See also

Family of William S * FRENCH and Elizabeth * GODFREY SYMMES

Husband: William S * FRENCH (1605-1681)
Wife: Elizabeth * GODFREY SYMMES (1605-1668)
Children: Francis FRENCH (c. 1625- )
Elizabeth FRENCH (c. 1629- )
Mary * FRENCH (1633-1672)
John FRENCH (1635- )
Sarah FRENCH (1638- )
Jacob FRENCH (1639- )
Hannah FRENCH (1641- )
Hannah FRENCH (1643- )
Samuel FRENCH (1645- )
FRENCH ( - )
Marriage 1623 Halstead, Essex, England1

Husband: William S * FRENCH

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William S * FRENCH

Name: William S * FRENCH
Sex: Male
Father: -
Mother: -
Birth 24 Mar 1605 Halstead, Essex, England
Immigration 8 Oct 1635 (age 30) to Boston, Middlesex, MA, US
Arrived on the vessel Defence
Occupation Captain
Death 20 Nov 1681 (age 76) Billerica, Middlesex, MA, US2
Burial Old South Burying Ground
Billerica, Middlesex, MA, US

Wife: Elizabeth * GODFREY SYMMES

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Elizabeth * GODFREY SYMMES

Name: Elizabeth * GODFREY SYMMES
Sex: Female
Father: William * SYMMES (1570-1627)
Mother: Elizabeth * OLIVER (1575- )
Birth 1605 Cambridge, Middlesex, MA, US3
Immigration 8 Oct 1635 (age 29-30) to Boston, Middlesex, MA, US from England4
Arrived on the vessel Defence
Death 31 Mar 1668 (age 62-63) Billerica, Middlesex, MA, US2
Burial Old South Burying Ground
Billerica, Middlesex, MA, US

Child 1: Francis FRENCH

Name: Francis FRENCH
Sex: Male
Birth 1625 (est)

Child 2: Elizabeth FRENCH

Name: Elizabeth FRENCH
Sex: Female
Birth 1629 (est)

Child 3: Mary * FRENCH

Name: Mary * FRENCH
Sex: Female
Spouse: Jonathan * HYDE (1626-1711)
Birth Jan 1633 England3
Immigration 1635 (age 1-2) to Boston, Middlesex, MA, US
Death 27 May 1672 (age 39) Cambridge, Middlesex, MA, US5

Child 4: John FRENCH

Name: John FRENCH
Sex: Male
Birth 1635

Child 5: Sarah FRENCH

Name: Sarah FRENCH
Sex: Female
Birth Jan 1638

Child 6: Jacob FRENCH

Name: Jacob FRENCH
Sex: Male
Birth 16 Nov 1639

Child 7: Hannah FRENCH

Name: Hannah FRENCH
Sex: Female
Birth 1641

Child 8: Hannah FRENCH

Name: Hannah FRENCH
Sex: Female
Birth 1643

Child 9: Samuel FRENCH

Name: Samuel FRENCH
Sex: Male
Birth 1645

Child 10: FRENCH

Name: FRENCH
Sex: Unknown

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"US New England Marriages prior to 1700".
2"MA Town Death Records".
3Edmund West, "Family Data Collection - Births" (Provo, UT 2001).
4"Passenger and Immigrations Lists Index 1500-1900".
5"MA Town and Vital Records 1620-1988 Record".