French Family Association

The Official Website of the Surname French

St. Barnabas Church in Great Tey where John French Jr. was baptized in 1633.

Chart #E3, John French, 1599
Halstead and Great Tey, Essex, England
Cambridge, Massachusetts

This chart updated by Mara French on 11/11/10. Numbers in brackets [ ] show sources and 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: 2010.

Contents

FFA Home Page

DNA Group 6 Analysis of Families

DNA Group 6 Test Results

DNA Group and Chart Cross Reference

Descendants of John French in America

Reunions

England History and Research

First Generation

Second Generation

DNA Test Results for DNA Group 6

Photos of French Family Homesteads in England (coming soon)

Maps

Essex Record Office

England Records of All Kinds, Surname French

Bibliography

England History and Research

It's very difficult deciphering the Frenches of NE Essex England. Sometimes children were christened in their mother's hometown, not their fathers. Some villages didn't have a parish and the children were christened elsewhere. Other children were christened long after they were born, sometimes 2 or 3 siblings together, and not in the parish where they were born. No one had middle names back in the 1600s. In this area, there were many Frenches with the names Thomas, William, John, and Richard, and not so common was Jacob.

For about 45 years now, I've been putting together a schematic of all these French families in NE Essex. I always do research about 20 years beyond 1640, when most of the Puritans immigrated. I've found that a lot of these French families never left England. They were educated in England, had more children, and died there. Therefore, one cannot hypothesize that they are the ones who immigrated to America.

I have the records for Coggeshall, Terling, Birdbrook, Halstead, Assington, Greenstreet, Greenstead Green, Gosfield, Weatherfield, Great Bardfield, Arkesden, Great Maplestead, Sible Hedingham, Bures St. Mary and others for the surname French. See England Charts. Hiring researchers in England who can read the old English script and who have special permission to view the original records with a blue light, is expensive and time-consuming, but worth it to me. I have the knowledge of all these families in my head, but these researchers provide invaluable clues, especially court cases and land records. Many of these records prove at least that the person involved is an adult and not a child.

From the map below, you can see how close together in Essex and Suffolk these families lived:

The French family of Essex most likely merges as follows: (See Analysis of these families as one)

Possible Ancestors of John French

These are the Charts involved for DNA Group 6 Ancestry:

· Thomas French, b. ca. 1520, FFA Chart #E1 (line immigrated to New England – DNA Gp 6).

· William French, b. 1606, FFA Chart #E2 (line immigrated to New England – DNA Gp 6).

· John French, b. ca. 1599, FFA Chart #E3 (line immigrated to New England – DNA Gp 6).

· William French, b. ca. 1554, FFA Chart #EA.

· Thomas French, b. ca. 1504, FFA Chart #EB.

· Christopher French, b. ca. 1560, FFA Chart #EC.

· Robert French, b. ca. 1555, FFA Chart #ED.

Church of Saint Barnabas, Great Tey, photo taken in June 2010 by Mara French. It is a magnificent tribute to the craftsmen of the 12^th and 14^th centuries and is a bold and silent witness to the faith which has been proclaimed within its walls for over eight centuries. This Norman Tower was erected about 1160. The Norman builders incorporated many Roman bricks and tiles in the masonry of this tower.

Outline

1.1 Thomas French, b. ca. 1520

      2.1 Thomas French, b. ca. 1551 not in Bures St. Mary, Suffolk.

      2.2 Jacob French, b. ca. 1553 not in Bures St. Mary, Suffolk, m. Susann Warren 27 Sep 1578, d. 11 Nov 1615 in Assington

            3.1 William French, chr. 25 Jul 1580 in Bures St. Mary, Suffolk. 

                  4.1 John French, chr. 24 Jun 1599 in Halstead.

5.1 John French, chr. 5 Sep 1633 in England

5.2 Mary French, chr. between 1634 and 1636 in England

5.3 Sarah French, bhr. Mar 1638 in Cambridge, MA

5.4 Joseph French, chr. 2 or 4 Apr 1640 in Cambridge, MA

5.5 Nathaniel French, chr. Apr or Jun 1643 in Cambridge, MA

                  4.2 Ellen French, chr. 24 Jul 1603 in Halstead.

                  4.3 William French, chr. 6 Apr 1606 in Halstead (born earlier).

                  4.4 Thomas French, chr. 10 Nov 1606 in Twinstead (5 miles NE of Halstead).

                  4.5 Jacob French, chr. 17 Jan 1607/8 in Twinstead (5 miles NE of Halstead).

Fourth Generation

For John French’s parentage, see ancestry of his brother, William French, FFA Chart #E2.

Children of William of The Leete and Elizabeth (Symmes?) French, 3.1

4.1 John (Jhon) French [1], bp. 24 Jun 1599 as son of Willia[m] in Halstead, D/P 96/1/1, Image 33.

There is a confusion between this son, John, and the John French, son of Jacob and Susann (Warren) French of FFA Chart #E1. Both of these men named John have the same DNA test results. The John French, son of Jacob, was captized 27 Mar 1596 in Assington, and m1. Sarah probably about 1620, and had daughter, Sarah, who was buried in Assington on 22 Jan 1620/21. Researchers contend that the Assington John French married Sarah and not the Halstead John French because of the name of their daughter who died in Assington.

John could have been the John Frenche, husbandman of Colne Engaine in 1625. John d. in 1646 in New England.

Marriage

John m. Joan [17] or Joanna Siday or Syday perhaps in her hometown of Great Tey, Essex on 19 Aug 1631, when John was 32 years old. A William Sidey married an Elizabeth Warin (Warren) on 6 May 1574 in Twinstead; William Sidey could have been Joan’s grandfather.

I found a listing of “an” Elizabeth French baptized 30 Aug 1629 in Sisted, Essex, just south of Greenstreet. D/P 49/1/1, Image 34, the daughter of John. This Elizabeth would have been exactly the right age to be the Elizabeth French, a child of 6 years old on the ship Defence to New England in 1635. But, perhaps this Ellizabeth French was the daughter of John’s brother, William.

The question arises as to why his first son was named John? And what happened to John regarding immigration? Also, he may have died in 1604 as another John was perhaps born to this family in 1610 . . . or perhaps this is the John French who immigrated to New England, FFA Chart #3. One would tend to think that John was named after his mother’s father.

Another source says that John French m. Joanna Gage who was b. ca. 1611 in England. The surname Gage was quite common in Coggeshall. Joanna Gage’s parents were John and Sarah Gage [95].

The name “Joan” appears very seldomly together with the name “French”; therefore, I made the assumption that any John and Joan French together during the period when they would be married (1629-1635) AND in the same area of Essex would probably be the same couple. I did find a birth of a daughter, Marie, born very nearby Great Tey in Sible Hedingham on 4 Jul 1630, about a year before the marriage above took place. Because John and Joan had a daughter named Marie who appears in Cambridge, MA, I assume this is the same daughter. I am having this baptism rechecked by a researcher in Essex. Nope, my researcher told me on 13 Aug 2010, that image reads FINCH, not FRENCH.

John and Joan appear in Great Tey, a village right next to Coggeshall and Halstead. Most likely Joan’s parents were Jeffery and Elizabeth Syday of Great Tey. The will of Jeffrey Syday of Great Tey, husbandman, dated 1632, D/ACW 11/164 follows:

In the name of God Amen I Jeffery Syday of Much Taye in the county of Essex husbandman being weake in body but yet of good & p[er]fect remembrance laude & praysed be to almighty god therefore doe make & ordayne this my last will & testament in maner & forme following revoking all other wills heretofore by me make first I commende my soule unto Almightie god creator and to Jesus Christ his onlye sonne my redeemer and to Holy Ghost my comforter It[em] I give & bequeath unto Elizabeth my wyfe all that my cottage w[i]th the such yards & gardaynes & all other the appurtenances theire unto belonging called by the name of Chapitts Yardes during hir natural lyfe upon this condition that if the said Elizabeth my wife doe not keepe mayntayne & uphold the said houses & buildings in good & sufficient reperations that then my will & meaning is that William my sonne shall take & enioye the said cottage & all other the afor[e]s[ai]d recyted premises to him & to his heyres for ever And to pay yearlye unto Elizabeth his mother the some of twenty shillings a yeare of good & lawfull money of England during hir naturall lyfe It[em] I give unto Robert Syday my sonne the some of five pownds to be payd by my sonne William Syday with in one yeare after the decease of Elizabeth my wife And if it shall happen the said some of five pownds to be unpaid by my sonne William his heyres or assignes unto Robert Syday my sonne as aforesaid that the my will & meaninge is that Robert my sonne shall have hold & enioye all the aforesaid cottage w[i]th the appurtenances unto the end & terme of five whole yeares next after the decease of Elizabeth his mother It[em] I give unto my sonne William a joyned cubbard a beetle & three wedges a mattocke and a twoe pound sawe upon this th.. he paye & cause truly …. be payed unto Joane Syday his sister the some of twenty shillings to be payd when shee shall accomplish the age of fower & twenty yeares It[em] I give unto my sonne Robert twoe of my hutches a bedstead & all theire utensils? belonginge being the bed w[hi]ch his grand mother did give & bequeath The Residue of all my goods whatsoever I give unto unto Elizabeth my wife & Joane my daughter whome I doe make them bothe my executrixes of this my last will & testament In witness where of I have sett to my hand & seale the thirteene day of Aprill in the yeare of ou[r] Lord God one thousand six hundred & twenty & six

Witnesses to this my will Jeffery

Daniell All… his marke Sydayes

Robert Durdon mark

Transcription of this will:
Jeffery Syday’s wife was Elizabeth
William Syday – son
Robert Syday – son
Joane Syday – daughter – not yet 24 years old in 1632; therefore, born after 1608. This would confirm in my mind at least that Joane’s husband, John French, was younger than his brother William French of FFA Chart #2, who was born in 1605. This is only my interpretation.

John and Joan probably married in the Bride’s hometown as was the custom in those days, that being Great Tey. Jeffrey and Elizabeth Syday buried their daughter (Susan?) (perhaps sister of Joan) in Jan 1624 in Great Tey. It is not known why John and Joan didn’t name any of their children Jeffrey, Elizabeth, or Susan. Their children were Mary, John, Sarah, Joseph, and Nathaniel. These names must have come from the French side.

Joan’s father’s will of 1632 details that his daughter Joan was born after 1608.

Great Tey also joins land with Earl’s Colne, where Roger Harlakenden lived who helped John’s brother William immigrate to Massachusetts. No other French listing is in the Great Tey parish register, which indicates that they didn't die there, but perhaps emigrated in 1635/36, or moved away.

This “find” in Great Tey tells us that these Frenches lived in and around the same area until they boarded the ship in 1635/6. I had thought they all moved to London earlier on. Great Tey is very close to Earl's Colne, the town of Roger Harlakeden whom William served on the ship Defence. Joan Syday may have been the daughter of John and Ellen Syday. John’s first two children were born in England. Great Tey also joins land with Earl’s Colne, where Roger Harlakenden lived who helped John’s brother, William, immigrate to Massachusetts on the ship Defence. No other French listing is in the Great Tey parish register indicating that they didn't die there, but perhaps emigrated in 1635, or moved away. The villages that need to be checked for John’s whereabouts from the time he married in 1631 until when he most likely immigrated in 1636-1640:

Colne Engaine, Earls Colne, Wakes Colne, Marks Tey, Fordham, Eight Ash Green, Copford, Stanway, Feering, Kelvedon, Greenstead Green (Greenstreet), Burtons Green, Tumblers Green, Plaistow Green, Stisted, Pattiswick, Terling.

John could have been the John Frenche, husbandman of Colne Engaine in 1625. I need to check those records.

Immigration

John French, his wife Joan, son John, and daughter Marie could have emigrated shortly after John’s brother, William between 1635-36. William emigrated during the summer of 1635 on the Defence [14] from Fenchurch, London (an area and nowadays a street, not a church), England. In 1637 John was listed as a property owner in Massachusetts, and in 1642, was on a list of proprietors of Cambridge, MA. He is mentioned in church records, 1638-39-40 in Cambridge, MA. By trade he was a tailor.

William’s name shows up on the list of proprietors of Cambridge, MA, in 1635, but John’s name is not listed. Two years later, however, in 1637, John’s name is found on Cambridge town records. Both William and John were tailors by occupation and practiced that trade in Cambridge for a number of years.

John was granted a house lot between the highway and Mr. Dampford's property, which is mentioned on the church records in 1638-9 and 1640, and is on the list of proprietors in Cambridge in 1642. He was a tailor by occupation and resided at what is now the southeast corner of Holyoke and Mt. Auburn streets.

John French is identified as a brother of Lt. William French by a court record of Apr. 2, 1650 granting "William French right and power of administration upon the estate of his brother John French deceased, and do confirm and allow of his disposal of the children." [7]

Burial

John, his wife Joan, and son John all died in 1646 in MA in an epidemic, and the other 4 children were taken care of by William, John’s brother. William also took care of Samuel, the son of “my” (Mara’s French’s) ancestor Richard French who has different DNA results, but probably from a female French line relating to John and William. Therefore, William raised 14 of his own children, plus 5 others. Unfortunately 3 from this family who were born in England (John, his wife Joan, and son John) all died in Jan 1645/46 in MA of an epidemic, and the other 4 children were taken care of by William, John’s brother? in MA. William also took care of Samuel, the son of “my” (Mara’s French’s) ancestor Richard French who has different DNA results, but probably from a female French line relating to John and William. Therefore, William raised 14 of his own children, plus 5 others.

Comparing the Children of John and William (FFA Charts #2 and #3)

Following are William’s and John’s children who were born in England:

William French:
Elizabeth, chr. ca. 1629/1630 in England
Maria (Mary), b. ca. Jan 1633 in England
John, b. Feb 1635 in England

John French:
Mary (Marie), chr. 4 Jul 1630 (not verified) in England
John, chr. 5 Sep 1633 in England

Church of Saint Barnabas in Great Tey, Essex

The following photos of the Church of Saint Barnabas in Great Tey were taken by Mara French in June 2010.

The Syday, Siday, and Sidey Family

I still need to look for this family in Great Tey.

Other Syday family members of Great Tey were Elizabeth Syday, widow, was buried on 13 Sep 1638 and her husband Jeffery Syday was buried on 5 May 1632. Their daughter Susanna Syday was buried in January 1624. (These were the parents of Joane Syday who married John French).

Christopher Syday of Great Horsley (or Horkesley), husbandman, tanner, in 1575, and wrote his will there in 1597.

Daniel Syday, gentleman, of Bures St. Mary was a tenant and proprietor of the rectory.

John Syday lived in Constables in 1556.

John Syday of Eastwood wrote his will in 1590.

John Sidey of Halstead, woolen draper, who made his will in 1624, D/ABW 46/206. His wife was Ellen. Mentions sons John and Thomas and others that I can’t read.

Margaret Syday was of Edevenhem in 1595.

Richard Syday of Belchamp Otter, was a labourer in 1570.

Robert Syday was a linen-draper in Halstead in 1620.

Robert Syday of Ridgewell in 1627.

Robert Syday and his wife Elizabeth lived in Colchester in 1639.

Rose Syday, single woman of Alphamstone, wrote her will in 1554.

Thomas Syday of Canewdon, husbandman, wrote his will in 1589.

Thomas and wife Ann Syday were living in Tillingham in 1639.

William Syday of Berechurch, yeoman, wrote is will in 1623.

William Syday lived in Totham in 1631.

William Syday, gent., lived in Mount Bures in 1629.

William and his wife Grace Syday of Great Wigborough in 1604.

William Syday of Bures St. Mary, Essex, gent., in 1620.

William Syday was of Totham, yeoman, in 1819.

Great Tey is close to Halstead and Coggeshall where this family resided. John’s brother William immigrated with Roger Harlekeden who was from Earl’s Colne nearby.

Second Generation

Children of John and Joan / Jone (Syday) French, 1.1

John and Joan died of an epidemic within a month of each other in the year 1646 leaving their orphan children who were brought up under the guardianship of their father’s brother, William, in Cambridge, MA. In 1654 William removed with his own large family to the settlement of Billerica, in the founding of which he had had a prominent part. With him he took his brother’s orphan children. To these children the church in Cambridge had previously granted, on 9 Jun 1652, 30 acres of land in the new settlement. Joanne died on 20 Jan 1645/46 and John died on 15 Feb 1645/46. Their son John died on 16 Feb 1645/46. I googled epidemic at this time period and found nothing, but it could have been cholera, typhus, small-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, measles, or the plague.

"Now one cause of our going at this time of winter was, because we were persecuted in Old England for the truth of Christ, which we profess here. We durst not stay to make ourselves known, which would have been at the baptizing of the child. Hence we hastened for New-England."

2.1 John French christened 5 Sep 1633 at St. Barnabas Church in Great Tey, County Essex, England. See image below.

John and his parents immigrated to MA between 1635-1637. John d. 16 Feb 1645/6 in MA of an epidemic.

2.2 Mary or Marie French, chr. between 1634 and 1636 probably somewhere in Essex. Mary immigrated to America with per parents, ca. 1635/6. Mary lived with her uncle William French in Billerica, MA, in 1646 (age 16) after her parents died in Massachusetts.

One false record shows Marie chr. 4 Jul 1630 in Sible Hedingham, Essex, England, daughter of John and his wife Joan as the parish record below indicates, D/P 93/1/1, image 28. I had this record rechecked by a researcher in Essex to make sure it reads what I have stated here. Nope, says my researcher Peter Nutt in Essex on 13 Aug 2010, this reads FINCH, not FRENCH. You can see the “i” is dotted; therefore, no “e”.

After my trip to England in Jun 2010, I had a researcher recheck the information I had found concerning John's daughter Marie. Her name, her parents' names, and the date of her birth, and place of her birth seemed to fit in exactly. But now my researcher tells me I misread the baptism record and it says FINCH, not FRENCH. There are spelling errors in baptismal records. I rarely have come across a woman named Joan married to any French in this area of Essex, so when I found this one, and their daughter Marie was born only 2 miles from where they resided in Halstead and 5 miles from Great Tey, I thought it was a natural fit. But then, she was born the year before they got married which still could have happened, but the child would have been listed as "baseborn" or the child of only Joan and not also John, so that concluded that she is not the correct person. But I still could not find any other mention to this Joan in any other family. I noted this record as not part of this chart for others to research further.

A marriage record for Mary’s parents John and Joan was found in Great Tey on 19 Aug 1631, a year after this false Mary, was born. However, this record does not indicate that Mary was base born, illegitimate, or a love child; therefore, I believe Mary was born “after” John, not before him. No baptisms exist in Halstead after 1611.

The following 3 children were baptized in Cambridge, MA.

2.3 Sarah French, b. Mar 1638, but the Cambridge Births and Burials of 1632-1644 states she was born the daughter of John Ffrench & Jone his wife on (8) 1637. She lived with her uncle William French in Billerica in 1646 after her parents died. She m. John Trull on 11 Dec 1657 in Billerica, MA [11].

2.4 Joseph French, b. 2 or 4 Apr 1640 according to the Cambridge Births and Burials of 1632-1644. He lived with his uncle William French in Billerica in 1646 after his parents died. He m. Experience Foster 4 Nov 1663 in Billerica, MA [11].

2.5 Nathaniel French, b. 7 Apr or Jun 1643 in Cambridge, MA, according to the Cambridge Births and Burils of 1643-1644. He lived with his uncle William French in Billerica in 1646 after his parents died. He m. Mary Tisdale on 9 Jan 1677 in Dedham, Bristol Co., MA, d. 14 Jun 1711 in Taunton, MA.

This chart is continued in America as FFA Chart #3. Unfortunately, John and his wife Joan, and their son born in England, John, all died about 11 years after arriving in Boston in 1646 of an epidemic. The four other children were sent to live with their uncle, William, who had 14 children of his own, plus the son of Richard French of FFA Chart #6 (19 children total).

DNA Test Results for DNA Group 6

If anyone on your line is interested in finding out for sure if John really was the brother of William, they could take a DNA test. See http://www.frenchfamilyassoc.com/FFA/DNA/WhichDNA.htm.

The tester needs to have the surname French and be a male. It is not a blood test, but a saliva test. William French is in DNA Group 6, so we assume the DNA test for John would match. See http://small-stuff.com/FRENCH/DNA/results.htm

Thomas (Chart 1), John (Chart 2) and William (Chart 3) all have the same DNA. John and William were brothers.

This chart shows the English ancestry of FFA Chart #3, John French, which, thru DNA, has proven to be matched with his brother William French, FFA Chart #2, and to Thomas French of Assington, Suffolk, England, FFA Chart #1. William and John were brothers, but the match to Thomas French has not yet been determined. See DNA test results for Group 6.

Maps

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 the approximation of these towns: Boxford, Assington, Edwardstone, Bures St. Mary, Lamarsh, Twinstead, Groton, Halstead, Coggeshall, Gosfield, Wethersfield, Arkesden, Great Bardfield, Farnham, and Wickhambrook where large French families lived.

See also Maps of Essex and Suffolk in various years.

Essex Record Office

The Essex Record Office in England recently began posting high resolution images of the early parish registers (more extensive and better quality than the LDS filmings) on their website. All parish registers before 1700 are now available to view online. The main shortcoming is there is no plan as yet for any date indexes to these images that makes finding particular years and events a little awkward. This might interest French's with origins in Essex. There are also images of wills and other documents. Go to http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/ and in the “Search Criteria” box, type a town, such as Terling or Coggeshall, and then the date range, such as 1550-1650. Nothing is yet indexed, so you need to look thru all the images.

Bibliography

[1] Essex County Council, Essex Record Office, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1LX, England. Research completed in 1989, document ref. E.R.O. D/P 96/1/1, Search ref. G.S. 173/89 of all baptisms in the Parish of Halstead in the county of Essex from 1564 to 1616. 22 French baptisms listed in Halstead between 1564 and 1616. No French born 1612-1650 in Halstead.

[2] Worksheets of Harry Dana French, New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, NH.

[3] Mara French’s research trip to the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, England, August 1994.

[4] Great Tey parish records, http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/
D/P 37/1/1, Great Tey also called Much Tey, 1559-1660

Baptisms 1557-1664, Images 3-23
Marriages 1559-1648, Images 24-28
Burials 1560-1660, Images 29-40

[5] Boyd’s Marriage Index of Essex: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~boydsindex/Boydsindex.htm.

[6] BISHOPS TRANSCRIPTS [Bt’s]

Parish registers began in 1538 of course not all registers have survived from this date.

Many Incumbents were negligent in keeping parish registers so the Bishops ordered that the incumbents were to send copies of their registers each year to the Bishop this practice was made general in 1598. In almost any series of these transcripts there are annual gaps and also errors and omissions owing to insufficient care in copying. Essex has suffered very badly as regards to its Bt’s the main series starts in 1800 a number of parishes have Bt’s for 1629-30 & 1639-40 and some have years during the 1700’s and the years 1810-1812 are missing for all parishes. Obviously you are interested in the 1600 years so you should order T/R 83.

Boyd Marriage Index is in book form on the open shelves

[7] Martha French Roberts, direct line through John French of Cambridge. Email: martha@stemsbymartha.com (good in 2010).

[8] No listing for this chart in Boyd’s Marriages of Essex, http://www.originsnetwork.com/BritishOrigins/Search/Boyds/. First go to http://www.originsnetwork.com and try a free search. These records are available at Essex Record Offices.

[9] UK Birth, Marriages, Deaths and Censuses on the Internet, website: http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/.

[10] Essex Genealogy Links, http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/england/essex/.

[11] 1655-1691 Early Massachusetts Marriages by Frederick W. Bailey, Worcester, MA 1914.

[12] French family of latter years in Great Tey: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lindacollie/ email: Linda Jane Russell, lindaenespana@hotmail.com

[13] Barry French, barryfrench@yahoo.com (good in 2010). He lives about 3 miles from where Joseph and Experience French settled in the 1600s.

[14] Judi Assony, jassony@bendnet.com (good in 2010).

[15] Dean Burgess in Portsmouth, VA, email: redlion3@juno.com. Connected to the French, Burgess, and Thayer line. Sally French Burgess was b. 1776 in Plainfield, CT, and her brother Hezekiah French (who stayed in CT) will be found in New York. I know these two were children of John French and Delight Dean and lived in Plainfield and Sterling townships in Windham County, CT. Sally moved with her husband Gideon Burgess to Otsego County, NY, just after the American Revolution, when the country was first opened for settlement. There are several Frenches in that NY county in early census record who could be their brothers - one Nathaniel French who has the same name as Sally’s grandfather. I would like to find those French siblings.

[16] cathybelch@aol.com -- delete

[17] Jean Vankin, jfvankin@verizon.net

[18] Mike Yoemans, myoemans1@comcast.net

[19] Carol Brundage, carol.brunge@roadrunner.com

[20] Marilyn Ames, MgahmAMES@aol.com

[21] Linda Jones craftconn@earthlink.net

[22] Sgmharms@aol.com -- delete

[23] Jodi Murphy, jmurphy@prosolv.com -- delete

[24] The John French mentioned below could have been the John French of Great Tey right next to Colne Engraine, but for various reasons, we believe this was not the same person.

Q/SR 252/70, John French, collier (a coal miner), to keep the peace to Margaret Crabb, widow, 19 Dec 1625. Her husband most likely was John Crabb of Colne Engaine who made his will in 1620. (In this year, John would have been only 15, so it is doubtful if this was him because he was a minor nor was he a miner).

Q/SR 253/20, John French of Colne Engaine, husbandman, 12 Apr 1626, kept a common alehouse there without license. (In this year, John would have been only 16, so it is doubtful if this was him because he was a minor).

T/A 418/105/5, John French of Colne Engaine, yeoman, indictment, 13 Jul 1629. (This is probably the same John French as mentioned above).

Q/SR 234/132, John French of Fordham, recognizances of Dyer, Thorowgood, and John French husbandman, 1621. (In this year, John would have been only 11, so it is doubtful if this was him because he was a minor).

[25] DNA Tester Reade French, grfrench3@hotmail.com, email good in 2010.