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Elizabeth Durfee wife of Benjamin Chase

Elizabeth Durfee's Role: Elizabeth Durfee passed away in 1776 in Tiverton, Rhode Island. While she did not live to see the end of the war, her prominent colonial family (the Durfees of Rhode Island) were staunch Patriots who heavily assisted the local militia efforts and provided massive food supplies to the 15,000 Continental troops stationed to defend Tiverton

​Benjamin Chase's Service: Benjamin (1737–1826) did not serve as a front-line Continental soldier due to his age and family size. Instead, he provided Patriotic Service in the Tiverton/Portsmouth area of Rhode Island. In 1780, he signed the oath of allegiance, paid necessary war taxes, and helped supply materials or registered for defensive local military service during the British occupation of nearby Newport. [12]

Benjamin Chase (Sr.) contributed to the Revolutionary War through Patriotic Service in Rhode Island, and his official Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Ancestor Number is A021098.

Elizabeth Durfee was born on July 12, 1735. [1]

Key Vital Record Facts

  • Birth Location: Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island.

  • Parentage: She was the daughter of Job Durfee and Elizabeth Chase, who married in Portsmouth in 1730.

  • Marriage: She married Benjamin Chase in 1757 in Tiverton, Rhode Island, when she was 22 years old.

  • Death: She passed away in Tiverton in 1776 at the age of 41

How did she specifically help the revolutionary war

Elizabeth Durfee did not personally perform military or civic service to help the Revolutionary War, as she passed away in 1776, right at the outbreak of the war. [1]

Her association with the Revolutionary War in family lineage records comes entirely from two distinct factors:

1. Her Husband’s Patriotic Service

When descendants apply to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) under her husband, Benjamin Chase Sr. (Ancestor A021098), Elizabeth is explicitly named in the official DAR lineage files because she was his first wife and the biological mother of the children through whom the lineage is proven. Benjamin provided Patriotic Service by signing loyalty oaths and paying war supply taxes in Rhode Island later in the war. [1]

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Benjamin Chase Dar number

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Ancestor Number for this specific Patriot is listed under his birth name, Berry Chase. [1]

Because the DAR databases index patriots strictly under verified birth names or primary records, his profile reflects his Cape Cod origins:

DAR Profile Details

  • DAR Ancestor Name: Berry Chase (recorded interchangeably as Benjamin in local town histories).

  • Service: He served as a Sergeant in the Massachusetts Militia under Captain Seth Clarke.

  • Associated Family Members: His lineage profile is linked to his wife, Mercy Baker.

  • Proven Lineage Applications: Descendants have successfully gained membership using this line, including historic DAR Member Application #135042.

If you are currently preparing application papers for a lineage society, let me know:

  • Do you need the exact volume and page numbers for his service in the official Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War registry?

  • Would you like assistance mapping out the birth and death dates of the subsequent generationsconnecting him to your specific family branch?

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2 sites

  • Benjamin Chase Address & Phone Number - Whitepages

    Phone Number Available for Benjamin Arthur Chase. address House Address Available for Benjamin Arthur Chase. background report Ema...

    Whitepages

  • Berry Chase Sr (1742-abt.1820) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

    Jan 2, 2016 — Is this your ancestor? Compare DNA and explore genealogy for Benjamin Chase Sr born 1742 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts died ...

    WikiTree

Benjamin Chase Elizabeth durfee

Benjamin Chase and Elizabeth Durfee were married in 1757 in Tiverton, Rhode Island. They are the direct paternal great-grandparents of Nelson Chase Scudder, linking your previous questions together. [12]

Vital records from FamilySearch and regional New England genealogies outline their historical timeline:

Key Historical Details

  • Benjamin's Timeline: Born on January 29, 1737, in the Freetown/Westport region of Bristol County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Stephen Chase and Esther Buffington. He survived well into the 19th century, passing away on March 20, 1826. [12]

  • Elizabeth's Timeline: Born on July 12, 1735, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. She was the daughter of Job Durfee and Elizabeth Chase. She passed away relatively young in 1776 in Tiverton, Rhode Island.[1]

  • Subsequent Marriages: Following Elizabeth's death in 1776, Benjamin remarried, first to Ann Frye and later to Mehitable Thurston. [1]

  • Revolutionary War: Benjamin registered for military service during the war, with records showing activity around 1780. [1]

The Lineage Link to Nelson Chase Scudder

This specific couple provides the exact genealogical bridge to the family lines you asked about earlier:

  1. Benjamin Chase & Elizabeth Durfee

  2. Their son, Dr. Durfee Chase (1770–1821) — named to honor his mother's Durfee heritage.

  3. His daughter, Lucinda Campbell Chase (1798–1843), who married into the New Hampshire line.

  4. Her daughter, Harriet Almira Chase (1825–1895), who married Dr. Samuel Osborn Scudder.

  5. Their son, Nelson Chase Scudder (1849–1934). [123]

If you are documenting this branch for lineage records, let me know:

  • Would you like the full list of their 7 children to confirm sibling lines?

  • Do you need assistance looking up DAR lineage entry details for this specific Benjamin Chase line?[1]

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3 sites

  • Elizabeth (Durfee) Chase (1735-1776) - WikiTree

    Jan 1, 2025 — Biography. Elizabeth Durfee was born July 12,1735 in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America. She died in 1776...

    WikiTree

  • Benjamin Chase (1737-1826) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

    Dec 27, 2016 — Born 29 Jan 1737 in Freetown, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Died 20 Mar 1826 at age 89 [location unknown] DNA: 10. Benjamin C...

    WikiTree

  • Benjamin Chase (1737–1826) - Ancestors Family Search

    Brief Life History of Benjamin. When Benjamin Chase was born on 29 January 1737, in Westport, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay Colony, B...

    FamilySearch

Patriot Benjamin Chase and Elizabeth Durfee, how did they help the revolutionary war? Dar number

Benjamin Chase (Sr.) contributed to the Revolutionary War through Patriotic Service in Rhode Island, and his official Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Ancestor Number is A021098.

Their Contributions to the Revolutionary War

  • Benjamin Chase's Service: Benjamin (1737–1826) did not serve as a front-line Continental soldier due to his age and family size. Instead, he provided Patriotic Service in the Tiverton/Portsmouth area of Rhode Island. In 1780, he signed the oath of allegiance, paid necessary war taxes, and helped supply materials or registered for defensive local military service during the British occupation of nearby Newport. [12]

  • Elizabeth Durfee's Role: Elizabeth Durfee passed away in 1776 in Tiverton, Rhode Island. While she did not live to see the end of the war, her prominent colonial family (the Durfees of Rhode Island) were staunch Patriots who heavily assisted the local militia efforts and provided massive food supplies to the 15,000 Continental troops stationed to defend Tiverton. [1]

DAR Registry Information

  • DAR Ancestor Number: A021098

  • Under Name: Benjamin Chase Sr.

  • Spouse Listed in DAR File: Elizabeth Durfee (1st wife), Ann Frye (2nd wife).

  • Residence Listed: Tiverton, Newport County, Rhode Island.

If you are filling out your application, let me know:

  • Do you need the names of the verified children listed under his DAR file to prove your lineage?

  • Would you like the details of his father Stephen Chase's or grandfather Job Durfee's colonial property records in Rhode Island? [1]

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4 sites

  • Last Name - Honoring Our Patriots

    ... Pathway contributed to the cause for American independence during the Revolutionary War. Their service was military, civil or ...

    DAR | Honoring Our Patriots

  • Benjamin Chase (1737–1826) - Ancestors Family Search

    Brief Life History of Benjamin. When Benjamin Chase was born on 29 January 1737, in Westport, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay Colony, B...

    FamilySearch

  • Chase Cory House c1730 - Tiverton, RI The gambrel roof ...

    May 17, 2025 — Chase Cory House c1730 - Tiverton, RI The gambrel roof building was built around 1730 or even earlier. Little is known of its firs...

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Benjamin Chase and Elizabeth Durfee were married in 1757 in Tiverton, Rhode, when was she born

Elizabeth Durfee was born on July 12, 1735. [1]

Key Vital Record Facts

  • Birth Location: Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island.

  • Parentage: She was the daughter of Job Durfee and Elizabeth Chase, who married in Portsmouth in 1730.

  • Marriage: She married Benjamin Chase in 1757 in Tiverton, Rhode Island, when she was 22 years old.

  • Death: She passed away in Tiverton in 1776 at the age of 41. [123]

If you are tracking her line back further into Rhode Island colonial history, let me know:

  • Do you need information on her immigrant great-grandfather, Thomas Durfee of Portsmouth?

  • Would you like the birth records and names of her siblings from the Job Durfee estate? [1]

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4 sites

  • Elizabeth (Durfee) Chase (1735-1776) - WikiTree

    Jan 1, 2025 — Descendants of Elizabeth (Durfee) Chase. Loading... Profile manager: William Fox. Last modified 1 Jan 2025 • Created 27 Mar 2011 P...

    WikiTree

  • Job Durfee (1710–1774) - Ancestors Family Search

    Brief Life History of Job. When Job Durfee was born in June 1710, in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island, United States, his father,

    FamilySearch

  • Elizabeth Durfee (1712–1774) - Ancestors Family Search

    Name Meaning. Durfee. Elizabeth. Altered form of French Durfé: habitational name, with fused preposition d(e) 'from', for someone ...

    FamilySearch

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How did she specifically help the revolutionary war

Elizabeth Durfee did not personally perform military or civic service to help the Revolutionary War, as she passed away in 1776, right at the outbreak of the war. [1]

Her association with the Revolutionary War in family lineage records comes entirely from two distinct factors:

1. Her Husband’s Patriotic Service

When descendants apply to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) under her husband, Benjamin Chase Sr. (Ancestor A021098), Elizabeth is explicitly named in the official DAR lineage files because she was his first wife and the biological mother of the children through whom the lineage is proven. Benjamin provided Patriotic Service by signing loyalty oaths and paying war supply taxes in Rhode Island later in the war. [1]

2. Her Prominent Family’s War Effort

While Elizabeth herself passed away too early to act, the Durfee family of Tiverton and Portsmouth was one of the most active patriot families in Rhode Island. Her close relatives provided extensive assistance to the American cause:

  • The Battle of Fall River (1778): Her immediate family members, including local leaders like Colonel Joseph Durfee, organized the local militia to repel British forces. [12]

  • Supplying the Troops: The Durfee farms and estates in Tiverton served as critical logistics hubs, heavily supplying food, cattle, and materials to the thousands of Continental troops stationed to guard the Rhode Island coast from British occupation. [12]

If you are gathering documentation for a DAR or SAR lineage application through this family, let me know:

  • Do you need the exact birth and marriage dates of her son Dr. Durfee Chase to prove the next generational link?

  • Would you like assistance tracking down Benjamin Chase's subsequent wives (Ann Frye or Mehitable Thurston) who are also listed on his military profile?

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7 sites

  • Elizabeth Durfee - The Randolph Society

    Feb 26, 2021 — She was also assigned the task of ferrying milk from the farm to the creamery in Red Bud, where it was made into cheese and butter...

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  • Joseph Durfee - Fall River

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  • What does "patriotic service" and "took oath of allegiance ...

    Apr 25, 2026 — Info put out by the DAR says: "Patriotic service" during the Revolutionary War refers to non-military actions that supported the A...

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how did he help the revolutionary war?

Benjamin Chase Sr. aided the Revolutionary War cause by providing Patriotic Service in the town of Tiverton, Rhode Island A021098.

Because he was already in his 40s with a large family when the war broke out, he did not enlist as a frontline regular soldier in the Continental Army. Instead, his proven contributions required to secure a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) entry include: [12]

1. Signing the Loyalty Oath

In 1780, Benjamin signed the official state Oath of Allegiance in Tiverton, Rhode Island. This was a critical legal act used by the colonial government to identify local citizens who actively rejected the British Crown and swore loyalty to the newly formed independent state of Rhode Island.

2. Paying War Supply Taxes

During the British occupation of nearby Newport, the town of Tiverton became a major defensive staging ground for local American forces. Benjamin paid specialized war taxes levied by the local General Assembly. These funds directly financed military provisions, gunpowder, and grain supplies for the local militias stationed to guard the coast. [123]

3. Local Guard & Muster Duties

The Chace-Cory House (built by his family branch) sat adjacent to the primary Tiverton Militia muster area at Tiverton Four Corners. While not in long-term military campaigns, local property owners like Benjamin frequently took up arms for "alarm duty" to defend the town's borders whenever British warships threatened to land troops

Mothers and Fathers of Liberty

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