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three decades he enlarged his holdings there to
almost 1,100 acres, 795 acres of which he patented
into "Bellemont" in 1817. In 1815 he bought 542
acres in Anne Arundel County as a gift for his
daughter Catherine Crabb and her husband. The
Crabbs deeded 235 acres of this property back to
Chase in 1824. From at least 1789 until his death,
Chase lived in the "elegant" house of Matthias
Hammond (1740-1786) in Annapolis. He rented
the house and its 4 accompanying lots until he
purchased the property in 1811. Chase also
bought 2 Annapolis lots in 1795 and had a one-
third interest in a 15-acre tract within that city,
1815-1822. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: On May 11,
1828, in Annapolis. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV,
$20,754.19 current money (including 9 slaves, 530
oz. plate, 144 law titles and other books at his An-
napolis residence, and 38 shares valued at $100
per share in the Bank of Columbia); FB,
$1,468.92, insufficient to pay debts and legacies.
LAND: at least 21 acres in Baltimore County and
12 lots on Whetstone Point, Baltimore City, plus a
one-third interest in 2 lots in Baltimore City.
Probably 1,700 acres in Anne Arundel County,
plus at least 6 lots in Annapolis, plus a mortgage
on 1,000 acres in Caroline County owned by Rich-
ard Loockerman.
CHASE, SAMUEL (1741-1811). BORN: on April
17, 1741, at his mother's home near Princess
Anne, Somerset County; eldest son. NATIVE: sec-
ond generation. RESIDED: in Baltimore County,
1745-1759; Annapolis, 1759-ca. 1786; as state
agent for the recovery of Maryland bank stock,
Chase lived in London, England, from September
1783 until August 1784; in Baltimore City in his
house at the corner of Eutaw and Lexington
streets, ca. 1786 until death. FAMILY BACK-
GROUND. FATHER Rev. Thomas Chase (ca. 1703-
1779), born in England, educated at St. John's and
Sidney Sussex colleges, Cambridge University.
Immigrated to the West Indies to practice medi-
cine. Returned to England and was ordained as an
Anglican priest in February 1739. Immigrated in
1739 to become rector of Somerset Parish, Somer-
set County, from May 1739 to February 1744/45.
Rector of St. Paul's Parish, Baltimore County,
from 1745 to 1779. MOTHER Matilda (?-by 1744),
daughter of Thomas Walker (?-1744), of Somerset
County, a planter and innkeeper, and wife Sarah
Maddox. STEPMOTHER: Ann (?-1772), daughter of
Thomas Birch, chirurgeon and male midwife of
England. HALF BROTHERS: Thomas (ca. 1765-
1773); George; Russell Birch; and Richard. HALF
SISTERS: Anne; Elizabeth. FIRST COUSIN. Jeremiah
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Chase (?-1755). OTHER KINSHIP, his second cousin
was Jeremiah Townly Chase (1748-1828). MAR-
RIED first, on May 2, 1762, Ann (?-1776), daugh-
ter of Thomas Baldwin, Gent., (?-1762), of Anne
Arundel County, who died soon after his impris-
onment for debt, and wife Agnes. Her sisters were
Hester (?-1823), who married Jeremiah Townly
Chase (1748- 1828); Rebecca. MARRIED second, in
1784 Hannah Kitty Giles (?-1848). CHILDREN.
SONS: Thomas (1764-1765); Samuel (1773-1841);
and Thomas (1774-1826), who married in 1816
Matilda (ca. 1786-1829), daughter of Jeremiah
Townly Chase (1748-1828). DAUGHTERS: Matilda
(1763-?), who married in 1787 Henry Ridgely
(1753-1811), lawyer and judge; Nancy (1768-
1770); Fanny (1770-1771); Ann (Nancy) (1771-
1852); Elizabeth (after 1784-?), who married first,
George Dugan, and second, (first name unknown)
Cole; and Mary (after 1784-?), who married in
1808 William B. Barney. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
Chase was guardian to his young half brothers
and half sisters after his father's death. His move
to Baltimore County in 1786 was said to have
been caused by the need for greater income to sup-
port his family. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION:
received a classical education from his father;
studied law in Annapolis under John Hall (1729-
1797). RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Anglican, St. An-
ne's Parish, Anne Arundel County and St. Paul's
Parish, Baltimore County. Delegate to diocesan
convention, 1794, 1801. SOCIAL STATUS AND AC-
TIVITIES: Esq., 1769; Gent., 1779; member of the
Forensic Club, Annapolis, 1761, expelled in 1762
for "extremely irregular and indecent" behavior.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: in 1790 Alexander Con-
tee Hanson (1749-1806) said "that vile as Chase
has been held by most of the better kind of his
fellow citizens, he has been the mover of almost
every thing this state has to boast of — Strange,
inconsistent man!" Late in life, Chase wrote "A
Course of Law and Literary Study," a five-year
course of training for his law students. OCCUPA-
TIONAL PROFILE: lawyer, admitted to the follow-
ing courts: Annapolis Mayor's Court in 1761;
Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Frederick, and Prince
George's counties in 1763; Provincial Court in
1765; Chancery Court by 1768; Charles County in
1772. Chase was involved with Allen Quynn (ca.
1726-1803) and others in a saltworks on the West
River, Anne Arundel County, 1777-1778. Quynn
was a close associate with Chase in several ven-
tures and handled Chase's business affairs when he
was away from Annapolis in the 1770s and 1780s.
Partner with Thomas Dorsey (?-1790) in the mer-
cantile firm of John Dorsey & Co. from May 1778
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