C=Christened                            

 

 

 

 

PRINCIPAL RECORDS

b=born  m=married  d=died

C=Christened        B=Buried

BIRTH

 

The bond for Thomas' second marriage in 1707 states his age as 28 giving a birth year of 1679.  He signed the bond in good handwriting.  The witness was John French who signed with a mark, suggesting he was older, likely to be Thomas' father.

 

Thomas was a yeoman of Lt.Maplestead when he married in 1705 and again in 1707  and 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

 

There are two possible nearby baptisms of Thomas in the Essex baptismal index:

C 1Dec1678 Thos   son of John and Anne French at Finchingfield [9 miles from Gt.Maplestead]
C 9Nov1682 Thomas son of John and Anne French at Stambourne    [6 miles from Gt.Maplestead]

other baptisms at Stambourne:

C 14Jun1680   John s John and Ann French   [John Francis in a transcription but not in original register]

C 10Feb1684/5 Joseph s John and Anne French  [Finchingfield written in margin]
C 22Dec1685   Mary d John and Anne French

9Dec1725 Ann B Halstead and 12 Jul 1724 (John French child) 1678-1713 burials missing

In of the note in Stambourne register, this is very likely one family. No burial of the first Thomas was found between 1678 and 1682 but the Finchingfield burial register is missing 1678-1695.  If John were born in 1682 he would be 25 in 1707 not 28.  Is this a significant difference? John French and Anne Gaul married at Finchingfield 2Apr1678.  No further records of Thomas or Anne were found at Stamborne or Finchingfield. 

 

Although the parish registers of Gt and Lt Maplestead are missing before c1690, there is good evidence of French families before this date particularly at Gt Maplestead.  In his will of 1679,  John French of Hempers in Gt Maplestead, who had no descendants of his own,  leaves £30 to John French and £20 to Joseph French both sons of John French.  Since their residency is not stated it must be assumed to be in or close to Gt or Lt Maplestead. To receive money they must be over 21 so born before 1658.  Their father is mentioned though not given a bequest so may be dead; born perhaps 1610/30 and the sons 1650/58

 

The registers of Gt.Maplestead and Yeldham contain the following burials (up to 1724)  It is remarkable that 4 consecutive burials in the register relate to the French family all buried within a fortnight followed by another burial 4 months later.  No comment in the burial refister.

 

B 17Jan1679+John FRENCH of Hempers in linen

B  9Nov1705 Mary d John French of Gt Maplestead (Yeldham register)

B  2Nov1706 Elizabeth wife of Thomas French of Gt Maplestead (Yeldham register)

B 25Feb1707+John FRENCH junior

B  2Mar1707+Mary wife of John FRENCH senior

B  3Mar1707+Daniel s John FRENCH junior

B 10Mar1707+Susanna FRENCH  4 consecutive entries

B  2Jul1708 John FRENCH of Gt.Maplestead (Yeldham register)

B  1Dec1710 Susanna d John FRENCH deceased
B 11Jun1717 John FRENCH

B  2May1724 Thomas FRENCH

 

Gt Maplestead also has the following baptisms with no further French baptisms until 1734:

 

C 17Dec1701 Samuell s John FRENCH

C 27Jun1703 Susanna d John FRENCH

C 18Feb1704+Daniel  s John FRENCH

C  1Nov1708 William s John & Susanna FRENCH 

 

Putting these data together gives the following probable line of descent for French at Gt Maplestead:

 

John bc1610-30 father of John and Joseph mentioned in the 1678 will
John bc1650-58 B Jul 1708 at Yeldham m Mary who was B 1708 wife of John senior, received £30 in 1678 will
John bc1670-80 B Feb 1708 John junior m Susannah and baptised 4children 1701-1708

 

There is a suitable baptism of John senior at Sible Hedingham adjacent to Lt Maplestead and the parish where Thomas married both his wives: 5Mar1656 son of John and Mary

 

As discussed above, Thomas was born in 1679 probably of Gt or Lt Maplestead and son of John.  He could therefore be another son of John & Mary.  In support, he named his first daughter Mary, and second son John after his supposed parents.  This gives the following somewhat speculative tree:

 John French-m-Mary

             |

  ___________!____________________________

 |                       |                |

 John------m----Mary     Joseph           Mary    John of Hempers will 1679

 C1656     |    B1708                     C1653   bequests to aunt Mary, cousin Mary

 B1708     |                                      John & Joseph, sons of John

  _________|_______________________________________________   

 |                             |                           |

 John----m--Susanna (2)        Thomas---2m---Anne Kiddy    Sarah--m--Thomas French (1)

 bc1670  |                     b1679     |   m1707         m1709

 B1708   |   B1708                       |

  _______|_____________________          |_________________________________

 |        |          |         |         |        |      |      |          |

 Samuel   Susanna    Daniel    William   Thomas   Mary   Ann    Elizabeth  John

 1701     1703       1705      1708

(1)

(2)

There are two possible marriages of John to Susanna in the Essex baptism index

m1683 John FRENCH & Susan BRUER at Easthorpe [10 miles from Maplestead]

   but this is 18 years before first known baptism and a Susanna French was buried at Easthorpe in 1695

 

m1701 John FRENCH & Susan ONION at Gt.Totham [15 miles from Maplestead]

   but Susan was buried at Gt Totham and John remarried Elizabeth;

 

A more likely marriage is at Sudbury SFK 6 miles from Maplestead:

 

m 1699 Sudbury John French & Susanna Bowles (from Boyd index)

 

Susanna may have been baptised 16Apr1671 dau of William at Gt. Bardfield 10m from Maplestead but on the other side to Sudbury

 

On balance I prefer the Gt Maplestead origin of Thomas rather than the Stambourne baptism in 1682. Because:

(1) the Stambourne baptism is 3 years from the recorded birth date 1679

(2) he named his first daughter Mary rather than Ann

(3) he was a yeoman of Maplestead in 1705

MARRIAGE

 

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

 

DESCENDANTS

 

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

from Sible Hedingham register:

 

C 18Apr1708 Thom  s Thos  & Ann FRENCH    B 2May1724 at Gt Maplestead?

C 16Oct1709 Mary  d Thos  & Ann FRENCH

C 30Sep1711 Ann   d Thos  & Ann FRENCH

C 26Jul1713 Eliz  d Thos  & Ann FRENCH

 

since Thomas’ will does not mention his son Thomas, he probably died before the will was made in 1754; a Thpmas French was buried at Gt Maplestead 2may1724 which could be the son of Thomas  The m of Mary to CHOATE has not been found.

 

from Gt.Yeldham register:

 

C 14Jan1715 John  s Thomas FRENCH    B 11Jun1717 at Gt Maplestead?

B  2Feb1738 Elizth FRENCH solis

 

 

DEATH

from Gt.Yeldham register:

 

B  2Nov1755 Thomas FRENCH

 

will of Thomas FRENCH, yeoman of Gt.Yeldham, signed 3May1754, proved 28Jan1757

 

wife:    Ann executor, but died before will was proved,

son:     John properties in Toppesfield and Gt.Yeldham including the "White Hart"

dau:     Ann SPAKEMAN £40

dau:     Mary CHOATE 1/- weekly

Ann therefore died after May1754 but before Jan1757; she was buried at Gt Yeldham:

 

B 21Aug1756 Anne FRENCH widow

OTHER

will 1679 John of Gt.Maplestead ref:ERO D/AMR 7/40 1680

 

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  (found only Edward C 16Sep1661 at White Notley 10m Maplestead)

to Solomon FRENCH £20  [Solomon c 15Oct1637 son of Richard at Sible Hedingham)

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/-

 

proved 26Feb1679/80

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