Ancestors Behaving Badly: Seth Chase

Seth Chase's Tavern in White Creek

 Seth Chase had immigrated from the Beekman Patent in Dutchess County to Washington County, New York sometime between 1761 and 1763. We know he renewed his license to operate a tavern in September 1789. These licenses were for multiple years, thus he must have been operating a tavern for many years. In fact, some testimony proves that he was operating it during the War for Independence.

The tavern in Washington County was in a small settlement called White Creek. Most, if not all of the settlers in the vicinity of White Creek at the time were Quakers. Seth was a member of the Society. This, in part, sets the stage for some of the questions we have about Seth Chase. The Society of Friends, as the Quakers were officially named, were pacifists by nature. They chose to keep the peace and not take sides in disputes, particularly military matters.

Washington County is in the northeastern part of New York State. It lies north of Albany, where the settlements of the Hudson River tended to become sparser as they reached northward. To the east are the Green Mountains of Vermont. To the west are the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. This description is given to say that this settlement was small and off the beaten path. However, even there, the war touched the inhabitants.

Correspondence with friends and relatives elsewhere in the colonies, of course, would bring news of what was happening. Even people who tried to remain neutral would be drawn into thoughts and debates over what should be done. Should we remain neutral? Should we side with the Loyalists and stay with Great Britain? Should we side with the rebels and create our own country? Those thoughts were going through everyone’s minds.

During all this, the Battle of Bennington was fought on August 16, 1777. Bennington is a town in Vermont, however, the battle was actually fought in Walloomsac, approximately 10 miles to the east in New York. Part of the Saratoga Campaign, the battle was a strategic success for the American cause. Why is this so important? Looking at the maps of where the battle was and where Seth Chase’s Tavern was, you will see that they are separated by not miles, but perhaps hundreds of feet. His farm was the first one north of the battlefield. Just over a rise of a hill, or just beyond the trees behind the tavern perhaps, troops could be seen moving around. Careful plotting would be needed to discover just how close they were, but they were not very far off.

This battle and the usual gossip around a tavern would have caused at least some trouble for an innkeeper. It would be hard to keep quiet and not express some opinion on the matters at hand. For Seth Chase, this would result even previous to the battle, in him being considered a Tory and in October of 1776 he was sent for 14 days in Albany goal and then to Exeter, New Hampshire for a year, where he was kept confined with other “traitors to the American Cause.” He would not have seen the troop movement of the Battle of Bennington himself, but the family living there likely would have. What a difficult time this must have been for the entire family!

So, the question as always in the relatives behaving badly series: Was Seth Chase behaving badly? Was he a traitor to the American Cause? The testimony that sent him first to Albany and then to Exeter definitely indicates that he was on the side of the Tories and was trying to help the British in their battles. His wife, upon his direction, pulled a paper from her bossom that gave the countersigns to get people safely to the King's Army. I would say he was behaving badly, as was Sarah, his wife. However, unlike many loyal to the British cause, he kept his property and continued living there for many years before moving to Peru, in Clinton County, where he died. He never fled to Canada at the end of the war and his punishment seems light compared to others. I wonder if the fact that he was an innkeeper in an area that tried to remain neutral, but of course, would have pressure from both sides, had anything to do with this?

Map Showing His Land