My 9x Great Grandparents, Benjamin Chase and Philip Sherman settled in Freetown, MA. It is unknown for sure when Benjamin was born but he was baptized 18 April 1652 in Roxbury, MA. It is thought that he was born around 1639. His parents are William Chase and Mary. Philip Sherman was born 1 Oct 1652 in Portsmouth, RI to Philip Sherman and Sarah Odding.
Benjamin and Philip married about 1673 in Portsmouth and had 6 children: Mary 1674, Sarah 1676, Philip 1679, Benjamin 1682, Walter 1684, and Bethiah 1686.
In November 1673 he was propounded to be a freeman and in April 1674, Benjamin was admitted a Freeman in Portsmouth, RI. Therefore, it is plausible he married in 1673 since he was in the area at that time and Philip is from Portsmouth. In 1684 his mark on his cattle was registered with the town clerk. In 1685, a deed was recorded on Freetown, MA for the 22nd lot.
He was selected for several offices in Freetown: Surveyor 1685, Assessor 1691, and Selectman 1698, 1699, 1705. He was made guardian of his 10 year old granddaughter, Sarah Makepeace in 1705. Sarah’s mother was Mary, the oldest daughter, who died in 1698, and her father was Thomas Makepeace who died about 1705. She was their only child.
Benjamin died before 1731 as his will was proven 25 July 1731. It starts out with Benjamin Chace, cooper (the first mention of his trade). He left his land in Freetown to sons Benjamin and Walter. He had land in Middleboro and left various amounts to: grandson, Benjamin Grinnel and daughter Bethiah Dunham, then Benjamin and Walter the rest. Daughter, Philip Hathaway and husband Jacob, received land that abutted their own land but it didn’t specify the town. Attached to this land, three rods square was to be reserved for a burying place. Daughter Philip received 20 pounds and all movable furniture, daughter Bethiah received a cow, granddaughter Sarah Hathaway, 1 cow and grandchild Daniel Grinnell, 5 schillings.
It is not known when Philip died but she is not in the will so she most likely died before Benjamin. Benjamin set aside land to be a burying ground so he may have been buried there. Where it is I haven’t figured out.
Lineage:
Benjamin Chase and Philip Sherman, their son,
Walter Chase and Deliverance Simmons, their son,
George Chase and Mary Strange, their son,
Edward Chace and Abigail Paine, their son,
Walter Chace and Barbara Brown, their son,
Edward Chace and Julia Goodrich, their daughter,
Sarah Jane Chace and Jabez Bostwick, their son,
John Day Bostwick married Ida Shelby, their son,
Charles Bostwick married Alpha Wilkins, their daughter,
Florence Bostwick -my grandmother
References
First Church in Roxbury (Roxbury, Boston, Mass.). Records, 1630-1956. Record book of First Religious Society in Roxbury, ca. 1630-1775. bMS 626/3 (5), Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School. p232
The early Records of the Town of Portsmouth, edited by the librarian of the Rhode Island Historical Society, 1901, pp 179, 180, 282, 284.
The Connecticut Magazine, Volume 3-4 page 245
I’ve lived in Massachusetts for over 35 years now and had never heard of Freetown. I had to look it up on the map and now see it’s between Fall River and New Bedford. Always learning something new! I wonder how it got its name.
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The past year, most of my research was in CT and NY. I was so happy when my research brought me into MA. I too looked up Freetown and found it is only a 30 minute drive for me.
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Where are you now? I am in western MA and also spend summers on the Cape.
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Metro west area, close to 128.
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Nice!
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Hello, I live on a farm in Berkley Massachusetts that was owned by a Benjamin Chase. There is a large group of Chases that live on Chace Rd in Freetown. Most came from a farming back ground.
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Hello, Benjamin Chase also had land in East Freetown from the Pocasset Purchase. East Freetown as noted was primarily farmland and considered quite rural as compared to Assonet where the town offices, shipping trade, and routes to Rhode Island (Tiverton and Fall River were originally part of Freetown). Freetown takes its name from the Freeman’s Purchase, the original 26 lots (Benjamin purchased lot 22 from the original owner) Lot 22 runs west from the lower side of Assonet Bay to the East where the Freeman’s Purchase bounds met Middleborough (now Lakeville). Also descended from Benjamin Chase, I grew up in Freetown.
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