Nathan(iel) Chamberlain Rowley was born ca 1756 Falmouth, MA, son of Matthew and Christiana (Weeks) Rowley.
He served in American Revolution from Barnstable Co., MA
Private in Capt. John Grannis' co.; marched Jan. 20, 1776; service to Feb. 29, 1776, 1 mo. 12 days; roll sworn to in Dukes Co. and endorsed “Tarpaulin Cove;”
same co.; service from March 1, 1776, to June 1, 1776, 3 mos., in defense of seacoast; roll dated Tarpaulin Cove;
same co.; service from June 1, 1776, 2 mos. 6 days; reported enlisted out Aug. 7, 1776; company stationed at Elizabeth Islands for defense of seacoast; roll dated Tarpaulin Cove and sworn to in Barnstable Co.;
Capt. John Grannis' co. commanded by Lieut. James Blossom; entered service Aug. 7, 1776; service to Nov. 21, 1776, 3 mos. 14 days; company stationed at Elizabeth Islands for defense of seacoast.
Private in Capt. Joseph Palmer's co., Col. Freeman's regiment; service, 6 days, on an alarm at Dartmouth and Falmouth in Sept., 1778;
same co. and regiment; service, 6 days; company marched on alarms at Falmouth Feb. 4, April 2, and May 16, 1779.
As Nathan Rawley, served as Private, Capt. Joseph Palmer's co.; entered service April 12, 1779; discharged Nov. 16, 1779; service, 7 mos. 5 days; company stationed at Falmouth.
Appeared in descriptive list of men raised to reinforce the Continental Army for the term of 6 months, agreeable to resolve of June 5, 1780, returned as received of Justin Ely, Commissioner, by Brig. Gen. John Glover, at Springfield, July 19, 1780; age, 24 yrs.; stature, 5 ft. 6 in.; complexion, light; engaged for town of Falmouth; marched to camp July 19, 1780, under command of Capt. Clark; (conclusion, born ca 1756)
Appeared in list of men raised for the 6 months service and returned by Brig. Gen. Paterson as having passed muster in a return dated Camp Totoway, Oct. 25, 1780;
pay roll for 6 months men raised by the town of Falmouth, Barnstable Co., for service in the Continental Army during 1780; marched July 6, 1780; discharged Dec. 15, 1780; service, 5 mos. 24 days, including travel (300 miles) home.
1790 Census: (not found by himself and not living with father) [Suggested research: examine the Chamberlain and Porter families for possible information on Nathan's first wife and his location during this census]
Moved before 1800 to New York
1800 Census: Livingston, Columbia Co., NY showing 00101-01001 [NOTE: Nathan over 45 years old, but so is his wife. One son under 26, one daughter under 16. Moses Rowley living next door (on previous page). George LAYMONT (re Lucy Lament/Lamont) is three names below Nathan. The official day of this census was 4 August, but since it does not show Philemon (born 7 July) and does show an older wife, I would guess that the enumeration occurred before Philemon's birth or was reported with an erroneous memory. This also leads to the possibility that Nathan's older wife was the mother of Philemon Chamberlain and that she died in childbirth and that Nathan then married a younger woman to care for his young child. If Lucy was really Philemon's mother and the census is accurate about the age of Nathan's wife, then we have an out-of-wedlock issue. The third alternative is that the census is wrong about Nathan's wife's age and whoever reported the family composition, after the fact, forgot that Philemon had been born by 4 August. So, three alternatives, take your pick.]
Married Lucy Lament (born 1778, died 28 Sep 1851, daughter of Cornelius Lament) in Lexington, Greene Co., NY
1810 Census Windham, Greene Co., NY showing 21001-21010 [Note: if the ages of the wives is accurate between 1800 and 1810, then it appears as if his wife died and he remarried a younger woman,]
1820 Census: Lexington, Greene Co., NY showing 010010-30010
Removed about 1821 to South Cortland, Cortland Co., NY (Catskills)
1830 Census (officially 1 June) but does not seem to appear on the Cortland, NY census, even though two of his sons live there (Philemon and Washington)
Died 11 Jul 1830 in New York
Known children:
The Compendium of American Genealogy, Balto., Gen. Publ. Co., Inc, (1937), V. II. p. 199.
DAR PATRIOT INDEX- Centennial Edition, Part III, page 2528.
Rowley Researcher 4:26.
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution
U.S. Census records
Last revised: August 20, 2010