This was scanned from a book I forgot to write down. (sorry) At the top of the page I copied it says State of Maine (a set of four volumes) and this was taken from pages 1605 and 1606. CHASE The annals of North America are frequently embellished by this name, which has been borne by statesmen, jurists, soldiers, clergymen and others honored in the various walks of life. For many years the earliest known ancestor of the American family of this name was Aquila Chase, who was among the founders of Hampton, New Hampshire, and said to be from Cornwall, England, by several antiquarians on the authority of tradition. A long search has established, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he was from Chesham in Buckinghamshire, some thirty miles northwest of London. The family is said to have been of Norman origin, and it has been suggested that the name was formerly La Chasse. In the old English records it is spelled Chaace and Chaase, and in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries it was modified to the form now most in use--Chase. (I) Matthew Chase, of Hundritche, parish of Chesham, gives his father's name as John and the father of the latter as Thomas. As the name of Matthew's wife is the first female found in the line, this article will number Matthew as the first. His wife was Elizabeth daughter of Richard Bould. (II) Richard, son of Matthew and Elizabeth (Bould) Chase, married Mary Roberts of Welsden, in Middlesex. He had brothers Francis, John, Matthew, Thomas, Ralph and William, and a sister Bridget (III) Richard (2), son of Richard and Mary (Roberts) Chase, was baptized August 23, 1542, and was married September 16, 1564, to Joan (or Anne) Bishop. Their children were: Robert, Henry, Lydia, Ezekiel, Dorcas, Aquila, Jason, Thomas, Abigail and Mordecai. (IV) Aquila, son of Richard (2) and Joan or Anne (Bishop) Chase, was baptized August 14, 1580, and died December 24, 1670. The unique name of Aquila is found nowhere in England, before or since, coupled with the name of Chase, which makes it reasonably certain that this Aquila was the ancestor of the American family. One tradition gives the name of his wife as Sarah, and another as Martha Jellison. Record is found of two sons, Thomas and Aquila, the latter born in 1618. It is generally believed that William Chase, the first of the name in America, was an elder son, and that the others came with him or followed later. The fact of their being minors would lead to their absence from the records of the earliest days of William in this country. Some authorities intimate that Thomas and Aquila were employed by their uncle, Thomas Chase, who was part owner of the ship "John and Francis," and thus became navigators and so found their way to America. This theory is borne out by the fact that Aquila was granted a house lot and six acres of marsh by the inhabitants of Newbury, Massachusetts; "on condition that he do go to sea and do service in the Towne with a boat for foure years." (V)Aquila (2), son of Aquila (I) Chase, settled in Newbury, Massachusetts (that part now Newburyport), about 1646. He was formerly in Hampton (now part of New Hampshire), where he and his brother Thomas received grants of land in June, 1640, along with fifty-five others. There, as owner of a house lot, he was listed among those entitled to a share in the common lands, December 23,1645. This he subsequently sold to his brother, as shown by town records after his removal to Newbury. His eldest child is said to have been born in Hampton. His wife, Anne (Wheeler) Chase, was a daughter of John Wheeler, who came from Salisbury, England. In September, 1646, according to the county records, Aquila Chase and his wife, with her brother, David Wheeler, were presented and fined "for gathering pease on the Sabbath." They were admonished by the court, after which their fines were remitted. Mr. Chase died December 27, 1670, aged fifty-two years. His widow married again, and died April 21, 1687. Aquila Chase's children were named: Sarah and Anne (twins), Priscilla, Mary, Aquila, Thomas, John, Elizabeth, Ruth, Daniel, and Moses. (The line after Aquila goes to his eleventh child, Moses. If anyone wishes me to send any more of this, I will continue it.) By the way, someone later told me there was only one Richard, so I am confused by this. Was there one or two Richards between Mathew and his descendant Aquila. Liz -- *************************************************************** Liz Vose liz@ervose.mv.com Vose Arts and Crafts http://www.chickadee.com/vosearts "If you don't know where you're going, you may miss it when you get there." (Farmers' Almanac 1997)