Thomas French (1657 - 1733)

Born 25 May 1657 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Catlin) French — married 18 Oct 1683 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Husband of Hannah (Atkinson) French — married 16 Feb 1709 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 5 Apr 1733 at age 75 in Deerfield, Hampshire, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

Was taken as a captive along with his wife Mary Catlin French and all of their children except their youngest who was killed during the Deerfield Raid in 1704. Wife was killed during the march. He and his oldest two son and daughter were redeemed and they returned to MA. The three youngest never returned home. The first two of three married Frenchmen and the third lived with an Indian tribe and never married.

Thomas remarried to Hannah Atkinson 16 Feb 1709. Hannah first md. Joseph Edwards in Northampton on 17 Nov 1674. Her second husband was Benoni Stebbins whom she md. 2 Mar 1691; he was killed during the raid.

Sources

re Thomas' paternity:

• a) Essex County Historical and Genealogical Register, Volumes: 1-2 (one book), M. Van B. Perley, Ipswich, MA, 1894-July 1895, p. 12 (Ipswich births, 1657)
• b) Ipswich Vital Records to end of 1849, vol. 1, Births; the Essex Institute, Salem, Mass., 1910, p. 151 [1]

re his death:

• True Stories of New England Captives, Charlotte Alice Baker, E.A. Hall & Co., Greenfield, MA, 1897, p. 283
• "Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH1N-7G3 : 14 February 2020), Thomas French, 1733.
• gravestone at old Deerfield Cemetery, Deerfield, Mass. (photo added)

re his marriage:

• True Stories of New England Captives, Charlotte Alice Baker, E.A. Hall & Co., Greenfield, MA, 1897, p. 277
• History of Deerfield, George Sheldon, E.A. Hall & Co., Greenfield, MA, 1895-96, vol. 1, p. 104-105, 167
• Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, James Savage, Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 1860-62, p. 208
• New England Historical & Genealogical Register, vol. 45 (1891), p. 84
• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-L5WF : 19 May 2022), Thomas French and Mary Catlin, 18 Oct 1683; citing Marriage, Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004329300.