Montague Chamberlain
Encyclopedia
Montague Chamberlain was a Canadian-American businessman, naturalist
, and ethnographer.
Chamberlain was born in St. John
, New Brunswick
, Canada
. He spent the first few decades of his life as a bookkeeper and later manager of a grocery company in St. John. In his mid-twenties, he also became a dedicated amateur ornithologist. In 1883 he co-founded the American Ornithologists' Union
, which today stakes its claim as "the oldest and largest organization in the New World devoted to the scientific study of birds." In 1888 Chamberlain became a resident member and editor for the Nuttall Ornithological Club, and a founding member of the American Ornithologists' Union
. After quitting the grocery business, he became the assistant secretary of the Harvard Corporation in 1889 and the secretary of the Lawrence Scientific School in 1893.
He was a frequent contributor to The Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, The Auk
, and Bulletin of the Natural History Society of New Brunswick, the last of which published his A Catalogue of the Birds of New Brunswick: With brief notes relating to their migrations, breeding, relative abundance, etc. in 1882. He also authored the following books:
Chamberlain's interest in the Native Americans grew after spending time at the Penobscot haven of Indian Island
in Maine
, where he helped start a museum. He maintained that a Penobscot had saved his grandfather's life. Chamberlain also became familiar with the nearby and related Passamaquoddy
and Maliseet, leading to his drafting of the first significant English-Maliseet dictionary. Although Maliseet is still spoken today by around 1,500 people, Maliseet Vocabulary has become a valuable source on the Maliseet language, as the first published, substantial characterization of the language, recorded at a relatively early date. The book includes translations for about 1,600 Maliseet words; perhaps owing in part to Chamberlain's particular interests as a naturalist and bird
enthusiast, 481 of the 1,600 words are related to plants and animal
s, including 124 Maliseet words for different types of birds.
Chamberlain was married at the age of 63, to Anna Sartoris Prout of Petersburg, Virginia
. Their marriage lasted six years before Anna died.
Chamberlain died in Boston
, Massachusetts
, United States
, in 1924. Theodore Sherman Palmer
, secretary of the American Ornithologists' Union, wrote an obituary of Chamberlain in The Auk
, vol. 41, num. 4, October 1924, pp. 643-644. Percy Algernon Taverner also wrote an obituary of Chamberlain in Canadian Field-Naturalist
, vol. 39, p. 20 (1925). Palmer's obituary includes a lament that Chamberlain made no direct contributions to ornithology during the last twenty years of his life.
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, and ethnographer.
Chamberlain was born in St. John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He spent the first few decades of his life as a bookkeeper and later manager of a grocery company in St. John. In his mid-twenties, he also became a dedicated amateur ornithologist. In 1883 he co-founded the American Ornithologists' Union
American Ornithologists' Union
The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
, which today stakes its claim as "the oldest and largest organization in the New World devoted to the scientific study of birds." In 1888 Chamberlain became a resident member and editor for the Nuttall Ornithological Club, and a founding member of the American Ornithologists' Union
American Ornithologists' Union
The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
. After quitting the grocery business, he became the assistant secretary of the Harvard Corporation in 1889 and the secretary of the Lawrence Scientific School in 1893.
He was a frequent contributor to The Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, The Auk
The Auk
The Auk is a quarterly journal and the official publication of the American Ornithologists' Union, having been continuously published by that body since 1884. The journal contains articles relating scientific studies of the anatomy, behavior, and distribution of birds. The journal is named for the...
, and Bulletin of the Natural History Society of New Brunswick, the last of which published his A Catalogue of the Birds of New Brunswick: With brief notes relating to their migrations, breeding, relative abundance, etc. in 1882. He also authored the following books:
- A Catalogue of Canadian Birds, 1887
- Birds of Greenland, 1889
- The Church Army, Damrell and Upham, 1897
- Maliseet VocabularyMaliseet VocabularyMaliseet Vocabulary is a book that provided the first published, substantial study of the Maliseet language. It was written by Montague Chamberlain and published by the Harvard Cooperative Society, in 1899....
, Harvard Cooperative Society, 1899 - The Penobscot Indians, 1899
Chamberlain's interest in the Native Americans grew after spending time at the Penobscot haven of Indian Island
Penobscot Indian Island Reservation
Penobscot Indian Island Reservation is an Indian reservation for the Penobscot tribe in Penobscot County, Maine, United States near Old Town. The population was 562 at the 2000 census. A small, uninhabited part of the reservation is in Aroostook County. The reservation is home to a small museum, as...
in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, where he helped start a museum. He maintained that a Penobscot had saved his grandfather's life. Chamberlain also became familiar with the nearby and related Passamaquoddy
Passamaquoddy
The Passamaquoddy are the First Nations people who live in northeastern North America, primarily in Maine and New Brunswick....
and Maliseet, leading to his drafting of the first significant English-Maliseet dictionary. Although Maliseet is still spoken today by around 1,500 people, Maliseet Vocabulary has become a valuable source on the Maliseet language, as the first published, substantial characterization of the language, recorded at a relatively early date. The book includes translations for about 1,600 Maliseet words; perhaps owing in part to Chamberlain's particular interests as a naturalist and bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
enthusiast, 481 of the 1,600 words are related to plants and animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, including 124 Maliseet words for different types of birds.
Chamberlain was married at the age of 63, to Anna Sartoris Prout of Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. Their marriage lasted six years before Anna died.
Chamberlain died in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in 1924. Theodore Sherman Palmer
Theodore Sherman Palmer
Theodore Sherman Palmer was an American zoologist.Palmer was born in Oakland, California and studied at the University of California. In 1889 he joined the Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy of the United States Department of Agriculture under Clinton Hart Merriam. In 1891 he led an...
, secretary of the American Ornithologists' Union, wrote an obituary of Chamberlain in The Auk
The Auk
The Auk is a quarterly journal and the official publication of the American Ornithologists' Union, having been continuously published by that body since 1884. The journal contains articles relating scientific studies of the anatomy, behavior, and distribution of birds. The journal is named for the...
, vol. 41, num. 4, October 1924, pp. 643-644. Percy Algernon Taverner also wrote an obituary of Chamberlain in Canadian Field-Naturalist
Canadian Field-Naturalist
The Canadian Field-Naturalist is a quarterly scientific journal publishing original scientific papers related to natural history in Canada. It accepts submissions by both amateur and professional naturalists and field biologists.- History :...
, vol. 39, p. 20 (1925). Palmer's obituary includes a lament that Chamberlain made no direct contributions to ornithology during the last twenty years of his life.
External links
- Maliseet Vocabulary by Montague Chamberlin [sic]; most of the text hosted free online by the Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute at the University of New BrunswickUniversity of New BrunswickThe University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
. - The Auk, index, including many contributions from Chamberlain beginning in volume 1, number 1 (1884).
- The Auk, vol. 41, num. 4 (1924), including obituary of Chamberlain.