Author DFrench
Reice Bodurtha, my 8th paternal great-grandfather, was born in 1621 in Wales and married Blanche Lewis in 1646 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Together, they had four children (John (died at birth), John, Joseph, Samuel) during their marriage. In 1645, he was… Continue Reading →
Benanuel and Jerathmeel Bowers (Ben and Jerry) Warning: this story contains references to fornication, moonshine, corporal punishment and jail. (Good, now that I have your attention – Read on!) My 7th paternal great-grandfather, Jerathmeel Bowers, was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts… Continue Reading →
The gravestone of my paternal 9th great-grandfather Robert Harrington notes he was born in 1616 in Somerset, England and died in 1707 in Watertown, Massachusetts at the impressive age of 91! Robert came to New England on the ship Elizabeth… Continue Reading →
Fendrich Family (3 children not pictured) The following is a brief post on Vaclav and Anna (Voboril) Fendrich and their daughter Katerina. Vaclav and Anna are my daughter’s maternal 3rd great-grandparents. Included are a copy of Anna’s obituary and Katerina’s… Continue Reading →
On May 11, 1917, my paternal grandfather, George Bradley French (1898-1983) sailed to London as a Private in the American Expeditionary Force assigned to U.S. Army Base Hospital No. 5, referred to as the Harvard University Base Hospital Unit. Base… Continue Reading →
On April 25, 1898 the United States declared war on Spain following the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. A quest for adventure and patriotism spurred over three thousand four hundred men Connecticut men… Continue Reading →
Margaret Stilson, the granddaughter of John Brown (Samoset and John Brown – Maine), was born in 1679 in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Margaret, my 7 paternal great-grandmother, married William Hilton III on June 2, 1699. They had one child, Benjamin, during their… Continue Reading →
It all started, quite innocently while researching a friend’s family history. I came across the tragic death, by suicide, of Lucey Martelina (Toluca, Illinois). I learned that the means, ingesting rat poison, was a popular and common way to end… Continue Reading →
On July 15, 1625, my 10th great paternal grandfather, John Brown of New Harbor, Maine, was the beneficiary of what was likely the first land sale transaction between the Native Americans and the colonists. John Brown was deeded 12,000 acres… Continue Reading →
