West Brookfield, MA
Genealogy Pages

Home Page  |  What's New  |  Photos  |  Histories  |  Headstones  |  Reports  |  Surnames

First Name:


Last Name:



Rev. Dr. Leander Trowbridge Chamberlain
Male 1837 - 1913

HomeHome    SearchSearch    PrintPrint    Login - User: anonymousLogin    Add BookmarkAdd Bookmark

Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Title  Rev. Dr. 
    Birth  26 Sep 1837  West Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender  Male 
    Census  1850  West Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census  1855  West Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census  1860  West Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census  1880  Norwich, New London, Connecticut, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Residence  1910  New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Died  9 May 1913  Altadena, Los Angeles, California, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3
    Buried  19 May 1913  South Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID  I4842  West Brookfield Families
    Last Modified  11 Mar 2024 
     
    Father  Eli Chamberlain,   b. 4 Oct 1789, Westborough, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Mar 1858, West Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mother  Achsah Forbes,   b. 22 Jun 1794, Westboro, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 16 Sep 1880, West Brookfield, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married  30 Nov 1815  Westboro, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID  F2226  Group Sheet
     
    Family  Frances Lea,   b. 6 Mar 1834, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Feb 1894, Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married  30 Dec 1890  Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia, PA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 5
    Family ID  F2225  Group Sheet
     
  • Notes 
    • Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, and online database of record extractions provides that Leander Trowbridge Chamberlain was born or Christened in Brookfield, Worcester, MA in August of 1837. His parents were Eli Chamberlain and Achsah. His obituary provides a birth date of Sept. 26, 1838.

      Rev. Chamberlain graduated as Valedictorian from both Phillips Academy and Yale. He enlisted as assistant paymaster in the Navy on the day he graduated from Yale, and was sent to the South Pacific. He was promoted to the office of naval storekeeper and later, judge advocate of the fleet.

      He graduated from Andover Theological Seminary in 1869, and became pastor of the New England Congregational church in Chicago. His parish was in the the center of the great fire in 1871 and he became superintendent of the relief association. Rev. Chamberlain left Chicago in 1876 to become pastor of the Broadway Congregation Church in Norwich, Connecticut. He received his doctor of divinity degree from the University of Vermont in June of 1879. In 1883 Rev. Dr. Chamberlain became pastor of the Casson Avenue, Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, NY where he preached until the day before his marriage when he left for Philadelphia.

      Records show that a marriage license was obtained in Philadelphia, PA on 9 March1890 and that the intended bride's name was Frances Lea.(index no. 39554). The New York Herald - Tribune of December 30, 1890 names the bride as Frances Lea, a sister of writer Henry Carey Lea, and gives details about the wedding that is to happen in Philadelphia that very day. Sadly. Frances Chamberlain died in early March of 1894.

      Throughout his life Rev. Chamberlain continued to preach throughout the nation and served in numerous capacities in New York City and elsewhere. He founded the Brooklyn institute of arts and sciences, and was President of the Untied States Evangelical alliance. He was also president and secretary of the American and Foreign Missionary union. He was vice president of the Immigration Committee of the Civic Federation in 1909 and spoke in opposition to further restrictions on immigration, stating that the immigration laws at the time were sufficient to protect the county from undesirable foreigners.

      Leander was a resident of Pasadena, California when he died in Altadina on May 9, 1913. He was buried with his wife in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA.

      Dr. Chamberlain left $63,000 to religious, benevolent and scientific organizations. He also gave $100,000 to an institute in Turkey which he had projected and fostered.
     
  • Sources 
    1. [S2248] Pennsylvania Civil Marriages, 1677-1950, (Name: Family Search;), database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XH1H-R5H?cc=2466357&wc=QDNG-MTT%3A1588753668%2C1588754141 : 24 January 2017), Philadelphia > image 1472 of 1945; citing the Register of Wills Offices from various counties..
      Application to the Philadelphia County Orphans Court for a marriage license for Rev. Leander Trowbridge Chamberlain, Clergyman, of Brooklyn, NY, born 26 Sept. 1837 in West Brookfield, Mass., and Frances Lea, born Phila. 6 March 1834. Dated 9 December 1890 and signed by L.T. Chamberlain and the Asst Clerk of the Orphan's Court.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XH1H-R5H?cc=2466357&wc=QDNG-MTT%3A1588753668%2C1588754141

    2. [S1525] Rev. Dr. L. T. Chamberlain, (Name: Springfield Sunday Republican ; May 11, 1913, p. 12;).
      "...died Friday in Pasadena, Cal."

    3. [S1286] Noted Divine and Author is Dead, (Name: The Evening Telegram, Salt Lake City, Utah, Saturday Evening, May 10, 1913; p.1;).
      "... is dead today at the home of his niece, Mrs. F.C. Hayward."[sic]

    4. [S1195] Matrimony Notice for Rev. Dr. Leander T. Chamberlain and Miss Frances Lea, (Name: New York Herald Tribune, December 30, 1890, pg. 7;).
      "The Rev. Dr. Leander T. Chamberlain ... will be married today in Holy Trinity Church, Philadelphia to Miss Frances Leah

    5. [S2248] Pennsylvania Civil Marriages, 1677-1950, (Name: Family Search;), database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XH1H-VNY?cc=2466357&wc=QDNG-MTT%3A1588753668%2C1588754141 : 24 January 2017), Philadelphia > image 1473 of 1945; citing the Register of Wills Offices from various counties..
      Duplicate of marriage record for Rev. Leander T. Chamberlain and Frances Lea, Married 30 December 1890, signed by Rev'd W M N Vickar, DD.
      https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XH1H-VNY?mode=g&i=1472&cc=2466357