"John (French); m. Phebe Keyes, daughter of Robert and Sarah Keyes, about 1660. She was born in Watertown June 17, 1639, Her mother m. Sergt John Gage of Ipswich in 1658, and when her estate was settled in 1681 the wife of John French is mentioned as one of her three daughters. John French, a tailor by trade, moved from Ipswich to Topsfield about the year 1664. Some ten years later he built the house which forms the nucleus of the French-Andrews house, so called, still standing near the Newburyport turnpike in Topsfield and well known to antiquaries. He was admitted a commoner of Topsfield in 1675/6 and took the oath of allegiance and fidelity in 1678. He was corporal and clerk of the local military company, served the county on grand and trial juries and the town in various minor offices, Phebe (Keyes) French committed suicide by drowning in May, 1701, and in December of that year John French deeded his home to his son John in return for the usual consideration of care in his old age. He d. about the year 1706, and his children divided his estate by agreement in August, 1707, his son John being the administrator."
