Person:Margaret French (5)

French Connections

Torrey's NE Marriages appears to be the source of "French" as Margaret's surname. She cannot, however, be a daughter of Thomas French and Susan Riddlesdale whose daughter by that name was bp. 12 Mar 1619 and supposedly died 25 Nov 1635. Even without a confirmed death record, Thomas' daughter would have been only about 14 in 1633 when Edward Lamb's first child was born.

More plausible is a relationship with John French who took the inventory of the estate of Margaret's second husband Samuel Allen. In addition, Margaret's son John Lamb married Mary French who was sister of John French (b. c1642). John's father, another John French, was about the same age as Margaret, wife of Edward Lamb and Samuel Allen.

John French (b. c1612 England) came to Dorchester and received a grant for 40 acres at Braintree on 24 Feb 1639. His first wife Grace, mother of his children, died 1 Feb 1680, age 59. He married second Eleanor Thompson widow of William Veazie, having made a prenuptual agreement not to interfere with her estate and for her to have £4 per year after his death. He died in 1692. Those concerned in his estate were eldest son John, Dependence French, Thomas French, Samuel French, William French orphan of William French deceased, daughter Temperance Bowditch wife of John, daughter Elizabeth Wheelock of Mendon, children of Mary Lamb deceased are Mary Poole alias Thayer by her first husband Poole and John Lamb, Samuel Lamb, Margaret Lamb, Mary Lamb, Grace Lamb, and Hannah Lamb. Children of John and Grace (surname FRENCH):

 John b. 28 Feb 1641 Dorchester; m. Experience Thayer; d. 1699 Weymouth
 Thomas b. 10 Jul 1643 Dorchester; d. 28 Oct 1656 Braintree
 Mary/Mercy b. c1646; m1. Samuel POOLE; m2. John Lamb of Braintree
 Dependence b. 7 Mar 1648/9; m. Mary Marsh
 Temperance b. 30 Mar 1651; m. John Bowditch
 William b. 31 Mar 1683; m. Rachel Twells
 Elizabeth b. 29 Sep 1655; m1. Jonathan Thayer; m2. Benjamin Wheelock Sr
 Thomas b. 10 Mar 1657/8
 Samuel b. 22 Feb 1659/60; m. Anna Marsh

1.   French, Sidney. The Family, Ancestors, and Descendants of Captain John French of Stoughton, Mass. (Randolph, Mass.: Samuel P. Brown, 1870)
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   See discussion of connections above