French Family
Association
Mara
French, P.O. Box 1109, Sutter Creek, CA 95685-1109. 209-267-0649 marafrench@mindspring.com
One
Bow Street (today) near Harvard University, the address/location where the
French family first lived in Cambridge, MA about 1635-1650. Photo taken by Mara
French Sep 2004. John also resided on the southeast corner of Holyoke and Mt.
Auburn Streets in Cambridge, MA
Chart
#3, John French, 1600,
Cambridge, Taunton, Berkley, Oakham, and Fall River, MA
This chart updated by Mara
French
on 4/7/08.
The following charts now connect to Chart #3: Charts 13, 18, 75, and 83.
Numbers in brackets [
] refer to the bibliography at the end of this chart. An asterisk
(*) shows continuation of that line. Please send any corrections or additions
to this chart to Mara French. Revisions: 1999, 2008
Contents
Chart #3
by Mara French (gedcom), over 1,200 French entries beginning with John French
Files Not Maintained
The following files are dated 2001 and are not maintained; however, they provide valuable information on this line.
Chart #3 by Judi Assony (short text version of first four generations)
Index of Chart #3 (detailed index)
Index of Chart #3 (brief index)
Index of Chart #3 (surnames)
History and Research
John
French, may have been born in England, he probably came with his wife to
America about 1635, settling in Cambridge, MA. He did not immigrate with his
brother, William French, FFA Chart #2. We do not know where either John or
William were born, nor do we know the names of their
parents. In 1637 he was listed as a property owner, and in 1642, was on a list
of proprietors of Cambridge. He is mentioned in church records, 1638-39-40. By
trade he was a tailor. Both he and his wife died during an epidemic in the
winter of 1645/6 leaving five children: Mary, John, Sarah, Joseph and
Nathaniel; the oldest was 11 years old and the youngest 2. Another family
tradition has it that he was killed by an arrow while
standing in his doorway eating an ear of corn. The children were brought
up by his brother, Lt. William French (Chart #2) who first lived in Cambridge,
then moved to Billerica, MA, about 1654 where 30 acres in this new settlement
had been set apart on Jun 9, 1652 for these five orphans.1
The baptism
of all five children is indicated in the Cambridge, MA Vital Records (First
Congregational Church) but no dates are included. Source: The Hartland French
Family, compiled by Rev. Hollis M. French, 1968, submitted by FFA member Vernon
French.
John French
was a tailor, d. 16 Feb 1645/6; Cambridge, MA; m1. Sarah who d. in 1635, m2. Joanna who d. in 1646, same time as John. Joanna and John had 5 children: Mary,
Sarah 1637-1710, John d. 1646, Joseph 1640-1694, and Nathaniel 1643-1711. At
JohnÕs death, JohnÕs brother William administered the estate and brought up the
orphan children under his guardianship and moved his own children and JohnÕs
children to Billerica. JohnÕs son Joseph moved to Taunton in a section that is
now Berkley [3].
Records
Town Records of Orange, Hampshire Co., MA (now Franklin Co)
Information from records in Orange, MA from Miriam Peterson Callaway, great-great granddaughter of John G. French.
A. Intent to Marry record of Joseph French and Eunice Mills, April 1792
B. Marriage record of Joseph French and Eunice Mills, 15 Apr 1792
C. March 26, 1797. Marriage record of Joseph French and Sally Smith both of Orange before Joseph Metcalf, JP
Taunton, MA Vital Records to 1850 (Births)
Published by: New England Historic Genealogic Society,
Boston, MA 1929, transcribed for the web by Dave
Swerdfeger. Website
Surname French
Clarinda H. [? m.], Mar. 13, 1821 [on stone with Milton R.] GR50
Ebenezer, ch. Joseph, June 27, 1682 [Ebinezer, PCR]
Edward, s. Lloyd (manufacturer), June 5, 1847, in T.
Edwin, ch. Lloyd, bp. Aug. 6, 1848, CR2
Eveline Amelia, d. Lloyd, machinist, and Eliza C., Nov. 29, 1849, in T.
George, seaman, b. New Bedford, enl. July 15, 1863, a. 30, R.R.
George C., h. Sarah S. Willis, July 22, 1833, GR50
Harriet Wentworth [-------], w. John Theodore, May 1, 1824, GR50.
James Howard Babbit, ch. Lloyd, bp. Aug. 6, 1848, CR2
James O., carpenter [dup. b. Berkley], enl. Aug. 14, 1862, a. 26, R.R.
John Theodore, h. Harriet Wentworth, Aug. 24, 1824, GR50
Maria Ware, d. Lloyd, machinist, and Maria W., Apr. 11, 1844, in T.
Milton R., Apr. 25, 1838 [on stone with Clarinda H.] GR50.
Nathan, ch. Joseph, June 28, 1686.
Phebe E. [? m.], ----, 1840 [on monument with Laruriston French] GR14.
Sarah, d. Nathaniel [TPR: Nathanill], Oct. 4, 1680
Sarah J. [-------], w. ------, Mar. 26, 1827, GR17.
Sarah S. Willis [-------], w. George C., Dec. 6, 1835, GR50.
Thomas, s. Joseph, Dec. 12, 1680
-------, chn. John, bp. Dec. --, 1784, CR4.
Intermarriages
Since the French family emigrated soon after the
Pilgrims landed and there were not many families nor marriage
choices in America, intermarriages in the French family were common. Here is an intermarriage between Chart #6 and Chart #3. Note that this does not change the male French DNA test
results. The son of Dorcas
French and Christopher Peake was Jonathan Peake, who m. Sarah French. Sarah d. 1694 which was 23 years after her father, William, named a
second dau. Sarah. We need more proof of this connection.
|
(1) Richard French, Ch6 |
(1) John French, Ch3 |
|
(2) Samuel |
(2) Joseph |
|
(3) John |
(3) John |
|
(4) Ebenezer |
(4) Israel |
|
(5) John |
(5) Ephraim |
|
¢
(6) Ebenezer French m. |
(6) Ephraim |
|
Sarah Richardson French |
¢
(7) Sarah Richardson French |
|
|
m. Ebenezer French |
Books
3.1. John
French, also of Dedham, Newton, Berkley, Taunton, Middleboro, Oakham,
Watertown, Billerica, Fall River, Chelmsford, Frestown, Tewksbury, MA;
Plainfield, Voluntown, Hartland, Hartford, Plainfield, Coventry, Franklin,
Northfield, Groton, CT; Amherst, Bedford, Groton Hollow, Rumney, Plymouth, NH;
Woodstock, Craftsbury, Barton, VT.
3.2. John French of Berkley and Taunton, MA. FFA member Raeola Cooke is writing a manuscript on her direct line: John m1. Sarah, m2. Joanna (1); Joseph (2), m. Experience Foster; John (3), m1, Elizabeth, m2. Hannah; Israel (4), m. Mary Derby/Darby; Elijah (5), m. Elizabeth Phillips; Elizabeth French (6), m. Benjamin Hathaway and moved to Hartland, VT; Susan Hathaway (7), m. Horace Warren; Elihue Warren (8); Susan Del Warren (9), m. Charles Edwin Ford; Charles Edward Ford (10); Raeola Ford (11), m. Harold Skeen Cooke. Entire family was from Berkley and Taunton, MA. Raeola Cooke, 2060 11th Avenue East. Twin Falls, ID 83301-6710.
3.3. "An American Ancestry" by Anna Richmond Warner French, 1894. French material extracted - descendants of John (1), Joseph (2), John (3), Israel (4), Ephraim (5). 8 1/2 x 11, p. 35-38, 108-113.
3.4. "John French, Jr. of Taunton, Berkeley, Middleboro, and Oakham, MA and His Descendants" by Henry B. Wright 1914. 42 pp. , 8 1/2 x 11 format, 24 pp. FFA library #F119.
3.5. A Genealogy of the French Family of Hartland, CT, by
Rev. Hollis Myron French, 1927. FFA Chart #3. Line is John (1), Joseph (2),
Ebenezer (3), William (4-5-6). 16
pp, 8 1/2 x 11. FFA library #F293.
Bibliography
[1] Judy Assony, The Joseph French Family of
Adams County, Indiana, June 2001, sold out.
[2] Mara French
[3] Barry French. As you may know, the name French was very common in Berkley in the 1700s but is almost completely faded away here. In my line for the last 200 years there was only one male descendant in each generation who subsequently had a son to carry the name until my father, as I have a brother and two nephews. I am also a descendant of about nine or more on the Mayflower including John and Priscilla Alden and their oldest daughter Elizabeth Pabodie, my ancestor, when she died in the early 1700s - the first White born in North America to have descendants - had 85 grandchildren and almost 600 great-grandchildren. And John and Priscilla had other children, too, so you can see there is quite a genealogy just to the first several generations.
[4] Dean Burgess, his French ancestors moved to Moosup, CT. Some are buried at the Union Cemetery.
[5] Barbara Walters