Mr. Amos French belonged to the class of men who made their way into the world unaided, and without encouragement of any kind. He was in every respect a self-made man and the success which he secured in his years later was the fruit of his own persevering effort and stern self-denial.

( the History of Lowell”)

(Edited excerpt from the History of Lowell) Mr. Amos B. French was born in Billerica, July 3, 1812, and died in Lowell, March 23, 1890. Mr. French was descended from a family whose members were among the early colonial settlers. His common ancestor in this country was Lieutenant William French, who arrived here in 1635, and was elected the first Representative of the town of Billerica in 1663-64. Amos received his early education in the country schools of his native place, and came to Lowell at the age of 11 years to engage in business. At different times he was employed by the manufacturing companies of Lowell, and in 1835 was the keeper of a restaurant. He afterwards engaged in the crockery business with Mr. Puffer, under the firm name of French & Puffer, in which business he continued for twenty-seven years.

Amos served the city as member of the Board of Aldermen in 1870-71. At the time of his death he was a Director of the First National Bank, a Director of the Lowell Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and a Trustee of the Lowell Institution for Savings.

I recently came across a much more detailed story about the life of Amos, he had a very interesting and, some might say, sweet career. Amos B. French – The story is contained in a book entitled, Twirling Jennies: A History of Social Dance in the City of Spindles by Ruth Evans”

“(Josiah) French was one of the most highly respected businessmen and citizens of his day. He was known for his generosity and financial acumen.”

French Estate

The Winnipesaukee Water War and the 1859 Fight for NH Property Rights (Article posted by the New England Historical Society) Great article about this long running New England water war – “On Sept 28, 1859, James Worster led 50 angry farmers, mill operators, loggers and laborers in a vain effort to destroy a 250-foot dam that controlled the outflow of Lake Winnipesaukee. The dam regulated how much water flowed into the Merrimack River and powered the cotton cards, the spinning frames and the power looms of the enormous textile mills in Lowell and Lawrence, Mass. It was just one battle in the Winnipesaukee water war that had gone on for years.”

…. “When the men showed up, the sheriff arrived and sent them away. Undeterred, they came back in the afternoon and began removing the planking. The Lake Company’s agent, Josiah French, and his assistant tried to stop them. In the course of the struggle, French’s assistant struck one of the men on the hand with an iron bar. Some of them tried to push French off the dam. The dam attackers left again, only to return around nightfall with a larger crowd. Worster arrived with the 50 men wielding axes and iron bars. They came from as far away as Concord. And they brought with them a law enforcement officer who arrested French and his assistant for assault and battery.” …. “French was then sued for assault because he’d clubbed a rioter’s hand with an iron bar. A jury acquitted him.”

Comments, edits and suggestions are welcome!

Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved by David R. French

(Story from History of Lowell, Mass., content edited)

Among the men who were prominently identified with the early history of Lowell, few are more entitled to be held in respectful remembrance than Mr. Abram French.  Mr. French was the fifth in a family of eleven children.  He was born in Billerica, Mass., Dec. 13, 1803, and died at Lowell, April 11, 1879. 

Abram was descended from Lieut. William French, who was born in England in 1604.  He married in England, came to New England aboard the “Defense” in 1635, and died Nov. 20, 1681.  From this ancestor the line of descent runs as follows:

• Jacob French was born January 16, 1639-40, married Mary Champney, Sept. 20, 1665, and died May 20, 1713.

• William French was born July, 1668, married Sarah Danforth, May 22, 1695, and died Sept. 30, 1723.

• Ebenezer French was born August 5, 1707, married Elizabeth Hill, Aug. 27, 1729, and died Dec. 31, 1791.     

• Jesse French was born April 6, 1739, and married Abigail Jaquith, April 14, 1761.

• Luther French was born in Fitchburg, MA on September 25, 1767, married Sarah Bowers, Aug. 28, 1796, and died in Lowell, March 15, 1846.

Mr. (Abram) French received his education in the public schools of his native town, and went out of school assisted his father in the work of the farm.  At the age of 17, he went to Lexington, Mass., where he was employed in a general country store for a few years, after which he went into the dry goods business in East Lexington for himself.  In 1835, he came to Lowell and was identified with business interests here for the greater part of his life.

Mr. French, in early manhood was a stanch Democrat, became a member of the Free Soil Party during the struggle between the north and south, and attended the Free Soil Convention at Buffalo in 1848.  On the formation of the Republican Party he joined that party and remained a Republican till his death.

During the anti-slavery agitation he was active in the movement in Lowell, and was strongly in favor of abolition, and so deep was the impression of those trying times that his sympathy for the colored race remained always true and steadfast.  Though taking an active interest in public affairs, he never sought office.  He was a member of the Common Council in 1852 and 1853, and afterward of the School Board for a number of years.  He early joined the Free Masons, and was a member of Pilgrim Commandery of Knights Templar.  He filled various positions of trust and was a Trustee of the City Institution for Savings, and a Director of the Lowell Mutual Fire Insurance Company for many years.

In religious belief he was a Unitarian from boyhood, and was a constant attendant at the Church of the First Unitarian Society of Lowell.  Mr. French was twice married; first, on July 21, 1831, to Elizabeth Simonds, of Lexington, Mass., and second, on Nov. 20, 1855, to Alice Dean of Providence, R.I.  By his first wife he had: Charles A., born April 18, 1832; who married Elizabeth M. Holbrook, of Boston; Elizabeth, born July 7, 1834, who married Charles Darrow, of Boston; James O., born Jan. 5, 1838, who died in childhood; George W., born March 8, 1840, who married Jennie S. Hall, of Boston; and Horace E., born Feb. 24, 1843, who married Laura M. Foster, of Medford. By his second wife he had: Alice, born Sept. 3, 1856, who married Frederic P. Spalding, of Lowell; Gertrude, born Nov. 29, 1857; and Anna, born Sept. 20, 1859, both of whom died in childhood.

For many years he was a merchant tailor, occupying a building on Central Street, which he purchased from the Middlesex Mills Company in 1841.  During his ownership the Appleton Bank was one of his tenants, several prominent professional men occupied offices in the building, and Mr. French’s store was a rendezvous for many men who afterwards rose to distinction in the Democratic Party.  In 1849, he sold the building to the Appleton Bank, intending to remain as a tenant, but a long delay in rebuilding caused him to change his plans, and later he went into the retail clothing business, under the American House Hotel, from which he retired in 1868.

Additional Posts about Abram:

Priceless – Abram French

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