French Family Association

The Official Website of the Surname French

St. Andrews Church, Halstead, Essex County, England

Chart #EA, William French, 1554
Halstead, Gosfield, Stisted, Greenstreet, Greenstead Green, County Essex, England

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: 2009, 2010.

Contents

FFA Home Page

England History and Research

Possible Ancestors of William French

First Generation

Second Generation

Maps

Essex Record Office

Photos of French Family Homesteads in England (coming soon)

Bibliography

England History and Research

I uncovered some of these unknowns on my trip to all these villages in Essex in June 2010.

Halstead, Gosfield, Great Maplestead, Little Maplestead, plus other villages where Frenches resided: Sible Hedingham, Castle Hedingham, Greenstead Green.

Possible Ancestors of William 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.

First Generation

1.1* William French, b. ca. 1554, an estimated date based on his marriage date of 20 years later in 1573, referred to as William French of Greenstreet between 1617-1620. No vital records are available for this date.

Map of Gosfield and Halstead to the NE, Greenstead Green to the SE, and Earls Colne to the far right. Gosfield is 2 miles from Greenstead Green and also 2 miles from Halstead. Earls Colne is 3 miles from Halstead. Stanstead Hall (not shown) is right next to Greenstead Green on the right.

It is very possible that this family moved to Greenstreet only 2 miles east of Gosfield. We are not sure what drove him to leave Assington or Bures St. Mary in Suffolk, but it most likely was the large wool industry in Bocking just north of Braintree in Essex and just south of Greenstreet and Halstead. William became a weaver. William, was known as the William French from Greenstreet between 1617 and 1625 to distinguish him from the other family French in the area, William French from The Leete, who was his son. In 1617 William of Greenstreet would have been an adult of 63 years of age. Likewise, in 1617 William of The Leete would have been 37 years of age. Both men lived in just 2 miles south of Halstead in Greenstreet.

William’s daughter Anne French of Greenstreet died 3 Dec 1617. William French of Greenstreet died 23 Apr 1620 in Halstead at age ca. 66, D/P 96/1/1, Image 113, see image below. Greenstreet was considered part of Halstead at this time, but in 1844 a parish was built in that area as the population grew and the village was called Greenstead Green.

The Greenstreet in his death record is very important in identifying which William French this was. It would be helpful if he had a will, so that we could determine all his children; however, he had no will or the Essex Record Office does not have a recorded will.

The only wills of a William French that have been located and turned in to the Essex Record Office are of William French of Purleigh, Yeoman, 1635; and William French of Peldon, Yeoman, 1607. Neither one of these seem to coincide with this family, but if need be, I will have them transcribed at a cost.

Marriage

William French m1. Ellen Scotte on 26 Jul 1573 in Gosfield, Essex, England [19] [22], Parish Register D/P 165/1/1, Image 3. See last item in record below for marriage. Gosfield is 2 miles or less from Greenstreet.

Assuming that William was between ages 17 and 25 when he married in 1573, he would have been born between 1548 and 1556, or an estimated date of 1554. We definitely need a death record for Ellen French, which I have been unable to find. Perhaps she died in Jul 1603 in the childbirth of her daughter Ellen.

“A” Richard Scotte was living in Gosfield in 1588 who may have been Ellen’s father. There was also a John Scott of Gosfield in 1611 who was a yeoman, and a Jane Scott in 1606. No other French family lived in Gosfield in the 1500s. The French family from FFA Chart #EB moved into Gosfield about 1635, during the Puritan Migration to America. It is very possible that these two French families are related and that when this family immigrated to America and moved out of Gosfield, members from FFA Chart #EB moved onto their land in Gosfield.

A Richard Scotte, draper, and John Scotte, mercer, appear in 1571 of Thaxted, Essex. A William Scott and Thomas Scott lived in Thaxted in 1586.

Burial

William French lived as an adult on Greenstreet in what is now called Greenstead Green, and he died on 23 Apr 1620 in Halstead, listed as William of Greenstreet in the burial record at about age 66 [2], D/P 96/1/1, Image 113.

The Greenstreet in his death record is very important in identifying which William French this was. It would be helpful if he had a will, so that we could determine all his children; however, he had no will or the Essex Record Office does not have a recorded will.

Greenstreet or Greenstead Green

At this time, Greenstead Green was not yet a parish, not until about 1845 when a church was built there. The few residents of Greenstreet needed to be baptized, married, and buried in Halstead or another nearby parish before the church was built, such as Stisted or Halstead.

St. James the Great, Parish Church in Greenstead Green, built long after William French resided in the village, ca. 1845. At the time William resided there, only 2-3 houses existed and it was not a parish town; therefore, some baptisms were performed at St. Andrews’s Church in Halstead, only 2 miles away. Greenstead Green, called Greenstreet early on, was part of Halstead when William French lived there.

ST, JAMES' CHURCH, at Greenstead Green, two miles S. of the town, was built in 1844-'5, for the accommodation of the inhabitants of the southern part of this extensive parish, at the expense of Mrs. Gee, the pious and benevolent lady who contributed so largely towards the erection of the above-named church. It is a handsome structure, chiefly of flint, and has a tower containing six bells, and crowned by a spire. The interior is fitted up with open seats, and the windows are enriched with stained glass. The pulpit is of stone, and on its sides are are small figures of Christ and the four Evangelists, in niches. The liberal foundress has erected near the church a school, and a neat house for the minister. The benefice is a perpetular curacy, endowed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and now valued at £200 per annum, in the patronage of the Bishop of Rochester, and incumbency of the Rev. Charles Durney, M.A.

Chapman and Andre Map of Halstead in 1777, about 200 years after William French’s time. Greenstead Green was not even a village, but is listed here as Greenstead Hall with the street running through it called Greenstreet.

In the map above of Halstead, at the bottom middle, you see Greenstead Hall at the village of Greenstead Green. You will see the footpath going from Greenstead Hall to Stanstead Hall (where the French family of FFA Chart #EB lived).

Greenstreet was the name used before Greenstead Green became a parish in 1846 per the St. James parish register at the ERO (Essex Record Office) or online at SEAX. Greenstreet ran along a few houses in late 1500, and only about 2-3 houses where built there at that time; one was the house of William French near the footbridge, now called Piercy’s Bridge. We know this only because of the court case involving William French and Mr. Little concerning the footbridge (see below). This area is 2 miles southeast of Halstead near Gosfield [8]. Researcher Peter Nutt advises that Green Street Hall belonged to Mr. William Smythies on an old map, but on modern maps it only mentions Greenstead Hall. William Smythe was in a court case with William French in 1612. Smythe was a tailor and French was a weaver. This William would be the father of the immigrant.

Court Case Regarding the Footbridge

1596 – This William was not a minor when he appeared in a court case regarding a footbridge issue in 1596/7 [6]. 1596/7 January. In 1596 he would have been about 42 years old. The case reads: That there is a little footbridge leading from Earls Colne (2 miles southeast from Halstead in Greenstead Green) to Halstead that is carried away with a flood, and we have heard it is in question between Mr. Little and Mr. Frenche which of them shall make the bridge. This proves that the Frenches lived in close proximity to Earls Colne, the town where Roger Harlakenden lived who sailed with “a” William French (his contemporary) on the Defence, to America. William French of Greenstreet was the immigrant’s grandfather. Earl’s Colne is less than 2 miles from Greenstead Green, and in particular, in those days, there were only footpaths between villages, and even today that footpath remains.

Various bridges and dirt roads extended throughout the late 1500s to Markshall, Greenstead Green, Great Tey, Earls Colne, and Coggeshall. See Report. Many of the tributaries were from the River Colne and the Bourne Brook.

The most exciting research came in the village of Greenstead Green, where I met a lady (Louise Finlayson) [52] who told me about two sisters, Cleone Branwhite and Pru [53]. All three of these women have lived in the area since about 1967. They knew the history of the area, which included William French. I hadn't said a word, but their stories tied remarkably well into William French's family. You wouldn't believe that about 10 of the charts I worked on are all within 10 miles of each other. Many of those small villages don't have a parish, and the Frenches were baptized in another nearby town, in which they did not live. Then, sometimes it was impossible to baptize a child near birth, and they were baptized 2-3 years later, perhaps yet in another village, and perhaps 2 children were baptized together, but they were not twins. I was using these baptism dates literally, thinking that 9 months were needed to have a child, but perhaps more of these children belong to the same parents. Then Cleone Branwhite emailed me a footpath map that she drew of the little walkways between these towns. In the early 1600s there was a footbridge on Greenstreet which had several court cases about the bridge being swept away and who would be ordered to fix it. The French family was involved. My body was shaking as I walked across that footbridge over Bourne Brook. It was amazing! 

The road that crosses over Bourne Brook at the entrance to Piercy’s house is where the footbridge sits. Many of these rural farmhouses marked with a blue square are described in British Listed Buildings of Greenstead Green and Halstead. This map was drawn by Cleone Branwhite. The red dots indicate where former farmhouses existed, but have since been torn down.

The map above was drawn by Cleone Branwhite.

1. This was originally Front Road and is now Church St.
2. This was originally Back Road and now Stanstead Hall Road since at least 1967
3. This was originally Paint Shop Road and is now Halstead Road. It was Paint Shop Road as Mr. Firmin had a barn there where he kept his paints. He was a builder.
4. This was Paper Mill Lane as it led to a Paper Mill on the Bourne Brook. Now it is Burton’s Green Road.
5. This is Grange Hill named after a large house built by the owner of a foundry on the hill. Before Grange Hill, it was Foundry Hill.

Piercy’s Bridge in June 2010, photo taken by Mara French. This road was called Greenstreet back in 1620 when William French lived here and when there were only 2-3 houses. Today there are only a few more houses. The bridge goes over Bourne Brook near the former Piercy residence. This view is from the Piercy property looking over the bridge into Greenstead Green going north. Supposedly, from the spot where I took this photo is probably where Mr. Little owned the land, and William French owned the land on the other side of the bridge. Hence, the two had to both fix the bridge when it was carried away in a flood. Of course at that time the bridge was merely a small footbridge.

Piercy’s Bridge was reconstructed in November 2009 to widen it and add a place for walkers on both sides.

The map above shows the vicinity of Greenstead Green and Earls Colne to one another.

Mr. Little mentioned above has other citations against him. On 11 Apr 1597 an order was made by Roger Harlakenden and Thomas Waldegraves, esquires, concerning the controversy between Halstead, Pebmarsh, Colne Engaine, and White Colne concerning land charges, and whereby Mr. Little of Halstead has been wrongfully charged for land compositions in Colne Engaine adjoining land he owns separated by a great river and not in Colne Engaine. This verifies that William French also did not have land in Colne Engaine, but that it was in Halstead. Note: The name William Waldegrave was a person who had dealings with Thomas Frenche of Arkesden in FFA Chart #EB, on 6 Mar 1561, at which time William Waldegrave, esquire, lived in Great Wenden, Q/SR 4/7. William Waldegrave, esquire, is also listed in Colne Engaine, 5 Jun 1572, Q/SR 40/50. William Waldegrave owned 30 acres of land in Frating on 1 Jan 1557, Q/SR 3/24. William Waldegrave lived in Bures St. Mary in Suffolk on 28 Apr 1571, the same village where William French had lived.

Second Generation

Children of William and Ellen (Scott) French, 1.1

3.1 Joan (Joanna) French, chr. ca. 1575-1578, m. Michaell Brocke on 1 May 1598 in Gosfield, D/P 165/1/1, Image 4.

Essex Record Q/SR 215/95 shows a court record for Mich. Brocke on 12 Sep 1616, no location given. “Recognizance of John Clayden, carpenter, John Wright, tailor, and Mich. Brocke, husbandman. Claydon to answer to all such matters as shall be objected against him. Continued. The party is produced here in Court. Supersodeas allowed and annexed.

Essex Record Q/SR 254/19-20 shows a court record for a bridge in Halstead called “Borne Brocke” in July 1626. This record also includes John Man of Gosfield and Thomas Cooke of Castle Hedingham.

Mary Brocke was chr. ca. 1565 in Gosfield (perhaps a sister of Michaell Brocke) and m. John Reeve on 24 Oct 1588 in Brasonhead, Essex, England. The French family today in 2010 own Brazenhead, a home in Great Bardfield on Daisyley Rd., and here Jim and Bridget Franklin lived their last years after leaving Pitley Farms in Great Bardfield in Essex, see FFA Chart #EB. See Ref [90].

2.1 Anne French [1], chr. 6 Dec 1587 in Halstead as daughter of Will[ia]m French [8], D/P 96/1/1, Image 25. The entry below this one on the same image says Finch and Fynch and is not French.

She could easily have been the Anne French, buried, the dau. of William French of Greenstreet, 3 Dec 1617. This would indicate that William was still living in 1617, but died on 23 Apr 1620 as William French of Greenstreet.

Anne was buried, the dau. of William French of Greenstreet, 3 Dec 1617 in Halstead [2], D/P 96/1/1, Image 111.

William was still living in 1617, but died on 23 Apr 1620 as William French of Greenstreet. Because Anne’s burial record does not mention a husband or that she was a widow, but mentions only her father William, it is assumed she died unmarried, and that she lived with her father on Greenstreet. The son of William French of Greenstreet, William French of The Leete, died only a couple years later, ca. 1622.

2.2 Mary French, chr. 1 Nov 1591 in Stisted, Essex, as the dau. of William, D/P 49/1/1, Image 19 [56].

This chart daughters out with no male heir. The village of Stisted is only 2-3 miles south of Greenstreet. We are researching more data for this line as to if any male heirs exist.

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. See transcripts of Parish Records in Essex.

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] Kent County Council, West Kent Archives Office, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ, letter, dated Feb. 21, 1990. Letter says that the original parish records for Sandwich, Kent Co., are held at the East Kent Archives Office, Cathedral Library, Canterbury. The West Kent office holds manuscript extracts only. See [10]. Also Essex County Council, Essex Record Office, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1LX, England. Research completed 26 Apr 1990, Order No. GS 99/90 for 3 hrs, Halstead Parish Register, burials 1608 to 1639. Nine deaths of French in Halstead between 1608 and 1639.

[3] A William French is listed in [17] as an emigrant from Halstead on ship Francis to Cambridge, MA, ref. N.E.G.R. 44/367.

[4] New World Immigrants edited by Michael Tepper, Vol I, 1979, SLC US & CAN 973 W3tN V.1, FFA F102. Also Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, Essex County, England. Unpublished typescript Calendar of Essex Quarter Sessions Rolls, Q/SR 199/127, 4 June 1612 recognizance (i.e. bond) given by William Frenche weaver, Thomas Pilgryme weaver, and William Baylyfe alias Smith tailor, all of Halstead. William Frenche to keep the peace towards Richard Harrold. This info was received in a letter from Frederick G. Emmison, Chelmsford, England, listing Essex Record Office Manorial Records, 1989.

[5] IGI, Essex County, England, and letter from FFA member John Threlfall, 13 May 1990.

[6] A Genealogical History of the French and Allied Families, by Mary Queal Beyer, 1909. Also Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, work done by Dr. Emmison, May 1989. Unpublished typescript Calendar of Essex Quarter Sessions Rolls, Q/SR 136/19. 1596/7 January. Presentment for parish of Halstead. That there is a little footbridge leading from Earls Colne (2 miles southeast from Halstead) to Halstead that is carried away with a flood, and we have heard it is in question between Mr. Little and Mr. Frenche which of them shall make the bridge. This proves that the Frenches lived in close proximity to Earls Colne, the town where Roger Harlakeden lived who sailed with a William French on the Defence, to America.

[7] William French and family were servants to Roger Harlakenden of Earl Colne, Essex.

[8] William French wrote his will on 5 Jun 1679 and stated he was about 76. Will probated 20 Nov/Dec 1681. He gives only to married children.

[9] NEHGR, Vol 65, p. 284, 7th line.

[10] Most likely Elizabeth Symmes was not from Canterbury, a city in Kent. The researcher could have thought that the Prerogative Court of Canterbury meant the city, but in those times it was part of the General Court System of England and covered the southern 2/3rds of England, while the Prerogative Court of York covered the upper 1/3rd. Research done by letter, dated Jun 1990 from Cathedral City and Diocesan Record Office in The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2EH, ref. KAS/G10/133 indicates no marriage records for Symmes, Godfrey, or French entries for St. Clements or St. Peters Original Parish Registers during the period 1624-1630. St. Georges Canterbury, printed volume, Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials 1538-1800 also does not indicates Elizabeth Symmes of that period. This info was sent to the FFA by Delpha Triptow, researcher from Salt Lake City, 2 Oct 1991.

[11] Edson’s Genealogical Notes, 1932, which says Elizabeth, w/o William French, was Elizabeth Symmes, daughter of Rev. William Symmes (b. ca. 1570) of Sandwich, Kent, England.

[12] History of Derby, CT, 1880 by Samuel Orcutt. Edward Wooster was first settler in Derby. Francis French was second settler.

[13] Emigrated on Defence of London which sailed from London the end of July 1635 and arrived at Boston 8 Oct 1635 with about 100 passengers. Ship list says William was 30 in July 1635.

[14] Delpha Triptow, a researcher in Salt Lake City, also found a William French of Honiton on Otter in Devon, England, who had three children born in Honiton on Otter with the same names, but different dates. These children are Elizabeth, b. 1622; John, b. 1628; and Mary, b. 1632. We’re looking for an Elizabeth, b. 1629, Mary b. 1632, and John b. 1635.

[15] The Original Lists of Persons of Quality, 1600-1700, by John Camden Hotten, 1931. No record indicating this family was from Halstead.

[16] The Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1660, by Peter Wilson Coldham, 1987. This source states that the Frenches were from Fenchurch, London, and sailed on the Defence from London between 20 June and 18 July, 1635, with Mr. Edward Pearce, shipmaster, who later changed his name to Thomas Bostock [16]. Website: http://books.google.com/books?id=vWDV4Fk7TmAC&pg=PA151&lpg=PA151&dq=%22William+French%22+%2BLondon+%2B%22Thomas+Bostock%22&source=bl&ots=Ygw2VEiUeP&sig=2lEEPCcQGCBss-CiTm2THZZZ6mc&hl=en&ei=X8y_S_C5A8LknAf5vM2VCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CA4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%22William%20French%22%20%2BLondon%20%2B%22Thomas%20Bostock%22&f=false

[17] Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England, 1620-1650, by Charles Edward Banks, 1963.

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

[19] IGI, London. Also, Essex County Council, Essex Record Office, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1LX, England. Research completed on 7 Aug 1990 of all baptism, marriage, and burial records of Gosfield, Essex, England, 1538 to 1650. Also a Mary French m. Thomas Person on 12 Dec 1649.

[20] Research by Delpha Triptow in Salt Lake City, 2 Oct 1991. No leads to the name Godfrey in Genealogical Gleanings in England by Henry Waters. No leads to Symmes or French in St. Clement Church, London during researched time period. No Symmes in Earles Colne. There is an Elizabeth Symmes of St. Lawrence Pountney Parish in London whose father, Randall Symmes, died in 1599. It would seem this is a too early because Elizabeth was probably born in the early 1600s. Ship records indicate her to be 32 in 1635. Parish records of Pountney Parish, St. Lawrence, London. No French or Symmes marriages from 1538-1635. Letter from Delpha Triptow in Salt Lake City, 13 Mar 1992.

[21] ERO, Halstead burials, 1564-1607 = 2 Frenches.

[22] ERO, Halstead marriages, 1564-1650 and 1608-1638 - 9 Frenches.

[23] Boyd’s Marriage Index for Essex, FFA E004.

[24] ERO, Earls Colne birth records 1628-1635, no French or Symmes.

[25] FFA member Gloria H. Lane, 424 Smith Ave., Modesto, CA 95354. Her information came from a genealogy by Mrs. E. F. Baty (77500 S. 6th, D14, Cottage Grove, OR 97424) that mentions Elizabeth Godfrey as the wife of William French in a book entitled "Van Dyke: Over Three Hundred Years of One Line . . . " Elizabeth Baty’s current address is 104 E. Cleveland, Keytesville, MO 65261.

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

[27] The Danforth Genealogy by John Joseph May (1902) mentions an Elizabeth Symmes who was believed by some to be the wife of the immigrant Nicholas Danforth, father of Billerica, MA settler Jonathan Danforth. On p. 5 he writes, "The writer has no means of knowing from whence the supposition sprang that she was Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. William Symmes, of Canterbury, England, and a sister of Rev. Zachariah Symmes, second minister of the church at Charlestown. The entire absence of allusions to relationship between men so prominent as the Danforths and Mr. Symmes in their own writings and the sketches of them written near their own time is strong ground for suspecting the error of the guess; and the distance of Kent from Suffolk also throws discredit upon the theory."

[28] Gary Boyd Roberts’ "English Origins of New England Families" (1981) discusses, starting on page 127, that erroneous notion that William French of Billerica is the same person as William French of Essex, England, born in 1603.

[29] NEHGRegister, July 1988, p. 250, says William French might be the son of William French, born in 1580, who was the son of Jacob and Susan (Warren) French.

[30] Boyd’s Marriage Record Index, researched [26].

[31] Generalogy of the Billerica, Massachusetts "French" Family, from 1599-1914, by H. Martin Kellogg in 1884 and updated by Mrs. Bonnibel French Hodgkins in 1915 states that Elizabeth is listed in the parish church of St. Andrews in Halstead (The FFA never saw this entry). If she was baptized in 5 Sep 1630, she would have been just under 5 yrs old when the ship left in Jul 1635. Ship records show she was 6. Perhaps she was baptized a year after she was born.

[32] N106 Dedham, Essex, England. John Rogers of Dedham. Weathersfield, Chelmsford. Church registers of Chelmsford go back to A.D. 1538. John Rogers of Billerica. Rev. Mr. Hazen. Grandchild Mary French. Elizabeth of Timothy Symmes. Mr. Syms (Minister of New England).  John Sym, cousin Henry Sym, Mr. John Symes. St. Dionis Backchurch, London. Fenchurch Street. Gabriel Fenchurch, London, clothworker. Fenchurch = Area of clothworkers, and Wm. French was a weaver. Thomas Boylson, clothworker. St. Gabriel, Fenchurch, London. Elizabeth Symes, wife of Thomas Symes. Samuel Symes. Willm Syms, Zacharye Syms, Zacherie Simes, William Simes, Mary Simes, Sara Simes, Mary Simmes, Zachary, William Symmes, Mary Symmes, Zachary Simmes, Sara Baker, Rev. Zechariah Syms or Symmes, b. in Canterbury Kent, 5 April 1599, minister of Charlestown, Mass. William Symmes, father William Symmes. See The Symmes Memorial, by Rev. John A. Vinton, Boston, 1873.  Francis Scrogges, Aldebury, Herts, b. 3 June 1585. Bardene, Essex. Henry, William and Francis Scrogges, Randolphe Symmes, Anne Symmes, Dorothy Symmes, Dyonis Simms, Edward and Francis Scrogges, Penelope Scrogges, Smythie Scrogges, Emlyn Scrogges, Susan Scrogges, Ann Scrogges. Anne Scroggs of Earles Colne, Essex, William Harlakenden, Edward Scroggs, Sister Scroggs, Margaret Scroggs, Richard Harlakenden of Clone, Prior. Cousin Sara Simmes of New England, Daniel Rogers of Wethersfield, Earles Colne, Smith the wife of William Harlakenden, brother-in-law William Harlakenden of Earles Colne. Mrs. Sara Symmes, Randolph Symmes, Randall Symmes. Anne Scroggs, daughter of Edward, had a sister Smith or Smithee, who married William Harlakenden, son of Thomas and Dorothy (Cheney) Harlakenden. Roger Harlakenden, Rev. Thomas Shepard, who had been at Earles Colne, Richard Harlakenden, brother of Roger of New England, sister Mabel, brother John Steadman, brother William French. Sara Simes. See Topographer and Genealogist, Vol. i, pp 228-258, edited by John Gough Nichols F.S.A., for a full pedigree of Harlakenden families; also REGISTER, Vol. xv., pp. 327-329. Cousin Randall Symmes, cousin Richard Symmes. Withersfield, Essex Co., Harlow, Essex Co., Eppinage, Essex Co., Wrightsbridge, Essex Co., Rayleigh, Essex Co.  Robert Man, Jane, daughter of William Symes, Esq. Coat of arms of "Symses". John Symes Esq. Randall Syms, 1599, Elizabeth Syms, Mrs. Sara Symmes, Thomas Man, London, son Nathaniel Man, Anne, Johan, Francis, (Frances?) Nichloas and Thomas. Sara Simms. George French the weaver.

[33] The Parish Registers of St. Anthonlin, Budge Row, London, Marriages, Baptisms, and Burials from 1538 to 1754, by Joseph Lemuel Chester, 1883.

[34] English Origins of New England Families. Genealogical Research in England, transcribed by Miss Elizabeth French and communicated by the Committee on English Research.

[35] The London Marriage Licenses, 1521-1869, by Joseph Foster, Joseph Lemuel Chester, and John Ward Dean.

[36] Descendants of William French by Kristin C. Hall, email: Kristin@media.mit.edu (good in 2002), website: http://kristinhall.org/fambly/FrenchWm/WilliamFrench.html

[37] Newport. At the north end of the village are slight remains of an hospital, founded in the reign of King John hj Richard de Newport. William Nassau Bell, Esq. ; David Sliipper, Esci", 2 m. w. Arkesden. 4 ni. further, Measden. John Perring, Esq. 2-h m. Anstey. Widdeal Hall, C. H. Ellis, Esq. 1 m. further. Chipping. 1 m. n. of which Buckland. Robert Sailboys, Esq. ; William French, Esq.

[38] The French family was still living in Halstead between 1803 and 1818. See website: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~boydsindex/Boydsindexf.htm

[39] “A Genealogical History of the French and Allied Families” by Mary Queal Beyer, website: http://www.archive.org/stream/genealogicalhist00beye/genealogicalhist00beye_djvu.txt

[40] See website: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mroman/french.htm

[41] Generalogy of the Billerica, Massachusetts "French" Family, from 1599-1914, by H. Martin Kellogg in 1884 and updated by Mrs. Bonnibel French Hodgkins in 1915 states that Elizabeth (the daughter) is listed in the parish church of St. Andrews in Halstead (The FFA never saw this entry). If she were baptised in 5 Sep 1630, she would have been just under 5 yrs old when the ship left in Jul 1635. Ship records show she was 6. Perhaps she was baptised a year after she was born.

[42] Index from Roger Harlakenden’s Account Book on 25 Mar 1635 that proves his family was still in Earl’s Colne just before emigrating. Also see the Contents: http://linux02.lib.cam.ac.uk/earlscolne/contents.htm.

Roger Harlakenden was chr. 1 Oct 1611 in Earls Colne and d. 17 Nov 1638 in Cambridge, MA.

[43] Thomas French, http://linux02.lib.cam.ac.uk/earlscolne/equity/17600522.htm.

[44] From the National Archives at KEW Gardens in London, E 115/144/106 shows a William French during the years 1625-1628 who is liable for taxation in London and not in Essex (Barstable and Chafford), the previous area of tax liability.

[45] Reverend Thomas Shepard, website: http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/chistory/section63shepard.htm

[46] Scott French, email: scottt@chartermi.net (email good in 2009).

[47] Ed French, email: frenched@gmail.com (email good in 2009).

[48] Bostic Family of South Carolina, website: http://www.mydunlap.net/Bostock.html, Wanda Karyn Bostic

[49] William French website: http://kristinhall.org/fambly/FrenchWm/WilliamFrench.html, email: Kristin@media.mit.edu

[50] Gordon Fisher, email: gfisher@shentel.net, website: http://www.familyorigins.com/users/f/i/s/Gordon-M-Fisher/FAMO1-0001/index.htm

[51] Ancestry.co.uk, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials of St. Dunstans-in-the-West, William French was buried on 16 May 1621. This is the William French of . FFA Chart #EB.

[52] Louise Finlayson of Greenstead Green, Essex, England. Email: louisefinlayson@btinternet.com. I met her at the church in Greenstead Green in June 2010. She contacted two people listed as Ref. [53] who have lived in this area all their lives, and asked them to explain to me about “Greenstreet” and “The Leete”. Here is what they say:

Perce’s, Persie’s, or Piers is a family surname “Piercy” whom the bridge in Greenstead Green was named after – Piercy’s Bridge.

[53] Cleone Branwhite and her sister Pru who live in 2 houses on the back road to Stanstead Hall in Halstead across the street from the Stanstead Hall Coach House at Oak Tree Cottage, Stanstead Hall, Greenstead Green, Halstead, Essex CO91QJ, England.

[54] Rev. Thomas Shepard’s Memoir of His Own Life (.doc file which is 26 pages). He was a passenger on the Defence, along with the Harlakendens et al, and he describes the voyage on that ship to New England.

[55] Jim Weber, website: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jweber&id=I36600, email: jim.weber@nwintl.com.

[56] Peter Joslin, website: http://www.peterjoslin.btinternet.co.uk/stisted.htm, email: peterjoslin@btinternet.com.

[57] Migration and the Origins of the English Atlantic World, by Alison Games, website: http://books.google.com/books?id=kFWBQbCMMZUC&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=%22Roger+Harlakenden%22+%2B%22Earls+Colne%22+%2BDefence&source=bl&ots=NWPHRDADx7&sig=eKzZ91wGICqbENZ5RSHCuYri42Y&hl=en&ei=4h1TTJXXB4WmsQOR6LzRBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCgQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false p. 45-46.

[58] 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.

[59] Essex County Council, Essex Record Office, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1LX, England. Research completed 26 Apr 1990, Order No. GS 99/90 for 3 hrs, Halstead Parish Register, burials 1608 to 1639. Nine deaths of French in Halstead between 1608 and 1639.

[60] Essex County Council, Essex Record Office, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1LX, England. Research completed in 1989, document ref. E.R.O. GS 207/89, dated 9 August 1989, of all Halstead baptisms between 1617-1650, and all burials 1564-1607. No French was born between 1617 and 1650 in Halstead. Only two deaths were recorded in Halstead between 1564 and 1607, a William and John, both in the year 1604.

[61] Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, Essex County, England. Unpublished typescript Calendar of Essex Quarter Sessions Rolls, Q/SR 199/127, 4 June 1612 recognizance (i.e. bond) given by William Frenche weaver, Thomas Pilgryme weaver, and William Baylyfe alias Smith tailor, all of Halstead. William Frenche to keep the peace towards Richard Harrold. This info was received in a letter from Frederick G. Emmison, Chelmsford, England, listing Essex Record Office Manorial Records, 1989.

[62] Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, Essex County, England, work done by Dr. Emmison. No French records in the Manorial Records of Halstead for the Manor of Abells, D/Dvz 8, which are not the earliest records for this manor, Court Roll 1631-1656. No French records in the Manorial Records of Halstead for the Manor of Stanstead, Court Roll, 1637-1651 which is the earliest record for this manor. No French records in the Manorial Records of Halstead for the Manor Bois Hall alias Dynes Hall in Halstead, for which there are no relevant court rolls, but there is a single Rental, 1603: D/DVz 83; also a survey (not a map) or small booklet of early extracts from the court rolls, 1557-1584: D/DVz 84, for which there are no French references.

[63] Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, work done by Dr. Emmison, May 1989. Unpublished typescript Calendar of Essex Quarter Sessions Rolls, Q/SR 136/19. 1596/7 January. Presentment for parish of Halstead. That there is a little footbridge leading from Earls Colne (2 miles southeast from Halstead) to Halstead that is carried away with a flood, and we have heard it is in question between Mr. Little and Mr. Frenche which of them shall make the bridge. This proves that the Frenches lived in close proximity to Earls Colne, the town where Roger Harlakeden lived who sailed with a William French on the Defence, to America.

[64] Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, work done by Dr. Emmison, May 1989. Unpublished typescript Calendar of Essex Quarter Sessions Rolls, Q/SR 329/29. 1646. Presentment for parish of Halstead by the surveyors of the highways of all such as have peremptorily refused to do their duties [in maintaining the roads]. Landowners [8 names] include Mr. Frenche. [Each fined 40 shillings.]

[65] Essex County Council, Essex Record Office, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1LX, England. Research completed 13 Jun 1990, document ref. E.R.O. GS 149/90, burials in Halstead, 1639-1650, only one surname French, 26 Jan 1641, the child of Thomas French. Marriages 1564-1650 (5 total). Earls Colne Parish Register, Baptisms 1628-1635. None of surname French. Private research also done on names Greenstreet and Leete.

[66] Halstead Town Guide and Street Plan, 1985. Greenstead Green lies two miles off the main A604 just southeast of Halstead on the Colchester side of town, immediately south of Stanstead Hall. Leete could stand for leet, a territorial division, a manorial court, or its jurisdiction. It might mean the manor estate where perhaps William was an employee or tenant directly under the lord of the manor.

[67] Bures Saint Mary Parish Register. This register has never been published.

[68] A Genealogical History of the French and Allied Families, by Mary Queal Beyer, 1909. Her research on William of 1603 indicates the incorrect family who immigrated to MA. The correct William French was christened in 1605/6.

[69] Essex Record Office, Chelmsford R2/35/20.

[70] Mara French’s trips to England, August 1985 and May 1989. Also trip to England in Jun 2010.

[71] Boyd’s Marriage Index shows a William French, m. Ann Stevens at Halstead, 1622. Also a John French, m. Joan Siday at Great Tey in 1631. Also, a John French m. Jane Pratt at Halstead in 1631.

[72] This is the only Richard French from Halstead. An emigrant named Richard French is listed in [17] as coming from Coggeshall (south of Halstead) to Concord and Cambridge, MA according to Middlesex Court Records. No date given.

[73] Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England, 1620-1650, by Charles Edward Banks, 1963.

[74] A William French is listed in [17] as an emigrant from Halstead on ship Francis to Cambridge, MA, ref. N.E.G.R. 44/367.

[75] Essex County Council, Essex Record Office, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1LX, England. Research completed on 7 Aug 1990 of all baptism, marriage, and burial records of Gosfield, Essex, England, 1538 to 1650. Also a Mary French m. Thomas Person on 12 Dec 1649.

[76] Undetermined Frenches: A William French, widower, of Halstead, m. Anne Stevens, widow, on 13 May 1622. A William French, widower, of Halstead, m. Anne Bland, widow, on 18 Feb 1640. An Anne French, widow, the wife of William French from The Leete, d. 7 Jul 1623. (The first and third Ann listed here could be the same person.) Elizabeth French, d. 5 Apr 1625, widowe from The Leete. Presently there is no area named The Leete.

[77] Essex County Council, Essex Record Office, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1LX, England. Research completed on 27 Sep 1990, order number GS252/90, Halstead baptisms 1650-1669, 1686-1700; marriages 1653-58, 1662-88, 1695-1700; burials, 1653-73. No register survives for intervening periods.

[78] Boyd’s Marriage Index for Essex, FFA E004.

[79] Essex County Council, Essex Record Office, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1LX, England. Research completed 26 Apr 1990, Order No. GS 99/90 for 3 hrs, Halstead Parish Register, burials 1608 to 1639. Nine deaths of French in Halstead between 1608 and 1639. Parish Records of Halstead and Gosfield (never before published) researched by Jane Smith at the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, England, 1990.

The word “gent” or “Mr.” or “Esquire” is used for Thomas French of Stanstead Hall in Halstead, FFA Chart #EB, because he owned land.

Since all of the following baptisms in Halstead are fathered by 3 men (Christopher, William, and Thomas), it seems as though these 3 men could be brothers since these births all occur between 1582 and 1611. The chart number is listed at the end of each line. Updated list of these parish records.

[80] J. Michael Frost, email: frostinaz@cox.net

[81] From Ref. [24]:

There was an outbreak of the bubonic plague in England around the year 1603. See:

http://www.william-shakespeare.info/bubonic-black-plague-elizabethan-era.htm

Information about the Spread of the Elizabethan Black Death or the Bubonic Plague in Elizabethan England

There were repeated outbreaks of the disease during the Elizabethan era and these outbreaks were often transmitted by the fleas that lived on rodents and animals, especially rats. Contrary to popular belief it was not just the people who lived in the towns who were at risk of catching the Black Death or Bubonic Plague. Elizabethan farmers and retailers of farm produce, such as animal hides, were in constant danger of contracting the Bubonic plague (Black Death) and this was a deadly consequence of their job. The disease could also be air bound and transmitted from an infected person's breath.  A devastating outbreak of the Elizabethan plague occurred in 1563 claiming 80,000 people in England. The cause of the Bubonic plague (Black Death) was unknown during the Elizabethan era so people were not in the position to take proper care or adequate precautions. Inadequate hygiene standards added to the problem and spread of the disease

Information about the Spread of the Black Death / Bubonic Plague in Elizabethan London

In 1563, in London alone, over 20,000 people died of the disease. This particular epidemic claimed between a quarter and a third of the total Elizabethan London population. Statistics show that 1000 people died weekly in mid August 1600 per week in September, and 1800 per week in October. The Elizabethan City of London was filthy. It's population was growing continuously with poor people moving from the country to London in search of work. There was a total lack of a structured sewage system in Elizabethan London. All of the waste was just dumped into the River Thames. The River Thames is a tidal river and, as such, it would have acted like a natural sewer. But even so terrible epidemics of Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) during the Elizabethan period still occurred. The spread was aided by the River Thames and its boats which were used as the major form of transport in Elizabethan London. The London streets were dark, narrow and dangerous and slow to travel through. Everyone used the river to move about and each London Elizabethan would have come into contact with the everyday presence of the dirt and the rats. A perfect vehicle for ensuring the spread of the disease in Elizabethan London. An Elizabethan London who did not understand how the Bubonic plague (Black Death) was spread...

Queen Elizabeth - Information about containing the Spread of the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague during the Elizabethan era

There was nowhere to hide from the disease and no one was safe, not even the monarch. Queen Elizabeth was terrified of the disease and implemented quarantine measures to try to ensure the safety of herself and her courtiers. When the Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) broke out in London in 1563, Queen Elizabeth I moved her court to Windsor Castle where she erected gallows and ordered that anyone coming from London was to be hanged - so great was the fear of the plague and avoiding any spread of it to her court. Queen Elizabeth I also prohibited the import of foreign goods as a measure to prevent the spread of the disease to the Elizabethan court.

Information about the Closure of the Elizabethan Globe Theater due the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague

There were three very serious outbreaks of the disease which led to the closure of all places of Elizabethan entertainment, including the Globe Theater. These occurred in 1593, 1603 and 1608. The impact of closure must have been extremely frightening, not to mention the threat of the Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) itself. There would have been no money coming into the theater companies and therefore no money for the Elizabethan actors. It would not have been certain when it would be safe for the theaters to re-open. And there would have been the constant fear of contacting the Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) or seeing friends and family dying from the deadly disease. The Elizabethan era was truly a dangerous time. The spread of the disease continued.

Information about the Symptoms of the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague

The symptoms associated with the disease were, and are, painful swellings (bubos) of the lymph nodes. These swellings, symptoms of the deadly plague, would appear in the armpits, legs, neck, or groin. Victims also suffered a very high fever, delirium, the victim begins to vomit, muscular pains, bleeding in the lungs and mental disorientation. The illness also produced in the victim an intense desire to sleep, which, if yielded to, quickly proved fatal. It was no wonder that the Black Death or Bubonic Plague was so feared by the people of the Elizabethan era.

The Elizabethan Medical Treatment of the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague

 The main reasons for the 14th century pandemic effect and spread of the virus was the poor hygiene and the massive number of infected rodents. The Bubonic plague (Black Death) was always caught or spread from an infected animal or person. The victims would often die within two to four days. A frightening and swift end to life. A really effective medical treatment and cure for the Bubonic plague (Black Death) was impossible during the Elizabethan and later periods of history. Some elements of quarantine were introduced but usually by the time that this was instigated the deadly disease had already struck. Elizabethan Pesthouses were established, a few miles away from the infected areas, where the victims would be sent. But the spread of the disease still continued...

 [82] Apparently some Frenches remained in Essex as Boyd's Marriage Index shows:

1777 Wm FRENCH & Susan SUTTON, Prittlewell

1777 Wm FRENCH & Mary KENDALL, Sible Hedingham

1779 Wm FRENCH & Elizabeth BRIGHT, High Easter

1784 Wm FRENCH & Rebecca REEVE, Gt Chesterford

1785 Wm FRENCH & Sarah BISHOP, Wakes Colne

1786 Wm FRENCH & Jane CLARK, Bocking

1788 Wm FRENCH & Mary SULLINS, Gt Chesterford

1801 Henry FRENCH & Mary JONSON, Easthorpe

1802 Joseph FRENCH & Ann MARTIN, Chelmsford

1802 Sarah FRENCH & George CLERK, Birdbrook

1803 Sarah FRENCH & Thomas STAMMERS, Halstead

1803 James FRENCH & Sarah STILES, Chelmsford

1803 William FRENCH & Susannah HOWARD, Halstead

1804 Joseph FRENCH & Mary UNMAN, Southminster

1805 William FRENCH & Elizabeth SENDERS, Southminster

1807 Sarah FRENCH & Thomas WESTWOOD, Chelmsford

1807 Wm FRENCH & Jane POTS, Bocking

1808 John FRENCH & Sarah DIXON, Chelmsford

1811 John FRENCH & Mary PITT, Burnham

1813 Joseph FRENCH & Hannah CHANDLER, Alphanstone

1817 William FRENCH & Mary WOMBWELL, Bocking

1818 William FRENCH & Mary CONSTABLE, Wakes Colne

1818 John FRENCH & Sarah REEVE, Gt Chesterford

1818 Joseph FRENCH & Sarah POTTER, Halstead

1819 John FRENCH & Ann BUTCHER, Birdbrook

1820 Samuel FRENCH & Mary PATTEN, Wakes Colne

[83] Early Court Records in Essex of Frenche (with an “e”) in Halstead.

1593, Q/SR 126/59 – Thomas Frenche, John Holstead, John Coggeshall, John Watson, Geoffry Little, and Robert Dod.

1586, Q/SR 97/12 – John French of Pentlow (now in Suffolk County)

1644, Q/SR 322/57 – Robert Frenche of Gosfield

1585, Q/SR 93/6 – Richard Frenche of Steeple Bumpstead

1621, Q/SR 233/81 – Richard Frenche of Steeple Bumpstead

1617, Q/SR 218/45 – William Frenche, weaver, of Halstead

1585, Q/SR 95/8 – Richard Frenche of Steeple Bumpstead

1588, Q/SR 106/8 – Thomas Frenche of Steeple Bumpstead

1587, Q/SR 102/81 – Richard Frenche of Steeple Bumpstead

1595, Q/SR 131/2-5 – Thomas Frenche and William Sewell of Halstead

[84] Revd. Geoff Bayliss, Vicar of St. Catherine’s Church in Gosfield in 2010, The Vicarage Church Road, Gosfield, Essex CO9 1UD, g.bayliss41@btinternet.com. He is also the Vicar of St. James The Great parish church in Greenstead Green.

[85] Migration and the Origins of the English Atlantic World, by Alison Games, in the article on p. 45, website: http://books.google.com/books?id=kFWBQbCMMZUC&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=%22Roger+Harlakenden%22+%2B%22Earls+Colne%22+%2BDefence&source=bl&ots=NWPHRDADx7&sig=eKzZ91wGICqbENZ5RSHCuYri42Y&hl=en&ei=4h1TTJXXB4WmsQOR6LzRBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCgQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false

[86] Genealogical gleanings in England, Volume 1, by Henry Fitz=Gilbert Waters, p. 826, website: http://books.google.com/books?id=CaNCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA826&lpg=PA826&dq=%22Randall+Symmes%22&source=bl&ots=yY796cDMpu&sig=xAlmZ09RytEsSyEIg6Aupwa6b80&hl=en&ei=vMykTPn4NpS-sQOWjM3-Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22Randall%20Symmes%22&f=false.

[87] BLANK

[88] BLANK

[89] There is a record of “a” William French who married Elizabeth Cannon 16 Aug 1625 at London (by lie) according to the parish registers of St. Anthonlin, Budge Row, London [33] (below). Could this be the William and Elizabeth who had son Francis French? We do not know.

“An” Elizabeth Cannon was of Colchester, Essex, and was married to Lawrence Cannon when she wrote her will on 26 May 1686. D/ABW 72/33. No children are mentioned in her will; only her husband Lawrence is mentioned. This Elizabeth Cannon is a different person from the one mentioned above because her maiden name was obviously not Cannon. (below)

There is a record of a William French bapt. 15 Dec 1605, son of Andrew, at St. James at Clerkenwell, London (in Middlesex) [5] [19]. Most likely he is not the same William as this chart, so this entry is considered not feasible.

[90] The Antiquary, Volume 31, edited by Edward Walford, John Charles Cox, and George Latimer Apperson. Jim Franklin of Brazen Head Farm in Great Bardfield, a retired farmer, died 21 Jun 2001. Frenches, otherwise known as King’s Farm, an off-license beerhouse at Great Bardfield on 45 acres next to Brazenhead Farm in Lindsell, 304 acres, was sold in 1905, SALE/B 1478 Sale Catalogue in SEAX.

The name Brazen Head is called this from a large lion's head of brass which was affixed to the outer gate. This leonine door knocker which gave the farm its name is now exhibited in the British Museum.

[91] William French’s family in New England: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mroman/french.htm

[92] Wakes Colne 1871 Census

Ann French	74	Cornard, Suffolk, England	Head	Wakes Colne	Essex
Ann French	48	Mount Bures, Essex, England	Head	Wakes Colne	Essex
Earnest E French	3 months	Colchester, Essex, England	Grandson	Wakes Colne	Essex
Elisha C French	14	Wakes Colne, Essex, England	Son	Wakes Colne	Essex
Eliza French	15	Wakes Colne, Essex, England		Wakes Colne	Essex
Henry French	20	Mount Bures, Essex, England	Son	Wakes Colne	Essex
Joseph French	70	Wakes Colne, Essex, England	Lodger	Wakes Colne	Essex
Louisa French	18	Mount Bures, Essex, England	Daughter	Wakes Colne	Essex
Marthia French	10	Mount Bures, Essex, England	Daughter	Wakes Colne	Essex
Mary French	77	Wakes Colne, Essex, England	Mother	Wakes Colne	Essex
Peter French	40	Wakes Colne, Essex, England	Head	Wakes Colne	Essex
Sophia French	38	Bures Hamlott, Essex, England	Wife	Wakes Colne	Essex
William French	11	Wakes Colne, Essex, England	Son	Wakes Colne	Essex

[93] Q/SR 257/72, 1 Apr 1627, Certificate from the inhabitants of Twinstead that Henry Stamer of the same has behaved himself very honestly, industriously and peaceably among them.

Signatures and marke of: Isaac Wyncoll, Charles Spiller, Elias Boutel, Daniel Strutt, John Lee, Peter Andrewe, John Cole, Thomas Kemp, John Harroud, Henry Lasel junior, Robert Garlop, John Mickelfilde. Endorsed by the inhabitants of "Pedmarsh" near adjoining that they never heard to the contrary but that the said Henry was a very honest peaceable man in his carriage. Thomas Cook, Thomas Cross, Rector of the church there, Henry Meriton, Robert Thomson, William Leffingwell, John Mathewe, William Lorkin, William PRENCH, George Simsonn, William Barber.

Perhaps Prench should be French. I found no other surname Prench whatsoever in the SEAX. This could mean that the William French who had children Jacob and Thomas in Twinstead in 1606-1607 was still living there in 1627 and never moved to Halstead at all.