History Of The Family Name
CHAPMAN 

The first record of the name CHAPMAN appears in Cambridgeshire, England, in the 12' century where they lived well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in the year 1066 AD.

 The CHAPMAN name is descended originally from the ancient Anglo Saxon race that arrived in England from Northern Germany and the Rhine Valley about the year 400 AD.

 In 1606 England, under King Harold, was enjoying relative peace and prosperity. However, the Norman invasion and their victory at the Battle of Hastings, caused many of the vanquished Saxon landowners to forfeit their holdings to Duke William and his invading noble. The Saxons were ill at ease under Norman rule and, over the next four centuries, many moved north into Lancashire and Yorkshire where Norman influence was less prevalent. It is here we find the roots of most of the current CHAPMANs

 As previously mentioned, CHAPMAN emerged as a notable English family name during the I I' century in the County of Cambridgeshire, where they are recorded as holding land and serving their community. The Saxon word, CHAPMAN, means a chapman, marketman, trader, monger or merchant. In Germany the name is Kaufman.

 In old reference is found: CHAPMAN: Occupation "the chapman." The earliest chapman was stationary with high consideration, the traveling chapman was of a lower grade. An Act of Edward VI speaks of "person or persons commonly called peddler, tynker or pety chapman." A variety of Chappman and Cheppman. These were written as pronounced and it was not unusual, in ones lifetime, to have the name spelled in a number of ways. It is interesting to note also that the most common name given to Chapmans during their centuries in England were John and William.

 By the 13' and 14' centuries the name CHAPMAN had branched to Rainthrope Hal I in Norfolk, Thringston, Highbury Park in. Middlesex, Yorkshire, Worcestershire and Essex. The CHAPMAN family was granted patents of nobility at an early date in England, Ireland and Scotland, and became distinguished in civil and military life, as well as in the realm of letters.

 Religious conflict plagued England after 1500 as Puritanism under Oliver Cromwell took a foothold against the powerful Roman Church. Followers of Protestantism, among them the name CHAPMAN, were oppressed over the three centuries and many families either renounced

Exodus From England

My earliest Chapman ancestors can be traced back to the Parish of Hawnby (circa 1686) where the family is believed to have resided at the “Hawnby Hall”.  William and his siblings are thought to be the children of Thomas Chapman Jr. also known as Thomas Chapman wright. Thomas was first married to Elizabeth Bell and then after her death remarried to the woman that was Williams mother.
For more information on the village of Hawnby Click Here
To see some pictures of Hawnby Hall, where the Chapman's lived Click Here

On March 14, 1774. William, his wife and children left the port of Hull onboard the 150 ton Brigantine the” Albion”. Their destination was one of hope and desperation.

 Life in Yorkshire was becoming unbearable with the landlords raising the rents in hope that it would make room for a new system of farming. Also Methodism, a new religion was very appealing to ordinary working people such as the Chapman’s, but it was being violently opposed by the Church of England. 

The Chapman’s embarked on a 53 day voyage onboard a crowded ship that contained 154 passengers, the ship was built to hold 75 passengers. They suffered threw weeks of major storms, an out break of smallpox which took many lives and food shortages.

 The Albion landed at the Port of Halifax on May 6 1774. The passengers remained on board until the ship embarked for the Chignecto Isthmus which became their new home.
For a complete Passenger list of the of the Albion Click Here
 

William settled in Point DeBute, New Brunswick where he donated a large parcel of land to John Wesley which became the site of the first Methodist Church in Canada (a stone building with thatch roof - was erected in 1788.)

THIS MEMORIAL IN HONOUR OF WILLIAM CHAPMAN
                                       * * *
OF HAWNBY, YORKSHIRE, WHO CAME TO CHIGNECTO IN 1774,
HAS BEEN ERECTED BY SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON
LAND WHICH HE GAVE TO THE FIRST METHODIST CHURCH
IN CANADA IN 1788.

In the late 1770's he constructed a home in Fort Lawrence on the Mount Whatley Road. The home is unique in the fact that it was constructed totally from local materials. The large hade made bricks were made from the clay of the local marsh. The construction is a testimony to it's builder as the house remains one of the oldest homes in Canada still standing and occupied. The house remained in procession of Chapman descendants until recently.