Is Rebecca Chamberlain’s maiden name Addington or Shelley?

Rebecca Chamberlain was the wife of William Chamberlain, of Billerica, Massachusetts. She was a victim of the Salem witch trials and died in Cambridge prison in 1692. Her parents are unknown. However, as a result of some genealogical detective work by George Walter Chamberlain (GWC) in about 1910, we have clues about her family and her maiden name. From his study of the Last Will and Testament of Sarah Shelley, he determined that Rebecca’s maiden name is either Addington or Shelley, but which one is it?

In his concluding comment GWC said, “I do not know… The time will doubtless come when this puzzle will be solved- probably from sources of information across the seas.”¹

It has now been over 100 years and the missing pieces of the puzzle still lay buried some where across the Atlantic.

The “Cousens” of Sarah Shelley

Reading Sarah Shelley’s will is quite confusing and some terms may seem arbitrary or inconsistent. David Conrad Chamberlain, Sr. (DCC) 1932-2005, studied the will, and his comment shows how confusing the will can be if we don’t know the various beneficiary’s and their relationship to Sarah Shelley.

The inconsistent wording used By Sarah Shelley in her will adds to the confusion. She calls Rebecca Chamberlain a sister, William Chamberlain her brother, and their children “cousins”. She calls Isaac Addington Jr. a “kinsman” and not her nephew, and so forth. Thus, it is fruitless to draw any definite conclusions from this terminology.²

Actually, all the terms used by Sarah Shelley are very consistent and precise when combined with obvious and common knowledge of her time. I believe my blog is first to identify all of her relatives who are beneficiaries of Sarah Shelley’s Last will and Testament. Hopefully, drawing conclusions from her terminology can now be fruitful.

Identifying Sarah Shelley’s “cousens” help us understand their relationship to her. In the will, everyone that she calls a “cousen” is a son or daughter of either William and Rebecca Chamberlain or of Isaac and Anne (Leverett) Addington. Therefore, it is obvious that all those called “cousens” in her will would be called nieces and nephews today. And also, all her relatives who are beneficiaries are connected to these two families.

Sarah Shelley’s will

In 1687, Sarah Shelley’s estate was valued at over £234. In today’s (2019) dollars considering inflation since 1750, this value would be about $66,493. One British pound in 1687 would be approximately $284 today, and one shilling $14.20.

Here is verbatim the will of Sarah Shelley. It is shortened to show only the parts that pertain to her relatives. I have numbered each of her “cousens” and will explain how each  one is related to the testatrix.

I Sarah Shelley of Boston in New England Spinster, being sick in body, but through mercy of sound disposing minde. Knowing the uncertainty of this present Life do hereby revoke all former and make and declare this my last will and Testament.
Item. I give bequeath unto my cousens Captain Penn Townsend and Sarah his wife (1) Five pounds apeice in money and to my Cousen Ann Pierce (2) Five pounds in money and to each of my Cousen Townsends and Cousen Pierce’s children (3) now Liveing Forty Shillings a piece in money to be paid by my Executor into the hands of their parents for their use. Also I give unto my Cousen Rebecca Davenport’s(4) two children Forty Shillings apeice in money Viz: Addington Davenport and Rebecca Davenport: (5) Further I give unto the said Rebecca Davenport and Rebecca Townsend (6) my two Silver Spoons, Rebecca Townsend to have that I commonly use. More to my Cousen Rebecca Davenport(7) one new pewter pot and Silver Bookin. (sic)

Item. I give unto my Cousen Isaac Addington (8) Ten Pounds in money and to his wife Twenty Shillings in money to buy her a Ring.

Item. I Release unto my Brother William Chamberlin(9) a debt of Six pounds which he oweth me and I give and bequeath unto my sister his wife(10) and unto her three daughters Twenty Shillings apeice in money. Farther I give unto my said Sister(10) and her three daughters and my Cousen John Chamberlain’s wife (11) all my wearing Apparrell and Household goods of all sorts to be equually divided among them Excepting three small pewter dishes marked S:S: which I give unto my Cousen Sarah Shed’s (12) Children now liveing.

Item. I give and bequeath all the rest and residue of my Estate whatsoever unto my sister Chamberlains(10) Eight Sons(13) to be equally divided to and among them, onely my two Cousens John and Clement Chamberlain (14) to have the value of Twenty Shillings apeice over and above an equal Share with their other Bretheren.

And of this my Last will and Testament I do nominate ordain and appoint my Kinsman Isaac Addington(8) to be the sole and whole Exector. In Testimony wherof I have hereunto Set my hand and affixed my Seale. Dated in boston the Second day of February Anno Domi 1686/7 Annoqz R:Rs Jacobi Anglia &ca: Secundi: Secundo.

Further I give unto each of my Cousen John & Thomas Chamberlins and my Cousen Sarah Shed’s Children:(15) now living, Ten Shillings for ye raysing of Which I have some small Remnants of Goods by me Which my Executor may dispose of.  Signu

Sarah s Shelley (Seal)

The Children of Isaac Addington and Anne (Leverett) Addington

Remember, Isaac Addington, Sr., is the one who is suspected to be the brother of Rebecca Chamberlain. It is easy to get confused on this point. Isaac Addington, Sr., died in 1652, many years before the will was written in 1687.

The only son of Isaac Addington Sr., and Ann (Leverett) Addington is Isaac Addington, Jr.(8) born January 22, 1644.³ Isaac, Jr was referred to as a cousin and a kinsman of Sarah Shelley. The term “cousen” in this will, (without exception), refers to what we know today as nieces and nephews. Isaac Addington, Jr. was the executor who Sarah Shelley also called her kinsman. This would be very clear at the time because his father was deceased.

Their three daughters are Ann Pierce, Rebecca Davenport and Sarah Townsend. Ann (Addington) Mosely, Pierce(2) was born March 10 1646.³ At the time of the will (1687), she was married to her second husband Nehemiah Pierce. (Her children, however, were from Mr. Mosely). Rebecca (Addington) Davenport(4) born March 11, 1649³ was married to Eleazer Davenport. Sarah (Addington) Townsend(1) born February 11, 1652³ was married to Penn Townsend. Sarah Shelley refers to all of these as “my cousens.”

The great nieces and nephews of Sarah Shelley were always called “children of her cousins.” Such as, “My Cousen Townsend’s and Cousen Pierce’s children”(3), or my Cousen Rebecca Davenport’s two children, viz: Addington Davenport and Rebecca Davenport(5). She uses the terms “my cousin” Rebecca Davenport(7) to distinguish her from the daughter, “Rebecca Davenport”.(6)

The children of William and Rebecca Chamberlain

William Chamberlain(9) and Rebecca Chamberlain(10) are the only relatives she calls  “my brother” and “my sister”. Isaac Addington, Sr. and Anne (Leverett) Addington were both deceased. Otherwise, they might also have been mentioned as her brother and sister.²

When referring to Rebecca Chamberlain’s children, like those of Isaac Addington, Sr., she always calls them “my cousin”. The eight sons(13) of William and Rebecca Chamberlain living in 1687 are: William born about 1652; John(11)(14) born about 1654; Jacob born January 18, 1658; Thomas(14) born February 20, 1659; Edmund born July 15, 1660; Abraham born January 6, 1665; Clement(13) born May 30, 1669; and Daniel born September 27, 1671.²

Their three daughters are: Sarah (Chamberlain) Shed(12)(14) born May 20, 1655 who married John Shed; Rebecca born February 25, 1663; and Ann born March 3, 1666.²

She called William Chamberlain “my brother” and Penn Townsend “my cousin” which seems the polite thing to do. (They are actually brother-in-law and cousin-in-law). However, when referring to her relative’s children, the parent is always her blood relative, such as “my sister Chamberlain’s eight sons” and “my Cousen John & Thomas Chamberlin’s children and my Cousen Sarah Shed’s Children”. These parent names mentioned are all Chamberlains, (her blood line relatives) even though the children have two parents.

What are the odds?

Since I started writing my blog in July, 2017, no question has come to me more often than, “What is Rebecca Chamberlain’s name? Addington or Shelley?” Therefore, I have studied the will of Sarah Shelley and will add my opinion to those GWC and DCC offered years ago. The good news is that we all agree on two important points. These are:

1- From information found only in the will, we can never know for sure which name is correct.

2- We all agree on which name seems to be most likely.

I developed an algorithm to determine which name is most likely the name of the father of Rebecca Chamberlain. A running score will be kept and the odds will change each time I answer a question or express my opinion. When all the major questions are considered, the final score will determine what is, (in my humble opinion), the most likely maiden name of Rebecca Chamberlain.

Is the name Addington, Shelley or Leverett?

Rebecca Chamberlain and Sarah Shelley were of the same generation as Isaac Addington, Sr. Therefore, they have to be either sisters to Isaac Addington, Sr. or to his wife Anne Leverette. GWC started with three possible names, Addington, Shelley or Leverette.

The wife of Isaac Addington, Sr. was Anne Leverett. She was the daughter of Thomas Leverett and Ann Fitch who were married October 29, 1610.²

Rebecca Chamberlain’s father’s name is either Shelley, or it is one of two lines of the Addington family. either Addington or Leverette. Therefore the odds begin at:

Shelly 50%, Addington 25%, Leverette 25%.

The study of GWC determined whether Sarah Shelley’s relationship to Isaac Addington’s family came through the Addington or Leverette line, he wrote:

In 1672, Governor John Leverett sent to Old Boston, Lincolnshire, England for a transcript of the baptisms of his father’s family… On March 15, 1679.. he made his will mentioning all of the children of his sister Anne (Leverette) Addington, but neither Rebecca Chamberlain nor Sarah Shelley (were included). His transcripts show that… the family consisted of thirteen children baptized between 1612 and 1632. The transcripts show Anne Leverette had a sister named Sarah, but failed to show any sister named Rebecca Leverette.¹

GWC concluded: “Therefore, the kinship of Capt. Isaac Addington’s children to Sarah Shelley and Rebecca Chamberlain did not originate in the Leverett family and must have come from the Addington family.”¹

Shelley 50%, Addington 50%, Leverette 0%

Was Sarah Shelley married?

If Sarah Shelley was married, Shelley would be her married name and her sister Rebecca’s maiden name would then be Addington. However, the will begins: “I Sarah Shelley of Boston in New England, Spinster”. If spinster is defined as one who has never been married then the calculation will change to:

Shelley 100%, Addington 0% 

However, GWC pointed out that in New England before the American Revolution, the term “spinster” applied to both maidens and widows. He then showed examples in five different documents where widows of that time were called “spinsters” or “spinster/widows”.

Shelley 50%, Addington 50%

The will appears to have been drawn by Isaac Addington, Jr., the distinguished colonial magistrate of Suffolk County. The paper was folded together so that the contents were on the inside two pages. The person who drew up the will wrote in the middle of the outside page: “Mrs Sarah Shelley her Last Will 1686” (1687)

This certainly must mean Sarah was married and therefore she was Sarah Addington, and Shelley was the name of her husband.

Addington 100%, Shelley 0%

Not so fast! Prior to the mid eighteenth century “Mrs” was applied to any adult woman who merited the social distinction, without any marital connotation. Miss was reserved for young girls until the mid eighteenth century. Even when adult single women started to use Miss, Mrs. still designated a social or business standing, and not the status of being married, until at least the mid nineteenth century.⁴

Addington 50%, Shelley 50%

George W. Chamberlain believed her name was Addington

Sarah Shelley’s will tells us that she was a sister to Rebecca Chamberlain. There is really no evidence to persuade us that Sarah, Rebecca and Isaac were not full siblings. For example, the terms half brother/sister or step brother/sister are never mentioned. Neither does she ever distinguish any one as a half cousin, and she never says cousin of my brother/sister. Also, the name Shelley is not seen among the beneficiaries.

In addition, George W. Chamberlain pointed out that Shelley had a well furnished home and an estate valued at about $66,493 in today’s (2019) dollars. This would be highly unlikely for a single woman living in Boston in 1670 to 1687, unless it was inherited. If they were sisters, and she inherited her estate from her father, Rebecca Chamberlain would likely have received a similar inheritance. Again, of this there is no evidence.

GWC wrote, “For these reasons I believe that Sarah Shelley was a “spinster-widow” whose estate had fallen to her by death of a husband and she. being left alone in the world. decided to pass her last years in Boston near her nephews and nieces, but I don’t know she was a widow.“¹ In other words, GWC believed Rebecca’s name was Addington, but just couldn’t say for sure. I agree with GWC.

After very closely examining the will’s terminology, I found it to be clear and consistent with no hint of any half siblings or step siblings. Therefore, I believe it is conservative to say the odds now stand at:

Addington 70%, Shelley 30%.

The Addington-Chamberlain connection

The will connects Sarah Shelley with Rebecca Chamberlain and Isaac Addington, Sr., and their families. This therefore implies a relationship between the Addingtons and Chamberlains. Some suggest this weakens evidence that Isaac and Rebecca were full brother/sister. However, there is another obvious fact that seems to tie the two families very closely together-  that is the naming of their children.

The Addingtons named their children Isaac, Ann, Rebecca and Sarah. When Sarah, their fourth child died as an infant, they also named their fifth child Sarah. These are the names of the children’s father, mother and two aunts.

The Chamberlain’s named their second son Isaac and their three daughters Sarah, Rebecca and Ann. They also had sons whom they named Thomas, Edmund and William. These names include the children’s father, mother and all of their known or suspected aunts and uncles. I believe this remarkable fact raises the probability that Rebecca and Isaac are full siblings.

Addington 80%, Shelley 20%

The Addington family lived in Boston

William Chamberlain, the immigrant, after coming to Massachusetts Bay Colony was first recorded living in Boston October 30, 1647. There he took deed of a house and lot from Francis Smith. His house, garden, shop and out houses were bound on the north by (West Street), on the west (Mason Street), and on east (Washington Street).¹

Rebecca’s family lived in Boston and, no doubt, that is where William and Rebecca met. The birth record of their first son Timothy, born in Woburn on August 13, 1649, tells us that William and Rebecca were married and living together in Boston.

He sold the Boston property on January 4, 1649 and two days later he was admitted as an inhabitant of the town of Woburn. A few years later, in about 1654, they moved to Billerica.¹

Rebecca’s brother Captain Isaac Addington (Sr.) was living in Boston, Massachusetts as a “single man” before June 6, 1640. He married Anne Leverette and their five children were born between 1644 and 1652. Isaac died in Boston in 1652. His wife, Anne (Leverette) Addington was living in Boston in 1657, and many of her family remained there when Sarah Shelley’s will was documented in 1687.¹

Isaac, Sarah and Rebecca were certainly raised together and most likely lived together as siblings in Boston in the early 1640s. The point in question, however, is whether they were full siblings, or a product of a blended family of half and/or step siblings.

If Sarah Shelley was never married, but received an inheritance from her parents she most likely would have remained in Boston. There would be no apparent reason for her to leave Boston and move away from her family, if she was not married. Yet there is no record of Sarah Shelley living in Boston until 1670.

Sarah Shelley was admitted to the First Church of Boston on August 14, 1670. This is an unlikely event if she had been living there since the 1640s. I believe this is strong circumstantial evidence that she got married and moved away from Boston and then returned about 1670 as a widow to be near her family.

I believe the cumulative evidence shows there is at least a 90% chance that Mr. and Mrs. Addington reared their three children Isaac Addington, Sarah Addington and Rebecca Addington, and that Sarah married Mr. Shelley. Since he would be an uncle to the Chamberlain children, his first name may have been Timothy, (or one of the other names of the Chamberlain children.)

Addington 90%, Shelley 10%

What if Sarah was the daughter of Mr. Shelley?

It appears that there is about a 90% chance that Rebecca and Sarah are full siblings. Therefore, at this point there is only about a 10% chance that Sarah’s father was Mr. Shelley.

However, even if we knew Sarah’s father was Mr. Shelley and that her birth name was Sarah Shelley, there would still be a 50/50 chance that Rebecca’s name is Addington! We know that the family would have two different fathers because Mr. Addington is certainly the father of Isaac.  Therefore, Rebecca’s father could be either Mr. Addington or Mr. Shelley.

We don’t know the ages of the three sibling’s, but the birth year estimate for Isaac is between 1600 and 1620 and for Rebecca between 1625 to 1633. So we are fairly sure that Isaac was older than Rebecca.

The following are two situations where Sarah’s father is Mr. Shelley but Rebecca’s is Mr. Addington. There could either be one mother or two different mothers in our hypothetical family.

A one mother situation: Mr. Shelley and his wife have a daughter Sarah. Mr. Shelley dies and his former wife marries Mr. Addington, they then have Isaac and Rebecca.

 A two mother situation: Mr. Addington and his wife have a son Isaac. Mr. Shelley and his wife have a daughter Sarah. Mr. Addington later marries Shelley’s former wife and they have Rebecca.

In the various scenario’s, Rebecca’s father could be either Mr. Addington or Mr. Shelley, so chances for Rebecca Addington are about 50/50. Therefore, based on my estimate up to this point, the chance Rebecca’s name is Shelley drops from 10% to 5%. This brings me to my final estimate for the maiden name of Rebecca Chamberlain, which is:

Rebecca Addington 95%, Rebecca Shelly 5%.

Conclusions

There is no record of the parents of Rebecca Chamberlain. The only clues we have to her parents are found in Sarah Shelley’s will.

The will identifies Isaac Addington Sr. and Rebecca Chamberlain as her brother and sister. According to my study of the will there is about a 90% chance that they are full siblings. Though the possibility exists, the will does not imply that they are step-siblings or half-siblings. The simplest and most likely option is that Isaac, Sarah and Rebecca are full siblings.

If this is true, Sarah was married and Shelley is Sarah’s married name. In 1910, George W. Chamberlain believed this most likely to be the case.  Also, after thorough examination of his writings and the will, I believe the probability of this is about 90%.

In the case (about a 10% chance) that Sarah Shelley is not a full sibling to both Rebecca and Isaac, there is still a 50/50 chance that Rebecca is an Addington. Therefore, there is overall about a 95% chance that she is Rebecca (Addington) Chamberlain.