French Family Association

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

Pitzer-Cooper House, Licking Co., Ohio

Chart #21, Aaron French Sr. of New Providence, Union Co., NJ, 1739 and his sons
Aaron Jr. French of Licking Co., OH
and Ezekiel French of Miami Co., OH

This web page updated by Mara French on 4/15/08. Return to FFA Home Page. Please send any corrections or additions to Dave Dardinger. Revisions: 2007, 2008.

Contents

Background

GEDCOM file of Chart #21 from Dave Dardinger, with almost 500 Frenches. Index to this chart.

GEDCOM file of Chart #21 from Jeff French on Aaron (dated 28 Apr 2007, not to be updated, and to be deleted when DaveÕs corrected gedcom file goes online). Index to this chart.

GEDCOM file of Chart #21 from Jeff French on Ezekiel (dated 28 Apr 2007, not to be updated, and to be deleted when DaveÕs corrected gedcom file goes online). Index to this chart.

DNA Test Results for Chart #21

Bibliography

Background

Aaron French was b. 8 Sep 1739 in New Providence, Union Co., NJ, d. 31 Aug 1805 in Amity, Washington Co., PA, m. Mary Clark on 15 Sep 1764 and had 8 children: Aaron Jr., Deborah, Elizabeth, Mary, Ezekiel, Lydia, Asa, and Susannah. Ezekiel was b. 17 Jun 1775 in Essex Co., NJ, and Asa was b. 8 Jul 1780 in New Providence, Essex Co., NJ.

In 1787 or 1788, Aaron moved to Washington Co. PA where he acquired 400 Acres of land lying 4 mi. SW of Amity and partly within the present Greene Co., PA. He named it "The New Republic".

From: 60-0107. Aaron French lived at or near New Providence, NJ, as early as 1764, and in Essex Co. until shortly before 1790, when he removed to PA; he died 8/31/1805. It is said that he had two or more brothers, one of whom removed to NY and another "went south".

Aaron French Sr.Õs father is not yet determined; however, this chart is not connected to the New Jersey Quaker line, FFA Chart #20.

Bibliography

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

[1] 1820 and 1830 Census, Aaron Jr. is in Morris Twp., Washington Co., PA while in 1840 he's in Monroe Twp., Licking Co., OH.  The 1820 which has his surname as FRANCH, just has two daughters still at home one 10+ one -10 who would be Deborah and Ruth Respectively. Adding together the Censuses, the Warrenty Map Book, "Aaron French and his Descendents", a history book or two and various families who married into the line and who lived near-by, I don't think there can be any real doubt that the younger Aaron was the son of Aaron, Sr.; just a desire for a more definitive document which, for all I know, someone here has a copy of. The census records of Aaron Sr. and Aaron Jr. are together and they are listed as Sr. and Jr. on the same page. Dave Dardinger

[2] Judith J. French, #F09810 of Chart #188

Name: French, Aaron
Township: Morris
County: Greene
State: Pennsylvania
Year: 1800
Roll: M32_40
Page: 88
Image: 108

It shows as follows:
Aaron French Sr. _ _ 1 _ 1 // _1 1_ 1 _ _ (2 males 3 females) His 8 children were born between 1767 to 1785 so looks like three children left at home yet 1 male and 2 females. Male might be Asa two females Susannah and Lydia

Listed below Aaron Sr. is:
Aaron French Jr. 2 2 _ 1 _// 1 _ _ 1_ _ _ (5 males 2 females) his 7 children were born between 1793 to 1810 so looks like 4 male children are home and 1 female child is home. I can only account for 3 male children born in that time frame. Joseph, John, Ira, for female would be Abigail. So I do not know who the one male child could be if this is the right line.

Note: there is a Philip Coe and a Joseph Clarke on this census too.

Now for 1810:
Name: French, Aaron (Jr.) Aaron Senior had died in 1805
Township: Morris County: Greene
State: Pennsylvania
Year: 1810
Roll: M252_49
Page: 12
Image: 10
4 males 3 females 1 female child died during this time or it would have been 4

[3] Warrentee Map compliation for Morris Twp., Greene Co., PA with the Aaron French Property. It was 400 acres+ called Republic or Paris and interestingly it abuts the land of Joseph Coe, father of  the Ruth Coe who married Aaron French, Jr.  A bit SE of this is the land of Asa French who is, I assume the son of Aaron, Sr.  While the Aaron French land was warrented in 1796, the Asa French land, "Elkhorn" wasn't warrented until 1810.  Asa married in 1801, had 6 children in PA and then moved to Maimi Co., OH sometime between 1810 and 1812. This is perhaps why the property was warrented; so he could sell it and move on. Dave Dardinger

[4] Aaron French and His Descendents by Charles Newton French, 1910. Also, Aaron French and His Descendants, compiled by Charles Newton French, Chicago, 1910. Available at: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/surnames/french/

[5] Aaron French, Sr. married the widow Elizabeth Fordyce in about 1795 in Washington Co., PA (or possibly Green Co., PA).  She's on the same census page as him in 1790 in Washington Co., PA.  Then in 1805 Aaron's daughter Lydia married Elizabeth's son James, Jr.  Further I have a statement from a book, which I need to source; probably Cumrhine or somebody like that: "James Fordyce was born on September 17, 1782, probably in Morris County, New Jersey. He married Lydia French, the daughter of Aaron and Mary (Clark) French, on June 28, 1802 near Amity, Pennsylvania. Her parents were natives of New Jersey, and were married there on September 16, 1764." Further I have Aaron French, Jr. in 1810 and 1830 in Morris Twp., Greene Co., PA and then in 1840 in Monroe Twp., Licking Co., OH where he died. It's one thing to want absolute proof of things, but I don't think you can pretend that you don't know what the actual connection is.... And I just went to the 1800 census and the only two people listed with the French surname in Greene Co., PA are both Aaron Frenches, both in Morris Twp.

French Aaron Sen.  - - 1 - 1, - 1 1 – 1
French Aaron Jun.  2 2 - 1 -, 1 - - 1

Now I'm not sure who everyone is, but I have for Aaron, Jr. Joseph b 1793, John b 1795, Ira b 1797 and Abigail b 1799.  This means, presumably, there was one more son whom isn't know, or at least I don't have. Dave Dardinger

[6] DNA Test--Ezekiel French, the brother of Aaron below, was born 17 Jun 1775 in Essex Co., NJ and died 1 Jan 1861 near Troy, Miami Co, OH. He married Phebe Bates. Their children were: Issac, Ephraim, Elizabeth, Mary, Asa, Daniel, Ezekiel, Phebe, Susannah, John Shideler, and David Carter Ezekiel's son, John Shideler French, was born 20 Jan 1813 in Miami Co, Ohio and died in 1890 Chester Twp, Logan Co, Illinois . He married four times. His first wife was Mary Hitchell. He and Mary had two sons George and David Morey. Mary died 17 Mar 1835. John Shideler French married Sarah Brooks and they had one son, George Washington. Next John Shideler French married Rhoda Ann Jackson and they had 4 sons-Wesly, Orpheus Everetts, Albert and Ellis. Rhoda died in 1865 and John Shideler French married Mary Speagh. They did not have any children. John and Mary's son David Morey was born 10 Mar 1835 and died 27 Mar 1912. He married Elizabeth Susan Giles.

[7] DNA Test--Aaron French, the brother of Ezekiel above, was born in 1767 in Essex Co., NJ and died Jan 1850 in Johnstown, OH. His children were: Joseph, John, Ira, Abigail, Rachel, Deborah, Ruth, Jacob and Thirza. Aaron's son, John French, was born 1795 in Amity, PA and died in 1874 in Onslow, IA. He married Sara Clark who was born in Amity PA. Their children were: Aaron 1819-1909 (twin), Bethuel 1819-1904 (twin), Joseph 1823-1900, Jessee Clark 1832-1905, Eliza Ann 1836, Joanna 1936, Isaac Newton 1840, Eliza or Elija1825-1896. Their son, Joseph French, was born 19 Mar 1823 in Green Co. PA and died 3 Jul 1900 in Wyoming, IA. He married, first, Catherine Sinkey and, second, Gracie Beaver. Gracie waas born 31 Jan 1836 near Homer, OH and died 13 Jan 1911 in Wyoming, IA. Joseph and Gracie's son, James French, was bron 18 Feb 1865 and died 29 Jan 1948. He married Carrie Bender.

[8] New Providence, New Jersey was first settled in 1720.  Blessed with flat ground, creeks, ponds, and a river,  farming was a natural occupation here. Originally called  "Turkey" (for its large flocks of wild turkeys), it was renamed in 1759. A crowded church balcony in the Presbyterian Church collapsed and it was considered a miracle or a divine act of "providence" that no one was seriously injured.

During the Revolutionary war, the townsfolk dumped their precious salt supply into the brook rather than allow it to go to the British. That brook is still known today as the "Salt Brook".

Part of  Springfield Township until 1809, New Providence Township originally included Summit, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights.

Known in the late 1800's and early 1900's for its large greenhouses (specializing in roses and gardenias), New Providence heated their greenhouses with coal.  Trains brought many coal cars to the Murray Hill train station for their supply.
The Borough of New Providence was incorporated in 1899. Present day Berkeley Heights was still known as New Providence Township until 1952.