Mysteries coming to light

When I first declared to my family I was going to begin my journey into genealogy and family history my mother-in-law came to me with a mystery.  What happened to her great grandparents Daniel B. Chamberlin and Juliet Hubbell?  I told her that I would do my best and in turn she told me all she knew about them. 

First off, she had their marriage certificate from Lockport, New York.  You can read a transcription here.  She knew that her grandfather, William Holmes Chamberlin, and his brother Frank were orphaned when William was about 10 years old.  William was adopted by a Marvin and Anna Mills in Clarendon, New York shortly after his parents died and he took their name.  His brother Frank Herbert kept the Chamberlin name eventually making his way to San Antonio, Texas where he lived and died.  I was given copies of the marriage license, Marvin’s will, the deed to his adopted parents farm after Anna died, and several pictures.  Well, that was a start.

For the last year I have looked, searched, chewed my nails, followed leads, and kept on looking.  One of the first records I found was the 1875 New York Census from Clarendon, Orleans County, New York listing William as the adopted son of Marvin and Anna Mills.  That gave me a major clue his parents were dead before 1875.

I found the entire family on the 1870 US Census for Rochester, New York with a surprise.  There was an older daughter, Ella.  My mother-in-law was so excited.  No one had ever told her about Ella, she wasn’t sure anyone knew.  Now I had a new quest:  what happened to Ella? 

Last spring my mother-in-law got in touch with a cousin from that side of the family.  Lo and behold she had Juliette’s family bible.  She was more than happy to photocopy the family register pages and send them to me.  Wow.  So much information that we didn’t know.  William had his mother’s bible which he passed on to one of his daughters, who gave it to her daughter.  I now had information on Juliet’s parents, her marriage, her siblings, and then each generation who have continued to fill out birth, death, and marriage dates. 

In the mean time I had also learned that Daniel was an author of an English book.  He is listed in the 1872 Rochester Directory as an author.  His book Natural System of English Grammar was in the 1871 American Catalogue advertising his course.  Interestingly, my mother-in-law was an English teacher as well as a speech, drama, and debate coach.


Then yesterday, the find of the year:  Juliette’s probate and burial record.  Thanks to the Monroe County, New York US Gen site I found the records that I was looking for.  Her death was in the records of the Central Presbyterian Church of Rochester listed as 25 March 1873.  Next, her probate was located in The Wills of Monroe County, New York 1863 to 1874 Inclusive vol. 2-A.  There was a also a clue about what happened to Ella.  She was now Mrs. William Percival.

Now… what happened to Daniel? 

Daniel Chamberlin and Juliette Hubbell

This family group is a mystery to my mother-in-law that has been an ongoing puzzle to work out.  While I think I have figured out most of it…there are still numerous unknown pieces.  Their son William Holmes Chamberlin Mills is my mother in laws paternal grandfather.  He was adopted by the Mills family in Clarendon NY because is parents died of illness (typhoid?).

Below is the transcription of their marriage certificate (I have a photocopy of the original that my mother in law mailed to me):

This certifies, that I have this day, in accordance with the laws of this state united in marriage Daniel B Chamberlin of New York City, and Juliette Hubbell of Rochester, New York.

 Witness my hand

and seal at Lockport
New York, Apr 4, 1857
Joel Kennedy

Witnesses

Jane E Risner
DB Chamberlin
Juliette Chamberlin

I found the whole family on the 1870 Census from Rochester New York: Daniel (50), Juliette (written as Suliette) (39), Ella (12), Frank (8), and Holmes (4).  It gave me a birth date of 1820 for Daniel. This means that they died sometime between the Census of 1870.

The NY State census for Orleans County in 1875 William Holmes Chamberlin listed with his adoptive parents, the Mills:  William Chamberlin (10) living with Marvin (47) and Anna (42) Mills who is listed as a framer. It lists him as adopted.

My big question is who was Ella and what happened to her?  My mother in laws father said Frank lived in San Antonio, but I have not been able to locate him.

This site has the lineage of Daniel B Chamberlin, father to William Holmes Chamberlin Mills.  Between my verification and a cousin on my mother in law’s side providing verification I am pretty confident in the findings and source material cited.

You need to search to Daniel B Chamberlin.  Then click to the right of the bio for a PDF of each person.  Some are brief, some are extensive.  Of course I have not finished doing all of the verification for my self yet.