General Notes

Anthony Chamness , son of John and Ann Weary, was born February 17, 1713 at East Smithfield Street, London, England and was baptized when he was 18 days old in St. John's Church of Wapping. He left England for America in 1724.
In The Carolina Experience Seth Hinshaw relates an old Chamness family tale:
One fascinating story of an indentured servant is that of Anthony Chamness. As a boy of thirteen in London, while watching ships on the Thames River, he was kidnapped, brought to America, then sold as an indentured servant. During his period of servitude he fell in love with Sarah Cole, an indentured servant girl. In order to hasten her day of liberation, he volunteered to serve part of her remaining time. When at last they were free to get married (ca. 1735) their equipment for housekeeping consisted of a broken wooden bowl which she had found, and a wooden spoon which he had whittled out for her. As soon as possible they moved southward to the Cane Creek area, and joined the meeting. They reared a large family of thirteen children.5
This makes for interesting reading however the following Contract of Indenture was discovered at the Corporation of London Record Office:
Indenture Contract of Anthony Chamness
London the ninth day of February one thousand, seven hundred and twenty-four, Memorandun, that Anthony Chamness of White Chappel in County of Middlesex did by indenture bearing like herewith, agree to serve John Cooke of London Vichular or his assigns seven years in Maryland (his Majesty's Plantation in America) and did thereby declare himself to be of the age of fifteen years, a single person, and no covenant or contracted servant to any other person or persons. And the said did thereby covenant at his own cost, to send his said servant to the said plantation; and at the like costs to find him all necessary clothes, meat, drink, washing and lodging, as other servants in such cases are usually provided for and allowed.
Jurat Coran? Witness
X
The mark of Anthony Chamness 6
Anthony would only have been 12 years old in 1724, not 15 as stated in the Indenture Contract, since he was born in 1713. So he must have lied about his age. This contract that Anthony signed in London casts doubt on the legend of his kidnapping and being sold as an indentured servant in America. It is also unlikely Sarah was an indentured servant. In truth, her parents and paternal grandparents were both landowners in Maryland and would have been able to take care of her.
It has been reported that Anthony was in Baltimore County, Maryland in 1735 working for a Quaker family, but I have not as yet found the evidence for this statement. This was three years after he would have fulfilled his seven-year contract of indenture in 1732. It was in Baltimore County that Anthony met and married Sarah Cole <../reunion/PS06/PS06_295.HTM>, daughter of Joseph <../reunion/PS06/PS06_306.HTM> and Susannah <../reunion/PS06/PS06_307.HTM> Cole. She was born May 1, 1718 probably in Baltimore County. The Cole family had come to Maryland several generations earlier, perhaps around 1650.7
On November 24, 1735 Anthony and Sarah Cole were married in St. Paul's Parish Church <http://www.oldstpauls.ang-md.org/history.htm> in Baltimore.8 Although later records show Anthony and Sarah were both active Quakers it is not clear when or how they were first introduced to the movement. Sarah may have already been a Quaker when they met (Some of the Cole family lines were of the Quaker faith, but we don't know if Sarah's line was one of them). Anthony could have been a Quaker in England or he could have become a Quaker because of his association with a Quaker family. Or they may have decided together at a later date to join the Religious Society of Friend's.
The first Quaker record 9 found regarding Anthony and Sarah is in the birth records of their three oldest children: Elizabeth, Susanna and Joseph. Between 1737 and 1740 they appear in the Minutes of the Gunpowder Monthly Meeting <http://www.bym-rsf.org/gmm/index.html> (MM), located along the Gunpowder River in Baltimore County, Maryland.10
Anthony and Sarah received a certificate of transfer from the Gunpowder MM on August 26, 1741 to the Monoquesey or Manuckecy [old spelling] Preparatory Meeting. It was located in the Monocacy Valley, just north of the Potomac River near Buckeystown, 5 miles south of Frederick, Maryland. This was part of Prince George County until 1748 when it became part of the formation of Frederick County. It was nine years since he completed his indentured service and six years since his marriage to Sarah. We are not sure what prompted Anthony to move his family at this time, but Quakers often followed other members who had moved on to another area. Perhaps word filtered back as to the benefits of the "greener pastures" or better community life.

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Anthony and Sarah (Cole) Chamness were the founders of the Chamness  family in America.  Anthony Chamness was born on February 17, 1713 to John and Ann (Weary) Chamness. His family lived in the area of Wapping, now part of London located just southeast of the Royal Mint along the Thames. His parents were married at St. John's Church of Wapping on January 4, 1704. Anthony was baptized at St. John's when he was 18 days old. Four older siblings and four younger siblings were also baptized there. Anthony's birthplace is listed as East Smithfield, a road in that area. Birthplaces of his siblings include East Smithfield, Wiltshire Lane, and Parrott Alley. The family name is spelled "Chamniss" in the church records. The name had earlier evolved from "Champneys" and "le Chaumpeneys".  Family legend states that Anthony was lured aboard a ship in London, kidnaped, and brought to the colonies. However researchers have found a record of indenture for Anthony. On February 9, 1725 he was indentured to John Cooke of London as a bond servant for 7 years. His home is listed as White Chapel in Middlesex County, which lies just east of Wapping. His destination was Maryland. The indenture lists his age as 15, but according to his birth date he was just turning 12.  Sarah Cole was born May 1, 1718, probably in Baltimore County, Maryland. She was the daughter of Joseph and Susanna Cole. Joseph died in 1720, leaving land to Sarah in Baltimore County. We do not know how long her mother lived afterward or whether she remarried. Family legend states that Sarah was also an indentured servant, however her grandparents, John and Johanna (Garrett) Cole, owned many tracts of land in Baltimore County and probably helped care for her. The Cole and Garrett families go back several generations in Baltimore County.  In 1732 Anthony would have completed his indenture and become a free man. On November 24, 1735, Anthony and Sarah were married in St. Paul's Parish, Baltimore County, Maryland. Their first 3 children (Elizabeth, Susanna, and Joseph) were born in Baltimore County. On August 26, 1741 they were given a certificate of transfer from the Gunpowder Monthly Meeting in Baltimore County to the Monocacy Meeting located near what is now Buckeyestown in Frederick County, Maryland. So far, this is the first reference to the family found in Quaker records.  Anthony and Sarah lived in this area from 1742 to 1749 and their next 3 children (Sarah, Mary, and Martha) were born there. Their church, the Monocacy Preparatory Meeting, was initially part of the Hopewell (Virginia) Monthly Meeting. In 1744 the Fairfax (Virginia) Monthly Meeting was formed which included the members of Monocacy. The land around the meeting was initially part of Prince George's County, Maryland, but in 1748 it became part of newly formed Frederick County.  The Chamness family left the Monocacy area in 1749 with a letter of transfer from Fairfax Monthly Meeting to Carver's Creek Monthly Meeting in North Carolina. They settled on Cane Creek in central North Carolina. This area was initially part of Anson County, but in 1751 it was included in newly formed Orange County. Anthony and Sarah's son John was born in "Orange County" on June 1, 1749, and they were among the initial overseers of Cane Creek Monthly Meeting when it was formed on October 7, 1751.  On June 24, 1751 Anthony received a Granville grant of 490 acres lying on Cane Creek. This land is located near the present Cane Creek Friends Meeting west of the village of Snow Camp. It was originally in Orange County, but became part of Chatham County and later Alamance County as these counties were formed.  Anthony and Sarah's next 6 children (John, Anthony, Rachel, Ann, Lydia, and Joshua) were born in Orange County between 1749 and 1761. Another child, Stephanus, was born about 1764. He is not listed in the Quaker records or in Anthony's will.  Susanna was the second oldest and first to marry in 1755 at age 17. Her sisters Sarah and Mary were married on the same day in 1759 at ages 17 and 16 respectively. Sixth oldest Martha married in 1762 at age 16. Finally Joseph, third child and oldest son married in 1763 at age 23. The oldest daughter, Elizabeth, signed Joseph's marriage certificate in 1763, but died sometime before 1776 when Anthony made out his will.  On August 31, 1764 Anthony and Sarah signed papers selling land in Baltimore County which had belonged to her father, Joseph Cole. Sarah died within the next year or two, leaving 6 children at home ages 4 to 16.  On September 1, 1766 Anthony was married to Rachel Haworth, widow of Stephanus Haworth. She brought five of her own children to the family: Charity, Sarah, Welmett, George, and Rachel. The two oldest, John Chamness and Charity Haworth soon found themselves married under conditions that caused the Quaker meeting to dismiss them. In 1769 Anthony Jr. was also dismissed over his marriage. That same year Joseph moved his young family out of the Cane Creek area to New Garden Monthly Meeting (North Carolina).  Rachel helped raise Anthony's remaining young children. She died on March 19, 1775 and was buried at Deep River Meeting. Anthony was remarried on May 9, 1776 to Margaret Williams, age 56, widow of William Williams. She brought several of her own children to the family, including Rachel, age 23. Rachel and Joshua Chamness, age 15, soon married and were dismissed by the Quaker meeting.  Anthony died on September 20, 1777. His will is on file in the North Carolina Archives. It bears a reminder of the Revolution going on at the time of his death. It begins "I Anthony Chamness of Chatham County and province of North Carolina.." but the "province" has been crossed out and "State" has been written in above it.  Anthony and Sarah are buried in the cemetery at Cane Creek Meeting.

Anthony married Sarah Cole, daughter of Joseph Cole and Susannah Unknown, on 24 Nov 1735 in St. Paul's Parish, Baltimore, Maryland. (Sarah Cole was born on 1 May 1718 in Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland and died about 1769 in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.)

Anthony also married Margaret Evans on 9 May 1776 in Cane Creek MM, Orange County, North Carolina. (Margaret Evans was born in 1721 in Gwynedd mm, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and died in 1795 in Loudoun County, Virginia.)

Anthony also married Rachel Beeson, daughter of Richard Beeson and Charity Grubb, on 1 Sep 1766. (Rachel Beeson was born about 1726 and died on 19 Mar 1775.)

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I found a reference to Anthony Chamness' indenture in London which also lists others who were sent to Maryland at the same time. This might help in finding out more about Anthony's early years in Maryland.  "The Complete Book of Emigrants (1700-1750)" by Peter Wilson Coldham, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.1991, p. 337:  1725 9 February. The following bound to John Cooke for Maryland: James Ricketts of St. Micheal, Gloucester, aged 16, to serve 5 years; William Newman of St. Olave, Southwark, Surrey, aged 15, to serve 7 years; Edmund Webb of Richmond, Surrey, aged 16, to serve 7 years; Anthony Chamness of Whitechapel, Middlesex, aged 15, to serve 7 years. (Corporation of London Record Office, P.O. Box 270, Guildhall, London EC2P 2EJ: Agreements to Serve in the Plantations, Memoranda, pp.59-62.)  10 February. John Cotton of All Hallows Lombard Street, London, aged 20, bound to John Taylor to serve 4 years in Maryland, p. 65 James Robinson of St. George, Southwark, Surrey, cordwainer aged 21, bound to John Cooke to serve 4 years in Maryland, p. 66  11 February. The following bound to Christopher Veale to serve 5 years in Maryland: Abraham Collue of Stepney, Middlesex, weaver aged 19; Isaac Barnett of Stepney, Middlesex, weaver aged 19, with the consent of his mother Martha B., pp. 67-68.

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Attached are scans of transcriptions of the Baptism Certificate for Anthony Chamness and the Marriage Record of his parents, John and Ann (Weary) Chamness. These were taken from the records of the parish church of St. John of Wapping in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which were reportedly found among the records of St. Peter's Church. Copies were forwarded to me courtesy of Dan Chamness of Texas.  Anthony was baptised on March 7, age 18 days. The year is listed as 1713/4. At that time the new year started in March, not January, so dates between January and March were "double-dated" with both the old and new year. This system changed in 1752. In the Quaker records, Anthony gave his birthdate as "2nd Month (Feb.) 1713, using the new style of dating. Therefore I think his correct birthdate is 17 Feb 1712/3. Perhaps someday a review of the original parish records will clarify this. (If Anthony was actually born in Feb. 1714, he would have only been 11 years old when he was indentured to come to America.

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/attachment/rw/surnames.chamness/99/attachment-2/6q5_1PAsH0fuT4Z-hFgap/AnthonyBaptism.jpg
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/attachment/rw/surnames.chamness/99/attachment-1/XbK5Di2BKjoECsu5MF2QzC/John_AnnMarriage.jpg