USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 36
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1. Samson Nichols, the 1st child of Isaac and Dorcas (Sibley) Nichols, was born in 1759; he married Susanna Gleason in 1786.
2. John Nichols, 2nd child of Isaac and Dorcas (Sibley) Nichols, born in 1761; married his cousin, Sarah Nichols, daughter of his uncle, William Nichols, in 1786; they had 4 children.
3. Sarah Nichols, 3rd child of Isaac and Dorcas (Sibley) Nichols, was born in 1762; she married Simeon Stockwell, in 1788; they had 5 children.
4. Isaac Nichols, Jr., 4th child of Isaac and Dorcas (Sibley) Nichols, born in 1766, was claimed to have been the first child born in Royalston, and is on record as having lost his life in the War of the Revolution, at the age of 14 or 15 years.
5. Abner Nichols, 5th child of Isaac and Dorcas (Sibley) Nichols, born in 1769; married his cousin, Molly Nichols, daughter of his uncle, William Nichols, in 1792, at which time his home was in Braintree, Vt.
6. Caleb Nichols, 6th child, born in 1771.
7. Reuben Nichols, 7th child, born in 1775.
8. Dorcas Nichols, 8th child, born in 1779.
9. Rev. Ammi Nichols, 9th child of Isaac and Dorcas (Sibley) Nichols, was born in 1781; without the help of a full college course, he took the regular course of theological study, and became a clergyman, serving in that capacity for more than 60 years.
William Nichols, the 5th child of Isaac and Sarah (Wilkins) Nichols, was an- other of the early settlers of Royalston who came from Sutton. He was born in 1739, and married Kezia Fitts, in 1760. He bought the place originally settled by Bezaleal Barton, who lost his life in the War of the Revolution, and which was llas later long well known as the Col. Elmer Newton place. While in the hands of Barton and Nichols the place included the grist and saw mill adjoining, on the Lawrence, designated in Square 16 on our map on page 40, and recorded on page 62. Tradition has it that Miller Nichols kept a bell suspended at the mill which cus- tomers who came to the mill could ring to call him from his work on the farm to attend to their grinding at the mill.
This William and Kezia (Fitts) Nichols had 6 children. As it is not probable that there are any of the descendants of this branch of the Nichols family within the reach of these Reflections, it has been deemed unwise to attempt to trace out its genealogy.
On page 252 Isaac and Henry Nichols, the first and the last of the 10 children of Moses Nichols, are mentioned. Following is a notation of the names, marriages and dates of all of the 10 children of the said Moses Nichols and his 3 wives:
1. Isaac, mentioned on page 252. 2. Sally, born in 1792; died in the same year. 3. Sally, born in 1797; married Joshua Cummings, in 1817. 4. Sophia, born in 1800; married Noah Miles, in 1825. 5. Mehitable, born in 1802; married Columbus Rich- ardson, in 1826. 6. Elizabeth, born in 1805; married Charles Bigelow, in 1831. 7. Sophronia, born in 1807; married George Richardson, in 1827. 8. Moses, Jr., born in 1809; married Olive Ballou, in 1839. 9. Cynthia Gale, born in 1812; mar- ried Orin Grant, in 1836. 10. Henry, mentioned on page 252.
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THE CHASE FAMILY.
Aquila Chase is named by the History of Sutton as the ancestor of the Chases in this country. It informs us that Aquila Chase is referred to in Coffin's History of Newbury as "mariner from England." He was in Hampton in 1640, and in Newbury in 1646, when 4 acres of land were granted him for a house lot, and 6 acres of marsh, "on condition that he do go to sea and do service in the Towne with a boat for foure years." In September, 1646, it appears from the county records, Aquila Chase, his wife, and David Wheeler, his wife's brother, were pre- sented and fined "for gathering pease on the Sabbath." The court ordered them to be admonished and their fines remitted. Aquila Chase married Anna Wheeler, of Hampton, N. H., and they had 11 children.
Philip Chase, one of the numerous grandchildren of Aquila Chase, married Mary Follansbee, in 1712, and became one of the early settlers of Sutton, as 100 acres of land were laid out for him by the Proprietors of Sutton, in 1722, and 50 acres in 1725; and there are records of extensive buying of real estate in 1731, and a town meeting held at his house in 1732. Philip Chase died in 1764, and his wife, Mary (Follansbee) Chase, died in 1786; they had 8 or more children.
The genealogical records of Sutton show that the Chase family was one of the most prolific and numerous in the town, while the history shows that it was among the most active in military, religious, political and business affairs.
Francis Chase was apparently the first member of the Chase family to go from Sutton to settle in Royalston, and was the ancestor of a long line of Chases. He was the 7th child of Philip and Mary (Follansbee) Chase, according to the History of Sutton, and the 9th according to the History of Royalston. He was born in 1726, and married Mary Perkins, in 1760. As a soldier at the time of the Revolu- tion he acquired the title of Lieutenant; and in the article on the Chase Family in Caswell's History of Royalston it is stated that he "participated in the battle of Bennington;" but in the chapter on "Royalston's Soldier Record" in that History, a list of 18 men, including Lieut. Francis Chase, "who left Royalston in response to the Bennington alarm" is given, and it is stated that, "as they did not leave town until August 21st, while the battle of Bennington had been fought on the 16th, resulting in the capture or destruction of almost the entire Hessian force, our Roy- alston soldiers arrived too late to be of any positive service." There were no railroads, telegraph, telephones or radio in those days, and the quickest means of conveying news was by riders on horseback; so that those Royalston soldiers marched 105 miles in about 5 days, to learn that the battle had been fought and won before they started from home, and then marched home again in 5 more days. That 210 miles was a long 10 days walk for a hot August trip.
Lieut. Francis Chase and his wife, Mary (Perkins) Chase were the parents of 11 children; the names of most of them, but not all, are given in the Vital Records; but the dates of the births of several are omitted, and it is stated that they were baptized in 1777; the dates of the births of the first 3 have been obtained from the History of Sutton, and some of the others elsewhere.
1. David Chase, the 1st child of Lieut. Francis and Mary (Perkins) Chase, was born in Sutton, in 1761; he married Sarah Raymond, of Athol, in 1786; he died in 1816, and his wife died in 1848. The History of Royalston credits them with 11 children; most of them can be traced in the Vital Records.
(1.) Calvin Chase, Ist child of David and Sarah (Raymond) Chase, was born in 1787; he married Nabby Stone, of Fitzwilliam, in 1809, he died probably in 1827.
(2.) David Chase, Jr., 2nd child, born in 1789; died in 1808.
(3.) Chauncy Chase, 3rd child, born in 1794; died in 1800.
(4.) Stephen Chase, 4th child, born in 1796; died in 1800.
(5.) Polly Chase, 5th child, born in 1798; died in 1800.
(6.) Accepting the statement of Caswell's History of Royalston that Chauncy Chase was the 7th child, we have no record of the 6th.
(7.) Chauncy Chase, 7th child of David and Sarah (Raymond) Chase, was born in 1801. He learned the carpenter's trade, and in his early manhood went to Boston, where he became a prominent contractor and builder. About 1850 he bought the old Dr. Bacheller place on Royalston Common, and gradually improved
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and modernized the buildings and beautified the surroundings until he had made it one of the finest and most attractive places in the Center village. In 1859 he removed to this place with his family. He received permission from the Town to fence in a portion of the Common in front of his residence, which he laid out in a handsome garden. The place is located at 11C on our map of the Center village. The little picture on this page was considered the best that could be procured at that time, as the large poplar tree at the right and the other trees in the yard ob- structed the view from other directions. The picture on page 56 shows the position of the fence around the flower garden. He planted many of the trees on the Common, which have since grown to a great size; in this work he was assisted by Capt. William Chase and David P. Foster. Chauncy Chase was a most thorough and accurate workman, and any work under his supervision was done "right." He made the plans for the First Congregational Church building, in 1851; and although he was not the builder, it had to pass his inspection and approval before it was ac- cepted by the committee in charge; he was the architect and builder of the Town Hall, in 1867: and the excellent condition of these buildings,-the church after a service of three-quarters of a century, and the hall half a century,-is abundant evidence that they were built to stand the ravages of time.
Chauncy Chase married Caroline Morse, oldest child of Russell and Elizabeth (Waite) Morse, Dec. 2, 1830; he died Feb. 26, 1878, and she died Dec. 28, 1894. They had 6 children:
[1.] Caroline Augusta Chase, born Oct. 9, 1835; married William D. Atkin- son, Jr., Nov. 1, 1859; he was an apoth- ecary in Boston, and afterwards a trav- eling salesman; he died in Royalston, June 22, 1881, and she died there, after having resided in Springfield for several years, Feb. 28, 1907. They had 2 daugh- ters: Florence Viola Atkinson, born Aug. 24, 1862, died Mar. 30, 1895; and Harriet Taylor Atkinson, born July 22, 1865, died Nov. 7, 1887.
[2.] Elizabeth Waite Chase, born Sept. 14, 1837; she always retained her residence at the family home, and was the efficient librarian of the Royalston Public Library from 1881 until she was incapacitated by an accident, which re- sulted in her death, Dec. 14, 1896.
Residence of Chauncy Chase, 1873.
[3.] Almira Elliott Chase, born Feb. 8, 1841; died in Boston, Sept. 16, 1843.
[4.] Henrietta Townsend Chase, born Jan. 13, 1846; married William H. Nut- ting, Sept. 25, 1866; his business was wholesale fancy dry goods, in Boston; he died in November, 1872; Henrietta Townsend (Chase) Nutting died Nov. 25, 1917.
[5.] Ella Perkins Chase, born Dec. 2, 1849; she died Feb. 28, 1896, while at- tending a Moody school, at Northfield.
[6.] Fannie Russell Chase, born Oct. 9, 1853; married Dr. Francis W. Adams, June 26, 1872. They had 2 children: 1. Mabel Winifred Adams, born Nov. 17, 1873; married William H. Burr, Esq., of Rochester, N. Y., Oct. 30, 1901. 2. Robert Winthrop Adams, born Oct. 27, 1881; married Pauline Whitney, of Ashburnham, in 1906; they have 2 children: Winthrop Whitney Adams, born Jan. 27, 1909; and Margery Adams, born May 11, 1922.
(8.) Polly Chase, 8th child of David and Sally (Raymond) Chase, born in 1803.
(9.) Nancy Chase, 9th child, born in 1806.
(10.) Nabby Chase, 10th child, born in 1810.
(11.) Abigail Chase, another child of David and Sally (Raymond) Chase, is given the 11th place here because the date of her birth has not been discovered; it might have come between some of those given above. She married her cousin, Artemas Raymond, in 1832, and they had 8 children, mentioned in the story of the Raymond family, on pages 235 and 236.
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2. Elizabeth Chase, 2nd child of Lieut. Francis and Mary (Perkins) Chase, was born in Sutton, in 1762; she married Eliphalet Richardson, in 1784; he was a son of Timothy Richardson, who was one of the first members of "The Church of Christ in Royalston," a member of the first board of Selectmen, and the town's first Representative to the General Court. Eliphalet Richardson and his brothers, Abijah and Timothy Richardson, Jr., settled on adjoining farms in the north part of the town, and all had families. Eliphalet and Elizabeth (Chase) Richardson had 6 children, one of whom was the mother of Joseph R. Eaton, one of the com- pilers of the 1865 Royalston Memorial. Elizabeth (Chase) Richardson died in 1849.
3. Mary Chase, 3rd child of Lieut. Francis and Mary (Perkins) Chase, was born in Sutton, in 1764; she married Caleb Felch, in 1788; he was one of 3 brothers who settled at the north part of the town; they had 6 children; she died in 1798.
4. William Chase, 4th child of Lieut. Francis and Mary (Perkins) Chase, was born in 1765, probably the first born after their removal to Royalston. He married Betsey Work, in 1794. They occupied a farm in the northeast part of the town; she died in 1834, and he died in 1835; they had 14 children:
(1.) Betsey Chase, 1st child of William and Betsey (Work) Chase, was born in 1794; she married Reuben Stockwell, in 1817; they had 2 children.
(2.) William Chase, Jr., 2nd child of William and Betsey (Work) Chase, born in 1796; married Roxana Blodgett, of Fitzwilliam, in 1822; she died in 1837, at the age of 35 years; there is a marriage mentioned in the Royalston Vital Records, of William Chase and Mrs. Olive A. Longley, of Winchendon, in 1838, which might have been this William, Jr., but there seems to be no information of his having had such a wife, or of her death. He occupied a farm in the northeast part of the town, and in the vicinity of 1850 removed to the place at the Center designated on our map at 14N, which was his home until he removed from Royalston in his old age to make his home with one of his children, around 1867. Probably through connection with the Royalston Grenadiers, he acquired the military title of Captain, and was quite often mentioned as "Cap'n Bill" Chase. His employment was mis- cellaneous, like that of many men around the Center village, and considerably agri- cultural. For several years he was the care-taker and bell-ringer at the First Congregational Church, and there was hastening to set the home clocks by his time when he rang the 9 o'clock bell Sunday mornings, according to his reckoning of "sun time," as there was likely to be a discrepancy between that and the stand- ard set by some enterprising fellow who could raise about $15 a year by "popular subscription," as his remuneration for ringing the bell at 12 m. and 9 p. m. on each week-day, and who regulated his time by what somebody had got from some rail- road conductor; this was before the standard time was sent out electrically from the Cambridge observatory and before the clock was installed on the church. Capt. Chase gave faithful attention to all religious matters, and it was very seldom indeed that he missed the opportunity to offer a very long and sleep-provoking prayer in a "social prayer-meeting." He was an excellent stone-worker, and was generally called to assist whenever there was stone-cutting or laying to be done in the vicinity; he probably found demand for his services in that line when the "steam mill" was built, in 1856-7 (see page 87). He was much interested in the project for the new cemetery, now known as the "Lawrence Brook Cemetery;" he probably helped to build the receiving tomb there, walls, and other appurtenances. He took a large lot there, quite near the entrance, erected 9 granite posts around it, and probably intended to connect them with a chain fence; he removed the remains of his wife, Roxana, to the new lot, and undoubtedly planned that it should be his own final resting-place, and that of other members of his family; but they all removed, and have all undoubtedly found rest on the bosom of Mother Earth elsewhere, for the youngest, if living, would be 95 years of age at this writing; and the spacious lot, over which he wrought with prayers and tears, apparently contains but the one grave, that of the wife and mother, who died in 1837. William Chase, Jr., and his wife, Roxana (Blodgett) Chase, had 5 children:
[1.] Edwin Stiles Chase, born in 1824; he was married and had 1 child; and died in Boston, in 1896.
[2.] Harriet Chase, born in 1826; she married Caleb May, of Woodstock, Conn., in 1849.
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[3.] Martha Amsden Chase, born in 1828; she remained as the home house- keeper until the family removed.
[4.] William Milton Chase, born in 1830. He was a shoemaker by trade, and at one time made and repaired boots and shoes in the shop at 21N (see page 86).
[5.] Ellen Roxana Chase, born in 1831.
Continuing the list of children of William and Betsey (Work) Chase:
(3.) Follansbee Chase, born in 1797; died in 1798. -- Boyden, of Paxton.
(4.) Rachel Chase, born in 1799; died in 1800.
(5.) Susanna Chase, born in 1800; probably married - Howard, of Holden; after
(6.) Huldah Chase, born in 1802; married
the death of her husband, in Holden, and the removal of her brother, Capt. William Chase, from Royalston, she removed to Royalston, and occupied the house vacated by her brother, at 13N, and her sister Hannah lived with her; but Huldah (Chase) Howard probably returned to Holden before her death.
(7.) Charlotte Chase, born in 1804; married Joseph Howard, of Holden, in 1826.
(8.) Martha Chase, born in 1805; died in 1834.
(9.) Thomas Chase, born in 1807; he was in business in Boston.
(10.) Hannah Chase, born in 1809; married her cousin, Gibbs W. Eddy, in 1831; they lived apart during a considerable portion of their lives, he in Boston, where he died in 1867, and she, in the latter part of her life, with her sister in her brother's former home in Royalston; she died in 1894; they had 2 children:
[1.] George W. Eddy, born in 1832.
[2.] Thomas Henry H. Eddy, born in 1834; died in 1849.
(11.) George Chase was the 11th of the children of William and Betsey (Work) Chase; he was born in 1810; and married Esther Morse, daughter of Russell and Elizabeth (Waite) Morse, in 1835. They occupied the superior farm in the northeast part of Royalston previously carried on by Mr. Chase's father. George Chase was a thrifty and prosperous farmer. After their 5 children had grown up, left the farm, married, and some had died, they sold the farm to the Town of Royalston, about 1869, and the poor of the town were cared for there for several years; Mr. Chase and his wife made their home at the Prouty place, near the Center, on the Winchendon road, where he died, in 1886; his wife then made her home with her daughters, in Worcester and Petersham, and died at the latter place, in 1906, at the age of nearly 94 years. The children of George and Esther (Morse) Chase were:
[1.] George Lyman Chase, born in 1838; married Elvira Tirrell, of Paxton, in 1860; he served his country in the Civil War of the Rebellion, was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness, and died from the results, in June, 1864. He left 2 chil- dren, George and Marion, who were adopted by their grandparents.
[2.] Catherine C. Chase, born in 1840; married Josiah W. Wilder, of Peters- ham; he served in the Civil War; they lived in Worcester, and he died there in the vicinity of 1910, and she in 1918. They left a daughter, Blanche G. Wilder.
[3.] Frederick Boyden Chase, born in 1843. Inured to hard toil on the large home farm, he would have been supposed to be able to "stand up" under the heavy work at a wholesale and retail grain and grocery store at Athol, where he was em- ployed in his early manhood; but there are some jobs that tax a willing worker's life harder than intensive farming; Freddie,-as he was affectionately called by his relatives and friends, for he had always been a very pleasant and agreeable boy,- "broke down," and went home with a fever, and died in November, 1868.
[4.] Helen M. Chase, born in 1846; married Forest A. Hicks, of Petersham, in 1868; he, too, served in the Civil War; he died about 1910; they had 2 children.
[5.] Harriet E. Chase, born in 1848; married Luther Stone, of Peters ham, in 1872; she died in 1874, leaving an infant child.
(12.) Francis Chase, the 12th child of William and Betsey (Work) Chase, was born in 1812. It is told that he bought a part of his father's old home farm, and intended to build a house and make his home there, but finally bought from Gibbs W. Eddy, who married his sister, the place south of the Nichols-Maxham-Neal- Wood place, on what has become the road from the Center to South Royalston, and where his son, Charles Francis Chase, lived until the buildings were all destroyed by fire in 1920. Francis Chase, like most of those of his name in Royalston, was not afraid of toil, and he carried on his farm successfully, and also engaged in
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other work, laying foundations and walls, road and bridge building and repairing, and similar work, requiring the exercise of both intellect and muscle. He married, 1st, Ruth Slade, of Paxton, in 1840; they had 3 children, and she died in 1846; he married, 2nd, Lucretia Slade, a sister of his 1st wife, in 1847, and they had 9 chil- dren; she died in 1864; and Francis Chase died in 1889. The 12 children of Francis and Ruth and Lucretia (Slade) Chase were as follows:
[1.] Lucretia Chase, born in 1841; she married, 1st, Charles Allard, and 2nd, White, and her home was in San Diego, California.
[2.] William Henry Chase, born in 1843; he served in the Civil War for the full term of 3 years, and afterwards resided in Winchendon, West Fitchburg, Athol, Cambridge and Worcester; he went to Athol in 1880, where he conducted a market and ice business, and his home was in Athol for 30 years. He married Georgiana J. Tucker, in 1880. They had a son, Ernest T. Chase, born in Athol, in 1881; grad- uated from Boston University in 1904; was instructor in German and English at Worcester Polytechnic Institute; religious work director of the Worcester Young Men's Christian Association; in 1910 he became connected with an educational in- stitution at Honolulu, and the next year his parents followed him there, and Wil- liam H. Chase engaged in missionary work among the soldiers.
[3.] John Slade Chase, born in 1844; at the age of 17 he enlisted in the Civil War, was mustered in Oct. 14, 1861, and nearly served out a 3-years term; he was taken prisoner by the Confederates at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, died in the noto- rious Andersonville Prison, Aug. 30, 1864, and was buried in the National Cemetery at Andersonville, Ga.
[4.] Thomas Follansbee Chase, born in 1848; when about 22 years of age he entered the employ of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company, and served as Section Foreman and Construction Foreman for more than 44 years, and his home was in Fitchburg, Framingham, Clinton and Leominster. He mar- ried, 1st, Mary A. Alden, in 1873, and 2nd, Hattie E. Prew, in' 1906. He had 2 chil- dren, Anna M. Chase and Frank W. Chase.
[5.] Sophia Elizabeth Chase, born in 1849; she married Allan Harrington, and they lived at the old Cutler farm, midway between the Center and South villages. The buildings on the place were destroyed by fire, about 1901, and rebuilt. Allan Harrington died in 1922. They had 2 children: 1. Fannie Marie Harrington, who married Max Snow, of South Royalston; 2. Arthur A. Harrington, who married Pearl May Hawes, in 1924, and who remained on the home place.
[6.] George Washington Chase, born in 1852.
[7.] Sarah Maria Chase, born in 1853; married George W. Tucker, of Athol, in 1882; died
[8.] Joseph Howard Chase, born in 1854; died in 1871.
[9.] Flora E. Chase, born in 1856; married George W. Tucker.
[10.] Charles Francis Chase, born in 1858; married Adelle Luseba Chapin, in 1894. They remained on the home farm bought by his father, until the buildings and most of their contents were destroyed by fire, in 1920; the people raised a fund of $1000 and presented to them; they acquired the Brown place, about 112 miles due north from their former home; this new home was saved from destruction by fire in 1925, by prompt action of the townspeople. By the addition of that place to his former holdings Charles F. Chase became proprietor of more land in Royalston than any other resident (see p. 196). Charles Francis and Adelle Luseba (Chapin) Chase have had 6 children: 1. Francis Chapin Chase, born in 1894; married Nellie J. Shaw, of Grinnell, Iowa, in 1922, and they have a daughter, Doris Emily Chase, born in 1924. 2. Elliott Bartlett Chase, born in 1895; married Alice F. Tenney, of Rindge, N. H., in 1921. 3. Hollis Bolton Chase, born in 1897; married Phillis Bernice Moore, of Royalston, in 1919, and they have 2 daughters, Priscilla Myrtle Chase, born in 1921, and another born in 1925. 4. Roger Clark Chase, born in 1899. 5. Alice Ethel Chase, born in 1902. 6. Edith Adelle Chase, born in 1908.
[11.] Ella Amelia Chase, born in 1860; she never married, and made her home with her sister, Mrs. Tucker; she died in Brookfield in 1916.
[12.] Fannie Ruth Chase, born in 1862; died in 1881.
Completing the list of 14 children of William and Betsey (Work) Chase:
(13.) Sally Chase, born in 1814.
(14.) James Chase, born in 1816; married Lucy Flagg, of Fitzwilliam, in 1841.
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Continuing the list of 10 children of Lieut. Francis and Mary (Perkins) Chase:
5. Archibald Chase, son of Lieut. Francis and Mary (Perkins) Chase, was baptized in 1777; he married Susanna Peirce, in 1790; and Mrs. Mary M. Nichols, in 1806; he had 7 children by his 1st wife:
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