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

218 History of Swansea
She died Jan. 9th, 1903. He died Dec. 13th, 1910. On Dec. 8th, 1901 they
celebrated their golden wedding. She was a direct descendant in the 7th
generation from Samuel Edson, born in England in 1612, and died in
Bridgewater, Mass., 1692.
Their children: (1) Mary Jane and Sarah Frances—twins—were born
in Providence, R. I., Sept. 12, 1853. Sarah Frances died, in Swansea, Sept.
12, 1854. Mary Jane married John Baker of Rehoboth, Dec. 7, 1873, in
Swansea. (One child was born to them, Grace Jane, Feb. 22, 1876) ; second
Mrs. Mary J. Chase (Baker) married Edwin B. Eddy of Swansea, Nov. 30,
1887. (2) John Wesley, born in Swansea, May 14, 1856, married Annie
Westgate Borden Baker, of Rehoboth, Nov. 5, 1878. (Three children were
born to them: Charles Levi, Aug. 16, 1879; John Edson, Dec. 2, 1883; and
Abbie Warren Hathaway, May 30, 1888, all in Rehoboth. John Edson
died Feb. 26, 1886). (3) Sarah Marvel, born in Swansea, June 1, 1859,
married in Dighton, April 18, 1888, to the Rev. Otis Hurlbutt Bates, and
(second) Oct. 21, 1909, in Swansea, Richard Hazelhurst of Somerset.
Charles Levi Chase, son of John Wesley, and Annie Westgate Borden
(Baker) Chase was married in Providence, R. I., Dec. 10, 1900 to Mabel
Evans, of that city, and they have one son, MerriU Evans, born Jan. 25,
1902; Grace Jane Baker daughter of Mary Jane (Chase) Baker, married
John H. Swanson of Swansea, Dec. 18, 1904.
Charles L. Chase attended the Bryant & Stratton Commercial school
in the Class of 1896. Abbie W. H. Chase graduated from B. M.C. DurfeeHigh
School, and attended the Hans Schneider Music School, and the Hyannis
School of Music. Merrill Evans Chase is a graduate of the Stevens
Grammar School.
Oldest Knight Templar in Rhode Island, Elijah Pitts Chase, native of
Nantucket and brother of John A. Chase, oldest citizen of Fairhaven, was
signally honored by the gift of a fifty year medal at the annual meeting of
Mount Vernon Lodge, A. F. and A. M., Providence, Feb. 22, 1910. The
recognition of his membership of half a century and more was made at the
same time as that of others entitled to the same distinction.
Made a master mason in August, 1856, he became later a member of
Royal Arch chapter, Providence; Webb council, Warren, and finally in
1863, of Calvary Commandery ,K. T., Providence. When initiated into his
lodge, ex-Governor Augustus O. Bourne, of Rhode Island was the worshipful
master. Except in 1909, Mr. Chase has attended every annual meeting
of Mount Vernon lodge. In 1876, he went to the Centennial with other
Freemasons, and in 1889 to the Triennial conclave of his brethren sir
knights at Washington, D. C. As far as is known, Mr. Chase was the oldest
mason in Swansea, Mass., where he resided at that date.
His residence at Two Mile Purchase, some nine miles northwest of
Fall River, rendered it impossible for him to attend the communications of
masonic bodies very often, but he occasionally went to Pioneer lodge,
Somerset. His interest was just as keen.
Besides his distinction as senior knight templar of Rhode Island, Mr.
Chase was in early life sailing-master of a whaler, in the South Pacific, and
also captain of a "coaster" between Providence and Baltimore.
How he came to cast his lot with the seekers of the big spouters involves
a bit of family history. His father, John Chace, was born in Swansea in a
house the site of which is now south of that occupied i)y William B. Knight.
He went to Nantucket, and there was Elijah born Oct. 1, 1822. The first
event of importance was his christening, a unique one, for his last name was
spelt different from that of his father. The latter wrote his name Chace,
like most others of that family in Swansea, but in Nantucket, the> preferred
Chase, so in order to conform with the island mode of spelling,
Ehjah was thus christened.