History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

152 History of Swansea
occupation successfully until his retirement at the age of sixty-six years.
His education was received in a Warren district school, and at the Friends'
School, Providence. At the age of thirty-four he was approved a minister
o( the Gospel, and served the Somerset Meeting in that capacity for more
than haK a century, without salary, and at the same time was a hberal
contributor to the support of the church. Beginning his work when the
church was in a relatively low state of Christian life, he was instrumental,
through persevering efifort and liberal views, in greatly improving its
condition, and during his ministry many were added to the membership.
Although very active as an agriculturist he was never too busy to attend
the mid-week meetings, funerals, and other religious occasions of the Friends'
Society. Nothing was allowed to come between him and his reb'gious duties.
Although Uving seven and a half miles from the meeting-house, he would
drive twice—and when occasion required three and more times—a week
to the place of worship. Nor was his work confined to the home meeting;
he made two trips through the West, one in 1856, and one in 1872, traveling
as far as Kansas, and visiting meetings and families of Friends. He
always preserved an active interest in the affairs of the New England
Yearly Meeting, and he visited all the meetings within its limits.
His Uberal views were widely known, and his advocacy of Church
extension was well understood, for he would not exclude any from fellowship
on account of minor differences of belief. He was wont to quote the
words of William Penn: "The Word of God without me, and the Grace of
God within me, is the declaration of my faith; let him find a better who
can. " He was always young-hearted, and a friend of the young people,
with whom he mingled in social gatherings, contributing to their enjoyment
by an occasional poem or narrative. During his career he wrote many
poems for social and literary occasions, the greater number of which were
brought together in a bound volume.
As a citizen Mr. Chace was always actively interested in the public
welfare. He taught school several winters at Warren Neck, and in other
towns in this locality; was a member of the Warren town council in 1857,
and for several years immediately following ; and he represented the town
for two years in the General Assembly. During the Dorr Rebellion in
1842, he took the side of the party in power. A watch was kept along the
river that year, when two sailboats anchored in Mount Hope bay. The
crews, composed of six men, hurried to shore and thence into Massachusetts.
This aroused suspicion, and several citizens, including Mr. Chace, after
detaching the rudders and sails, scuttled the boats at their anchorage. The
authorities approved the action. The crews later returned, and said they
came from Warwick to escape from the State and avoid military service.
They were arrested and placed in the Bristol Jail.
In politics Mr. Chace was first a Whig, then a Free-soiler, and later,
from the date of the organization of that party, a Repubhcan. He worked
persistently for good roads and good schools. Desiring a school in his own
neighborhood, he built a schoolhouse, and hired a teacher himself. He
always interested himself in useful inventions, and took great pleasure in
those which assured speedy transit, such as bicycles and automobiles.
When eighty-nine years of age, he would ride in an automobile, and never
complain of too great speed, whatever it might be.
April 28, 1845, Mr. Chace was married to Esther Taber Freeborn,
daughter of Jonathan and Esther (Taber) Freeborn, and they had a
mairied life of more than sixty years; their twenty-fifth, fiftieth, and
sixtieth anniversaries were appropriately celebrated. Mrs. Chace, his
constant companion in work and travel, died Nov. 20, 1905, aged eightytwo
years, and he never recovered from the loss he then sustained. In 1884
he had retired from active work, and moved to Swansea. After his wife's