How we got here...
The story has to start with the earliest French we have found that is known to be directly connected by blood-
Richard French b. ~1775. He is in Walpack, Sussex County, NJ. in the 1790's.
It is probable that he is either the cousin, brother or the nephew of Moses & Henery Frensh,
they are on the 1774 Sussex County Tax lists records for Sussex County. Yet, @ 18, Richard is in Walpack in 1793, Moses
resides in Sandyston , now Union Co.; and Henry is at Newton Twp.., to the east.
We know an Aaron French was the son of Moses French per the recording of his marriage
to Mary Myers: " "Aaron French,
son of Mof[s]es late of Sandeston, dec with
Mary Myers, daughter of Bastian Myers of Montague, May 28, 1797
The above
couple have been married by me the date as above." Guisbert L.
Sutfin, Justice.
Aaron and Mary named a daughter Easter.
The Brit's trashed this part of our Country when they resisted our independence - so a lot of records including
the 1790 NJ. census were destroyed.
Richard and Easter (S)crosman (DRC records) christen Selitie, Susana and Caty in 1803 at the DRC at Walpack, Sussex Co.
NJ.
Selitie was b. 1799, all 3 are born by 1803. Mary was b. 10 Jan 1804. (m. Wm. Crom; d. 1891 see below).
I have found an Easter Beadle who married Jacob Crosman in 1797 in Sussex Co.
could Richard's wife be "the widow Crosman"?
They married in Dec. of 1773 and lived at Stillwater, just N. of the Warren Co. line, & S. of Newton.
Heres a confusion factor_ A Catherine French married John Fogarty on 24 August, 1809. Our Katy is only 6 yrs. old.
Another confuser- Sussex County Marriages, as posted by Sue Headley at Genealogy.com in the Van Auken Family message
board relates that Richard French married ELIZABETH VANAUKEN 27 Oct. 1804
at Sussex NJ.
Yet-
Richard French and Elizabeth Van Vlerden/ Vlera (Walpack DRC records) christen Marie in 1805,
Sarah in 1807 and Moses in 1809.
The family moved to Washington Co., PA. in time to be on the census there for 1810. That census count does
not match the known children. Did the older children stay with their Aunt/ grandparents?
There had been French's in Washington Co., PA for some time, I am not sure if they are related.
Aaron French (potentially a brother or cousin) is still there in 1810 as he has a daughter Ruth born in Nov. that year;
however he moves to Ohio and is not on the 1810 census.
Interestingly, PA early marriages relates that: (#)150; July 13, 1815, Hugh Logan to Martha Latimore of Buffalo.
By Rev. Mr. French. That one marriage is the only mention of the Rev. Mr. French in that file.
Another son, Richard is b. in 1817. Our family moves to Tuscarawas, OH. in time for the 1820 census;
Several of the children marry there.
Richard died in 1838.
Moses m. Jane Edie, they have sons Alexander, William, Robert and Richard.
Daughters also!
By 1852 there is a record of Richard (b. 1817) buying government land at Pickneyville, Perry County, IL..
In 1854, Moses purchases acreage nearby.
Another French purchases govmt. land near Duquoin.
On the 1860 Perry Co. IL. census, Jane and Moses' sons Richard and Robert are living with Alexander.
William lives next door with his wife Margaret Willson and daughter Lucinda. Samuel is b. 1862, My grandfather
Richard Vale French is born in 1864. William is deceased by 1867 when
Margaret Willson French, widow with 3 children remarries Daniel Waggoner Hughey, a Civil War union Calvary Vet. born
in Va..
Richard V. is still with the family on the 1880 census. Hugheys are still on Pickneyville's 1890 census.
Granddad told me he mined coal before going to medical school.
There is an IL. marriage record for a Richard V. and Chitty Gussey in 1898. She remarries in 1900 and
Richard age 36 starts medical school in Louisville KY.; graduating in 1905. According to the Rice family, he
married "Mattie" Martha Rice in 1904.
He interns in Little Rock, AR.
They moved to Dallas TX. Thelma was born in 1906, Richard Jr. in 1909.
Mattie dies in August of 1913. Thelma goes to Louisville, lives with the Rice's. Richard goes to a Germanic orphanage.
Doc marries Mrs. Lou Boss, they move to Casa Ar. He Doctors, she fills Rx's in their Drug Store.
Dad told me of catching the horse barefooted and without a rope to hitch it to the buggy so Doc could make his rounds. In
1926 fire destroys downtown Casa, including their store. They move to Ky. I think Lexington. He is a Railroad Dr.
1926 Richard Jr. joins the Navy.
Doc moves to Louisville, practice includes surgical privileges at Louisville Hospital.. Doc dies 1955.
Assigned to the battleship USS California, Richard is a Gunners mate. Medically discharged from the USN during
the depression, Richard locates in Washington DC., attends radio school, starts a service business. Marries his office
manager- Children: Richard D. II b. 1937.
Elizabeth b. '38 or '39 dies. Judith A. b. 1940, Mary 1944. While business is in DC., have home in Arlington, then
Fairfax Park, Va.. We move to Durango, Co., in 1950. James R. b. 1951, William D. b. 1954. Becoming too Ill to
work, Dad returned to Casa, AR.. about 1965/6, d. 1970. Mom moved back to Durango, then St. George, UT. then Yerington,
NV.; d. 1999.
Richard D. II joined Navy in 1955. m. Agnes Marie(Ame) of Chicago IL.. Served as USN Air Traffic Controller.
Children Ame b. Key west, Fl.; Grace E. b. Argentia, Nfld. .; Richard and Carol b. South Ruislip, England
;
Denise and Steve b. Chicago
Aboard USS Forrestal for Gulf of Tonkin fire in '67. Divorced 1974. Married Anna @ Lake Tahoe, Ca. Became
USN(Ret.) in 1980. Airport Manager: Danville IL. and then So. Lake Tahoe Ca.,
Retired, Anna and I Toured USA in our RV.
Moved to Sierra Vista, AZ in 1996.
