Researching Frederick Chapman

Chapman played two games at Fitzroy, one each in the 1920 and 1921 VFL seasons, before going to Coburg. As a cricketer he bowled right-arm medium pace and took seven wickets at 28.00 from his four first-class matches. Five of those wickets came in a match against Tasmania at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1930/31 and included a haul of 4/69 in the second innings.

Chapman, elder son of Abisha and Mary (Goss) Chapman, was born in Canfield, Ohio, November 17, 1806. He graduated from Yale College in 1828. He taught the academy in Sharon, Conn., for the year after graduation, and spent the three succeeding years in the Divinity School of Yale College.

He was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in Stratford, Conn., September 5, 1832, and resigned this charge, May 16, 1839, to accept a call from the Congregational Church in Deep River (in Saybrook), Conn., where he was installed May 29. From this charge he was dismissed, October 1, 1850, and on October 24 was installed over the Congregational Church in South Glastonbury, Conn., where he remained until October 29, 1854. He then became the principal of the high school in Ellington, Conn., and so continued until 1863, supplying in the meantime the church in West Stafford, Conn., for four and a half years (1856–61), and afterwards the church in Bolton, Conn., to which town he next removed. Leaving Bolton in 1864, he supplied the pulpit of the Union Church in East Hampton, Conn., for two years, and for five years had charge of the church in Prospect, Conn.

In 1871 he removed to Rocky Hill, Conn., and devoted himself thenceforth to genealogical researches. He had already published, in 1854, a genealogy of the Chapman Family, and in 1864 one of the Pratt Family. Four more volumes compiled by him were printed,—the Trowbridge and Buckingham genealogies in 1872, the Coit genealogy in 1873, and the Bulkeley genealogy in 1875. In August 1873, a stroke of paralysis impaired his faculties, but he continued to work until a second stroke, in October 1875, which deprived him of speech, and left him to pass the remaining months in feebleness of body and mind, until his death, at his residence in Rocky Hill, July 20, 1876, in his 70th year.

He was married, May 6, 1833, to Emily, eldest child of Henry Hill, of Westbrook, Conn, who died in South Glastonbury, of apoplexy, March 30, 1854, aged 44 years. He married secondly, November 7, 1855, Caroline, widow of John Crooks, of East Longmeadow, Mass., and daughter of Samuel Strickland, of Ellington, Conn., who survived him. Of the three children by his first marriage, one son only survived him.

Chapman was the only son of Richard Chapman and a nephew of Sir Stephen Remnant Chapman. He was born in Demerara, British Guiana and educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Engineers on 18 June 1835. He served in Portsmouth and Woolwich, before being deployed to the West Indies in November 1837. He returned to England in February 1842. Until February 1846 he served with in the London District before working with the British forces in the United States of the Ionian Islands. He returned home in October 1851, and did duty at Chatham until the beginning of 1854. He became brevet colonel on 2 November 1855.

Upon the outbreak of the Crimean War, Chapman was attached to the 1st Division, commanded by Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, as senior engineer officer. He took part in the Battle of the Alma and was mentioned in dispatches of 28 September 1854, taking command of engineering operations during the Siege of Sevastopol. He was present at the Battle of Inkerman and was mentioned in dispatches on 11 November 1854, 23 June 1855 and 9 September 1855. On 5 July 1855 he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath and received honours from several other foreign governments, including being made an officer third class of the Order of the Medjidie. He was awarded a pension by the British government for distinguished service on 23 November 1858. On 8 April 1856 Chapman was appointed as the Chief Royal Engineer in the London District, before transferring to Aldershot in September 1857. On 1 April 1859 he was promoted to regimental lieutenant-colonel. From 1 September 1860 he served as deputy adjutant-general of Royal Engineers at Horse Guards for five years. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 13 March 1867 and on 8 April he was appointed governor and commander-in-chief of Bermudas. On 1 July 1870 he resigned this position and accepted the appointment of Inspector-General of Fortifications and Director of Works at the War Office.

On 2 June 1877 Chapman was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, and was promoted to general on 1 October that year. He retired from the army on 1 July 1881.