We now know DNA studies match kin who lived in Northern England who went by the name Chomley, Cholmley, or Chamley. Our kin might have lived in Ireland or Scotland before England but no DNA matches in those areas yet. Whatever the cultural or historical issues of the day, our ancestors definitely wanted to leave the British Isles and go to America.
Given a timeline of records PERHAPS our ancestors left because of cultural events leading up to the Battle of Culloden. The first verified record is in Bertie County is 1744, then 1757 on a tax list. First of the DNA 1st cousins or brothers was Isaac Chamblee, Hertford Co NC on a tax list in 1779, obviously of legal age. The oral history that 6 came from Ireland or Scotland (or England) would then fit the years surrounding the Battle of Culloden. One can wonder.
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Scottish Immigration to America increased as Scots gained access to America as Indentured Servants Scottish Immigration to America in the 1700's was undertaken by angry Scots following defeat at the hands of the English at the 1746 Battle of Culloden... In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie, the the Stuart heir, attempted to claim the British throne but was defeated in 1746 at the Battle of Culloden. The defeat at the Battle of Culloden prompted large scale emigration from Scotland to America and the history of Scottish Immigration to America began in earnest, although Scots had first emigrated during the Colonial era of American history. More on this at Scottish Immigration to America.
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Boat and immigration lists and other early American records including indentured servants have not yielded results. We have have done a surname survey of these immigration records, but there is no pattern or conclusion. We looked at the Chambliss, Chumbly, etc. lines for a few years but after DNA studies we now rule that out. No paper trail from Chambless/Chambliss/Cumbly substantiates anything in our ancestry anyway.
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Where did we first find them on record in America? Bertie County, North Carolina--which was later split into Hertford County in December 1759. We think some of the early records ended up in Hertford County, which unfortunately suffered two fires and most early holdings were lost.
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What is more important is where our ancestors migrated in America. Our ancestors needed and desired many acres of land to support their families. As land was advertised or given as military warrants, our ancestors began to migrate.
We now know DNA studies match kin who lived in Northern England who went by the name Chomley, Cholmley, or Chamley. Our kin might have lived in Ireland or Scotland before England but no DNA matches in those areas yet. Whatever the cultural or historical issues of the day, our ancestors definitely wanted to leave the British Isles and go to America.
Given a timeline of records PERHAPS our ancestors left because of cultural events leading up to the Battle of Culloden. The first verified record is in Bertie County is 1744, then 1757 on a tax list. First of the DNA 1st cousins or brothers was Isaac Chamblee, Hertford Co NC on a tax list in 1779, obviously of legal age. The oral history that 6 came from Ireland or Scotland (or England) would then fit the years surrounding the Battle of Culloden. One can wonder.
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Scottish Immigration to America increased as Scots gained access to America as Indentured Servants Scottish Immigration to America in the 1700's was undertaken by angry Scots following defeat at the hands of the English at the 1746 Battle of Culloden... In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie, the the Stuart heir, attempted to claim the British throne but was defeated in 1746 at the Battle of Culloden. The defeat at the Battle of Culloden prompted large scale emigration from Scotland to America and the history of Scottish Immigration to America began in earnest, although Scots had first emigrated during the Colonial era of American history. More on this at Scottish Immigration to America.
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Boat and immigration lists and other early American records including indentured servants have not yielded results. We have have done a surname survey of these immigration records, but there is no pattern or conclusion. We looked at the Chambliss, Chumbly, etc. lines for a few years but after DNA studies we now rule that out. No paper trail from Chambless/Chambliss/Cumbly substantiates anything in our ancestry anyway.
​
Where did we first find them on record in America? Bertie County, North Carolina--which was later split into Hertford County in December 1759. We think some of the early records ended up in Hertford County, which unfortunately suffered two fires and most early holdings were lost.
​
What is more important is where our ancestors migrated in America. Our ancestors needed and desired many acres of land to support their families. As land was advertised or given as military warrants, our ancestors began to migrate.
Chamblee-Chamlee Research
THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH
IN OUR FAMILY HISTORY
Chambley, Shambley, Shamley, Shamblee, Chamley
Chamblee (all spellings) y-DNA Project
Your participation is critical to understanding the past
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OUR STORY
In 1990 a small band of Chamblee and Chamlee researchers joined forces to compare family history research on Chamlee and Chamblee families: Anne and Tilmon, D'Ann, Jack, Bill, Rocky, George, Cherrye. Others joined in opening their records: Mary Helen, John S., Inez, Sue., Sandy and more. We also consulted the past research efforts of Lille Archer Chamlee, Ethel Updike, the Allreds, and Rochter Portland Chamblee. We made trips to state archives in North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina; to courthouses, cemeteries, the FHL in Salt Lake and Los Angeles and other record repositories. We spent thousands of hours reading all extant records to sort out this surname throughout the entire country.
Was this surname connected to other spelling deviations? This was not a group interested in anything but the truth as told by our ancestors. We were using best genealogical practices. Using only valid sources and documentation was important to put the puzzle together. Years and years have gone by and we now have a larger picture.
After serious concern over the false information on the internet as well as books, this site exists to encourage a better standard of research and to clarify some prevailing myths. ​
Photo: Relatives of George Washington Chamlee & Malinda Robertson. Owner: Anne Chamlee
HISTORY
Years ago a descendant of Rotcher Portland Chamblee (1867-1900) who heard we were deep in Chamblee research made contact with Cherrye Lane Davis and heard we were deep into Chamblee genealogy. He made contact and said he had a book of history.
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The book contains genealogy worked on for years by Rotcher Portland Chamblee. The North Carolina Archives or the North Carolina Historical Commission (NC Archives predecessor) did not exist when Rotcher Portland compiled his book. Entries indicated he traveled the area interviewing relatives and did the same in Georgia (at least). This is the oldest book of compiled Chamblee information we are aware of.
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The contents of the book are amazingly accurate. Rotcher Portland's father, William Bryant Chamblee, was the grandson of Robert (Robin) Chamblee of Wake County, so there was indeed not so distant oral history. His marginal notes about where people migrated was a god-send before records were digitized and indexed.
Zachariah B. Horton Chamblee, 1879-1943, owner: Sandra Estes
SLAVE RESEARCH
Of special interest is slave genealogy. Yes, some of our ancestors were slaveholders.
In the hope of helping slave descendants we attempted to add slave names as we can find them. This will be an ongoing project.
To find the information, click the SLAVE RECORD tab above and choose the state from the drop down where your ancestor last lived for extant plantation records.
We understand the migration patterns, the naming patterns and the connection between Chamblee and Chamlee, et. al, families, in other words, the inheritance route of slaves. We are here to help. Please contact us directly so we can specifically send you records and guide your genealogical journey. Use the email form on the tab above, or Chamblee.Genealogy@gmail.com.
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There are reasons why you can't find your family, and you may be surprised why. Read this to fully understand : Slave Research: Four Things You Need to Know.
Robert Asbury Chamblee (1866-1922, Hall Co, GA), son of Ransom & Phyllis Roberts Chamblee. Owner: Roland Wesley Chamblee family
GOOD TO KNOW
We tend to believe if it's in print, it's true. Sadly genealogical websites and books pop up with historical research problems. The math is wrong, the conclusions are improbable or impossible based on other evidence, the information is culled from spurious sources instead of record repositories. Some people take information from the websites of others and then publish a book without having a clear and solid understanding of the ancestors and their lives, let alone the history behind their lives.
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Whether the information in the book is accurate depends on the sources and methodology of the genealogist compiling the book. Some books are mere copies of the work of others, often copying family trees from websites or family trees without actually doing solid original research. Other books are footnoted and double-checked--these are the treasures which allow readers to find the original records.
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Others take family trees or solid research of others and make their own websites without reverifying, and of course without giving credit. Unless you see documentation listed from the repository where the record is filed, be very suspicious.
Nancy Caroline Ratliff (Foust), 1847-1881, dau of Abraham B Ratliff & Sarah A. E. Chamblee
BEST PRACTICES
There are many "best practices" in the world of genealogical research. Here are just a few we have noticed which might help you.
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THE PROCESS IS SIMPLE - LEARN IT AND ENJOY (BUT DON'T MAKE UP FACTS, BLINDLY COPY GENEALOGY OR GUESS)
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Beginners often lose interest when the genealogy process seems tedious, overwhelming and complicated. The methodology is quite simple, what is complicated is that we think like today instead of the time and culture of our ancestors.
Lack of knowledge leads to blindly copying a tree or website, which is copying but not the actually doing research. In fact, copying without having the overall picture of the family leads to replicating errors.
You can learn a simple correct genealogy process in 30 minutes if you talk to the right person. Learn SOLID simple things first, like how to look at a census and how to add it to your notes in date order--there are tricks to this. FamilySearch has excellent training videos.
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ONLY LEARN WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
If your ancestors came over in the colonial era, you probably don't have to learn about naturalization records (created much later) just yet. Think, where are the records located around your life? The same process goes for your ancestor. Don't get too bogged down, but DO learn the basics at FamilySearch or the National Genealogical Society, etc.
We have not found when and how our ancestors immigrated from the UK. We have exhausted all the usually databases in record repositories. Not all boat crossing records are extant and not all boat lists have been indexed.
We have looked around in Northern England, Scotland and Ireland databases but found nothing substantive that fits our family so far. More testing of people in that area would really help.
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Here is what we know. We are NOT Chambless/Chambliss and not Chumbley via yDNA. We researched northeast states including early Virginia and North Carolina on this surname but found no connection on paper in very early records except in early Bertie County, NC beginning 1744.
Please join the Chamblee/Chamlee DNA project at Familytree DNA. There is so much more we need to know. The current prices are here. Just join, send for your kit and the results will automatically be uploaded to the project where you can view the results. We especially encourage all Chamblee, Chamlee (al spellings) cousins to sign up. For slave lines, this just might be the breakthrough you need.
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Thanks to a member from Australia who tested, we seem to closely match his ancestors from old Westmorland County, England or possibly nearby. The old oral history from the American lines of the earliest people on record--Jacob Chamlee, Robert Chamblee, Isaac Chamblee, George, etc-- is that 4-6 brothers came from England, Scotland or Ireland.
OUR DNA
The Wonders of DNA
Jack Frank Chamblee, Jr. (left) and his doppleganger 2nd great grandfather, Newton Jasper Chamblee 1847-1909, Cullman Co, AL. Jack is one of the original Chamblee core researchers of the Chamblee research group who informally banded together to share information years ago. Jack and Allen Lambert visited cemeteries, collected photos and genealogy on the Chamblee descendants from James B. Chamblee of Wake Co NC who migrated to AL.