Chase, Dudley Tappan

The following data is extracted from Merrimack and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire Biographies.

Dudley Tappan Chase, a well-known farmer of Claremont, born April 2, 1823, in Cornish, N.H., son of Colonel Lebbeus and Nizaula (March) Chase, comes of an ancient family. The Chase coat of arms is described as follows: "Arms Gules, four crosses patonce, argent two and two; on a canton azure a lion passant, Or, crest-a lion rampant, Or, holding between his feet a cross patonce-Gules." The motto is "Ne Cede Malis" (Yield not to misfortunes). The family is traced back to Thomas Chase ((1)), of Hundrich, in the parish Chesham, England. His son, Richard Chase ((2)), who was baptized August 3, 1542, and married Joan Bishop, April 16, 1564, lived and died in Chesham. Aquila ((3)), son of Richard, born in Chesham, was baptized August 14, 1580. His son, Aquila ((4)), by his wife, Sarah, born in Chesham in 1618, came to America in 1639, and was one of the grantees and settlers of Hampton (Plymouth), Mass. This Aquila, who was a sea captain, removed to Newbury, Mass., in 1646, married Anne Wheeler, of Hampton, daughter of John Wheeler, and died December 27, 1670. His youngest son, Moses Chase ((5)), born in Newbury, December 24, 1663, married Ann Follansbee, November 10, 1684. Daniel Chase ((6)), the eldest son of Moses and the twin brother of Moses, Jr., who died young, was born September 20, 1685, in Newbury, and married Sarah March, of Newbury, January 2, 1706. He removed to Littleton, and thence to Sutton, Mass., before March 26, 1733, and died in the latter place, April 17, 1768. Samuel Chase ((7)), eldest son of Daniel, born in Newbury, September 28, 1707, married Mary Dudley, of Sutton, and died in Cornish, N.H., August 12, 1800. He removed from Sutton to Cornish shortly after the settlement of the town in 1765 by his sons, Dudley and Jonathan, and others from Sutton.

Samuel's third son, Jonathan ((8)), was born in Sutton, December 6, 1732, removed to Cornish in 1765, married Sarah Hall, daughter of the Rev. Dr. David Hall, of Sutton, October 22, 1770, and died January 14, 1800, in Cornish. Jonathan's son, Lebbeus ((9)), born January 21, 1779, in Cornish, married Nizaula March, January 8, 1815, and died in Cornish, February 22, 1865.

The birthplace of Dudley Tappan Chase ((10)), was the old homestead, where his grandfather, General Jonathan Chase, settled in 1765, and which was the first two-story house erected in town. The house is still standing, but much the worse for wear. He lived and labored on his father's farm, and attended the common schools until he was seventeen years of age. Then he fitted for college at Kimball Union Academy, teaching school in the next and several succeeding winters. After graduating at the academy in 1844, he entered Dartmouth College in the fall of that year, and was a student there for two years, continuing to teach school in the winter. In 1857 he received the degrees of A.B. and A. M. from Dartmouth College, in the class of 1848. In the fall of 1846 he commenced the study of the law at Windsor, Vt. In 1847 he attended the law school of Harvard University for a short time, and the law school of Yale University for a few months. He was admitted to the bars of Sullivan County, New Hampshire, and Windsor County, Vermont, in 1849, and commenced practice in April of that year at Windsor. Afterward he was admitted to the United States District and Circuit Courts in Vermont. He practised in Windsor County and Sullivan County until April, 1863, when on account of failing health he retired from the bar, and removed to Claremont. Here he bought a small farm, and devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. Active exercise in the open air restored his health; and he is still living on his farm, at the age of seventy-four years, but mainly retired from labor.

On November 12, 1851, Mr. Chase married Mrs. Adelaide G. Merrifield, daughter of Edward R. Campbell, Esq., of Windsor. Two children came of the union, namely: Edward Campbell Chase ((11)), born July 2, 1853, who died August 12, 1854; and Francis Dudley Chase ((11)), born February 27, 1856, who died January 10, 1857. The mother died September 8, 1856, February 4, 1858, Mr. Chase married Mrs. Sula Powers Smith, who was born October 5, 1826, daughter of Captain Obed and Cynthia (Comings) Powers, of Cornish. The only child of this marriage was Lucy Adelaide Chase ((11)), born February 4, 1859, who died February 8, 1859. Mrs. Chase, now in her seventy-first year, enjoys good health.

Mr. Chase was mainly instrumental in having a subordinate grange of the Patrons of Husbandry organized in Claremont in 1873, November 18. He was elected the first Master, and had served in that capacity for several years, when he refused to do so any longer. He was also elected the first Master of the New Hampshire State Grange, which was organized December 23, 1873, and served by successive elections for six years. He was a member, together with his wife, of the National Grange, attended seven sessions of that body, and was for three years a member of its Executive Committee. He compiled the rules for the regulation of the co-operative associations of the grange, and had charge of the publication of the first Digest of the grange, in which, it is claimed, a single error has not been found. He was also chairman of the committee appointed to investigate the financial condition of the grange, in which capacity, after a full examination of the accounts, he made a report that brought order out of chaos and put the finances of the grange on a sure basis. He was Chairman of the Committee on Constitution and By-laws for several years, then considered the most important committee of the order. In the Husbandman, December 18, 1878, was the following from a correspondent relative to the session of the National Grange held at Richmond, Va., in the preceding November : "I should be glad to name with approval a few members who have given conspicuous service to the meeting if I might attempt the task without seeming to make invidious distinction. In such a list I should inscribe the name Dudley T. Chase, of New Hampshire, whose clear perception has more than once saved the grange from indiscreet acts."

Mr. Chase is the last survivor of a family of ten children of his father, Colonel Lebbeus Chase, and the only representative of the family save a niece, Miss Allace C. Chase, now of Smith College, of whom he has been the guardian. He has taken an active part in the town meetings. He is an Independent in politics and religion, has strong convictions on most subjects, and is not afraid to express them on all suitable occasions. He has been a Mason of Hiram Lodge of Claremont since 1870, serving as Master for two years. His father was raised to the degree of Master Mason in this lodge in 1800. His grandfather was also a prominent Mason, as is shown by the inscription on his tombstone in the Cornish cemetery.

Source: Merrimack and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire Biographies

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