MY Quandry:
How did Richard, b. +- 1775 come to live in Walpack, Sussex Co. NJ.?
1793 Our first indication he's there is that He is 18 years old & on the Walpack Militia
list of eligible men. No other French's are known to be in the township.
1799 he is married and a father.
1802 Richard French witnesses a will in Knowlton Twp. (next Twp. to the S., now in Warren Co.)
1803 3 children are Christened at DRC Walpack.
I have found no record of any other "French"'s at Walpack.
Mary Meyers, daughter of SEBASTIAN MEYERS of walpack married Aaron French. Aaron
is Moses's son. Aaron and Mary's 3rd daughter was named Ester....same as Richards first wife..
Was Richard an Orphan? Was his mom remarried to another Walpack resident? OR?
Catherine French married John Fogarty in about 1806. Was she Richard's little sister? Mother?
Here are 4 theories- This month I like # 2.
Theory 1. He is the son of Henry Frensh on the 1774 tax list. Is it possible Moses and Henery French
could be the sons of Samuel French of Goshen NY.and Helena Rosencrans of Minisink- or a previous wife?.
They had son Jacobus in 1754.
IF Moses and Henry are b. 1755 & 56 they would be 18 and 19 on that tax list.
Samuel was b. near Goshen NY. either 1718 or 1727, He could have been married previously with Moses and Henery
& Richard off-spring.??
(NOTE: there is a Samuel Finch of Goshen NY. b. 1718, d. 1756;see rootsweb.)
Richard did name his first son, 5th child - MOSES.
Theory 2. Richard and Easter named their first daughter Sellitie.
At Oldwick- roughly 20-25 miles southeast, from at least 1780, lives another Richard French and wife Selletje.
They christened William and Ann in 1780/81. Perhaps our Richard is his/their son? That
Richard d. and Selletje remarries Wm. Lewis in 1797.
A Subset of this theory (2 A) is my notion that this is Richard French of Springfield, Nj.; first wife
Mercy North, 2nd Sara or Sarah,(possibly Selletje) both "Unknown".
Perhaps Richard, Moses and Henry are sons of Richard and Mercy?. This trail COULD lead back to Thomas
French at Burlington, via Benjamin and Martha Hall> Richard & Mary King.
Richard b. 1743, son of Benjamin French and Marthya Hall is unaccounted for in internet published material. Perhaps
he's Richard's father as well as Anna and William?
Theory 3. He is son of Henry. Moses and Henry are joined on the tax lists in 1780 by a John French.
I have found Moses, Henry, James, Elizabeth and Aphia, children of Nehemiah French born at Salisbury, Essex
,MA.1738-1745. They are old enough to be land holders on that 1774 tax list. A Nehemiah French joins
the Sussex tax list by 1781. What could have attracted them to the Deleware River during the Revoloution & Indian
uprising? LDS/IGI has no death records for these French's.
THeory 4 A Richard French, son of Abel French is b. 1774. He is the only Richard
French b. 1774/1775 or nearly 5 years either side on the IGI or any other record I have found.
Theory 5 was Richardson French b. 1775. But, his history does not fit.
