Hi group, I have just returned after "running away from home" for a few days and noted Dick Chase's message of 5-12-99 in which the following appeared: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Aquila who was son of Richard (of Chesham) is clearly not the Aquila of Hampton & Newbury, MA. J. Montgomery Seaver makes this ludicrous linkage in his "Chase Family History", but he lacks credibility as a genealogist in more ways than just this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It reminded me of the article that was printed in the July - October 1930 issue of the Chase Chronicle, which follows: GENEALOGY TRACER ACCUSED OF FRAUD j.M. SEAVER, PRESIDENT OF SOCIETY, FACES CHARGES OF MISUSING MAILS IN SCHEME J. Montgomery Seaver, thirty seven, president of the American Historical-genealogical Society, Broad and Norris sts., was confronted with State and Federal charges today. George C. Baker, superintendent of mails at the postoffice announced a fraud order against Seaver's organization had been issued at Washington yesterday. At the same time Seaver was being held in $500 bail for court on charges growing out of a collision. Postoffice inspectors investigating the Historical Genealogical Society's activities reported he had arranged a plan for selling books purporting to give the records of various families back to the time of William the Conqueror. After the investigation Horace J. Donnelly, solicitor of the Postoffice Department at Washington, reported the plan to be "a scheme for obtaining money through the mails by means of false and fraudulent promises" Mr. Baker said the fraud order provides that all mail sent to the Society's office will be returned to senders stamped "Fraudulent: Mail to this address returned by order of the Postmaster General." The method of obtaining subscribers for the genealogical books was to obtain through telephone directories or other means, a list of persons having ordinary names and to write these persons urging them to buy a book for $10 showing their descent from royalty or nobility. Exploits of bearers of the name were described in the letter, Mr. Donnelly said, and there was a similarity in the achievements of the ancestors, no matter what name was given them. The solicitor declared that a "Battle Hymn of the ______ Family" was included with each book, the name of the individual solicited being printed in the blank space. The Philadelphia postoffice, the inspectors found, has been receiving 300 to 400 pieces of mail daily addressed to the society. The inspectors denied Seaver lived up to a promise to refund money if the genealogical books were returned as unsatisfactory. Lonnie Chase chase1858@bwn.net