French Family Association

The Official Website of the Surname French

The Hannibal French House, 186 Main St., Sag Harbor, Long Island, NY, built in 1799.
See photos of the Hannibal French House. Photos by Mara French, 2015.

Chart #207, Peter French, 1793
his son Hannibal French, 1817
Sag Harbor, Long Island, NY

Bibliography

http://www.frenchfamilyassoc.com/FFA/CHARTS/Chart207/

This chart updated by Mara French on 9/14/17. Send any corrections or comments to this chart to marafrench@mindspring.com. Although this is not my line, I make additions to it, and you will be notified when your data or someone else’s data is added.

Links

FFA Home Page

Peter French Home Page

First Generation

Second Generation

Third Generation

Fourth Generation

Fifth Generation

Sixth Generation

Bibliography

Bibliography

[1] F317 Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution with a Historical Essay by Lorenzo Sabine, Vol. I, original 2nd Ed. Boston 1864, reprinted by Genealogical Printing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1979. Thomas French of Long Island, NY, 1779; Joseph French of Jamaica, NY.

[2] Historic Sag Harbor Landmark Estate. The historic Hannibal French house - the jewel of Sag Harbor. Lavish early 1800s Victorian Italianate villa superbly renovated in impeccable taste on coveted Captain's Row. Period details include fleur de lys and acanthus leaves moldings, marble mantles, arched double front doors, antique floors, and a full ballroom. Seven fireplaces, formal dining, seven bedrooms, four full and 2 half baths, excellent gourmet kitchen, zoned heat/central air. Very private, extensively landscaped 0.60+/- acre grounds include a heated granite pool and very close to the village, 6,500 sq. ft. interior. Sold for about $5,995,000 in 2010. In The Hamptons, New York.

Actually, this real estate ad states the house is a Victorian Italianate, when it is actually Neoclassical style, like the White House in Washington DC, which also has the triangles over the windows. The Victorian Era was in the late 1800s. See photos of the Hannibal French House.

[3] Nancy French Achenbach is a descendent of this family and moved to Sag Harbor upon her retirement in 2003. nancyfachenbach@mac.com. P.O. Box 121, Sag Harbor, NY 11963. 631-725-0042.

[4] Family of Peter French, from the Hedges website: http://www.longislandsurnames.com/getperson.php?personID=I3297&tree=Hedges. Long Island Surnames, email: lisurnames@optonline.net, website: http://www.longislandsurnames.com/.

[5] Gravestone Inscriptions from Oakland Cemetery, Sag Harbor, L. I., compiled by Louis T. Vail: http://dunhamwilcox.net/ny/oakland_cem_li.htm.

[6] “Our Police Protectors: History of the New York Police from the Earliest” by Augustine E. Costello, p. 454 (can be searched on Google). https://books.google.com/books?id=JyYMAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA454&lpg=PA454&dq=%22Peter+French%22+%2B%22Sag+Harbor%22&source=bl&ots=lftpVsRxT6&sig=gjtjDI1xAlUYdpBZGXcPECmc3ig&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZycBVcPkHpDqoATE9IKgCA&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=French&f=false

[7] Not sure these are members of this same family, except for their burial location in Sag Harbor, plus Peter, William S. and Henry O. French were all living in Southampton in the 1840 census.

William S. French, b. 1795 in NY, lived in Southampton, Suffolk, NY in the 1860 census with his wife Mary (56) and daughter Laura (23).

Henry O. French, b. 1805 in Dublin, Ireland, m. Mary H., b. 1808 in England.

1870 census – Henry was 65 living in New York Ward 13 District 8, NY, NY (a carpenter), with his wife Mary, age 63, and sons Joseph, age 29, and Henry Jr. 27, both carpenters.

[8] Research that is not connected to this family, but is kept here showing these are not the correct lineages of the Sag Harbor line..

Early New York City

No marriages of a French in this time period (who could have been Peter’s parents) are available for all the boroughs in New York City accept for 2 women: Diana French who married Richard Conner in 1791 and Catherine French who married John Goslin in 1796.

John French died at age 58 in New York City on 18 Jan 1816, born in 1758. As Peter appears in NY as head of household in 1820, his father “might” be this John. Also, Lewis French died in New York City at age 36 on 1 May 1814. “A” Sally French was b. 1796 in NY, the dau. of John and Polly French, died on 13 Jan 1873 in Spring Arbor, Jackson Co., Michigan at age 77, the widow of a man with the surname Thomas. “A” John French was born in 1796 in NY, and was living with his daughter Charlotte A. French who was married to Sylvester Wiley, in Florida, Montgomery County, NY, in the 1880 census; he states that both his parents were born in NY.

Louise French was born in 1798 in France and appears in the 1860 census of Brooklyn Ward 9, District 1, Kings, NY. She was age 62 at this time living with Caroline French, age 23, who might have been her daughter, indicating that French was her married name. They were both living as tenants with the Delmonico family who were a wealthy family with many servants. The one distinguishing fact about this census is that also living in this household among the total 18 occupants is Josephine LeGrange, age 17, and born in NY, who was probably married to Frank LeGrange, age 29, a merchant, born in France, also living with this family. Josephine French, the youngest daughter of Peter French, was also born in 1842. She was also living in New York City before 1918 when she died there. The 1850, 1870, 1880 census records show that Josephine lived in Sag Harbor and was single, using the surname French. Peter A. Delmonico (French spelling was Delmonier) of Brooklyn Ward 9, Kings, NY, was b. 1783 in Switzerland. He arrived at the Port of New York as an immigrant of France on 10 Sep 1827, occupation Confectioner, on the Ship Catherine.

Early Montreal, Quebec County, Canada

Ancestry.com only lists one French married in Quebec shortly before 1793: Jacques French who married Charlotte Rouleau between 1776-1786 in Pierrefonds, Quebec, at Ste-Genevieve. Neither of these names were used in the family of Peter French.

The 1851 census of Canada East (Quebec), Montréal County, shows a Mrs. French Sr., age 67, born ca. 1785, living with Nausble? French, 21 (female), and Ann French, 28. This census also shows a Leandre French, age 60, b. ca. 1792 in Stiagues, Canada East (Quebec) in Montréal County District, living with Michel French, 33 (male), and Gennelave? French, 22, where Leandre was the head of household, and the name Rachal French, 38, is crossed out. None of these names were used in the family of Peter French.

[9] “The Voices of Sag Harbor: A Village Remembered”, edited by Nina Tobler.

[10] Email from Bill Darrow, wmdarrow@gmail.com, several emails back and forth during April 2015. Phone: 802-233-2173. He lives in Burlington, Vermont. Website: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/12478311/person/-174990500.

[11] Carolyn Swindlehurst online email of June 22, 2009, lives in Livingston, Montana:

Dear Ken Grace,

You are absolutely correct with regard to the names.  Mea culpa.  I typed out my genealogical lineage directly following coming home from surgery.  That teaches me not to write about my genealogy soon after anesthesia!.

 I was using family records from my grandparents' trunk for recent generations which have all been confirmed.  However I was using other sources of information for the older ancestors starting with the first David Hand and going back to John and Alice.  The main source I was using when I wrote about membership to the Hand Cousins website was from "East Hampton History including Genealogies of Early Families" by Jeanette Edwards Rattray.  which gives credit to Louis Tooker Vail for his work on the Sag Harbor Hands.  That book confirms your version.  (My version was compiled by not typing the chapter notes correctly from the Rattray book,)   Indeed, Josiah Hand married Mary, daughter of Josiah and Sarah Topping Halsey.  Also the first Capt. David Hand was married to Zerviah Stuart, daughter of William Stuart of Shelter Island and Zerviah Morehouse of "Sag".  I apologize for my mistakes.

Charlotte, wife of David Hand 6, was named Charlotte Havens who died 1800, aged 30. She was his 4th wife.

With regard to Clara Slate French, I have lots of information including family bibles, dagaratypes (sp), photos, letters and a copy of her death certificate.  I would be most happy to send any and all of that documentation.    She was the daughter of Mary Ann Hand and Stephen B. French. (I even have an original letter from Mary Ann Hand French to her mother, Louisa Pineo in which she writes about Clara).  Forrest French died as a small child and Eugene Smith French died in the Philippines at about the age of  20.  I have original photos of each of them.  I also have an original letter from Hallett French who was Eugene Smith French's daughter.

Clara Slate French married Auguste Mathez, who was educated at Columbia and was a well known mining engineer who travelled to many places in the world including Peking on mining expeditions.  I have very great documentation regarding them.  Clara Slate French died in El Paso, Texas and Auguste Mathez died in Denver, Colorado. Clara Slate French Mathez and Auguste Mathez are buried in Denver, CO.    Their son Forrest was my grandfather.  He was educated at Colorado School of Mines and was a mining engineer in Utah.  He and my grandmother later lived in what is now Indian Wells, California for many years with his sister, Claire Arkell and her husband James Arkell on a large property.  I spent a month a year staying with them in California as a child.  Claire was named for Clara Slate French and Forrest was named for Robert Forrest Hand and Forrest French.   They are also buried in Denver.  A daughter of Forrest Mathez and Helen Grant was my mother, Claire (Clara) Grant Mathez, again named for Claire Mathez Arkell, and Clara Slate French.  My father, William Robert Catrow was also educated at Colorado School of Mines and was a mining engineer in Butte, Montana.  I was a speech pathologist for many years in Livingston, MT. and am married to a lawyer.  

As I mentioned earlier I believe, we just got back from a wedding in Long Island.  While there my relative Nancy French Achenback took us on a great tour.  She is an officer in the Sag Harbor historical society.  Her great grandfather  Hannibal French was my great great grandfather Stephen B. French's  brother, and together they owned ships, and also were whaling captains, etc.  (I have a copy of a letter which Stephen B. French wrote to his mother and brother Hannibal at the age of 17 from the Sandwich Islands, which of course are the Hawaiian Islands. We saw both Stephen B. French and Hannibal French's homes which are on the walking tour of Sag Harbor as well as David Hand's home.  We also went to the John Jermain Library.  Catherine Creedon who is the librarian there sent me digital photographs of the Forrest Hand Bible some months ago. This bible has many of the names previously mentioned in this email.  It was great fun to have the opportunity to be there.

Again, thanks for your note, and if you would like me to send documentation I would be delighted if you will provide an address.

Sincerely,

Carolyn

[12] Oakland Cemetery, Sag Harbor. Photos by Mara French, 2015.

[13] Sandra Wade, HighAdventures@centurytel.net.

[14] Sally French McLaughlin, maiden name Sally French Round, adopted daughter of Corneillus and George Round, was b. 25 Dec 1927 and d. Feb 1969. She was the mother of Kathy Fibkins, email: kfibkins@whbschools.org. She is buried in the same plot as the French family. Buried at the Oakland Cemetery, Sag Harbor, in the same area are: Mary A. Hand French, Forrest H. French, Cornelia French Round, Sally French McLaughlin, Howard Babcock, Sarah French Babcock, Henry A. Babcock, A. Smith French, Peter French Sr. (the earliest French in this cemetery, born 1793), Chancey H. French, Anna E. French Hinds, Sally French, Col. Peter French Jr., Josephine Bonaparte French, Fanny E. French, Selah Smith, and Ella Hinds.

[15] Sag Harbor Historical Society, 174 Main Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963, 631-725-5092, http://sagharborhistorical.org. Andrea Meyer andrea.meyer.218@gmail.com, Barbara Schwartz barb0320@aol.com, Jean Held held.jrh@gmail.com.

[16] Sag Harbor, The Story of an American Beauty, by Dorothy Ingersoll Zaykowski. Several pages in this book depict various whaling ships. The following section is from “Whaling Before the Decline”, pages 97-99.

[17] The Seventh Volume of Records of the Town of Southampton, commenced Jan 1, 1871. Hannibal French is mentioned in the reference multiple times, but it is difficult to tell which Hannibal they are talking about, Sr. or Jr. Hannibal Sr. was b. 1817 and d. 1889. Hannibal Jr. was b. 1852 and d. 1933. As Commissioner of Highways, they are referring to Hannibal Sr. See http://www.frenchfamilyassoc.com/FFA/CHARTS/Chart207/Southampton.pdf

[18] Frances Kamen, fprichett@yahoo.com.

[19] Descendants of Joseph French

“A History of Long Island: From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time --- Volume 1”, by Peter Ross, 1902, p. 183 talks about the ante-revolution struggle ca. 1774. “We appoint for our committee of correspondence and observation Rev. Abraham Keteltas*, Waters Smith, Captain Ephraim Baylis, Captain Joseph French, William Ludlam, Captain Richard Betts, Dr. John Innes, Joseph Robinson, Elias Bailis.

*Rev. Abraham Keteltas was b. 26 Dec 1732 in NY, d. 30 Sep 1798 in Jamaica, Queens County, NY, a minister and ardent supporter of the Revolution. His parents came from Holland in 1720. He was buried at the Prospect Cemetery in Jamaica, Queens County, NY. Also buried in this cemetery is William French, born 12 Aug 1819, died 22 Sep 1890.