George French (abt. 1830 - 1899)

Born about 1830 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Isabella Clezie — married 21 Feb 1852 in Toronto, Canada West

Descendants

Died 19 Nov 1899 at about age 69 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Biography

George was born about 1830 in England, exact details unknown. His death certificate, 1899 in Ohio, said his parents were Edward French and Mary (?). Can he be identified based on that information?

Records at www.familysearch.org show a George Edward French, baptized 27 Nov 1831 at Stanmore, Essex, son of Edward French and Mary (her surname unknown). That might be him but the evidence is unclear.

The 1841 UK census showed Edward, Mary and family at St. Giles Camberwell, Surrey, with son George, 11. The UK census taken in March, 1851 showed them at St. Mary Lambeth, Surrey, including son George, 21.

I haven’t found definite later records of this George French in the UK. Maybe he emigrated to Canada and married Isabella Clezie at Toronto, in February, 1852? In the absence of clear evidence, I assume that was the case.

The 1852 Canada census at Yorkville, Ontario showed George French was 29 and a "coach foreman". (But that puts his birth about 1822, which differs wildly from other records!)

George married Isabella Clezie at Toronto in 1852. They moved to a farming area near Brantford, Ontario, shown there in the 1861 census.

About 1863-4 they moved again, this time to Ohio, where Isabella's elder brother had gone 10 years earlier. George & Isabella appear to have farmed for a while in a rural area, Mesopotamia Township, in eastern Ohio. A man named George French joined the 125th Ohio Volunteers, an infantry regiment, in 1863-64, towards the end of the U.S. Civil War. Was it THIS George French? Or someone else with the same name? Unknown.

George was listed in 1870 and 1880 U.S. censuses at Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife Isabella. She died at Cleveland in 1895; George died in 1899. His address at time of death was 2242 Cottage Street, Cleveland. He was buried at Woodland Cemetery.

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Sources

• www.familysearch.org

• 1852 Canada census, Toronto, Ontario

• Ontario marriage certificate, 21 Feb 1852, signed by Rev. John Jennings

• 1861 Canada census, Brantford, Ontario

• 1870 U.S. census, Cleveland, Ohio

• 1880 U.S. census, Cleveland, Ohio

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103802845/george-french

Footnotes

1. ↑ Entered by Rick Heiser, Feb 15, 2013

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Rick Heiser for starting this profile.

Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Rick and others.