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

Personal Sketches 217
exactness in money matters, paying for all things on the spot and never
running a bill. He made deposits in the Fall River Savings Bank for and
in the name of each of his children, and £d though precise and accurate in
financial transactions, desiring every dollar due him, such was his justice
in his dealings with others as to give him the reputation of possessing
strict honesty and integrity.
Joseph Mason Northam
Feb. 26, 1916, the selectmen delivered to Joseph M. Northam, who
then had the distinction of being the oldest male resident in town, the
transmittable gift of the gold-headed ebony cane presented by a Boston
newspaper to the oldest resident in Swansea, which for a number of years
was in the possession of the late Dr. James L. Wellington.
Mr. Northam, who was 89 March 20, was the son of the late Stephen
T. and Hannsih (Houghton) Northam, and lived at the Northam
homestead, just east of Christ Church, in the house in which he was born,
and which was built by his grandfather, Capt. Joseph Northam, about
1791. The carpenter who did the work was James Trott. Mr. Northam
died Oct. 30, 1916. His sister, Miss Harriet Northam, who was nearly two
years his senior, lived with him, and died Oct. 13, 1916.
In his younger days, Mr. Northam was a seafaring man for about
22 years, starting on his first whaling voyage when 20 years old, sailing from
New Bedford in July, 1848, with Captain James Allen. He went on six
long voyages, and on two of them he was chief officer on the ship. The
longest voyage lasted five years and five months, and on the shortest
voyage he was away nearly three years. Two voyages were in the Arctic
Ocean, when he went as far north as 72 degrees. The other sailing trips
were around Australia and New Zealand. The last trip was made in 1875.
Notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Northam was fanufiar with many ports,
Swansea had always been his home town. After retiring from marine
service, Mr. Northam followed the trades of painter and carpenter for a
number of years. Although his intimate associates addressed him as
*'Cap'n, " he emphatically asserted that he was never a captain officially
speaking.
In spite of his being totally blind, from a rare disease affecting the
eyes, Mr. Northam, through long familiarity with his home, was able to
find his way about the house, also the premises when the weather permitted,
and in the summer months he would occasionally "feel" his way to the
piazza of the postoffice, where on pleasant evenings he many times entertained
a group of interested fisteners with accounts of most thrilling as well
as humorous adventures connected with his life on the sea and in foreign
ports.
Elijah Pitts Chase
The subject of this sketch was born in Nantucket, Mass., Oct. 1, 1822,
the son of John and Deborah (Pitts) Chase. He was a direct descendant
in the 8th generation from Wm. Chase, one of the early settlers of New
England, who settled in Yarmouth and died there in 1659, leaving two sons,
Benjamin and William. His grandparents, John and Mary, were prominent
in the M. E. Church, South Somerset. The fine of descent as traced,
is Wm. 1st,—Wm. 2nd,—Samuel 3d,—Philip 4th,—Caleb 5th,—John 6th,—
John 7th,—Elijah 8th, (John 9th,—Charles 10th,—Merrill 11th).
Ehjah P. Chase married Jane Edson born in Rehoboth, Jan. 2, 1819
daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Marvel) Edson, of Swansea, Dec. 8th, 1851,