French Family Association

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

Neddy French House, Moorestown, Burlington Co., NJ, ca. 1770

Thomas French House, 
512 Camden Avenue, 
Morrestown, Burlington Co., NJ, SR 01/19/76, NR 01/09/78

Chart #20, Thomas French the Quaker of Rancocas, Burlington Co., NJ and Moorestown, Chester, Burlington Co., NJ, immigrated from Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire, England

Last updated by Mara French on 3/30/08. Numbers in brackets [ ] refer to the bibliography at the end of this chart. An asterisk (*) shows continuation of that line. Send corrections or additions to Mara French. Revised 2007, 2008.

Contents

GEDCOM File of Chart #20 from Jeff French and search the French index for Thomas French, b. 1611 in Nether Heyford, England. Send comments on this line to Jeff French.

DNA Test

History and Research

Morristown and Morrestown Locations

The Thomas French House

Bibliography

Index of Chart #20 from Jeff French

Index of Chart #20 and other Frenches from Jeff French

Index of Chart #20, 21, and 22 from Jeff French

Index of Chart #9, 20, 31, and 22 from Jeff French

Jeff’s GEDCOM File on All Frenches

Analysis of New Jersey Frenches, dated 29 Nov 2004

History and Research

From Burlington: A Provincial Capital, Historical Sketches of Burlington, New Jery and Neighborhood, by George DeCou, 1945, CD purchased by Mara French from http://genealogycds.com.

Thomas and Jane French and their children arrived in Burlington from Nether Heyford, County of Northampton, early in 1680. When a youth, Thomas French joined the Society of Friends and in 1657, when only 18 years of age, he was imprisoned fo refusing to pay tithes for the support of the Established Church.

In November, 1680, he purchased 1/8 of a share of land in West Jersey from John Woolston and as a proprietor his name appears as a signer of the Concessions and Agreements. Under this proprietary right, he located 600 acres on Rancocas Creek below the village of Rancocas in 1684. Franklin Park Farm, now owned by Mrs Julia C. Taubel, at one time the country seat of Governor William Franklin, the last of the Royal Governors, is part of the French plantation. T. Harvey Buzby, a direct descendant of Thomas French, owned the Park Farm until 1940.

Jane French died in 1692 and four years later Thomas French married Elizabeth Stanton of Philadelphia. He died in 1699 and both he and his wife were buried in the family burying ground on the plantation, the location of which is not known at the present time. His will, dated Jun 3, 1698, is a most interesting document. The first paragraph reads:

“I being intended if the Lord will to goe for Old England not knowing whether I shall ever returne againe to my family doe make & ordaine this my last will & Testamt. . . I give unto my wife Elizabeth after my decases if shee be the longer liver the House & Plantation where now I live with four Hundred Acres of Land belonging to it . . . , during her naturall life. . . . I give unto my sone Charles ffrench Two hundred Acres of land Lyeing next John Hudsons.”

The will stipulated that the entire plantation should revert to his son Charles at the death of both parents. He willed to his son Richard “all the Reversion of my Eighth part of a Propriety,” purchased from John Woolston in 1680. In 1695 he had by deed of gift conveyed 300 acres west of Moorestown, to his oldest son Thomas “in consideration of the natural affection, good will and kindness which he hath and beareth to his well beloved Son.” This was part of the 600 acre tact in Moorestown (formerly Chester) Township which he had taken up in 1689.

This book also states that Sarah Scattergood married Richard French, son of Thomas and Jane French, in 1693 (p. 209). The Frenches mentioned in this book are: Charles (182, 188); Hannah (181); Jane (181, 187); Mary (181); Richard (188, 200); Thomas Sr. (181, 187-8); Thomas Jr. (188).

Morristown and Morrestown Locations

Two distinct locations are being confused in relation to the Thomas French Quaker line.

· MORRISTOWN is located in Morris County, New Jersey

· MOORESTOWN, which for over two centuries has been one of the most distinctive Quaker quarters and is located in Chester township, Burlington County, New Jersey

Information from Jeanette S French

The Thomas French House

Now located in a relatively urban setting, this building was once the centerpiece of a large farm. It is believed to incorporate the oldest house in Moorestown, built by Thomas French, Jr. in the early 18th century. Although at first glance this appears to be a 5-bay, 2 1/2-story house with a conventional Georgian center-hall plan, closer inspection reveals that it was constructed in at least three sections. This is suggested on the exterior by the placement of the front door slightly off-center, and evidence, revealed in the brickwork, of the relocation of a window to make the facade appear more symmetrical.

The oldest section consisted of a 1-room structure, now encompassed in the southeast corner of the building. As occurred frequently in central New Jersey, this was then enlarged to a 3-bay, side hall plan, two rooms deep, and then to a full central hall, 5-bay plan.

Some fine woodwork survives on the interior. The east parlor retains chair rails, a molded cornice, and a round-arched corner cupboard with carved pilasters and keystone. In the living room is a corner fireplace, with a Federal-style mantel with delicate free-standing columns and bulls' eyes in the end panels.

Thomas French, Jr. was locally prominent in Moorestown in the early 18th century. He served in several church and township offices, and eventually was elected to the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The property descended in his family until 1837. During the Revolutionary War, the farm was probably occupied by troops from both sides. Certainly both sides raided it. Continental troops appropriated cedar rails, hay, and grain in February 1777. In June 1778, British troops, retreating from Philadelphia, slaughtered cattle and made off with timber and clothing.

For a time in the 19th century, a girls' school operated on the property. Elwood Hollinshead acquired the farm in 1858. It remained in possession of his descendants until 1965, although the family began to subdivide the property for development in 1914. From Morrestown Township.

Bibliography

Numbers in square brackets [ ] are bibliography notations. FFA stands for French Family Association Library Number.

[1] BF669 THOMAS FRENCH. Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas French from Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire, England, who settled in Burlington County, New Jersey, by Howard Barclay French, Vol 1, Philadelphia, 1909, 501 pages, copied in its entirety. SLC US/CAN 929.273 F887fh Vol 1. Thomas French is one of the original proprietors in Burlington together with William Penn, Edward Byllynge, Thomas Ollive, Gauen Laurie and others. With some account of Colonial manners and doings, setting up of Friend's Meetings, copies of old minutes and other particular writings of public interest, curious and rare papers in facsimile, noteworthy happenings and places, etc. Large index. Mara French has this volume on CD from http://genealogycds.com.

[2] BF670 Same as above, Vol 2. 743 pages, copied in its entirety. Large index. Mara French has this volume on CD from http://genealogycds.com.