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view FRENCH family tree |
Dr G.M.W.Mann. Baytrees Burnhams Rd, Lt.Bookham Surrey, U.K. KT23 3AU |
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Thomas was born around 1685but his place of birth is not known. He was a yeoman of Litttle Maplestead when he married Elizabeth AMES at nearby Gt Yeldham in 1705. d in Elizabeth died the following year and Thomas remarried Ann KIDDY of Braintree at Sible Hedingham. They baptised four children there before baptising their last son at Gt.Yeldham. Thomas had property in Gt Yeldham and Toppesfield when he made his will in 1754. He was buried at Gt Yeldham the following year, and his wife Ann died soon after. |
C=Christened
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age DATE TF AK |
EVENT |
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?? 1685
1May1705 20 21Nov1706
21 19Jun1707
22 18Apr1708
23 16Oct1709
24 30Sep1711
26 26Jul1713
28 14Jan1715
30 13Sep1737
32 2Feb1738 33 3May1754 69 2Nov1755 70 c 1756
28Jan1757 |
Thomas born Thomas of Lt.Maplestead yeoman m Elizth AMES at Gt.Yeldham Elizth, wife of Thomas of Gt.Maplestead buried at Gt.Yeldham Thomas FRENCH wdr of Lt.Maplestead m Ann KIDDY of Braintree at Sible
Hedingham son Thomas C at Sible Hedingham dau Mary C at Sible Hedingham dau Ann C at Sible Hedingham dau Elizabeth C at Sible Hedingham son John C at Gt.Yeldham dau Ann m John SPEAKMAN at Toppesfield dau Elizth buried at Gt.Yeldham Thomas made his last will Thomas buried at Gt Yeldham Thomas' wife Ann died Thomas' will proved by son John |
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
Thomas was
first married in 1705 and died in 1755.
No age given in any documents but presumably born around 1680. He was a yeoman of Gt Yeldham when he died and
was buried there, but no suitable baptism found; the baptism of his son John is
the first FRENCH baptism at Gt.Yeldham.
Thomas was a yeoman of Lt.Maplestead when he married in 1705 and again
in 1707; but was of Gt.Maplestead when his first wife was buried in 1706. Unfortunately the baptismal registers of
Gt.Maplestead have not survived earlier than 1688 and those of Lt.Maplestead no
earlier than 1690. If Thomas were baptised
in either of these parishes, then it will not be found. It is possible that siblings of Thomas might
have been baptised after 1688, but there is nothing at Lt.Maplestead until 1714
which is too late. There are however
four earlier baptisms at Gt.Maplestead:
C 17Dec1701 Samuel s John FRENCH
C 27Jun1703 Susanna d John FRENCH
C 18Feb1705 Daniel s John FRENCH
C
1Nov1708 William s John & Susanna FRENCH
no further
baptisms until 1734. Could Thomas be an
earlier son of John & Susannah?
Thomas baptised his second son John, but no daughter Susan. This parentage would be just possible if
Thomas were born in 1687 giving his marriage age in 1705 as 18, and giving a
span of 21 years between the births of Thomas and William to John &
Susannah. However, the absence of
baptisms to John & Susannah between 1688 (when the Gt.Maplestead register
starts) and 1701 suggests either that the family moved to Gt.Maplestead c1700
or that John & Susannah are not the parents of Thomas
The burial
registers of Gt.Maplestead contain the following:
B 17Jan1680 John FRENCH of Hempers in
linen
B 25Feb1708 John FRENCH junior
B
2Mar1708 Mary wife of John FRENCH senior
B
3Mar1708 Daniel s John FRENCH junior
B 10Mar1708 Susanna FRENCH
B
1Dec1710 Susanna d John FRENCH deceased
there is
also a burial at Gt.Yeldham
B
2Jul1708 John FRENCH of Gt.Maplestead
The will
of John FRENCH of Hempers made in 1679 mentions his wife's sister (widow POLLE
of Coggeshal) but no mention of his wife or any children, so it seems likely
that he died without issue as his own lands were left to Thomas PATRICK of
White Colne. He mentions his aunt Mary
FRENCH widow and her da Mary FRENCH. He
also mentions John and Joseph sons of John FRENCH. They were over 21 so born before 1658.
The
following is a speculative reconstruction of the family:
John FRENCH
senior-–-m---Mary
John FRENCH of Hempers
bc1630?? |
mc1650?? B1680
B1708GY | B1708
|
1-----------------------^------------------2
John jun--m--Susannah Joseph (from will of John of Hempers)
bc1655?
| mc1685 b<1658
B1708
| B1708
|
?------------------^----|------------------------|-------|----------|-------|
John
Elizth AMES-m1-Thomas-2m-Ann KIDDY
Samuel Susannah David
William
m1705 bc1687 | m1707 C1701 C1703
C1705 C1708
| B1710 B1708
This tree
suggests looking for the m of John & Susannah c1685 and baptisms of their
children before 1701. The IGI has in
two m of John FRENCH to Susan:
m1683 John
FRENCH & Susan BRUER at Easthorpe [10 miles from Maplestead]
m1701 John
FRENCH & Susan ONION at Gt.Totham [15 miles from Maplestead]
the first
m is at the right time for the above tree, but perhaps the second m relates to
the 4 baptisms 1701-1708. Neither
registers have yet been examined to for any children of the marriages. Possibly significant is that John BREWER was
the vicar of Gt.Maplestead in 1680
Ann
FRENCH-8 was baptised at Sible Hedingham in 1711, daughter of Thomas &
Ann. Four baptisms to these parents in
this parish are preceded by the following marriage:
m 19Jun1707 Thomas FRENCH wdr of Lt.Maplestead
& Ann KIDDY of Braintree
Thomas was
a widower, and there is a suitable earlier marriage at Gt.Yeldham, followed by
the burial of his first wife:
m
1May1705 Thomas FRENCH of Lt.Maplestead yeoman & Elizth AMES otp
B 21Nov1706 Elizth FRENCH wife of Thomas
of Gt.Maplestead
no
descendants of the first marriage have been found
Thomas'
will made in 1754 identifies a son John, and daughters Ann SPEAKMAN and Mary
CHOATE
C 18Apr1708 Thom s Thos & Ann FRENCH
C 16Oct1709 Mary d Thos & Ann FRENCH
C 30Sep1711 Ann d Thos & Ann FRENCH
C 26Jul1713 Eliz d Thos & Ann FRENCH
B
2Feb1738 Elizth FRENCH solis
since
Thomas’ will does not mention his son Thomas, he probably died before the will
was made in 1754; his burial however has not been found, nor the m of Mary to
CHOATE
C 14Jan1715 John s Thomas FRENCH
B
2Nov1755 Thomas FRENCH
wife: Ann executor, but died before will was
proved, ie after May1754 but before Jan1757; no suitable burial found
son: John properties in Toppesfield and
Gt.Yeldham including the "White Hart"
dau: Ann SPAKEMAN £40
dau: Mary CHOATE 1/- weekly
30Jan1679
John FRENCH of Gt.Maplestead, ESS, yeoman; to Mary PATRICK eldest da of Thomas
PATRICK of White Colne, yeoman, all lands
messuages
etc in Gt or Lt Maplestead in occupation of me, known as Hempers, and household
stuff etc to her and her lawfully
begotten
heirs; if she die without issue to Thomas PATRICK her father and his heirs.
to my
kinswoman Elizabeth SMITH £50
to my
kinswoman Sarah SMITH, her sister, £50
to my
kinsman John POLLE £50 when 21
to John
the son of John FRENCH £30
to Joseph
FRENCH another son of John FRENCH £20
to kinsmen
Edward FRENCH & Richard FRENCH £5 each
to Solomon
FRENCH £20
to
Elizabeth wife of Henry TYNERSON £10
to Henry
TYNERSON son of Henry TYNERSON £20 when 21
to my aunt
Mary FRENCH widow, £10
to her dau
my cousin Mary FRENCH £10
to
kinswomen Elizabeth & Rebecca LORKIN £20 each
to my
cousin Ann wife of John SMITH £20
to John
PASK £5
to widow
POLLE of Coggeshall, my wive's sister £20
to her son
Wm COCKLEY £20 when 21
to Anne
HAYWOOD widow £40
to Peter
POLLE £20 when 21
to Thomas
POLLE £20 when 21
to Ann
SMITH £5
to
Elizabeth da of John SMITH £5
to Sarah
da of Edmund HARRINGTON £5 when 21
to Mary
THOMPSON da of John THOMPSON £5
to my
servant Wm RAYNER £10
to Mr John
BREWER vicar of Gt.Maplestead £5
to the
poor of Gt.Maplestead £5
to the
poor of Lt.Maplestead 40/-