Aquila Chase (bef. 1580 - bef. 1644)

Born before 7 Aug 1580 in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Jelliman) Chase — married 22 Jun 1606 in London, England

Died before 9 Feb 1644 at about age 63 in London, England

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Aquila Chase is currently protected by the Puritan Great Migration Project for reasons described in the narrative. Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: PGM

Because previous versions of this profile claimed he was father of at least two if not three Great Migration-era Chase emigrants to New England, this profile is being monitored and co-managed by the Puritan Great Migration project.

Biography

This is the profile for Aquila Chaste/Chace/Chase who married Martha Jelliman in London in 1606 and had children there in 1608-1626.

Surname Spelling

The records of St. Thomas the Apostle, London spelled Aquila's surname as Chaste or Chast,^[1] while the records of St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey, London spelled his surname as Chace or Chase.^[2]

Parentage; Date and Place of Birth

Aquila was very probably the Aquila Chaase, son of Richard Chaase and Joan (Bishop) Chaase, who was baptized in Chesham, Buckinghamshire on August 7, 1580.^[3] That proposition was first asserted by the authors of the 1928 Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase, who stated that "it is assumed that [Aquila Chaase, who was baptized in Chesham in 1580] is identical with Aquila Chase who married in the parish of St. Thomas-the-Apostle, London, 22 June 1606."^[4] Although the authors did not provide an explanation of the basis for that assumption, it was presumably based on (1) the close similarity of relatively rare names, (2) a good match between the date of baptism and the date of marriage, (3) the absence of later records of Aquila Chaase in Chesham or earlier records of Aquila Chaste/Chace of London, (4) reasonable proximity between Chesham and London (30 miles) and (5) evidence that at least one other member of the Chaase family of Chesham (Stephen Chaase, a probable cousin of Aquila Chaase of Chesham)^[5] moved to London.

Additional evidence supporting the proposition that this profile's Aquila Chaste/Chace was Aquila Chaase, son of Richard Chaase, baptized in Chesham on August 7, 1580, has recently been discovered in the records of the Company of Drapers. (Based on St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey records that refer to Aquila as a "marchant taylar," the authors of Seven Generations searched the records of the Company of Merchant Taylors but apparently none of the other London livery companies.^[4]) A Company of Drapers apprenticeship record shows that this profile's Aquila Chase became a freeman of the Company in January 1605/6 and states that his father's name was Richard Chase.^[6] Moreover, Company records also that show a Thomas Chase (a tailor, like Aquila) apprenticed with the same master draper and became a freeman in 1611, five years after Aquila.^[7] This Thomas Chase was very probably the Thomas Chaase who was the son of Richard Chaase (and brother of Aquila Chaase), who was baptized in Chesham 1585, five years after Aquila.^[4]

Marriage and Children

Aquila married Martha Jelliman at St. Thomas the Apostle church in London on June 22, 1606.^[8][9]

Aquila and Martha had the following children:

1. Anne, bpt. February 26, 1607/8 at St. Thomas the Apostle,^[10][4] bur. July 19, 1609^[11][4]
2. Martha, bur. March 11, 1610/1 at St. Thomas the Apostle^[11][4]
3. Sara, bpt. February 9, 1611/2 at St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey, London,^[12][4] bur. May 2, 1624 at St. Nicholas,Cole Abbey^[12][4]
4. Elizabeth, bpt. May 14, 1615 at St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey^[13][4]
5. Jone/Joane, bpt. March 30, 1623 at St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey,^[14][4] bur. August 17, 1624 at St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey^[14][4]
6. Aquilla/Aquila, bpt. April 9, 1626 at St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey,^[15][4] became a member of the Company of Drapers on October 1, 1649,^[16] bur. January 10, 1659/60 at St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey.^[4] (Note that since this Aquila was living in London in 1649 and was buried there in 1660, he could not have been Aquila Chase the New England immigrant.)

Apprenticeship; Occupation

Many of the baptismal and burial records for Aquila in the St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey parish register refer to him as a "marchant tayler" or "tayler".^[2] As discussed above under "Parentage; Date and Place of Birth," however, no evidence has been found in the records of the Company of Merchant Taylors that Aquila was an apprentice or member of that company.^[2] Instead, a record shows that Aquila became a freeman of the Company of Drapers on January 15, 1605/6, after serving as an apprentice to Robert Gurney.^[6] The record recording Aquila's freedom states that he was a taylor, that he lived on Distaff Lane, and that his father was named Richard Chase.^[6] (It should be noted that St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey, where most of Aquila's children were born and where Aquila and his wife were buried, is also located on Distaff Lane.) Based on other records of apprenticeships with Robert Gurney, it is likely that Aquila's apprenticeship lasted 7-8 years. Aquila's son Aquila followed in his father's footsteps and became a member of the Company of Drapers in 1649, gaining his freedom as a result of his father Aquila's patrimony.^[16]

Wife's Death

Aquila's wife, Martha, was buried at St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey, London on August 15, 1643.^[2][4]

Death; Burial

Aquila was buried on February 9, 1643/4 at St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey, London.^[17][2][4] The entry in the parish register for his burial reads as follow:

Aquilla Chase Taler was buried upon the ninth day of ffebruary att the feet of Widdowe Maie, 1643.^[2]

^{[17] [8] [16] [7] [6] [14] [12] [13] [15] [5] [4] [2] [1] [3] [11] [10] [9]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Chase, John Carroll & Chamberlain, George Walter. Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase. 1928. p. 19. Link to page at archive.org.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Chase, John Carroll & Chamberlain, George Walter. Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase. 1928. p. 20. Link to page at archive.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JM12-C79 : 11 February 2018, Aquila Chaase, 14 Aug 1580); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 0924812 IT 2.
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15} Chase, John Carroll & Chamberlain, George Walter. Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase. 1928. p. 26. Link to page at archive.org.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Stephen Chase, apthecary of London, was a son of John and Alice Chase of Chesham. See Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase, p. 24-25 and Boyds Inhabitants of London, 1616.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Records of London's Livery Companies Online. Apprentices and Freemen 1400-1900. Search Company: Drapers', Forename: Aquila, Year Range: 1600-1640, Event Type: All
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Records of London's Livery Companies Online. Apprentices and Freemen 1400-1900. Search Company: Drapers', Forename: Thomas, Surname: Chase, Year Range: 1600-1620, Event Type: All
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Parish register of St. Thomas the Apostle, London. Link to image at ancestry.com. See image attached to this profile.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} The Parish Registers of St. Thomas the Apostle, London, Containing the Marriages, Baptisms, and Burials from 1558 to 1754. The Harleian Society. 1881. p. 10. Link to page at archive.org.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} The Parish Registers of St. Thomas the Apostle, London, Containing the Marriages, Baptisms, and Burials from 1558 to 1754. The Harleian Society. 1881. p. 39. Link to page at archive.org.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} The Parish Registers of St. Thomas the Apostle, London, Containing the Marriages, Baptisms, and Burials from 1558 to 1754. The Harleian Society. 1881. p. 107. Link to page at archive.org.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQ2X-24X : 11 February 2018, Sara Chace, 02 May 1624); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 374,513.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JWQR-8VP : 11 February 2018, Elizabeth Chace, 14 May 1615); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 374,513.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2} "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NLFR-651 : 11 February 2018, Jone Chace, 17 Aug 1624); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 374,513.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NYXR-1F4 : 11 February 2018, Aquilla Chase, 09 Apr 1626); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 374,513.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2} Records of London's Livery Companies Online. Apprentices and Freemen 1400-1900. Search Company: Drapers', Forename: Aquila, Year Range: 1620-1660, Event Type: All
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Parish registers of St. Nicholas, Cole Abbey. Link to image at ancestry.com. See image attached to this profile.

See also:

• Ashley, Chase W. "New Research on the Origin and Parentage of Aquila and Thomas Chase." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 175 (Winter 2021). pp. 32-41. Link to NEHGR issue at americanancestors.org.