William Chamness was born June 15, 1793 in Chatham County, North Carolina to Joshua and Rachel (Williams) Chamness, the seventh of nine children. The family lived just down the road from the Cane Creek Friends Meeting in a house built by William's grandfather, Anthony Chamness. The family belonged to the Cane Creek Friends Meeting.
William was first married in 1809 to Charity Moon, daughter of Jacob and Ruth (Hinshaw) Moon. She apparently died young, leaving 2 daughters, Abigail and Sarah. In 1817 William married Charity's first cousin, Margaret Hinshaw. Margaret was born October
17, 1800 to Jesse and Mary (Marshall) Hinshaw who were also members of Cane Creek Meeting. William and Margaret were dismissed from the church due to their marriage, probably because they were married by a minister or a judge, rather than taking the time to be
married by the Quaker meeting. Margaret rejoined the meeting and was later given a certificate to take with her to Indiana. Apparently William did not rejoin the Quakers.
William and Margaret and their daughters ages 9, 7, and 1 moved to Wayne County, Indiana in 1819 or 1820. At that time this was the edge of the Indiana frontier. They were preceded to this area by William's older brother Anthony, and two of his sisters, Elizabeth Johnson and Margaret Murphy. William and Margaret lived in northern Wayne County until about 1826 when they moved across the county line to southern Randolph County. In 1835 they bought 80 acres about one and a half miles southwest of what would become the village of Bloomingsport. They had a total of 9 children, 8 of whom lived to adulthood.
William and Margaret sold their land in 1845. Margaret died the following year and William, with his 2 youngest children, moved to Green County, Wisconsin to join his son Isaac who had moved there in 1843. In 1848 he bought 40 acres in Green County from his
daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Abner Hoggatt. Another daughter and son-in-law, Ruth and William Lindsay Love, also lived in Green County with their family for a time.
About 1851 William moved back to Randolph County. On July 17, 1853 he married Hannah Jackson Hutchins. They lived on a farm southwest of Carlos, Indiana, just north of the county line. William helped raise several of Hannah's young children. He and his step-son David Hutchins farmed together. William was a member of the United Brethren Church. Hannah was a member of Springfield Friends Meeting in Economy, Indiana.
William's third marriage lasted 35 years, until his death on April 28, 1889 at the age of 95 years. William is buried near his son Joshua at Cherry Grove Cemetery. His wife Hannah died August 9, 1898. She is buried in the cemetery at Economy.
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