He was born 1805 at Charlton, Kent, the son of the Reverend Thomas Chamberlayne and Maria Francesca Walker. He married in 1830 Amelia Onslow, the daughter of Denzil Onslow (1770–1838), a General in the Grenadier Guards and an amateur cricketer.
He served as High Sheriff of Hampshire in 1833. In 1842 three local gentlemen, Chamberlayne, Sir Frederick Hervey-Bathurst and Sir John Barker-Mill, financed the development of the Antelope Ground in Southampton. Chamberlayne made his first-class debut for the pre-county club Hampshire against Marylebone Cricket Club in 1842.
From 1842 to 1849 Chamberlayne represented Hampshire in fourteen first-class matches, with his final first-class match coming against an All England Eleven in 1849.
Additionally, Chamberlayne played a single first-class match for the Marylebone Cricket Club against Petworth in 1844. In his first-class career, Chamberlayne scored 53 runs at a very low batting average of 2.65, with a high score of 24.
Chamberlayne was a hunting and coursing enthusiast, who built both new stables and, as was his love for cricket, he built a cricket field at the family home at Cranbury Park. Chamberlayne died at his estate, Cranbury Park on 21 October 1876.
Chamberlayne was descended from Count John de Tankerville who came over to England from Normandy with William the Conqueror.
The de Tankerville family home was the castle at Tancarville near Le Havre. Whilst serving the town, William Chamberlayne was also chairman of the company supplying gas lighting to the town of Southampton and donated the iron columns for the new gas street-lights. In 1822, the townspeople erected a memorial consisting of an iron Doric column.
This now stands in Houndwell Park, near the city centre.
He died before Thomas in 1873. He also played first-class cricket for Hampshire as well as holding a keen interest in yachting.
Following the 1895 General Election allegations were made concerning his conduct and this resulted in his being unseated.
Tankerville was also a member of parliament, serving the Southampton constituency three times, as a Conservative.
