French Family Association

The Official Website of the Surname French

General View of Pre-historic Mounds, Newark, Ohio

Chart #59, Hiram Duncan French
Newark, Licking Co., OH; Leesville, Lawrence Co., IN;
Burton, KS

This chart updated by Mara French on 1/15/09. Numbers in brackets [ ] refer to the bibliography at the end of this chart. An asterisk (*) shows continuation of that line. Send any corrections or additions to this chart to marafrench@mindspring.com. Revisions: 1985, 2008, 2009.

First Generation

1.1* Hiram Duncan French, b. after 1794 in NJ according to the 1880 census of Bloomington, Monroe Co., IN [2], moved to Ohio before the War of 1812 [2], died in Ohio, ca. 1850 [1]. His family came from England, and his father was in the Revolutionary War under General George Washington [2]. He m2. Margaret Hardin on 16 Apr 1821 in Washington Co., KY [1]. She was b. in OH.

We have connected this line to FFA Chart #36. Go to the Fifth Generation and search for “Hiram Duncan French”.

Hiram m1. Frances Ann Henderson. Hiram m2. Margaret Hardin on 16 Apr 1821 in Washington Co., KY. Hiram lived next to his father in Minerva, Mason Co., KY [21]. Hiram still appears on the 1840 Minerva, Mason Co., KY, census. They sold land in Mason Co., KY on 9 Nov 1840. They moved to Newark, OH. Frances Ann Henderson’s mother was Jane French who m. William Henderson. Hiram Duncan French and Jane French were cousins. Jane French and Hiram French were both the grandchildren of John and Margaret (Burgess) French of Generation 3, FFA Chart #36. His son is Moses, and Moses had 6 children: William Mansion French, Wesley Melvin French, Almon Willey French, Amanda Jane French, Savilla French, and John Barzillai French. The line continues with the children of John Barzillai French who were John Willey French and Altha Eileen French.

Second Generation

Child of Hiram and Frances Ann (Henderson) French, 1.1

2.1* Moses French, b. 23 Apr 1811 in Newark, Licking Co., OH, m. 9 Jun 1840 in IN to Mary Ann Willey. She was b. 30 Jan 1824 in IN, d. 11 Nov 1889. Moses d. 12 Jan 1882 [1]. Moses was in Jackson, Indiana in 1838 until his death in 1882 [1]. Moses was a “master mechanic” and a millwright [1]. He is listed in the 1840 census of Jackson, Indiana. In the 1850 census, he is listed as living in Clear Creek, Monroe Co., IN with his wife Mary, and 4 children: Almon W., Amanda J. Wesley M., and William M. In the 1880 census of Bloomington, Monroe Co., IN, Moses was living with his wife, Mary age 55, and their son John B. French, and Moses was working as a millwright.

Third Generation

Children of Moses and Mary Ann (Willey) French, 2.1

3.1 William Mansion (or Manson) French, b. 5 Mar 1841 in Homer, Jackson Co., IN [2]. He was mute from his youth. He lost his hearing at age 10. In 1852 he was sent to the Indiana Institution for the Deaf and Dumb where he graduated in 1858 receiving a diploma [2]. In 1860 he was appointed to a position as a professor in the same institution. He also worked in his father’s mill on a farm before teaching. He worked as a teacher in 1868, then retired, and worked as a clerk in St. Louis, MO in the office of an attorney and administrator. In 1869 he moved to Nebraska and began the Nebraska Institute for the Deaf and Dumb located at Omaha [2], where he became principal and editor of the Deaf Mute Home Circle published monthly [2]. He was a member of the Episcopal Church, joining the Bishop R. H. Clarkson’s diocese [2]. Two of his brothers (we don’t know which ones” were engaged in the war of the great rebellion under General U.S. Grant and General W. T. Sherman. One went along with the glorious march to the sea under Gen. Sherman. They were engaged in many battles, such as Pittsburg Landing, Vicksburg, mission Ridge, Atlanta, Charleston, Savannah, and Chattanooga. They were present at the surrender of the army under General Johnston of the Confederate Army [2].

Deaf and Dumb Institute, Omaha, Nebraska, dated ca. 1907-1920. The institute started out in 1869 in a building located at 14th and Bedford. The school remained at that second location for the remainder of its existence – 128 years. It closed in 1998. Websites:
http://www.memories.ne.gov/rights/opl.html
http://www.memories.ne.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/opl&CISOPTR=288&CISOBOX=1&REC=9

3.2 Wesley Melvin (or Melville) French, b. in 1843, in Clear Creek, Monroe Co., IN, in the 1850 census [1]. Later lived in Bedford, IN.

3.3 Almon (or Almond) Willey French, b. 1845, in Clear Creek, Monroe Co., IN, in the 1850 census [1].

3.4 Amanda Jane (called Jennie) French, b. 1848, lived in Clear Creek, Monroe Co., IN, in the 1850 census, m. Wilson [1]. Was Matron of the Nebraska Institute for the Deaf and Dumb in Omaha where her brother William worked [2].

3.5 Savilla (or Civilia) French in Indiana, m. Barkus [1]. Lived in Wyandotte, KS.

3.6* John Barzillai French, b. 18 Nov 1857 in Leesville, Lawrence Co., IN, m. 20 Mar 1883 in KS to Altha Marie Morris. She was b. 12 May 1866 in Sharon Center, Media Co., OH, d. 6 Jul 1956, the dau. of Floyd Morris and Susan Marie Caskey. John d. 5 May 1934 in Halstead, KS. He was a teacher and his main homesteads were Halstead, Pittsberg, and Topeka, KS [1]. In the 1870 census of Clay Hendricks Co., IN, John was 13 and living with his parents who were Moses age 50, and Mary A. age 46. In 1880, he was living with his parents in Bloomington, Monroe Co., IN, age 23.

Fourth Generation

Children of John Barzillia and Altha M. (Morris) French, 3.6

4.1 John Willey French, b. 24 Oct 1889 in Burton, KS, m. 5 Jun 1914 in KS to Mary Alice Smith. She was b. 9 Mar 1886 in Burchard, NB, d. 11 May 1972. John d. 11 Oct 1979. He was a professor in Education and his main homesteads were Winfield, KS; Lincoln, NB; Tulsa, OK; and New York, NY [1].

4.2 Altha Eileen French, b. 1891, d. 1976.

Fifth Generation

Childen of John Willey and Mary A. (Smith) French, 4.1

5.1 Mary-Elizabeth French, b. 18 Oct 1917 in Lawrence, KS, m. 22 Jun 1940 in NH to Woodring Pearson. He was b. 17 Apr 1915 in Nashville, TN, a surgeon [1].

Bibliography

[1] Mary-Elizabeth Pearson, 521 Del Oro St., Woodland, CA 95695, 916-662-5205. Pearson@yolo.com (good in 2008). Ancestors also lived in Clear Creek twp, Bloomington, Monroe Co., IN; Jackson Co., IN; and Marian Co., IL before Medina Co., OH. Chart #59 and Chart #36 are now connected. We have connected this line to FFA Chart #36. Go to the Fifth Generation and search for “Hiram Duncan French”.

[2] Pen Sketches or Nebraskans with Photographs, by A. C. Edmunds, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1871, website: http://books.google.com/books?id=W3oUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA184&lpg=PA184&dq=%22Mary+Ann+Willey%22+%2BIN+%2BFrench&source=web&ots=qBxyifPf0J&sig=uoBShvEr6S_9YeznV6v762HacNo&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA184,M1

[3] Fourth Biennial Report of the Nebraska Institute for the Deaf and Dumb for the Years 1883 and 1884, website: http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/epubs/E2220/A001-188384.pdf