Individual Details

Jean Champers believed to be the daughter of Benjamin Chambers and Jean Williams. Jean's father was the Rev. Willaim Williams. The only other named of child of Benjamin Chambers is thought to be a son William, who married Ann Heatherly. Benjamin Chambers was born about 1708, Antrim County, Ireland - he died 17 Feb 1788, near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.


However, the above information seems to be incorrect and Joshua Hicks wife has been placed in the wrong family.

Four Chambers brothers - James, Robert, Joseph & Benjamin - are said to have come from Ireland, landing in Philadelphia in 1726. They settled at the mouth of Fishing Creek on the the east bank of the Susquehanna, a few miles above Harris' ferry where they build a mill. Benjamin said to be about eighteen when then came and was aged 80 at his death. About 1730, they crossed over the Susquehanna, settling at different places. James settled at the head of Green Spring, near Newville; Robert at the head of Middle Spring, near Shippensburg. Joseph and Benjamin settled near the confluence of Falling Spring and the Conococheague, near the present location of Chambersburg. Joseph returned to Fishing Creek, but the others remained. History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania. Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co, 1886.


http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/franklin/history/local/wbeers005.txt
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO: WARNER, BEERS & CO., 1887 Chicago:
JOHN MORRIS COMPANY, PRINTERS 118 and 120 Monroe Street.
The first settlement, in what is now Franklin County, was made in 1730, at Falling Spring, (now Chambersburg)-the confluence of the two streams, Falling Spring and Conococheague-by Col. Benjamin Chambers and his older brother, Joseph. Between 1726 and 1730, four brothers, James, Robert, Joseph and Benjamin Chambers, emigrated from the country of Antrim, Ireland, to the province of Pennsylvania. They settled and built a mill shortly after their arrival, at the mouth of Fishing Creek, in what is now Dauphin County, where they occupied a tract of fine land. These brothers were among the first to explore and settle the valley. James made a settlement at the head of Great Spring, near Newville; Robert, at the head of Middle Spring, near Shippensburg, and Joseph and Benjamin at Falling Spring, where Chambersburg now stands.
By an arrangement among the brothers, Joseph returned to supervise their property at the mouth of Fishing Creek, and Benjamin remained to develop the settlement at Falling Spring. He built a one-storied hewed-log house which he covered with lapped cedar shingles secured by nails-an innovation upon the prevailing style of architecture, which consisted of round log structure covered with a roof of clapboards, held in position by beams and wooden pins. Having completed this, the finest residence in the settlement, he addressed himself to clearing land, erecting necessary buildings and planning the future growth of the colony. Some time after this, Benjamin had occasion to visit his former homestead at Fishing Creek. Returning, he found his house had been burned by some avaricious person for the "sake of the nails," which were a rarity in those days.
Subsequently Mr. Chambers received what was then the only authority for the taking up and occupying of land. The following is a copy of the interesting instrument, which was a narrow strip of common writing paper, the chirography on which would not stand the crucial test of modern straight lines, ovals and right and left curves.
PENNSYLVANIA. SS By order of the Proprietary. These are to License and allow Benjamin Chambers to take and settle and Improve of four hundred acres of Land at the falling spring's mouth and on both sides of the Conegochege Creek for the conveniency of a Grist Mill and plantation. To be hereafter surveyed to the said Benjamin on the common terms other Lands in those parts are sold. Given under my hand this thirtieth day of March 1734. LANCASTER COUNTY SAMUEL BLUNSTON
A mill-wright by occupation, he at once erected a saw-mill and subsequently a flouring-mill. These were both indispensable tot he comfort and growth of the settlement, and were evidently heralded as strong inducements for others to cast in their lot with this growing colony. The saw-mill stood on what is known as the "Island," a few rods northwest of where the woolen-mill now stands; the flouring-mill, constructed mainly of logs, stood near the residence of its owner. It was shortly destroyed by fire, but its place was occupied by a new one, whose walls were made of stone.
BENJAMIN CHAMBERS was upward of twenty one years of age when he settled at Falling Spring. His death occurring February 17, 1788, in his eightieth year, he must have been born about 1708 or 1709. Shortly after (1741), he married a Miss Patterson, residing near Lancaster, who was the mother of his eldest son, James. She lived but a few years. In 1748, he married a second time, his choice being a Miss Williams, the daughter of a Welsh clergyman living in Virginia. She bore seven children, viz: RUHAMAH, married to DR. CALHOUN; WILLIAM; BENJAMIN; JANE, married to ADAM ROSS; JOSEPH, GEORGE and HETTY, married to WM. M. BROWN, ESQ.
He used his influence with his acquaintances to settle in his neighborhood, directing their attention to desirable locations for farms. He was early commissioned a justice of the peace, and later a colonel of the militia organized. He served as a daysman to adjust many controversies between his neighbors, and thus became a general counselor in the community. During the controversy between LORD BALTIMORE and the PENNS, concerning the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, he went to England to assist, by his evidence and advice, in the adjustment of the difficulties involved. From England he went to Ireland, his native soil, where he induced many acquaintances with their families to remove to his new settlement.
In 1764 COL. CHAMBERS laid out the town of Chambersburg, whose history is sketched elsewhere in this volume. The history of this sturdy early settler is the history of the country and of the commonwealth for more than half a century. From the time he landed at the Falling Spring till his declining health rendered further activity impossible, he was the acknowledged leader of the people in all civil, military, and religious movements.

Early History of Chambersburg, PA
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1178391
Colonel Benjamin Chambers could not permanantly settle in this Cumberland Valley area he coveted before 1734, where plentiful timber and water abound, because the treaty that William Penn made with the indigenous owners, the Lenni Lenape (the local pioneers called them Delaware) had to be done. It was still aboriginal property when England's King Charles II chartered it to him. Then Penn could issue "licenses to settle," or Blunston Licenses.
Colonel Benjamin Chambers had already built a log cabin, and hydro- powered a grist mill and saw mill where the Conococheague Creek and the mouth of the Falling Spring meet. Colonel Chambers received his Blunston License on March 30, 1734 which him the right to improve 400 acres for a plantation. He built fortifications (Fort Chambers) in 1756 and a 300 by 90 foot stockade as part of this town layout of 523 acres, to protect his new community. Settlers returned and included increasing numbers of Germans, feeling safer from the potential problems that occur from the indigenous American Indian population. (An incursion in this area in 1755 caused the mostly Scots-Irish population to decline to 300 from its former maximum of 3000.)
The Falling Spring Presbyterian Church, wherein whose cemetary Col. Chambers is interred, was the first of his three rose rent churches given land. It was rebuilt in 1768, still existing, and the original of 1734 was the oldest congregation in this town. 1780 was the year Chambers conveyed land to the Zion Reformed Church, and the First Lutheran Church. (The present building is from 1850). The Corpus Christi Catholic Church's organized parishoners of 1782 built the present edifice in 1792
Chambers granted the land in the square for the courthouse in 1774, completed 18 years later, when he obtained two more adjacent tracts.


An online database gave this list of children for Benjamin Chambers:
Ruhama (1750 - 1826)
William (1752 - 1788)
Benjamin (1755 - 1813)
Jane (1756 - 1825)
Joseph (1758 - 1811)
George (1760 - 1802)
Hadassah (1762 - )
Charles (1764 - )

And then in a WorldConnect file there was more about Jane Chambers, daughter of Benjamin. I haven't checked with the submitter Nancy Jacobson, but there seems to be far too much data to be accidental.

ID: I17
Name: Jane CHAMBERS
Surname: Chambers
Given Name: Jane
Sex: F
Birth: 1762 in Chambers Mills, Franklin, Pennsylvania
Death: 19 Mar 1825 in Chambers Mills, Franklin, Pennsylvania
Burial: Falling Spring, Franklin, Pennsylvania
Note: Died from a fall from her horse. Buried in Falling Spring graveyard.
Change Date: 19 Oct 2001 at 17:01:46

Father: Benjamin CHAMBERS b: 1709 in County Antrim, Ireland
Mother: Jane WILLIAMS b: 1725

Marriage 1 Adam ROSS b: 1754 in , Ireland
Married: 1777
Children
Benjamin ROSS
William ROSS b: 1789 in Guilford Twp., Franklin, Pennsylvania
George ROSS
James ROSS
Joseph ROSS
Adam ROSS
John ROSS
Mary ROSS b: 1782
Hetty ROSS
Jane ROSS
Ruhamah ROSS

Spouse	JOSHUA Hicks ( - )
Child	Joshua Hicks Jr (1779 - )
Child	MARGARET Hicks (1780 - 1840)
Child	Elizabeth Hicks (1781 - )
Child	Joseph Hicks (1783 - )
Child	Hannah Hicks (1785 - 1865)
Child	Jane Hicks (1787 - )
Child	Mary Ann "Polly" Hicks (1792 - 1868)