William Chamberlain emigrated from England in 1635. After spending some time in Boston and then Woburn, he was one of the first settlers in Billerica, arriving around 1652. Chamberlain eventually owned 200 acres there, with his homestead in the south part of the village, near what is now Boston Road. He was a notable member of the community, active in politics, and a constable in 1673.
Rebecca Chamberlain Homestead, Site of
Boston Road & Lexington Road, Billerica, MA, USA
Boston Road & Lexington Road, Billerica, MA, USA
More About Rebecca Chamberlain Homestead, Site of
William’s second wife Rebecca Chamberlain (maiden name unclear, possibly Shelley or Addington) is one of two Billerica residents who died in Cambridge prison in 1692, who is suspected of being charged with witchcraft, although there are no records to confirm this. The marriage date of William and Rebecca is not clear, but they were married before they arrived in Billerica. They had between eleven and thirteen children, born between 1649 and 1671.
Rebecca died in the Cambridge jail on September 26, 1692.
Opposite the Chamberlain homestead lived the Joseph Walker family, one of two families to whom Toothaker children were “put out,” when their father was unable, or unwilling, to care for his family.
Intersection of Boston and Lexington Roads.
