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Descendants of Richard French

Generation No. 2

2. LT. JOSEPH² FRENCH (RICHARD¹, RICHARD^A) was born 1649 in Cambridge, MA, USA ⁷, and died Nov 26, 1732 in Bedford, Middlesex, MA, USA ^8,⁹. He married ELIZABETH KNIGHT Jan 02, 1671/72 in Concord,Middlesex,MA,USA ^10,¹¹, daughter of PHILIP KNIGHT and MARGERY. She was born Abt. 1655 ¹², and died Unknown.

Notes for LT. JOSEPH FRENCH:
Joseph was a soldier during King Philip's War with his brother Samuel stationed at a Lancaster garrison 19 Oct 1675. It is believed he was a young apprentice of Robert Merriam of Concord, a well-to-do planter, for in Mr. Merriam's will he left 20 acres of land to Joseph. Joseph was made a freeman at Concord 22 Mar 1689/90. He was a maltster by profession, a housewright and owned a large farm. Joeseph and Elizabeth lived in the east part of Concord - an area which broke away in 1729 and was politically incorporated as part of Bedford. During the years 1711 and 1712, both Joseph and his Jonathan were among the petitioners for the foundation of of the town of Bedford. Their house was used as a garrison (forty-two feet in length by twenty feet wide) with the upper story overhanging the first floor - located on the north side of the road (near what is now 320 Concord Road in Bedford)., The house today is know as the "Jonathan Woolley Place" This old house stood until 1815 when it was destroyed in a gale storm. The French family were founders and original members of the First Church of the Town of Bedford which was established in 1730.

Joseph's epithet reads: '...His name heads the list of petitioners, May 1st 1728 for the erection of a new Town to be called Bedford and also stands at the head of the laymen who founded the church."

His will was probated 28 May 1733 and showed his estate valued at 403 lbs. He gave his wife his best cow and the best bed and furniture with one-third part of his personal estate with half the dwelling house (being the west end) with upper room chamber and cellar and one-third part of the improved land. To Samuel French he gave five shillings on top of what he had already received by deed. To his son Joseph he gave all lands not disposed of by deed and the responsibility of taking care of his mother's cow and horse and to provide for her. It can then be assumed that Joseph intended his son Joseph to live with his mother in the original house. To his daughters Elizabeth Colburn and Jemima Wheeler he gave each three pounds. To his son Jonathan French he gave five pounds and that which he had received "by deed" as his portion of the estate.

[From the Families of Cavendish, Vol 3: The Cavendish Historical Society]

More About LT. JOSEPH FRENCH:
Burial: 1732, Bedford, Middlesex, MA
Probate: May 28, 1733¹²

More About JOSEPH FRENCH and ELIZABETH KNIGHT:
Marriage: Jan 02, 1671/72, Concord,Middlesex,MA,USA^12,¹³

Child of JOSEPH FRENCH and ELIZABETH KNIGHT is:

JONATHAN³ FRENCH, b. May 08, 1690, Bedford,MA; d. Unknown, Hollis,NH; m. ELIZABETH; b. Unknown; d. Unknown, Hollis,NH.

3. SAMUEL² FRENCH (RICHARD¹, RICHARD^A)¹⁴ was born Jul 13, 1653 in Cambridge,MA^14,¹⁵, and died Jan 11, 1729/30 in Dunstable, MA ¹⁶. He married SARAH CUMMINGS Dec 28, 1682 in Chelmsford,MA ^17,^18,¹⁹, daughter of JOHN CUMMINGS and SARAH HOWLETT. She was born Jan 28, 1660/61 in Cambridge, MA, USA ^20,²¹, and died Bet. 1715 - 1722 in Dunstable,MA ²².

Notes for SAMUEL FRENCH:
Son of Richard and Martha French b. 13 July 1653 [The History of Peter Parker and Sarah Ruggles]

Sometimes referred to as Sergeant Samuel French

Founders of Old Dunstable
He removed to Dunstable about 1680, and married in Chelmsford, December 28, 1682, Sarah Cummings, born January 28, 1661, daughter of John and Sarah (Howlet) Cummings. He lived east of Nutting Hill. He was one of the foundation members of the church, a selectman and an honored citizen. He died November 17, 1757. Eight children.

Samuel was an innkeeper and member of the local miltia. Was involved with military actions against the Indians in the vicinity during his early adulthood.

The History of Peter Parker and Sarah Ruggles pg 207

Samuel French was in garrison at Chelmsford 24 July 1676, his probable brother Joseph French was in garrison at Lancaster, Mass., 19 Oct. 1675.

Joseph French d. 26 Nov. 1732 Bedford*, Mass., aged aged 83 y., as Joseph French (Lt.), husband of Elizabeth.

From the Middlesex. Co. Court Records at Cambridge, Samuel French and Sarah Cummings were M. 2 Apr. 1679 at Dunstable.

Samuel French d. 11 Jan. 1729-30 at Dunstable, by Nashua*, N. H., as Samuel son of Joseph and
Elizabeth French; but this son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Cummings) French was b. 10 Aug. 1730,
which is after the death record.

Proof has not been discovered, of the statement found among written authorities that Lieut. Samuel
French, who m. Sarah Cummings, is the son of Lieut. William and 1st wife Elizabeth (Symmes?)
French of Billerica. From the Cambridge Records we find that Samuel, the son of William and
Elizabeth French, was b. 3 Dec. 1645, and bur. 15 July 1646, and no other son by the name of
Samuel was born to William French in Cambridge. But, Page 208 the Cambridge records do show that Richard and Martha French had a son Samuel b. 13 July 1653
as previously shown.

More About SAMUEL FRENCH:
Died 2: Nov 04, 1727, Dunstable,MA
Military service: Local Militia
Occupation: Innkeeper, Dunstable

Notes for SARAH CUMMINGS:
One record has place of Birth as Topsfield, MA

From The Cummings Memorial

iv Sarah, born Jan. 28, 1661, married Dec. 24, 1682, Lieut. Samuel French, son of Lieut. William and Elizabeth French, of Billerica, Mass **** Published in Error. Samuel was the son of Richard and Martha French of Marshfield, per The History of Peter Parker and Sarah Ruggles and The Cavendish Papers, Families of Cavendish, VT ******. He was an early settler of Dunstable and one of those who formed the church there. Their children were born in Dunstable:
1. Sarah, born Feb. 1684.
2. Samuel, born Sept. 10, 1685, died Nov. 4, 1727.
3. Joseph, born Mar. 10, 1687, married Elizabeth Cummings, (4, iii).
4. John, born May 6, 1691. A Lieut. John died in Dunstable Mar. 1761; 7 children born there.
5. Ebenezer, born Apr. 7, 1693. Killed by Indians Sept. 5, 1724, at Naticook, a Lieut. and in command of fourteen men at the time, in pursuit of a party of Indians who had captured two men the night before.
6. Richard, born Apr. 8, 1695.
7. Alice, born Nov. 20, 1699.
8. Jonathan, born Feb. 1, 1704. Dea. Jonathan died Nov. 17, 1757.

The History of Peter Parker and Sarah Ruggles
SARAH, b. 28 Jan. 1661-2 Topsfield* (CT. R.), Mass., as
Sarah, dau. of John Comings; d. (???) 1715-22 Dunstable;
m. Samuel French 26 Dec. 1682 Dunstable, by Nashua*,
N. H.; Sarah Commings of Dunstable, the dau. of Mr.
John Commings m. Samuel French 28 Dec. 1682 Chelmsford*,
Mass.; son of Richard and Martha ( ) French
of Cambridge, Mass.; b. 13 July 1653 Cambridge*, as
Samuel son of Richard and Martha French; d. after 1728.
(Early CT. Files Suff. No. 168) Richard French Lieft. was by deposition aged 27 y. Dated 25 May
1652-3.

From Isaac Cummings Family Association

Cummings, Sarah
Birth : 22 JAN 1660/61 Topsfield, Essex Co., MA
Death : 4 NOV 1724 Dunstable, Middlesex Co., MA
Gender: Female
Parents:

Father: Cummings, John (Comings)
Mother: Howlett, Sarah

More About SARAH CUMMINGS:
Date born 2: Feb 27, 1660/61, Boxfield,MA ²³
Died 2: Nov 04, 1724, Dunstable, MA ²⁴

Marriage Notes for SAMUEL FRENCH and SARAH CUMMINGS:
LDS says married in Dunstable

More About SAMUEL FRENCH and SARAH CUMMINGS:
Marriage 1: Dec 28, 1682, Chelmsford,MA ^25,^26,²⁷
Marriage 2: Apr 02, 1679, Dunstable, MA, USA ²⁸

Children of SAMUEL FRENCH and SARAH CUMMINGS are:

SARAH³ FRENCH, b. Feb 07, 1682/83, Dunstable, MA, USA ²⁹; d. Unknown; m. EBENEZER PARKHURST³⁰, 1734, Chelmsford, Middlesex, MA, USA ³¹; b. 1699; d. Jun 13, 1757, Dunstable, MA.

Notes for SARAH FRENCH:
Vital Records of Chelmsford, MA
PAKHUST (see also Parkhurst), Ebenezer, and Sarah French
of Dunstable, int. Dec. --, 1733.

More About SARAH FRENCH:
Date born 2: Feb 07, 1683/84, Dunstable, MA, USA ³²

Notes for EBENEZER PARKHURST:
A History of the Town of Dunstable pg 77
Ensign EBENEZER PARKHURST came to Dunstable from Chelmsford subsequent to 1726, and settled on the place now occupied by Albert L. and John A. Parkhurst, about a mile south of the centre of the town. He died June 13, 1757, in his fifty-eighth year. The children of Ebenezer and Sarah Parkhurst were, 1. Joseph, born Aug. 30, 1724; 2. Ebenezer, born Jan. 20, 1728; 3. Sarah, born Feb. 21, 1730; 4. Mary, born May 3, 1733; 5. Silas, born Sept. 1, 1737; and 6. Joel, born Aug. 3, 1741. John Spaulding, of Groton, sold to Ebenezer Parkhurst, March 8, 1749, a tract of one hundred and fifty acres of land, bounded in part by Brattle's Farm and lying on Salmon Brook.
pg 270
CHILDREN OF EBENEZER AND SARAH PARKHURST:--Joseph, b. Aug. 30, 1724; Ebenezer,
b. Jan. 20, '28; Sarah, b. Feb. 21, '30; Mary, b. May 3, '33; Silas, b. Sept. 1, '37; Joel, b. Aug. 13,
'41.
Cemetery Inscriptions pg 228
Here lies Buried The Body of Ensign EBENEZER PARKHURST, who Departed This Life June The
13th, 1757, in The 58th Year of his Age.

More About EBENEZER PARKHURST and SARAH FRENCH:
Marriage: 1734, Chelmsford, Middlesex, MA, USA ³³

ii.

SAMUEL FRENCH, b. Sep 10, 1685, Dunstable,MA ³⁴; d. Nov 04, 1727 ³⁵.

Notes for SAMUEL FRENCH:
May have died Nov. 1757

More About SAMUEL FRENCH:
Date born 2: Sep 06, 1685, Dunstable, MA, USA ³⁶

4.	iii.	CAPTAIN JOSEPH FRENCH, b. Mar 10, 1687/88, Dunstable,MA; d. Nov 26, 1732, Bedford, Middlesex, MA, USA.
5.	iv.	JOHN FRENCH, b. May 06, 1691, Dunstable,MA; d. Mar 15, 1761, Dunstable,MA.
6.	v.	EBENEZER FRENCH, b. Apr 07, 1693, Dunstable,MA; d. Sep 05, 1724, Naticook Brook,NH.
	vi.	RICHARD FRENCH, b. Apr 08, 1695³⁶; d. Unknown.
7.	vii.	ALICE FRENCH, b. Nov 20, 1699; d. Unknown.
	viii.	JONATHAN FRENCH, b. Feb 01, 1703/04, Dunstable,MA ³⁷; d. Nov 17, 1757³⁷; m. JANE; b. Unknown; d. Unknown.

Notes for JONATHAN FRENCH:
No children mentioned in his will. He left his property to Oliver Woods, son of his sister Alice. Ref 10 in Bibliography from FFA say he died same day as father or brother Samuel, it would seem more likely that the two brother 's died at the same time.

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