Several list members have been discussing the DNA Group 1 results in respect to the recent addition of Hugh French of Maryland and later of Virginia. Some say Hugh French was from Ireland and some say from England. Hugh French had ties with the Masons from Pershore, England, and with the George Washington line, also from nearby that region in England. However, only Mary and Anne French married into the Mason family and no French male has been found yet to account for Hugh French. The research goes on and on.

This French family married into the George Mason family of Pershore. The George Masons (and the George Washingtons from nearby) emigrated to Virginia. This French line has not yet been connected to the U.S. Chart #36; however, the Masons and Washingtons mentioned in this chart are the same as those mentioned in Chart #36, and both families intermarried and both emigrated at the same time and to the same area. Now that the DNA test shows that this family was not from the well-known Irish family of Frenches, it is assumed that these Frenches of DNA Group 1 were from Pershore, England. But, it’s not a fact yet.

The French and Baugh (see 1.5 below) families were two of the most important families in the village of Pershore at this time. Their ownership of lands and houses placed them on the commissions of peace, on the vestry of the parish, and, in the case of George French, Gentleman, at the head of the court baron of the manors of Old and New Pershore.

When I was in Pershore in the 1990s, the village was vastly modernized and the small library (see map below) didn’t contain information back further than the 1800s. The medieval Pershore Abbey (shown at left) where the French and Mason family gathered for weddings and baptisms was founded in 589AD by King Oswald.

View the French Family of Pershore, Worcestershire.

French Family Ancestry in England

The letter designation for England goes backward beginning with the last generation living in England, Generation A, and goes forward with number designations in America, beginning with the first generation living in America, Generation 1.

Generation D

D.1* Robert French of Pershore [9].

Generation C

Children of Robert French, D.1

C.1* Robert French of Pershore, m. Margaret Chadwall [9].

Generation B

Children of Robert and Margaret (Chadwall) French, C.1.

B.1 William French of Pershore [9].

B.2* Edward French of Pershore, b. mid to late 1500s [6], m. Susan Savage [9].

Generation A

Children of Edward and Susan (Savage) French, B.2.

A.1 William French.

A.2* Dennis George French, died in Pershore, England [5]. Will administered at St. Andrews, Pershore [5].

A.3* George French, b. in Pershore [8] ca. 1570, d. 1647 in Pershore [5] [8], m. Cecily Gray, dau. of Edward Gray of Buildwas Abbey, Co. Salop [9]. Cecily was Catholic. George was head of the court baron of the manors of Old and New Pershore. Being the head included in the ancient rights and privileges belonging to the manors of Old and New Pershore, which he had purchased from John Richardson in 1598 [3]. As the lord of the manor, he was the most prominent man in Pershore at this time. George conveyed the manors in 1642–3 to Edward Baugh, possibly for a settlement on his son or grandson George. It was probably the younger George who was succeeded in 1660 by Augustus French, who conveyed the manors in 1668 to Edward Dineley, possibly as a preliminary to their sale to Giles Lawrence [10]. Cecily Gray was b. 1580, d. 1605.

First Generation

Children of Dennis French, A.2

1.1* Ann French, d. 1673/74 in Pershore [8], m. Thomas Mason 2 Feb 1624/25 in the Abbey Church of the Holy Cross, Pershore. Had seven children baptized in the Abbey Church, the third being George Mason I. Thomas was a yeoman farmer.

1.2 John French of St. Andrew, Pershore. Had dau. Cecily French, bapt. 23 Feb 1633/34 at St. Andrews, Pershore.

1.3 Dennis French, d. 1636, m. 4 Nov 1623 to Mary B. at St. Andrews, Pershore.

1.4* Richard French, b. 1608 of St. Andrews, Pershore.

Children of George and Cecily (Gray) French, A.3

1.5* George French, b. ca. 1612 [9], d. 1658, m. Grace Baugh, dau. of Edward Baugh, who d. 1660. The Baugh, Mason, and French families all immigrated to King George County, Virginia about 1650-1660. Thomas Mason called on Grace and Chrisagone (French) Hungerford to be witnesses to his will. In 1657/58. Ann (French) Mason witnessed the will of Grace.

1.6 Edward French [9].

1.7* Henry French [9], b. 20 Oct 1616 [4] of St. Andrews, Pershore.

1.8 Chrisagone French (daughter), or Grisogon [9], m. Hungerford. Chrisagone was Catholic. Had a son and a daughter.

Second Generation

Children of Ann French and Thomas Mason, 1.1

There are 7 children total in this family, only 2 are accounted for here.

2.1 William Mason [6], b. 1632, d. ca. 1702 in North Carolina.

2.2* George Mason I, b. 10 Jun 1629 at the Holy Cross Church in Pershore in rich farming country of the Vale of Evesham, immigrated in 1651, d. 1686 in Stafford Co., VA [8], the immigrant to Virginia on the ship Assurance with his cousin Gerard Fowke, ca. 1650/1 [6], m1. Mary French [8], also 2.8 below. George was baptized 10 Jun 1629 at the Holy Cross Church, Pershore, England. Mary was b. ca. 1630 in Pershore [8]. George m2. Frances Norgrave. George and Mary immigrated to Norfolk Co., VA.

Children of Richard French, 1.4

2.3 Maria French, b. 23 Jun 1633 [4], probably died young.

2.4 Cecilia French, b. 11 Feb 1635 [4] at Holy Cross Parish.

2.5 Anna French, b. 12 Jan 1640 [4] at Holy Cross Parish.

2.6 Susanna French, b. 13 Mar 1642 [4], probably died young.

Children of George and Grace (Baugh) French, 1.5

2.7 George French, b. 19 Sep 1641 [4], under 21 in 1658.

2.8* Mary French, under 21 in 1658. She married George Mason I, 2.2 above. Immigrated to Norfolk Co., VA.

Children of Henry French, 1.7

2.9 Cisely French, b. 4 Mar 1645 in Pershore [4].

Could Henry have had a son named Hugh French, b. ca. 1648, d. before Nov 12, 1701 in St. Mary’s Parish, Richmond Co., VA who m. Margaret Prosser before 7 May 1685 in Old Rappanhannock Co., VA, who had sons Daniel, Hugh, and Mason of FFA Chart #36?

Third Generation

Children of George Mason, 2.2 and Mary French, 2.8

3.1 George Mason II, b. ca. 1660 in Norfolk Co., VA, or on the Accokeek Plantation, Stafford Co., VA, m1. 1688 to Mary Fowke, the dau. of Gerard Fowke (of Staffordshire, England) and Ann Thorowgood (of Kicostan, Hampton Co., VA). George d. 1716 in Stafford Co., VA [8]. George m2. Elizabeth Waugh, m3. Sarah Taliaferro.

Maps

Here you can see the Pershore Abbey where Ann French and Thomas Mason were married (see 1.1), and St. Andrews where other children were baptized.

These superly-detailed historical Ordnance Survey maps date back to between 1860 and 1910, and are available for every town in England and Wales.

Zoom in on this satellite map of England to visually see Pershore where the French and Mason families lived.

Bibliography

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

[1] The Five George Masons, by Pamela C. Copeland and Richard K. MacMaster, 1975 & 1989. Pages Daniel 171-172; Daniel Jr. 97, 98, 102; George French 2, 4, 5, 8; Thomas 135, 136; chart p. 169.

[2] Will of Grace French, Principal Probate Register, Somerset House, London.

[3] Thomas Nash, Collections for the History of Worcestershire (London, 1781), 2:249.

[4] IGI, Mar 1988 for Worcestershire, England.

[5] Worcester Wills and Administrations from Salt Lake City.

[6] Regina Roper, 405 NE 10th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601 who has compiled quite a bit of information on the Masons, Fowkes, and allied families Bronaugh, Hereford, Carter, and Thorowgood.

[7] Margaret Amundson, 8214 Red Wing Court, Frederick, MD 21701. 301-698-0933.

[8] FFA member Regina Roper, 405 NE 10th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601. 904-377-5819.

[9] Visitation of Worcestershire, 1634.

[10] Pershore, Holy Cross with Wadborough and Walcot Cum Membris

Records

Births at Pershore, England [4].

Anna French, b. 12 Jan 1640, dau. of Richard French

Cisely French, b. 4 Mar 1645, dau. of Henry French

Cissellia French, b. 11 Feb 1635, dau. of Richard French

Edward French, b. 19 Apr 1707, son of Samuel and Mary French

George French, b. 19 Sep 1641, son of George French

Harry French, b. 27 Jan 1549, son of Thomas French

Henry French, b. 20 Oct 1616, son of George French

John French, b. 16 Jul 1580, son of Edmund French

Maria French, b. 23 Jun 1633, dau. of Richard French

Susanna French, b. 13 Mar 1642, dau. of Richard French

Thomas French, b. 4 Nov 1628, son of Elizabeth French

Wills of Pershore.

Dennis, Dionise, George, Lionel, Richard, and Thomas French

Websites

· Descendants of George Mason Born in Pershore, England, 1629 Died in Virginia, 1686

· The 6 Generations of George Masons, showing the French marriage. This chart also shows the Taliaferro family which was prominent in the FFA Chart #36.

Email

Email from Kathleen Campbell, Nov 11, 2001, campblllk@appstate.edu

Hi Annette,

I copied off of this genealogy forum, a post by Ruth Walker, on the Old Churches in Virginia. Part 9 and parts 12 and 13 seem significant. They are filled with old genealogical information about the Fitzhughs (who were at some point married into the French family --cant remember-but I have it somewhere), the Masons, George Washington and so on. The first account, about Stafford County, has on page five a list of juctices of the Gneeral Court in Williamsburg from the years 1664-1857. It it says" I shall only select the surnames of those most familiar to our ears:" Then it gives about fifty names, including Alexander, Mason, Fitzhurgh, Washington, French, Peyton and Strother, among many others.

In Old Churches in Va, part 12, the discussion is largely about Truro Parish (episcopal all) in Fairfax County. No Frenches appear to be mentioned here (although it's really long and complex and I haven't gone over it as much as I could), but here it mentions Laurence Washington, the elder brother of the General, William Fairfax, George Mason and his father, of Gunston, and others of charszcter and education, were then in the parish and soon after werre vestrymen." p. 1 The old Truro parish church became the Pohick or Mount Vernon Church at some point. On page 3 it says "and is this the house of God which was built by the washingtos, the Masons, the McCartys, the Grahams, the Lewises, the Fairfaxes?" -it was at the time this was written (?) apparently sinking into disrepair. But they managed to repair it.

Old Churches in Va. part 13, talks about Fairfax Parish, also in Fairfax County in Alexandria. On page 1, it says in the year 1766, "it is determined to build two new churches," --one at Little Falls and the other one in Alexandria.Mr. Parsons agrees to build the latter. On page 2, it says, "General Washington, though having just been engaged in the erection of Mount Vernon Church, which was finished the same year, and having a pew therein, gives the highest price for one in Christ Church (this one in Alexandria), which was occupied by him and his famliy during his life, and has been by some of his name and famliy ever since."

Then on page 8 (there is a lot of stuff and they don't always make it clear which church they are talking about because they change it's name and sometimes refer to it as just the Episcopal Church, but on the botom of page 8 it does refer to "Mr. George Taylor and Edmind I. Lee were churchwardens when I took charge of Christ Church in 1811." Just above that is a List of the Vestrymen from 1785, when the first convention of clereical and lay deputies met in Richmond, under the Act of incorporation. In 1789, the REv. James Madison was chosen Bishop by a vote of 45. one of whom is Daniel French, another Nicholas Fitzhugh, William H. Fitzhugh, Richard C. Mason, General John Mason, J.A. Washington. amd about 100 others.

Obviously, this Daniel was vestryman after Washington's death, but the linkage between the French name at the Stafford Church, along with the name at the Fairfax Church, with these other families, indicates that they all lived in fairly close proximity and knew each other.

In another genealogical note, I have posted by Polly Zashin on this site, she says that there is a Daniel French buried in Pohick Churchyard, Fairfax County, VA. probate May 19, 1772,Will May 20, 1771. This couldn't be the same Daniel that was Vestryman at Fairfax in 1786, obviously, but this Daniel's sister Margaret married James Strother, another name mentioned in Old Churches 9. French Strother, I believe their son, was a Col. in the Revolutionary war. I read this the other day somewhere and can't reconstruct exactly where at the moment.

Oh, I just turned the page and Old Churches in Va. part 14, on page 1, mentions "the following list of votes for vestrymen in Fairfax parish and Truro parish is copied from a paper in Washington's handwriting, and shows that he was chosen a vestryman in each of those parishes." Vestry chosen for Fiarfax parish (written inWashington's hand) include, Daniel French. For Truro Parish, it includes George Mason. This was 1765.

Which Daniel was this? Was this the one buried in Old Pohick churchyard or one of his sons or nephews, many of whom were named Daniel.

Not sure. I could try to figure this out, but don't have the time at the moment. My little handwritten notes on this page apparently indicate that, at one time, I believed that this Daniel who was a vestryman for Fairfax Parish was the son of Hugh and Margaret Gervase French and a brother of the Hugh French who married Sarah Mosby, who was my direct ancestor. However, there were a lot of Daniel Frenches in this family and sorting out which one might be an interesting thing to do.

Hope this helps. Kathleen

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