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Asa French (1757 - 1842)

Asa French
Born in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusettsmap
Ancestors ancestors
Brother of
Husband of — married 14 Feb 1784 in Williamsburg, Hampshire, Massachusettsmap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 84 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusettsmap
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Profile last modified | Created 8 Jul 2011
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Contents

Biography

This biography is a rough draft. It was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import and needs to be edited.

Burial

Burial:
Place: Bridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts

User ID

User ID: A7A75138009241479750B730C805248B3BF2

Note

Note: Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution
French, Asa, Williamsburgh
List of men raised to serve in the Continental Army from Capt. Samuel Fairfield's Co.
Sworn to in Hampshire County, April 8, 1779; residence, Williamsburgh; engaged for town of Williamsburgh; joined Capt Lyman's Co., Col. Lee's regt.; also, Pvt, Capt. John Hastings Co., Col. Henry Jackson's regt.; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Sept. 17, 1777 to Dec. 31, 1779; also, Capt. Hastings (6th) Co., Col. Jackson's (16th) regt.; muster role for April 1779 dated Pawtuxet; enlisted Sept. 17, 1777; reported on command with "Genral" baggage; also same co. and regt; muster role certified at Camp Providence, July 13, 1779; also Capt. Hastings (2nd) Co., Col Jackson's regt.; muster role for Oct, 1779; also same company and regiment return made up to Dec 31, 1779, dated Camp at Providence; also Capt. Hastings (2nd) Co., Col Jackson's (16th) regt; Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan 1, 1780-Sept 14, 1780; also Capt Hasting's Co.; returned certified at camp near Morristown, April 30, 1780, of officers and men belonging to Col Lee's, Col. Henley's, and Col. Jackson's regt's, and men belonging to Massachusetts in Col. Henry Sherburne's regt, who were incorporated into a regiment under the command of Col. Henry Jackson, agreeable to the arrangement of April 9, 1779.


Hampshire Gazette 11 July 1896

About the French Family

Reminiscences by Henry Shepherd

This event [the death of Marvin French] has
removed from Northampton one of the oldest merchants
and highly esteemed genial fellow citizens. He will
long be missed by all who knew him best, especially
by one who has known him from his childhood, and also
knew his no less genial father, Jabez French, and also
knew his heroic grandfather, Captain Asa French, all
of whom have true descendants of New England stock.
Industry, economy and character have been
prominent elements with Marvin M. French and his
father, and steady accumulation of property has been
the result. Jabez devoted his energy and talent as
carpenter and house builder, and Marvin devoted his
energy and skill to tailoring, ready made goods, etc.
During a part of the period between 1815 and 1820
Jabez French was my father's head farmer on Round Hill
a few years, and then left it for the carpenter's
business, in which he continued during his life
successfully. He was one of nature's noblemen. His
pleasing address was alike natural and charming to the
humble as the opulent. He was often pronounced the
handsomest man in town.
The pleasing twinkle in the eye of Marvin M. French
belonged there; it was his inheritance, but Jabez French
was no match for Marvin in pungent jest, or ready
anecdote, in fact there were few his equal. The old
Revolutionary hero, "Captain" Asa French, the father of
Jabez, (as a boy I remember him), was cheerful and jolly,
and yet his record declares him a Bonaparte when occasion
required it, and one of those occasions is interesting
even at this late day. During Shay's rebellion, as it
was called, in 1786, the state of Massachusetts hurriedly
ordered troops to assemble at Springfield to check Shay's
men, who were marching there, as they had before, to
prevent the court's sitting, which would give power to
individuals who had mortgages on farms and homes of poor
soldiers and others to foreclose those mortgages and thus
deprive the soldiers and others of their homes.
The real facts were terribly severe upon the soldiers
of the Revolution, who had fought seven years to form this
government, and the same government was depriving these
soldiers of their homes and would not accept in payment
the U.S. scrip, which was the only payment the soldiers
had received for their services. This scrip paid to the
soldiers for one month's services would buy only one
bushel of wheat.
Among troops hurriedly mustered by the state to Spring-
field at that time was a company from Williamsburg. The
men marched nearly to West Springfield the first day, and
camped for the night, and there talked matters over, and
then came to the conclusion that their homes would be sold
for their debts and it was their duty to assist Shay. Then
came the question who would dare to defy the state of Massa-
chusetts and assume command of the company. Asa French, a
private in the company, declared that he would take command,
which involved a death penalty if not successful. The next
morning the captain of the company formed it in line of
march, and then Asa French stepped from the ranks and
commanded Sergeant Hemingway to take a file of soldiers and
put the captain under guard. He was held a prisoner, and
the company crossed the Connecticut river on the ice and
joined Shay's army, which was defeated that day by the state
troops. Shay's men dispersed in small squads to their homes
and were disgraced for defending a just cause. So great was
the odium that no record of its company was kept in Williams-
burg. There was so much sympathy in the community for the
Shay cause that all, or nearly all, the members were treated
with leniency and slight records were made of their trans-
action except at the state house in Boston. Asa French was
a resident of Williamsburg then, but later of Northampton.
Here is illustrated three generations of New England
character. It is this development that has established
free institutions. Character may endure when blood relation
has lost its identity in diffusion.

H. Shepherd

Data Changed

Data Changed:
Date: 5 Dec 2009
Time: 19:57:18

Prior to import, this record was last changed 19:57:18 5 Dec 2009.

Sources

  • WikiTree profile French-832 created through the import of BDM7-7-11.ged on Jul 8, 2011 by Brian McCullough. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Brian and others.







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