William Benton Chamberlain
1847 - 1903 (55 years)
Person ID: I807
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Name William Benton Chamberlain Born 1 Sep 1847 Gustavus, Trumbull, Ohio, United States 
[1, 2, 3, 4] Gender Male Died 7 Mar 1903 Oak Park, Cook, Illinois, United States [2, 4, 5, 6, 7] 
education_records\chamberlain_wb_oberlin1904_inmemoriam
Keywords: PictureBuried 11 Mar 1903 Westwood Cemetery, Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States [8, 9] 
gravestones\CHAMBERLAIN William Benton d1903 Notes - Oberlin College Connections
Oberlin Heritage Center https://www.oberlinheritagecenter.org/
Oberlin was founded by Presbyterian minister John J. Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart in 1833 as the Oberlin Collegiate Institute to educate ministers and schoolteachers for the West. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second-oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of higher learning in the world. The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States. In 1835, Oberlin became one of the first colleges in the United States to admit African Americans, and in 1837, the first to admit women.
• Brothers Uriah and Ebenezer Chamberlain were two of the 39 young men to found Oberlin College in 1833. Uriah was in the first graduating class, about 1836
• William Benton Chamberlain, son of Ebenezer, graduated from Oberlin College in 1875, completed the Theological Seminary in 1884, and became Professor or Rhetoric
• John Guiteau Welch Cowles was Oberlin Acting President 1902
Oberlin Anti-Slavery Society
Founded June 1835
Their constitution is online, brothers Uriah and Ebenezer Chamberlain, part of the founding group of the college, were signatories.
"Object. Our object is the immediate emancipation of the whole colored race within the United States: The emancipation of the slave from the oppression of the master, the emancipation of the free colored man from the oppression of public sentiment, and the elevation of both to an intellectual, moral, and political equality with the whites."
Karen Anderson Smith donated a quilt made by Emily Elizabeth Peck Chamberlain to the Oberlin Museum - Poem Written by Record: "William Benton Chamberlain"
Record: "Mary Elizabeth CHAMBERLAIN" seems to have sent it to her nephew Record: "Tom Chamberlain" (and Tom's wife and 4 children) perhaps in the 1950s, and then later sent to her great niece Debbie
References Isaiah 30:15
“For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.”
Record: "Strength Through Repose"
In quietness and confidence thy strength shall be:
Wait thou on God and his salvation see:
Thus shall they soul in firmest peace abide,
Kept by His power who walketh at thy side.
Our souls unquiet oft thou seest, Lord.
We faint at trifles, and forget thy word --
"My peace I leave you"; grant us this to know
And naught shall daunt us wheresoe'er we go.
Thou art our portion, thou our strength, O God.
Nor need we ever faint beneath our load;
For underneath the Everlasting Arm!
What terror can affright, what power can harm?
Thy quietness and peace our strength shall be.
In confidence we'll wait thy light to see;
The go with courage our appointed length,
Till we shall come to Thee, our Peace, our Strength.
written Christmas Night 1887
William B. Chamberlain
Siblings + 1. Henry Cowles Chamberlain, b. 3 Apr 1842, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States , d. 3 Aug 1918, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States (Age 76 years)2. Albert Barnes Chamberlain, b. 29 Feb 1844, Vienna, Trumbull, Ohio, United States , d. 23 Jan 1921, Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas, United States (Age 76 years)3. Ellen Maria Chamberlain, b. 2 Jan 1846, Gustavus, Trumbull, Ohio, United States , d. Sep 1909, Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States (Age 63 years)+ 4. William Benton Chamberlain (current person), b. 1 Sep 1847, Gustavus, Trumbull, Ohio, United States , d. 7 Mar 1903, Oak Park, Cook, Illinois, United States (Age 55 years) - Oberlin College Connections
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Parents
Father Ebenezer Benton Chamberlain, b. 13 Jul 1810, Richmond, Richmond, New York, United States , d. 3 Jun 1882, East Vincent Township, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States (Age 71 years) Mother Mary Ann Cowles, b. 25 Mar 1817, Colebrook, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States , d. 14 Jul 1874, Springfield, Delaware, Pennsylvania, United States (Age 57 years) Married 2 Nov 1838 Austinburg, Ashtabula, Ohio, United States -
Family
Wife Emily Elizabeth Peck, b. 19 Jan 1848, West Bloomfield, Ontario, New York, United States , d. 10 Aug 1929, Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States (Age 81 years) Married 6 Aug 1875 Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States [2, 4] Children + 1. Frederick William Chamberlain, b. 2 Sep 1876, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States , d. 1 May 1948, Tryon, Gaston, North Carolina, United States (Age 71 years)2. John Fisher Chamberlain, b. 1880, Ohio, United States , d. 1881 (Age 1 years)+ 3. Ernest Barrett Chamberlain, b. 22 Jan 1883, Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States , d. 21 Jun 1972, St. Francis Village, Crowley, Tarrant, Texas, United States (Age 89 years)+ 4. Albert Edward Chamberlain, b. 26 Feb 1886, Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States , d. Mar 1965, New York, United States (Age 79 years)+ 5. Harold Fisher Peck Chamberlain, b. 4 May 1889, Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States , d. 29 Aug 1964, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States (Age 75 years)+ 6. Mary Elizabeth Chamberlain, b. 30 Jun 1891, Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States , d. 2 Apr 1987, Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States (Age 95 years) -
Other Personal Events
Ω Census son 1 Jun 1850 - Witness Role: Principal Ebenezer Benton CHAMBERLAIN
Ω Census son 1 Jun 1860 - Witness Role: Principal Ebenezer Benton CHAMBERLAIN
Ω Census nephew 1 Jun 1870 - Witness Role: Principal Henry COWLES
Occupation From 1875 to 1894 Oberlin College, Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States [2, 6, 10] professor - Photo is of the William Chamberlain home, probably on Lorain Street, based on old census records. That area seems to be a park now.
He studied and taught in Oberin 1875-6, taught in Oberlin Conservatory 1878-1883, graduated from Oberlin Theological Seminary 1881 and was appointed Instructor in Elocution Oberlin College and Seminary. Became Professor of Elocution and Associate Professor of Rhetoric 1884. Published a textbook entitled "Rhetoric of Vocal Expression" in 1892.
Ω Census son-in-law 1 Jun 1880 - Witness Role: Principal John Sears PECK
Misc 24 Dec 1887 [11] wrote a poem - The poem was an expression of his thoughts on a Bible verse, Isaiah 30:15
"For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength"
letters\chamberlain_wb_poem
Keywords: PicturePhysical Description 14 Jun 1899 [3] on his passport application - The description of applicant stated:
Age: 51 years
Stature: 5 feet, 4 inches
Forehead: Bald
Eyes: Blueish gray
Nose: straight
Mouth: small
Chin: not very prominent
hair: gray
complexion: light
face: rather thin
Travel From 21 Jun 1899 to 30 Aug 1899 New York City, New York, United States [3] aboard the steamship "New York" of the American Line. - Steamship said to set sail Wed, 21 Jun 1899 at 10am, stated return to the US on 30 Aug 1899. Sailing from Pier 14 on the North River, New York City. Destination unknown
Occupation 1900 Cicero, Cook, Illinois, United States [12] teacher Census 1 Jun 1900 Cicero, Cook, Illinois, United States [12] - Witness Role: head of household William Benton CHAMBERLAIN
Witness Role: wife Emily Elizabeth PECK
Witness Role: son Ernest Barrett CHAMBERLAIN
Witness Role: son Albert Edward CHAMBERLAIN
Witness Role: son Harold Fisher Peck CHAMBERLAIN
Witness Role: daughter Mary Elizabeth CHAMBERLAIN
Witness Role: sister Ellen Maria CHAMBERLAIN
Witness Role: servant Name: Florence E. Bardill
Witness Role: 36 year old single female from England
Family Search ID L7PQ-ZCT Ω Census Principal 1 Jun 1900 - Witness Role: Principal William Benton CHAMBERLAIN
_UID E58D3C622AAE495C88D477FC86F3A855D2B5 -
Photos headshots\CHAMBERLAIN William Benton Documents education_records\chamberlain_wb_oberlin1894bio
Keywords: Picture
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Event Map
Born - 1 Sep 1847 - Gustavus, Trumbull, Ohio, United States 
Occupation - From 1875 to 1894 - Oberlin College, Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States 
Married - 6 Aug 1875 - Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States 
Travel - From 21 Jun 1899 to 30 Aug 1899 - New York City, New York, United States 
Occupation - 1900 - Cicero, Cook, Illinois, United States Census - 1 Jun 1900 - Cicero, Cook, Illinois, United States 
Died - 7 Mar 1903 - Oak Park, Cook, Illinois, United States 
Buried - 11 Mar 1903 - Westwood Cemetery, Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States = Link to Google Earth -
Source Citations
- [S254] United States, Bureau of the Census, "1860 US Census, Ohio, Ashtabula County, Wayne, p.196", (1 June 1860), FamilySearch Family History Library (https://familysearch.org: accessed 11 January 2012)..
- [S846] Calvin Duvall Cowles, compiler, "1890. Mary Ann Cowles," in Genealogy of the Cowles families in America: Volume I, p. 593, (New Haven, CT: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, 1929), Internet Archive (http://archive.org/details/genealogyofcowle00cowl: accessed 28 February 2019)..
- [S1325] United States of America, Department of State, "Application for United States Passport: Chamberlain, William Benton", Lorain County, Ohio, (Washington: Department of State, 14 June 1899), Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: accessed 12 January 2012)..
- [S1408] National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogy Research, "Descendants Search: Member #488318 Mary E Chamberlain Waite to Ancestor #A026941 Samuel Cowles", (Washington, D.C.: Daughters of the American Revolution, 2022), Daughters of the American Revolution (https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=5: accessed 2 September 2022)..
- [S352] Ancestry.com. Ohio Obituary Index, 1830s-2009, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Original data: Hayes Presidential Center Obituary Indexers and Volunteers. “Ohio Obituary Index.” Database. Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. http://index.rbhayes.org/hayes/index/ : 2009..
- [S1329] Chamberlain Association of America, Report of annual meeting: 1903-1905, inclusive, (U.S.: The Association, from 1903 to 1905), Internet Archive (http://archive.org/details/reportofannualme00cham_2: accessed 6 June 2022)., pp.16-18.
Necrology
William Benton Chamberlain, 1847 —March 7, 1903.
In the death of William Benton Chamberlain a remarkable life was suddenly ended. His character was moulded by his early struggles in acquiring a collegiate education, and in the crystallization of his musical talents, especially in its relation to religion. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1875, and completed his course in the Theological Seminary in 1884, when he became Professor of Rhetoric in the college. " Oberlin remembers him as a student, instructor, leader in song, minister, neighbor and friend for twenty-five years." In 1894 he accepted the call to the Chair of Oratory and Sacred Music in Chicago Theological Seminary, and became the Dean of the School of Church Music. He was appointed Director of Music for the World's Sunday School Convention in Jerusalem, 1904. He possessed a rare personality, and "was magnetic, forceful, loveable, gentle, good, and aimed to lift up Christ through the medium of teaching and preaching." Thousands of students and hearers bear testimony to his spiritual influence, and hundreds of loving tributes were received by his family. - [S1365] The Oberlin Hi-O-Hi 1904: Volume XIV, (Oberlin, OH: Oberlin College Junior Class, 1904), Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/243626883:1265?tid=&pid=&queryId=a3f9e67edecc50b42c37ca04d5ac7297&_phsrc=eVX28&_phstart=successSource: accessed 11 June 2022)..
- [S1180] “William B. Chamberlain,” Westwood Database, accessed March 16, 2021, https://www.oberlinwestwood.org/omeka/items/show/52165..
- [S1181] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 16 March 2021), memorial page for William Benton Chamberlain (1847–7 Mar 1903), Find a Grave Memorial no. 47398811, citing Westwood Cemetery, Oberlin, Lorain County, Ohio, USA ; Maintained by KeepsakeQuilter (contributor 47153586) ..
- [S1363] The Oberlin Hi-O-Hi 1905: Volume XV, (Oberlin, OH: Oberlin College Junior Class, 1894), Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/236401311:1265?tid=&pid=&queryId=a3f9e67edecc50b42c37ca04d5ac7297&_phsrc=eVX29&_phstart=successSource: accessed 11 June 2022)..
- [S1356] Mary Waite, "Letter, photo, and poem: William Benton Chamberlain", note to Debbie Price, (10 February 1977), privately held by Leslie Price..
- [S772] United States, Bureau of the Census, "1900 US Census, Illinois, Cook County, Cicero, e.d.1146, p.17b", (1 June 1900), FamilySearch Family History Library (https://familysearch.org: accessed 10 December 2018)..
- [S254] United States, Bureau of the Census, "1860 US Census, Ohio, Ashtabula County, Wayne, p.196", (1 June 1860), FamilySearch Family History Library (https://familysearch.org: accessed 11 January 2012)..