Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-04-24
The "Chase Estate"

The following letter appears in the Chica-
60 Tribune, addressed to the EDITOR
Sir,-I have received within the last two
months many letters from the West, written
by people who, either by marriage or descent,
are connected with the two Chase families of
New England, which descend from Aquilla
and Thomas Chase, brothers. grantees OF
Hampton in 1859, or from William Chase,
who came over in Governor Winthrop's fleet
in 1859, and settled afterwards at Yarmouth,
where he died.
The descendants of Aqnila and Thomas
comprise the Chase families of Maine, New
Hampshire and the northeastern part of Mas
sachusetts and Rhode Island. There is no
reason to believe that William Chase of Var
mouth, was any relative Of the latter settlers
Of Hampton; and all the efforts which have
been made by myself and others interested
in genealogy have failed to identify him with
them, or even to find him mentioned in any
English records. The family of Aquila and
Thomas Chase are descended from Thomas
Chase, who was living at Gresham, in Buck
inghamshire, in 1910, and we're found by the
late Mr.. IL. G. Somerly, an American gentle
man long resident in England, and distin-
guished professional antiquarian, who was
employed by me to search the early English
records. The result of his researches, to-
gether with some genealogies of the family
collected by me, contributed to the Heraldic
journal of October, 1868, and, at the request
of some of the name, reprinted the article
| in small pamphlet.
| There lies in my attic a trunkful of news
| paper-cuttings, letters, and attempts at Eng
| lish geneologies, which were received and put
away by my father, in l84S, after the same
| old story had been cleverly elaborated by the
press-reporters of that period, many of whom
a tho aItprs nj tn-nav Hbprn no
| truth in the story then; there is none now.
The bubble was pricked in ls47, by the late
Mr.. Theodore Chase Of Boston, who, wea-
ried by Importantly, caused Messrs. Barring
Bros. & Co. to make sufficient investigation
to prove that the story was simple inven-
ton. After twenty-five years of quiet, the
original story, that there was an estate in the
English chancery courts awaiting decision as
to the rights of heirs by the name of Chase,
some of whom had long ago emigrated to
America, has been revived at a convention of
Chase heirs, where each present seems to
have contribed something Of circumstance,
and where committees were appointed. The
story has at last attained such dimensions
that it occupies the whole page of broad
side, the production of Mr.. John f. Chase,
a very misinformed, but doubt not very sin
cere man, who has been, and is still, the
"business committee" of the convention. |
quote an extract from the broadside -
Richard, the brother of William Chase,
was aid to the Duke of Wellington. The es-
tate was filed in the chancery court in l74G,
and it was through the efforts of this Richard,
who was a thorough-go man, that the mat
ter was put through and Judgment given in
favor of the heirs.
By this statement, Richard Chase, the older
brother of William, who came over in Win.
al. EIA1 L., Il
become aid to the Duke of Wellington, Gre
ated Duke in 1914, in getting bill filed in
l746, eventually put through. Mr.. John f..
Chase omts to state whether this gentle
man, whose length of days he thus shows to
have exceeded 200 years, be still living; but
he does "call upon all the Chase heirs to con-
tribute literally" and, in order that the said
heirs "shall get value for what they contrib
ute to the Chase fund.- the committee, by con-
siderable expense, have obtained the original
| coat-of arms and motto" which 'any one OF
the Chase family wishing picture" can have
sent them by renting their subscription Ia
him. The coat of arms he gives is copy Of
the cut furnished by me for the Heraldit
Journal of October, 1868. The motto ''Nt
cede malls has been hit upon since then fol-
the occasion, possibly by Richard, as tina
rule of conduct by which he attained such re
markable age.
| In conclusion, Mr. Editor, ask the favo
| of your columns for the insertion of this let
ter, which may, trust, reach the eyes o
many Of the Chase kindred resident in tn
Northwest, and enable them to dismiss from
their thoughts silly fabrication which ha
caused much money and time to be waste,
during the last thirty years, by very man,
people who could i'll afford either. | shall b.
glad, however. to hear from any and al
Chases who can furnish their genealo2ies
however brief, for publication hereafter by 4
competent genoa logst long engaged in thl
work. am, sir, your obedient servant.
GEORGE b. CHASE.