French Family Association

Mara French, P.O. Box 1109, Sutter Creek, CA 95685-1109. 209-267-0649 marafrench@mindspring.com

The Historical Collections
of the Topsfield Society
Topsfield, Massachusetts
Thomas French, FFA Chart #1

This page last updated by Mara French on 3/29/08

Mara French bought this collection from Lenn A. Bergsten who was a Topsfield historian until his death in Dec 1987 at the age of only 58. He was born 3 Feb 1929. Collection sold on eBay to Kindra Clineff, PO Box 436, Topsfield, MA 01983 in August 2006.

· Vol. IV, 1898

· Vol. V, 1899

· Vol. VI, 1901* includes Ipswich River Photo, and Main St. No scanned photos.

· Vol. VII, 1901* includes map of Topsfield dated 1800 (no French name on map).

· Vol. VIII, 1902*, regards houses on Howlett Street, which was referred to as “the old road,” from the Common to Perkins Street. Here stands the French-Andrews house, a one-story house built for John French stood upon this site about 1675. In 1718 it was sold to Joseph Andrews and some time before 1798 it was raised to two stories and the easterly end was added. In the spring of 1693, Howlett Street was laid out as a town way which passed “between Corpll French his house and barne.” The barn originally stood in the orchard on the westerly side of the road. No scanned pages or photos.

· Vol. IX, 1903* (2 copies) Lists early Topsfield births: Abner, Elisabeth, Jemimah, 2 Johns, Joseph, Kizia, Lidiah, Martha, Mary, Patience, Phebe, Phebea, Richard, Samuel, and Sarah on p. 45. Also early Topsfield marriages: Elisabeth, Hephzibah, Lydia, Mary, Phebe, and Sarah, p. 145. Also early Topsfield deaths, p. 221.

· Vol. X, 1905

· Vol. XI, 1906

· Vol. XII, 1907

· Vol. XIII, 1908*, pages 153-164 regarding John French and his family.

· Vol. XIV, 1909

· Vol. XV, 1910

· Vol. XVI, 1911

· Vol. XVII, 1912

· Vol. XVIII, 1913

· Vol. XIX, 1914

· Vol. XX, 1915

· Vol. XXI, 1916*, births and marriages

· Vol. XXII, 1917

· Vol. XXIII, 1918

· Vol. XXIV, 1919

· Vol. XXV, 1920

· Vol. XXVI, 1921

· Vol. XXVII, 1922

· Vol. XXVIII, 1923 (hard bound)

· Vol. XXIX, 1928

· Vol. XXX, 1933

· Vol. XXXI, 1951*, shows the French-Andrews-Carothers House on p. 32.

· Vol. XXXII, 1974

· Vol. XXXIII, 1982*, description of Howlett St. which takes it name from Samuel Howlett, the early blacksmith, who lived by this road. Howlett’s Brook was named for the Howlett family who long owned the gristmill.

*These eight books have information on the French Family.

Frenches from Topsfield, FFA Chart #1, the earliest being Alice French and Thomas French orginally from Assington, Suffolk Co., England and Thomas’ children and Alice’s children (she married a Howlett). The French home still exists on Howlett St. in Topsfield.

French, Abner b: 17 NOV 1699 in Topsfield, MA [9] [film 170626] [film 538525] d: 22 NOV 1788 in New London, CT [Gene L. Jackson]

French, Alice b: 9 APR 1610 in Assington, Suffolk, England [Parish Record} d: 26 JUN 1666 in Topsfield, MA [Brian Berry]

FRENCH, Elizabeth b: 6 APR 1696 in Topsfield, MA [Gene Jackson's book] d: 24 APR 1730 in Topsfield, MA [Carrie Edget, ref. 9]

French, Elizabeth b: 15 NOV 1700 in Topsfield, MA [Descendants of Andrew Warner, 1919, p. 70] d: 15 JAN 1749/50 in Lebanon, CT [Descendants of Andrew Warner, 1919, p. 70]

French, Hepzibah b: 2 FEB 1678/79 in Topsfield, Essex, MA d: AFT. 1737 in of Topsfield, Essex, MA [9]

French, Jemima b: 31 JAN 1697/98 in Topsfield, MA [Carrie Edget, ref. 9]

French, John b: ABT. 1637 in Ipswich, Essex, MA [3] d: ABT. 1706 in Topsfield, MA

French, John b: 22 NOV 1704 in Topsfield, MA [9] [HDF] d: 28 MAR 1755 in [HDF] of Norwich, CT

French, John b: 30 JAN 1671/72 in Topsfield, Essex, MA d: 6 SEP 1760 in Berkley, MA firm

French, John II b: 26 AUG 1671 in Topsfield, MA [Carrie C. Edget] d: 20 APR 1730 in Norwich, CT [9] [HDF]

French, Keziah b: 6 JUL 1702 in Topsfield, MA [9] d: 12 FEB 1796 in of Lebanon, CT [HDF]

French, Lydia b: 17 MAY 1674 in Topsfield, Essex, MA [3] d: 31 MAY 1746

French, Martha b: 9 AUG 1669 in Topsfield, Essex, MA [3]

French, Mary b: ABT. 1662 in Of Topsfield, Essex, MA [Carrie Edget, ref. 9] d: 27 SEP 1730 in Rowley, Essex, MA [Carrie Edget]

French, Mary b: BEF. 27 OCT 1706 in Topsfield, MA [9] [IGI, christening date]

French, Mary b: BEF. 22 MAR 1633/34 in Boston, MA [10, Records of the First Church of Boston, baptised] d: 1719 in Topsfield, MA [10] or March 22, 1684 [AF]

French, Patience b: 23 AUG 1681 in Topsfield, Essex, MA [3] d: 4 DEC 1750 in Coventry, Tolland, CT

French, Richard b: 18 AUG 1676 in Topsfield, Essex, MA [Carrie Edget, ref. 9] d: 13 MAR 1757 in Enfield, CT [HDF] [Enfield Street cem. Enfield, CT. p. 38]

French, Samuel b: 19 JAN 1710/11 in Topsfield, MA [9] d: ABT. MAR 1792 in Norwich, CT [HDF]/[First Settlers of Hartford, CT, Mems. of Elder John White

French, Sarah b: 1 MAR 1664/65 in Topsfield, Essex, MA [3] d: 1 NOV 1761