Among other oddities of apparel, he was partial to bright red small-clothes.  His tory principles and singularities called down upon him the jibes of the patriots among whom his lot was temporarily cast, but his ready tongue and caustic wit were sufficient weapons of defence.  In 1774, as town clerk of Worcester, he recorded a protest of forty-three royalist citizens against the resolutions of the patriotic majority.  This record he was compelled in open town meeting to deface, and when he failed to render it sufficiently illegible with the pen, his tormentors dipped his fingers into the ink and used them to perfect the obliteration.  He fled to Halifax, but after a few months returned, and was thrown into Worcester jail.  The reply to his petition for release is in Massachusetts Archives (clxiv, 205).

Colony of the Massachusetts Bay.  By the Major part of the Council of said Colony.  Whereas Clark Chandler of Worcester has been Confined in the Common Prison at Worcester for holding Correspondence with the enemies of this Country and the said Clark having humbly petitioned for an enlargement and it having been made to appear that his health is greatly impaired & that the Publick will not be endangered by his having some enlargement, and Samuel Ward, John Sprague, & Ezekiel Hull having Given Bond to the Colony Treasurer in the penal sum of one thousand Pounds, for the said Clarks faithful performance of the order of Council for his said enlargement, the said Clark is hereby permitted to go to Lancaster when his health will permit, and there to continue and not go out of the Limits of that Town, he in all Respects Conforming himself to the Condition in said Bond contained, and the Sheriff of said County of Worcester and all others are hereby Directed to permit the said Clark to pass unmolested so long as he shall conform himself to the obligations aforementioned.  Given under our Hands at ye Council Chambers in Watertown the 15 Day of Dec.  Anno Domini 1775.

By their Honors Command,

James Prescott W’m Severs
Cha Channey B. Greenleaf
M. Farley W. Spooner
Moses Gill Caleb Cushing
J. Palmer J. Winthrop
Eldad Taylor John Whitcomb
B. White Jed’n Foster
B. Lincoln
Perez Morton
Dp’t Sec’ry.

The air of Lancaster, which proved so salubrious to the pensioners of the British government before named, grew oppressive to this tory bachelor, as we find by a lengthy petition in Massachusetts Archives (clxxiii, 546), wherein he begs for a wider range, and especially for leave to go to the sea-shore.  A medical certificate accompanies it.

LANCASTER, OCT. 25. 1777

This is to inform whom it may Concern that Mr. Clark Chandler now residing in this Town is in such a Peculiar Bodily Indisposition as in my opinion renders it necessary for him to take a short Trip to the Salt Water in order to assist in recovering his Health.

     JOSIAH WILDER Phn.