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until ca. December 1780. By 1789 the other part-
ners in the company were insolvent; the partner-
ship owed £42,000 when dissolved and had assets
of less than £5,000. In partnership with John Ste-
rett 750/5 1-1 787), Charles Ridgely (1733-1790),
Benjamin Nicholson (?-1792), Darby Lux (?-
1795), and others in the purchase and operation of
the Nottingham Ironworks Company, bought as
confiscated property, 1782. Later Chase owned a
wharf on the west side of Jones Falls, Baltimore
City, and had a lumberyard built on the wharf in
1806 that dealt mainly in barrel staves. He had a
"mud machine" built in 1809, and a device de-
scribed as a "mud and pile driving machine with
equipment" was valued at $750.00 in his inventory
at death. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:
Lower House, Annapolis, 1765-1766 (Grievances
2, 3; Public Offices 2, 3; Laws to Expire 2, 3),
Anne Arundel County, 1768-1770 (Grievances 2,
3; Public Offices 1; Laws to Expire 3, 4), 1771
(Elections; Grievances; Laws to Expire), 1773-
1774 (Elections 1, Cv; Laws to Expire 1, Cv, 3);
Conventions, Anne Arundel County, 1st, 1774,
2nd-3rd, 1774, 4th, 1775, 5th, 1775, 6th-8th,
1775-1776 (did not attend the 7th Convention),
9th, 1776 (Elections; resigned on August 27, 1776,
because the opinions of his constituents concern-
ing the establishment of a state government were
"incompatible with good government and the pub-
lic peace and happiness" ; subsequently he was
reelected and seated); Lower House, Annapolis,
1777, 1777 (Grievances 1; resigned from the 1777-
1778 Assembly on November 22, 1777), 1779
(elected to the 3rd session of the 1778-1779 As-
sembly to fill vacancy; Elections 3), 1779-1780
(Elections 1-3), 1780-1781, 1781-1782, 1782-
1783 (Grievances 1, 2; Manufactories 2), 1783
(elected, but did not attend), 1784, 1785 (Griev-
ances; Laws to Expire), Anne Arundel County,
1786-1787 (Grievances 2), Baltimore Town, 1787-
1788; Senate, Western Shore, Term of 1791-1796:
1791 (did not serve; probably declined). OTHER
PROVINCIAL/STATE OFFICES: His long public ca-
reer included the following positions: Provincial
Committee of Correspondence, in office 1773-
1775; 1st Council of Safety, Western Shore, 1775;
agent for the recovery of Maryland bank stock
from England, appointed 1783; Potomac Rjver
Commission, in office 1784-1785; Constitution
Ratification Convention, Anne Arundel County,
1788; judge, General Court, 1791-1796 (resigned).
LOCAL OFFICES: prosecutor, Mayor's Court, An-
napolis, appointed 1761; justice, Anne Arundel
County, commissioned 1764 (quorum) and 1779
("desires to be left out"); common councilman,
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Annapolis, elected 1766; St. Anne's Parish Vestry,
Anne Arundel County, in office 1770-1773, 1774,
and 1779; alderman, Annapolis, 1773-1779; re-
corder, Annapolis, in office ca. 1773-1786;
churchwarden, St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel
County, 1774-1775; Committee of Observation,
Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, elected
1774 and 1775; Committee of Correspondence,
Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, elected
1774; justice, Orphans' Court, Anne Arundel
County, commissioned 1779; Maryland Senate
elector, Anne Arundel County, elected 1786; chief
justice, Court of Oyer and Terminer and Gaol De-
livery, Baltimore Town, 1788-1789 (resigned),
1792-at least 1794; commissioner, Baltimore
Town, 1788-1796. OUT OF STATE SERVICE: dele-
gate, Continental Congress, 1774-1778 (elected in
June 1774, December 1774, April 1775, August
1775, May 1776, July 1776, November 1776, Feb-
ruary 1777, and December 1777), 1781 (elected in
November 1781, but did not attend; resigned on
May 31, 1782), 1783 (elected in November 1783,
but did not attend), 1784 (elected in December
1784, but did not attend). Journeyed to Canada
with Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832),
Benjamin Franklin, and Rev. John Carroll on a
congressional mission to enlist Canadian support
for the revolt against Great Britain, 1776. Associ-
ate justice, U.S. Supreme Court, 1796-1811. Chase
was impeached by the House of Representatives in
1804 for his supposedly improper judicial behavior
during the Fries and Callender trials in 1800 and
while instructing a grand jury in New Castle, Del-
aware, in 1800, and for his partisan remarks in his
capacity as associate justice before a Baltimore
grand jury in 1803. He was acquitted by the Sen-
ate on March 1, 1805. Among Chase's defense
lawyers were Robert Goodloe Harper, Philip Bar-
ton Key, and Luther Martin (1744-1826). The
defense argued that any action which was not in-
dictable was also not impeachable. Of the eight
articles of impeachment Chase was judged guilty
on three by only a two vote majority in each case.
Chase's impeachment is thought by some histori-
ans to have been the opening move in a Republi-
can attempt to purge the Supreme Court of Feder-
alists. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE ISSUES: Chase
took a leading role against the Annapolis govern-
ment in a despute over alleged violations of the
city charter and the government's denial of the
citizens' rights, 1763. Admitted leader of opposi-
tion to the Stamp Act, 1765. Opposed the poll tax
for the support of the Anglican clergy in Mary-
land, 1772-1774. Joined Baker Johnson (1747-
1811), William Paca (1740-1799), and Thomas
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