Which Abram Are You?

Between 1803
and 1815, three sets of parents named three babies Abram French.  They
were born within 25 miles of each other in the Boston region of Massachusetts
and lived most of their lives in close proximity.  One became a crockery
merchant in Boston, another the owner of a leather making factory in Framingham
and the third was a clothing merchant in Lowell.  All were very successful
businessmen in the early-mid 1800’s.

While doing
genealogical research, a common name or geographic location can often create a
roadblock or confusion.  In this case, I have a clear genealogical record
of Abram French, my 3rd great-grand father.  However, I kept coming across
the other Abram’s and wondered if they might be related and/or did they know
each other?   It is also fun to imagine that they might have been in
the same place at the same time together.  Below is a brief snippet about
each Abram.

(My) Abram French – Born in 1803 in Billerica, Massachusetts the son of Luther French and Sarah Bowers.  Married Elizabeth Simonds.  He died at Lowell, Massachusetts in April 11, 1879.

I have written about Abram previously, you can read a post on his life and also a separate story about his brother Walter who died in a train crash in Connecticut.

Abram French – Born in
1815 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts to Ephraim French and Rebecca Abrams. 
Abram married Sophia Cobb and had 8 children. He died in May 1884 in Jamaica
Plain, Massachusetts.  Abram was a very successful crockery, glassware and
china dealer in Boston.  This Abram is related to my Abram through their
common 4th great grandfather William French (1603-1681)!

Boston and Bostonians – Abram French & Co. – “One of the finest and
undoubtedly one of the most extensive establishments in this line of trade on
the American continent is the old established.  Leading Manufactures and
Merchants of the City of Boston, 1885.”

Abram
Stickney French – Born in 1809 in Boston,
Massachusetts to Abram French and Elizabeth Kidder.    Abram
married Lois Page Richardson and had 4 children. He died in March 1896 in
Townsend, Massachusetts.

At this time,
I can find no genealogical connection between this Abram S. and my French
family line.  However, his wife was from Billerica where another Kidder, a
generation prior, had married someone in my family line.  For now, I will
leave Abram S. in the possible column!

Abram S. made one or two voyages to the West Indies as a cabin-boy, but not being pleased with a maritime life he was sent to New Ipswich Academy, where he acquired a good education. He preferred a business life rather than to pursue a course of studies with the view to enter upon one of the learned professions.

In 1833, he
built a morocco factory on the brook running northeasterly from Bayberry Hill
(Framingham), near its confluence with the river, and near where James Giles
built his sawmill. This establishment was in successful operation for twenty
years, employing constantly ten or twelve workmen; and considering the length
of time the business was prosecuted, it must have been a source of wealth to
the proprietor.

Morocco
leather is made from goatskin, it is tougher than sheep or cow skin, and its
denser texture makes it more suitable for being worked into a variety of
products. To produce the distinctive red Morocco color, the untanned but cured
leather is soaked in a dye made from dried insects.

In 1853, he
went to Lockport, NY. and stocked a tannery, where he carried on business
successfully with a partner, to whom he sold his interest in the business in
1858, and removed to Wellsville, N. Y., and built an extensive tannery, and
pursued that branch of industry for several years, doing a large and profitable
business. Partially losing his health, and seeing a good chance to sell out, he
disposed of this factory and its stock in trade and retired from business in
1864.

Mr. French
has always been fond of books, which, during the days of bad health, have been
a source of pleasure to him. He has a retentive memory is well posted on
historical matters and possesses a large amount of miscellaneous information.
He gives liberally to the poor, and enjoys life at his advanced age in a
remarkable manner. He is a member of the Republican Party, and in 1861-62 he
represented the Twenty-seventh District (Ashby and Townsend) in the General
Court.

Source: (Abram S. French) History of the Town of Townsend, Middlesex County, Massachusetts: From the Grant of Hathorn’s Farm, 1676-187