Hollingbourn/Chambers - Any Advice Gratefully Received!

[Alex Walker]

Hi All

The combined wisdom of you Kent Rootschatters would be appreciated if possible!

I am desperate to find the birth of one Robert Chambers c 1776 (my GX4 grandfather).  Now on the '51 & '61 census he is listed as having been born in Hollingbourn(e) but searches of the records there have shown nothing baptism-wise.  There are virtually no other Chambers listed as coming from the Hollingbourne area as I would have expected if the family was based there so I wondered whether it would have been possible for him to have been born in the workhouse which according to records began about 1777??  If so are there any specific records for the workhouse at that time (apparently the ones at the CKS don't start until later?) or would he have been baptised (if he was) in the local church??

On the IGI is a Robert Chambers baptised in Faversham in 1778 but I am sure that isn't him as my Robert is buried on the 25.06.1862 in Rainham and his age recorded as 86 (although I appreciate that they weren't always baptised  immediately).

Could the combined wisdom of any of you give me any pointers to follow up or debunk my idea of him being born in the workhouse?

Any help much appreciated

Alex

 

[bearkat]

Many of the surrounding villages are not on the IGI.  Have you tried Otham, Leeds, Langley & Thurnham?

[Alex Walker]

Thanks Bearkat, I have to confess I haven't only because with two recorded birth places of H/Bourne, I centered on that.  I sort of know the area there and wondered why, if he wasn't actually born in H/Bourne village area he would state H/Bourne and not one of the others.  I will check them out too.

Alex

[bearkat]

Robert could have been baptised in his mother's parish (common for first born children).

It's possible one of the other village churches was nearer to their home.

There were certainly some CHAMBERS in Langley

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mrawson/langbapt.html


 but the transcription only commences in 1813

[Alex Walker]

Thanks for that.  I have been doing speculative Chambers searches to see if I could get a pattern and it seems to be there are two 'centres', one around the area you suggest (the IGI has Otham/Lenham/Langley Chambers listed but they are mostly members' records) and one in Faversham but another speculative search on Richard & Robert Chambers (both the family 'names') puts them all over Kent so no indications there!

If anyone out there has any PRs for these areas I would be SO grateful for a quick check to see if my boy is on there.

Thanks so much

Alex

[KPM]

Hi Alex

I've had a look at Lenham for you - loads of Chambers but not Robert I'm afraid.  I've had a look at a few other parishes close to the Hollingbourne area but still no sign of him.

The Faversham one does sound promising - I never trust an age at the time of death as the one person who really knew how old they were - is dead!!  Faversham is probably not that far - as the crow flies - from the Hollingbourne area.  Many of my relatives originated from Hollingbourne and ended up in Stockbury, Hartlip, Frinsted and Faversham so this could be him

Good luck with your search

KPM

[lynda123]

Hi Alex,
I have seen an old posting of yours re Chambers family in Hollingbourne and wonder if I have a possible daughter for Robert on my tree. Rebecca Chambers was born 1820 in the Maidstone area and married Stephen Bristed Lampard in 1855 somewhere in Medway area of kent. They lived in Maidstone after their marriage. A lot of my Lampards came from Hollingbourne so there are obviously strong links with that village.
Let me know if you think we have a connections.
Lynda

[Alex Walker]

Hi Lynda

Not the same I'm afraid although I am not saying there is no connection further back.  The Chambers' alternated with use of the name Chandler which has confused the whole issue as well!

Good luck with your hunting!

Alex

[Decrew]

Hi Alex
You could possibly look at Methodist records.  They were very prominent in Hollingbourne at that time.
The original Parish Records for Hollingbourne are in the Canterbury Cathedral Archive Library and can only be viewed by prior written appointment but I think they do some limited searches.
Best Wishes
Decrew