Abraham Chase (abt. 1692 - bef. 1770)

Born about 1692 in Newbury, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Ruth (Morse) Chase — married 16 Nov 1716 in Newbury, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Husband of Elizabeth (Davis) Chase — married 26 Nov 1746 in Amesbury, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died before 28 Nov 1770 before about age 78 in Plaistow, Rockingham County, Province of New Hampshire

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Biography

Parentage; Date and Place of Birth

Abraham Chase, the son of John Chase and Lydia (Challis) Chase, was born in Newbury, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay,^[1] probably between 1688 (the year following his mother's marriage to John Chase) and 1694 (the birth year of his wife).

Marriage to Ruth Morse and Children

Abraham married, first, Ruth Morse in Newbury on November 16, 1716.^[2][3][1]

Abraham and Ruth had the following children:

1. a son (no name shown in record), bp. November 17, 1717 in Newbury^[4]
2. Susanna, b. September 1, 1717 in Newbury,^[5][3] m. September 30, 1735 Zachariah Johnson in Haverhill^[3]
3. Ruth, b. January 28, 1718 in Newbury,^[6][3] m. December 14, 1738 William Eastman^[3]
4. Lydia, b. September 29, 1720 in Newbury,^[7] m. Jonathan Bartlett^[3]
5. Phebe, bp. September 23, 1722 in Newbury,^[8] m. August 27, 1741 Sylvanus Noyes^[3]
6. Prudence, b. probably sometime in 1724-30, m. Moses Stevens/Stephens^[3]

Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase suggests that Abraham and Ruth also had children named Ezra and Elizabeth.^[3] Both assertions appear based on Abraham's will, but both appear suspect. As Seven Generations notes, Abraham's will appointed Ezra Chase as co-executor. However, Abraham's will referred to Ezra as "my trusty friend" and did not refer to him as a son or make a bequest to him.^[9][10] One transcription of Abraham's originally contained no reference to daughter Lydia and instead included a bequest to Elizabeth Bartlett, wife of Jonathan Bartlett. A later, different hand, however, crossed out Elizabeth and wrote in Lydia.^[9] The transcription of Abraham's will included in Probate Records of the Province of New Hampshire. Vol. 7 shows the bequest as to Lydia Bartlett, with no reference to Elizabeth.^[10] No other evidence of a daughter Elizabeth has been found.

Marriage to Abigail and Child?

Both Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury^[1] and Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase^[3] state that Abraham married, second, a woman named Abigail. Seven Generations goes further and states that Abraham had a daughter named Mary, born in Newbury on October 21, 1734, presumably by wife Abigail.^[3] However, no reliable evidence confirming Abraham's having a wife named Abigail, or a daughter named Mary, has been found. No entry of the birth of a Mary, daughter of Abraham Chase, appears in the Vital Records of Newbury.^[11] A visual inspection of images of the original Newbury town vital records,^[12] as well as Vital Records of Newbury,^[13] indicates instead that there was a Mary Mase, daughter of Abraham and Abigail Mase, who was born in Newbury on October 2[torn], 1734. Based on this evidence, the assertion that Abraham had a wife named Abigail, or a daughter named Mary, appears suspect.

Marriage to Elisabeth Colby and Children

Abraham married, third, Elisabeth (Davis) Colby in Amesbury on November 26, 1746.^[14][3][15]

Abraham and Elisabeth had the following children, all born in Plaistow, New Hampshire:

1. Ruth, b. September 4, 1748^[15][3]
2. Abraham, b. July 8, 1750^[15][3]
3. Parker, b. February 16, 1754^[15][3]

Residency in Newbury, Haverhill and Plaistow

According to Seven Generations, Abraham lived in what is now West Newbury near Morse's Lane in 1729 and by 1741 was living in the First Parish of Haverhill, which became the town of Plaistow in 1749.^[3]

Will; Death; Estate

Abraham made his will on February 9, 1761. In his will, he described himself as "Abraham Chase of Plaistow in the Province of New Hampshire in New England yeoman." He made bequests to his wife Elizabeth, daughter Susannah Johnson wife of Zaceriah Johnson, grandchildren Ruth Eastman and William Eastman children of Ruth Eastman late wife of William Eastman, daughter Lydia Bartlett (Elizabeth crossed out and different handwriting inserted Lydia) wife of Jonathan Bartlett, daughter Phebe Noyce wife of Salvenice Noyce, daughter Prudence Stevens wife of Moses Stevens, daughter Ruth Chase, son Abraham Chase, and son Parker Chase. Abraham named his son Abraham Chase and his friend Ezra Chase of Haverhill as his executors. The will was witnessed by Isaac Davis, Nathaniel Cheney and Thomas Clarke Jr.^[9][10]

Abraham's will was proved on November 28, 1770.^[9][10]

The inventory of Abraham's estate was taken on December 12, 1770 and totaled £325:14:6.^[10]

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

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Hoyt, David W. The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts, Part I. 1897. p 94. Link to page at archive.org.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume II - Marriages and Deaths. The Essex Institute, 1911. p. 87. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16} Chase, John Carroll & Chamberlain, George Walter. Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase. 1928. p. 52. Link to page at archive.org.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p. 97. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p. 96. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p. 95. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p. 92. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p. 94. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4} New Hampshire Probate Records. Vol. 26 (1769-1771). pp. 412-414. Case #3803. Link to pages at ancestry.com.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5} Probate Records of the Province of New Hampshire. Vol. 7 1760-1763. State Papers Vol. 37. The State of New Hampshire, 1939. pp. 95-97. Link to pages at archive.org.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p. 93. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Newbury Record of Births 1731-1832. p. 13. Link to page at familysearch.org.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Vital Records of Newbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Volume I - Births. The Essex Institute, 1911. p. 310. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Vital Records of Amesbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. The Topsfield Historical Society, 1913. p. 304. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4} Hammond, Priscilla. Vital Records of Plaistow, New Hampshire. 1943. Link to book at familysearch.org.