Family of William S * FRENCH and Mary LOTHROP

Husband:	William S * FRENCH (1605-1681)
Wife:	Mary LOTHROP (c. 1630- )
Children:	Mary FRENCH (1670- )
	Sarah FRENCH (1671- )
	Abigail FRENCH (1673- )
	Hannah FRENCH (1676- )
Marriage	6 May 1669

Husband: William S * FRENCH

Wife: Mary LOTHROP

Name:	Mary LOTHROP
Sex:	Female
Father:	-
Mother:	-
Birth	1630 (est)

Child 1: Mary FRENCH

Name:	Mary FRENCH
Sex:	Female
Birth	3 Apr 1670

Child 2: Sarah FRENCH

Name:	Sarah FRENCH
Sex:	Female
Birth	19 Oct 1671

Child 3: Abigail FRENCH

Name:	Abigail FRENCH
Sex:	Female
Birth	14 Apr 1673

Child 4: Hannah FRENCH

Name:	Hannah FRENCH
Sex:	Female
Birth	25 Jan 1676

Note on Husband: William S * FRENCH

There are many discrepancies regarding William's parentage, so it is best not to speculate.

 

He is an immigrant ancestor who arrived aboard the "Defence", Edward Bostock, Master, which had left England after 18 July 1635 and arrived in Boston 8 October 1635.

 

WILLIAM FRENCH, came to New England in the ship Defence in 1635, with his wife Elizabeth and four children, Francis aged 10, Elizabeth 6, Mary 2 1/2, and John 5 months. William French is entered on the passenger list as servant to Mr. Harlakenden, "no doubt for purposes of deception," Savage says. Emigration at that time was not the unrestricted right of English Puritans. The child John was baptized on their arrival at New Towne (Cambridge) by the Rev. Thomas Hooker, a fellow-passenger whose name does not appear on the shipping list, since his departure, had it been known to the authorities, would no doubt have been prevented.

 

In the French family at Cambridge other children were born: Sarah, Jacob, two Hannahs, a Samuel who died young, and a second Samuel, whose birth is not recorded.

 

William French was made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony the 3rd of March 1635/6, and a member of the Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company in 1638. His home in Cambridge was on what is now the westerly side of Dunster Street about midway between Harvard Square and Mt. Auburn Street. He bought this property in 1639 and sold it to William Barrett June 10th, 1656.

 

Settlement of Billerica (Shawshin) was begun about 1653 and William French was one of the first proprietors. The town was incorporated in 1655 and in the printed account of the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary it is stated (giving as reference Rec. Massachusetts vol. iv, pt. 2, p. 383) that in 1659 Lt. French, for Billerica and Chelmsford, was empowered to join in marriage within those towns or limits such persons as shall desire the same, being authorized by law. In March 1659/60, when the first selectmen (townsmen was the old name) were chosen, he was one of the five. As Lieutenant in the local militia he did garrison duty during King Philip's war.

Sources

1	"MA Town Death Records".