| Notes |
- William Chase was named, 19 Oct. 1630, among those "who desire to be made freeman;" and he was made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on 14 May 1634. (REGISTER, vol. 3, pp. 90, 92.) In 1639 hemoved to Yarmouth on Cape Cod, was appointed constable for the town of Yarmouth by the General Court of the Plymouth Colony, 5 Mar. 1638/9, and took the oath of office 4 June 1639. (Plymouth Colony Records, vol. 1, pp. 116, 125.)
His life at Yarmouth was not a peaceful one. Trouble with Marmaduke Mathewes brought him before the Court almost immediately, on 1 Sept. 1640 he was censured for his "miscarriages" against Mr. Mathewesanddisturbance of the proceedings of the church, Court, and "contrey,"and he gave the General Court bond for œ20 for his appearance at the next Court, 2 Mar. 1640/1. (Ib., vol. 1, pp. 135, 162, vol. 2, p. 9.) In1641he was again in Court on account of a disagreement with NicholasSympkinsconcerning a fence. (Ib., vol. 2, p. 20.)
A carpenter by trade, he made an agreement in 1639 to build a housefor Dr. Thomas Starr, which was sold to Andrew Hallet. (Swift's History of Yarmouth, p. 29.) On 8 June 1642 he mortgaged to Stephen Hopkins, as security for a debt of œ5, "his house and lands in Yarmouthcontaineing Eight acrees of upland and six acres more lying at the Stony cove with all & singular the apprtences thervnto belonging." (Plymouth Colony Deeds, vol. 1, p. 83.) In August 1643 he and his son, William Chase, Jr., were among the Yarmouth men "able to beare Armes from XVI Yeares old to 60 Yeares." (Plymouth Colony Records, vol. 8, p. 194.)
In his will, dated 4 May 1659 and witnessed by Richard Hoar and Mary Dennis, "William Chase of Yarmouth the elder; being aged," made the following bequests and provisions:
To "my son Benjamine ... one heifer Calfe and two steer Calves of a yeare old and upwards." To "my son William whoe hath had of mee alreddy a good portion; the sume of five shillings ... if hee Demandit. All the rest of my goods, Cattles and Chattles I give ... unto Mary my wife together with this my Dwelling house the land and allappurtenancesthereunto belonging; as alsoe halfe of my lott of landatt the Basse pond which I bought of William Palmer a middle line made and that halfenext to Darbeyes I give unto her ... alsoe my orchyard and land I bought of goodman White ... all unto her use and Disposing During her naturall life; if shee continew a widdow; and when shee Dies to Dispose a third pte of that estate God shall leave her as shee shall thinke goode; the other two ptes to our son Benjamines use; but if it shall please Godthat shee shall marry ... shee shall have a third pte of that estate andthe other two ptes to bee to our son Benjamine aforsaid. I Doe make mywife Mary aforsaid sole executrix ... and Doe appoint my Naighbors Robert Dennis and Richard Tayler overseers of this my last will." [The markof William Chase.] (Plymouth Colony Probate Records.)
The witnesses to this will deposed before Gov. Thomas Prence of the Plymouth Colony 13 May 1659. The inventory of the personal estate of the deceased, taken 14 Sept. 1659, is as follows:
An Inventory of the goods and chattles of Willa Chase late ofYarmouthdeceased taken and prised by us Robert Dennis, Richard Taylorand Edmond Hawes the 14th of September 1659.
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