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Archiver > CHASE > 2005-04 > 1113001782


From: "Jeffrey Chace" <>
Subject: Chace hunting in Boston and Providence
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2005 01:09:42 +0200


Hello All,

I was able to spend some time in Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence,
Rhode Island, at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.

While in Boston, I visited the New England Historic Genealogical Society
which is located at 101 Newbury Street. I was a bit bemused at the
Society being located on this street as it is one of the highest priced
shopping areas in Boston. Beautiful old buildings are pushed up right
next to each other with the Genealogical Society in an imposing old
structure which looks exactly as one would expect as habitation for such
a venerable association.

Two days I spent in Boston, one at the beginning of my trip and one at
the end. I began by taking the "T" to Downtown Crossing Station which
put me directly in the center of the City. From there I wandered around
downtown enjoying happening upon various sights such as the Old South
Meeting House as I wended my way toward Boston Common. Walking down
Tremont Street, I happened upon the Granary Cemetery where lie Paul
Revere, John Hancock, Samuel Adams and the parents of Benjamin Franklin
- heady company for my first trip to Boston. Approaching Boston Common,
up on Beacon Hill I admired the New State House with its magnificent
golden dome.

I entered Boston Common which was established in 1634 as a military
"trayning field" and "for the feeding of cattell." Today it is a very
spacious city park and I proceeded across it with the brisk December air
scouring my face. According to a transplanted Bostonian friend of mine,
you know it's winter time in Boston when the Frog Pond in Boston Common
is frozen over and open for skating. The crisp cold air accosting me
left me with no surprise upon seeing the happy skaters gliding across
the pond.

Once through Boston Common, I entered Newbury Street on the far
southwest end of the park. Another quarter mile or so, I found the
NEHGS on the north side of Newbury Street. Having become a member
online at their website at
https://www.newenglandancestors.org/membership/join/ I was able to enter
at no charge which is normally $15 per day. Being that I had very
little time in Boston, I spent the time I had at the NEHGS becoming
acquainted with the facility and the collections and working on a couple
of puzzles with which I had been wrestling with little success for quite
some time.

One of my quests was determining the ancestry of Ilka Chase, the actress
(she was in the original Ocean's Eleven for example, and has a Star on
the Walk of Fame in Hollywood). What little I knew about Ilka's
pedigree was that she was born in New York City, 8 April 1905, and died
in Mexico City, 15 February 1978. Ilka's mother was Edna Woolman Chase,
editor of Vogue Magazine, who married Francis Dane Chase. Edna was born
Edna Alloway on 14 March 1877, in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and died 20
March 1957, in Sarasota, Florida. About Francis Dane Chase I knew very
little except that he was born in Boston on 31 July 1873 (from his WWI
draft record). But, who his parents were, I knew not.

Investigating the birth records for Boston for the year Eighteen hundred
seventy-three, I found Francis Dane Chase having been born at Luelner
Place to R. Gardner Chase, born in Nantucket, and Lucy E. Chase, born in
Waterville, Maine. Aha! Now I had something to go on. Having studied
the Barney Nantucket Records quite recently, I knew that Gardner,
Francis's father's middle name, was a very common Nantucket name along
with Chase, Macy, Coffin, Folger and Starbuck.

Going to the Barney Genealogy Master Surname Index at
http://12.46.127.86/bgr/BGR-p/surname_index.htm I proceeded through the
Chases until I found Reuben Gardner Chase born 1836 who married a Lucy
M. Howard in 1859. Reuben Gardner Chase's parents were Obed R. Chase,
b. 20 March 1803, d. 11 November 1878, and Sarah B. Coffin, b. 20 March
1802, d. 2 August 1896. Obed Chase is a descendant of Thomas Chase and
so Ilka Chase's descension is as follows: Thomas, Lt. Isaac, Isaac,
Stephen, Reuben, Obed, Reuben, Francis, Ilka Chase. Mystery solved!
All of you Thomas descendants out there have another illustrious
relative to add to your family.

From Boston, I travelled the one hour journey by train to Providence,
Rhode Island, where I was able to stay two days pursuing my genealogical
quests. Quite different from Boston, Providence is a small city but
with a very imposing State Capitol upon a small bluff overlooking
downtown. Inside the Rhode Island Capitol and on the second floor, I
found a bust of Elizabeth Buffum Chace, wife of Samuel Buffington Chace.
Elizabeth was honored with this installation for her renown as "The
Conscience of Rhode Island" working tirelessly for the abolition of
slavery, she and her husband even opening the Chace Home in Valley Falls
as a station on the Underground Railroad helping runaway slaves reach
Canada. The Chaces would give each freedman a self-addressed stamped
envelope that could be mailed back from Canada indicating to the Chaces
the safe arrival of another soul to freedom. I have posted a photo of
the Elizabeth Buffum Chace statue at my website under the menu item
"Providence, Rhode Island" at the bottom of the left-hand frame.
http://www.chace.demon.nl

Another fascinating aspect of my time in Providence was finding my last
name on a street sign. There is as well as Chace Avenue, a Chace Drive
on the north side of Providence. I have also posted a photo of the
Chace Avenue sign at my website. Chace Avenue was actually quite handy
for me as it is a good way of getting from the Old North Burial Ground
to the Swan Point Cemetery, and in addition, at the corner of Chace
Avenue and Hope Street, there is an excellent Indian Restaurant called
simply, India. I ate there one of the evenings while in Providence and
must say that, although not truly authentic, the food was sumptuous, the
presentation splendid, and the atmosphere very chic. But, my intent is
to talk about Genealogy not Chicken Tikka Massala or Tarka Dahl and Saag
Soup.

On one very dreary day with a cloud-soaked sky, I made my way to the Old
North Burial Ground, located at 5 Branch Avenue, off of N. Main Street.
There was no one to be found at the Office, so I wandered up to the
Greenhouse, and walked in calling out "Hello" every few steps. Finally,
someone answered my hollers and there was a nice woman at the other end
of the structure who was kind enough to help me and showed me a map
taped to the wall there in what must have been some kind of meeting room
for the funerary floral enthusiasts of Providence as there were a number
of folks sitting around sipping coffee. On the map, I was shown the
area of the cemetery where the Quaker Burial Ground was to be found,
said my thanks, and made my exit.

The Old North Burial Ground is the oldest cemetery in Providence and has
existed since 1700. Following the instructions given me in the
Greenhouse, I found the Quaker Burial Ground which has been on the
grounds of the ONBG since 1857 when all of the former graves were dug up
and relocated. Originating in 1786, the cemetery had previously been
situated on Olive Street. As soon as I located the Quaker Burial
Ground, the skies began pelting my balding head with very solidly
compact, wickedly sharp, pieces of water shrapnel, better known as hail.
Ouch. I would not be deterred however as I was searching for the graves
of my Great Great Great Great Grandmother, Rebecca Chace and Great Great
Great Grandmother Lucretia Chace.

Aimlessly walking through the Quaker Burial Ground which contains a mere
350 headstones, the falling frozen water made my task more difficult
than I had imagined it would be. I quickly found the famous Senator
Jonathan Chace and his wife and daughters. Their gravestones are in
fine shape. However, holding to Quaker tenets, the stones are quite
plain, much plainer than would be expected of a US Senator. There were
many Chaces buried within the grounds, but I could find neither Rebecca
nor Lucretia and the hail kept bombarding me. Finally, after walking up
and down each row yet again, my eyes discerned the date 1845 on a fallen
gravestone lying face up as if daring the hail and the elements to
pummel it. Upon closer inspection, I saw a name which looked vaguely
like "Lucretia" but it was badly weatherworn, and was merely a ghost of
a name inscribed on a tombstone, and then just as faintly shone "Chace"
through the 160 years of wear. The age at death was still to be seen
clearly - 31 yrs. 4 mo. & 26 days. I had found Lucretia, but where was
Rebecca? Just a few steps from Lucretia's grave I found her. Rebecca's
gravestone was standing erect, but was even more worn than Lucretia's so
that all that was discernable after 172 years was vaguely her name -
Rebecca Chace. I have posted photos of each gravestone at the bottom of
the Chace Graveyard area of my website.

Having found the graves of Lucretia and Rebecca, I heeded the hail and
exited the Old North Burial Ground and headed toward the Rhode Island
Historical Society Library located at 121 Hope Street. I was eager to
see what new rewards awaited me there, and particularly eager to peruse
the Quaker Records they have there on microfilm. The Library is an
unassuming looking structure and upon entering, there are lockers in
which to place coats, bags, etc. As at the Essex Records Office, pens
are frowned upon and pencils are encouraged for obvious reasons. Entry
is $5.00.

There is quite a bit of material on the shelves which can be perused at
will and they have a very extensive card catalog indexing all items in
the library. If a card in the catalog is marked in red ink, then this
is an item which needs to be ordered from the archive. Once an item is
ordered, there is a document call once per hour.

Finding the Quaker Records for the Providence Monthly Meeting, I found
many of my family members listed therein. Rebecca and Lucretia are
mentioned a few times, and the most interesting of those mentions
concerns their graves. As was already mentioned, the Quaker Burial
Ground was moved in 1857 to its present location. The Quakers having
been sticklers for accuracy in their records, even recorded the
condition of each coffin and/or body dug up and moved. According to the
records, Lucretia's coffin was still intact, but the record for Rebecca
was much grislier - "bones much decayed."

More later.

Jeffrey Chace
http://www.chace.demon.nl


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