Person:Mary French (18)

Speculation from The Great Migration Begins, summarized by Janet Bjorndahl: The identification of Stephen French, Jacob French and Mary (French) Randall of Weymouth, Massachusetts with the children of Richard French of Misterton, Somerset, England is tentative. Records, including the wills of Stephen and Jacob, imply that the three in Weymouth were siblings, half-siblings or otherwise closely related. Given that their names are the same as the names of three of Richard French's children baptized in Misterton, it seems a reasonable speculation that the three in Weymouth may have been the children of Richard French of Misterton.

From Janet Bjorndahl: According to The Great Migration Begins, another possible sibling is Margaret (____) Sales, wife of Edward Sales, although it seems more likely that it was Edward's third wife (name unknown) who was a sibling (given that the reference in Stephen French's will was made in 1678/9, long after Edward's first wife Margaret had been banished).

1. ↑ RootsWeb submission from P B Kingman, online (worldconnect.rootsweb.com, database :a17580), last updated 25 Au.
2. ↑ Spear, Burton W. Search for the passengers of the Mary & John, 1630. (Toledo, Ohio: B.W. Spear, c1985-)
   25:32.

   Her birth date is given as Dec 1611 in Misterton, Somerset, England.

   via J. Michael Frost submission to RootsWeb

3. ↑ Spear, Burton W. Search for the passengers of the Mary & John, 1630. (Toledo, Ohio: B.W. Spear, c1985-)
   25:32.

   via J. Michael Frost submission to RootsWeb

4.   Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995)
   1:702, entry for Stephen French.

   'ASSOCIATIONS: On 29 July 1669 administration on the estate of Jacob French went to Stephen French, Sr., "on behalf of himself and his sisters" [SPR Case #500]. This Jacob French of Weymouth, who died 12 April 1669 ... was certainly a brother to Stephen French, Sr. Stephen mentioned "my sister Mary Randol" in his will, and "my brother Searle" as well. Mary was likely the second wife of Robert Randall of Weymouth. "Brother Searle" was almost certainly Edward Sales of Weymouth. ... Edward Sales's wife was Margaret _____. This family strongly resembles that of Richard French of Misterton, Somersetshire, who had (among others) Steven and Margerie with his first wife, and Mary and Joseph [sic - should this be Jacob? - JB] with his second. None of these children is mentioned in the 1638 will of their father [Abstract of Taunton Archdeaconry Court Wills, by H. R. Phipps, 1937].'