MELLEN CHAMBERLAIN
Mellen Chamberlain was born in Pembroke, New Hampshire, June 4, 1820, son of Moses and Mary (Foster) Chamberlain. Moses was both a farmer and owner of a country store; at both jobs Mellen assisted his father. Mellen Chamberlain attended the Pembroke district schools and the Pembroke Academy. In 1836, the family moved to Concord, New Hampshire. While living in Concord, Chainberain attended the Literary Institute for four years of study and also taught in the district schools. He entered Dartmouth College in 1840, graduating in 1844.
During three of his college years, Mellen Chamberlain taught school in Danvers, Massachusetts. Just before his college graduation in 1844, Mr. Chamberlain was appointed principal of the high school, in Brattleboro, Vermont. Resigning this position in the late Autumn of 1846, he entered the Dane Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, receiving a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1848. In January 1849, Mr. Chamberlain was admitted to the bar in Boston and opened a law office on Washington Street.
The large farms of Chelsea were sold to land companies to be cut up for building purposes. Mellen Chamberlain began a thorough study of the titles to all the real estate in Chelsea. His knowledge became so extensive that hardly a land title was passed without Chamberlain being consulted. His investigations were entered in twelve large volumes which were bequeath to the City of Chelsea and placed in the Public Library.
Mellen Chamberlain
On June 6, 1849, Mellen Chamberlain married Martha Ann Putnam, daughter of Colonel Jesse Putnam of Danvers, Massachusetts. After their marriage Mellen and Martha Chamberlain moved to Chelsea to live. The Chamberlains, eventually built a home of their own at 309 Washington Avenue on the western slope of Powderhom Hill. At various times after settling in Chelsea, Mellen Chamberlain served as a school committeeman, selectman, and as an alderman. He was a member of the committee that presented a charter to the legislature that established Chelsea as a city in 1857. Mr. Chamberlain served six years as City Solicitor. He served as representative to the General Court and in 1863-1864 was elected to the State Senate. On June 29, 1866, Governor Bullock appointed Chamberlain Associate Justice of the Boston Municipal Court. In December of 1870, Governor Claft appointed Chamberlain, Chief Justice. In August of 1878, Chamberlain resigned as Justice to accept the position of Librarian of the Boston Public Library.
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On January 9, 1873, Chamberlain was elected into the Massachusetts Historical Society. Mellen Chamberlain wrote numerous papers with proven correctness, of various historical events and personages of early American history. He made numerous interesting and invaluable contributions to the Society's published volumes. On April 25, 1887, Mrs. Chamberlain suddenly passed away. Childless and inseparable since marriage, it was a heavy loss for Mellen Chamberlain. He resigned from the Boston Library, October 1890, because of failing health. |
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Home of Mellen Chamberlain |
In 1876, Chamberlain was asked by the City Council to write a history of the City of Chelsea. Upon investigation, he found there were no files of the old town in the City Hall. He also could not locate any historical papers in Revere. For the first one-hundred years, Chelsea was a part of Boston without a life of its own. For the second one-hundred years, its proprietors were mostly non-residents, Chamberlain, had to examine the State Archives. the Boston Town Records, the Suffolk Court records, the Registry of Deeds and the Probate Office. The research and writing required a number of years for its completion. In spite of his deteriorating health, Mellen Chamberlain, completed ten bound volumes of manuscripts of "The History of Chelsea" (1624 -1824). When published, the manuscripts were printed in two volumes. Chamberlain did not live to see his work published. With his failing health he developed heart disease and accompanied by an attack of Bright's disease, he passed away June 25, 1900, at the age of seventy-nine. He was laid to rest in the Danvers Cemetery by the side of his wife.