French Family Association

The Official Website of the Surname French

Bibb County Courthouse in Macon, Georgia.

Chart #127. William French, ca. 1835,
Georgia; Sonoma County, CA.

This chart updated by Mara French on 2/2/22. 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: 2022.

History

William French of the First Generation may have been the son of James Henry French, born ca. 1801 in South Carolina, and died ca. 1845 when son William was only 10 years old.

Ellis French, born 1790-1800, may have been brother of William above, lived in Macon, Bibb, Georgia, in the 1830 census, age 30-39. His wife was the same age. In the 1840 census in District 331, Wilkinson, Georgia, he was age 40-49.

First Generation

Perhaps Children of James Henry French.

1.1* Ellis French, b. 1825, died 1853 in Georgia. His Will and Probate Record was read in 1853 when he died in Stewart, Georgia. Spouse unknown.

1.2 Bennett French, b. 1827 (half brother) in Wilkinson, Georgia, d. 1855 in Stewart, Georgia, married Sarah Hardy (1829-1897) and had about 5 children. Check: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/44136926/person/6165352412/facts

1.3 James French, b. 18 Feb 1828 in Stewart, Georgia, d. 23 Jul 1901 in Richland, Stewart, Georgia. He married Mary Cornelia Hardy (1833-1897) and had about 4 children.

1.4* William French, b. ca. 1834, Irwinton, Wilkinson, Georgia, d. 21 Oct 1894, Sonoma County, CA. His wife, Lydia Clarinda St. John, was born in 1844 in Hancock Co., IL and died in 1921 in Sonoma Co., CA. They had 4 children: William Bennett French, Ellis Merritt French, George Robert French, Richard Slayton French. See https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/44136926/person/6165352224/facts.

Second Generation

Children of Ellis French, 1.1

2.1 William Ellis French, b. 1849, d. 1918.

2.2 Catherine Elizabeth French, b. 1850, d. 1926.

Children of William and Lydia Clarinda St. John, 1.4

2.3 Ellis Merritt French, was born in 1875 in San Bernardino Co, CA and died in 1963 (aged 87-88) in Sonoma Co., CA. His wife, Ada May Lowery, married in 1901, was born in 1878 in Sonoma Co., CA and died there in 1976. Ellis was buried in the Cypress Hill Memorial Park, Petaluma, Sonoma County, CA. They had son Dale Raymond French, 1904-1959. See https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100163580/dale-raymond-french.

DNA Testing

http://www.frenchfamilyassoc.com/FFA/DNA/xrefChartTestShort.htm and

https://www.familytreedna.com/public/french/default.aspx?section=yresults

See DNA Group 27.

Administered by Julia French Wood. For any questions regarding DNA, please email Julia at juliaFWood@aol.com.

A good source for research would be for a male with the surname French of this line to take the DNA test. It is a simple test that doesn’t involve blood. A kit is delivered to your house with special brushes for you to take cheek swabs and the tip is injected into the tiny test tubes to be returned to the lab. After the tests that you ordered are completed, in about 4 weeks, you will be notified and can log in to your personal page at the company to view your results and your DNA matches. They may match up with one of the tests shown here: http://www.familytreedna.com/public/french/default.aspx?section=yresults. The FamilyTree DNA website gives a special lower price to those with the surname French. Read about those who approve of it: http://www.familytreedna.com/testimonials.aspx. To get the discounted price for our French DNA Project group, go to http://small-stuff.com/FRENCH/DNA/ and click at the left on "Join the French DNA Project" then place your order. Julia French Wood suggests the 37-marker test (Y-DNA37), but if you want to start with 25, you can upgrade to a higher test at a later date if needed.

Bibliography and Records

[1] Jeff French, Burlington, Vermont, email: jeff.f.french@gmail.com (good in 2022). On ancestry, known as RedPoochVT??

[2] Lsharp@alaska.net.