 1692)

Born 1625 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Wife of William Chamberlain Sr. — married 4 Jan 1646 in Roxbury, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 26 Sep 1692 at about age 67 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America

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Biography

Rebecca died in prison in Cambridge having been placed there on a charge of "mischief", a term which generally meant harming someone's property, but could have been a euphemism for witchcraft since this happened in 1692.

Vital Records of Billerica does state that Rebecca, wife of William Chamberlain Sr., died 26 Sep 1692, in the prison at Cambridge.

The will of Sarah Shelley, signed 21 Apr 1686, offers proof that Sarah was a sister to Rebecca but gives no hints to their parentage. It is apparent from the will that Sarah had no children of her own, nor does she seemed to have been a landowner. She is referred to in records as both "Mrs." Sarah Shelley and "Spinster", either one of which could denote a single woman or a widow in this time period. The Will names Brother William Chamberlin, and "my sister his wife" were forgiven a debt of 6 pounds. Rebecca and her "three daughters" and cousin [nephew] John Chamberlin's wife, all wearing apparel & household goods except for three pewter dishes to cousin [niece] Sarah Shed's children. Remainder of estate to sister Chamberlin's eight sons except cousins [nephews] John & Clement Chamberlain to have 20sh over and above the others. Also to cousins John & Thomas Chamberlin and cousin Sarah Shed's children now living 10sh. Kinsman Isaac Addington to the sole Executor.

• Fact: http://familysearch.org/v1/LifeSketch Some believe the wife of William Chamberlain to have been Rebecca Addington. Obviously this is a dispute that can only be settled by further research. Some older references give Rebecca no surname. "William Chamberlain of Billerica, Mass. and His Descendants" by George Walter Chamberlain, M.S., quotes in full the will of a Sarah Shelley dated 21 Apr 1686, which names her sister Rebecca, the wife of William Chamberlain and calls their children her "cousins" which in that time period meant nieces and nephews. In that time period sister could also have been a sister-in-law or a half sister. She also called the children of Capt Isaac and Anne (Leverett) Addington of Boston her cousins. However, the will of John Leverett named all the children of his sister Anne Leverett Addington in his will but mentioned neither a Sarah Shelley nor a Rebecca Chamberlain - which confuses the relationship of the Addington children to Sarah Shelley, but could indicate that the relationship was to the Addingtons, not the Leveretts.

Sarah Shelley's will and inventory both described her as a spinster, but on the outside of the will is written "Mrs" Sarah Shelley her Last Will 1686. Sometimes "Mrs" was used as a title of respect to an older gentlewoman whether or not she had actually been married. So we are left with more questions than answers as the maiden surname of Rebecca, wife of William Chamberlain. Depending on the meanings above, known only to the authors of the various documents, Rebecca could have been either a Shelley or an Addington - or neither of them.

Rebecca died in prison in Cambridge having been placed there on a charge of "mischief", a term which generally means harming someon's property, but could have been a euphemism for witchcraft since this happened in 1692. "Vital Records of Billerica" does state that Rebecca, wife of William Chamberlain Sr., died 26 Sep 1692, in the prison at Cambridge.

• Fact: Surname uncertain! Please read LifeSketch

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 14 January 2019, 22:31), entry for Rebeckah(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LTFX-2JL); contributed by various users.
• Catlin <catlinblac at aol.com> 2 Jan 2003

• James D. True, manuscript "William & Rebecca Chamberlain", updated 17 Nov 1999

• Vital Records of Billerica, MA to 1850. (1908: NEGHS, Boston)

• The Jaquith Family in America. Jaquith, George Oakes; Walker, Georgetta Jaquith. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1982

• The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)