Author DFrench
John Cotton, my 9th paternal great-grandfather, was born in 1585 in Derby, England and died in 1652 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was, according to many accounts, the preeminent clergyman and theologian of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Cotton studied five years… Continue Reading →
In 2017, I had the chance to see my great-grandmother Mary “Minnie” MacEachern French for the first-time! Thanks to the genealogical community and an exchange of emails, I was able to learn a little more about her life and see… Continue Reading →
Two of my posts highlighted relatives who lived in New England in the mid-1700’s. They describe how my 8th great-grandfather Humphrey Atherton persecuted Quakers while my 7th great-grandfather’s step-brother, Benanuel Bowers was persecuted for being a Quaker. Researching and writing… Continue Reading →
Humphrey Atherton (1608-1661) is my paternal eighth great-grandfather. At the time of his death he was considered a powerful leader who was very active in the political affairs of the colony. However, through the lens of history, his persecution of… Continue Reading →
In 1641, Massachusetts was the first colony to legalize slavery and was a center for the slave trade throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The 1754 slave census listed more than 2,720 slaves in Massachusetts. 1754 – Billerica reported eight… Continue Reading →
Nathaniel Hillyer Eggleston was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 7, 1822. Nathaniel is the nephew of my 5 great-grandparent Orrin Eggleston (1783-1870). Nathaniel graduated from Yale College in 1840 and Yale Seminary (now Yale Divinity School) in 1843. He… Continue Reading →
Part of the joy of conducting genealogical research is the unexpected. Sometimes that comes from finding a interesting passage in an old book that has been digitized by Google, a blog post that leads you in a new direction or… Continue Reading →
In researching Robert Lord Jr., my 9 great-grandfather who resided in Ipswich, Massachusetts, I came across an account regarding the death of his son Joseph (1638-1677). The account read, “upon the death of Joseph, son of Robert Lord Sr., of… Continue Reading →
Robert Lord Jr., my 9 great-grandfather, was born in Sudbury, Suffolk, England in 1603. Robert arrived in Massachusetts in 1634/5 with his wife Mary Waite and four children. He took the freeman’s oath (example below) at Boston in 1636. Robert… Continue Reading →
U.S. House of Representatives – Mr. Walter H. French, of Boston Mass., who has been appointed Journal Clerk in place of Mr. Smith, who resigned, took his place today. May 1, 1876 – Alexandria Gazette (Virginia) Walter Henry French Jr…. Continue Reading →
