At 07:48 PM 3/12/98 EST, you wrote: >Hello cousins, I am requesting someone with either New England Historical >Society or Mayflower verified references to help with a Chase cousin debate. > >The question concerns who Thankful Berry b. abt 8 Jan 1715/16 Harwich married? >A spelling variant of the name is Berey another birth date is 25 May 1716 >Harwich. From a death - gravestone - 1723 > >Some records say: >John Chase b. abt 1713 Yarmouth >or >Rev Richard Chase b. 03 Mar 1713/14/15 Yarmouth. > >Is there more than one Thankful Berry of Harwich of this time frame? > >Who is her father and mother? > >Thanks >Rick > Rick, I have a copy of the series of articles that were published in the New England Historic Genealogical Register in 1933/34 on the Chases. Thankful Berry is mentioned several times, and I believe all the references are of the same person. It's a bit complex, with intermarriages, but I'll give you what I have and try to sort it out here. Thankful Berry of Harwich first married John Chase (b. at Yarmouth 23 Oct. 1706 to John and Sarah (Hills) Chase). The intention was recorded at Harwich on 12 Jan. 1732/33. He died suddenly on 1 Feb. 1733/34 as a result of a fall from his horse. Ten days later, on 11 Feb. 1733/34, Thankful gave birth at Yarmouth to their child, Mercy, (Mercy later married a William Chase, her first cousin once removed). According to this article, Thankful is mentioned in a publication called "The Mayflower Descendent", vol. 13, p. 147. Thankful remarried, on 21 January 1734/35, the Rev. Richard Chase, (b. at Yarmouth 3 Mar. 1714/15 to Thomas and Sarah (Gowell) Chase) who was her first husband's first cousin. Rev. Chase was pastor of the Baptist Church at West Harwich, beginning 19 Sept. 1757 and serving until 31 March 1777. They had 10 children - John, Samuel, Archelus, Berry, Richard, Rebecca, Thankful, Huldah, Abigail, and Phebe. Rev. Chase died at Dennis 14 Jan. 1794. Thankful died 15 March 1807, in her 94th year. No date of birth for Thankful is mentioned, though from the last sentence we can infer it was around 1713. Unfortunately, her parents are not mentioned, either. At least I think this clears up the issue of who her husband was - both of the men you mentioned were. Good luck! John