nathaniel french (part 1 of 3)

childhood

Nathaniel French, one of my 5th great grandfathers, was born around 1770 in Hingham, MA.  (note 1)  The closest birth record I could find for a Nathaniel French in Hingham was the Nathaniel born January 19, 1768 to George Lane French and Sarah Tower.  I have written a bit about George Lane French and my difficulty obtaining records for him in many posts. 

possible birth of Nathaniel French to George Lane French and Sarah Tower (from: NEGHS, Vital Records of Hingham, MA; newenglandancestors.org)

Nathaniel was about 7 years old when the Revolutionary War began.  He and his brothers would obviously have been too young to fight; but his father, George Lane French, does have an entry in the
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, vol. 6; (pg 71; available on internet archive).

French, George Lane. Private, Capt. Pyam Cushing's co., Col. Lovel's regt.; service between March 11 and March 29, 1776, 2 days; company assembled to guard the shore.  

If Nathaniel's father is George, he was not gone long due to the Revolutionary War.  Even though his father was home; however, Nathaniel probably did not have an easy life.  George and his family spent at least some years in the almshouse in Hingham, MA.  The records show George Lane French's death occurred while residing at the almshouse in 1814.  The death of Nathaniel's sister-in-law and nephew (Delight Rice French, wife of George French, and Phinneas French) also occurred at the almshouse in 1791.  I am guessing that Nathaniel may have spent some years here also, as a child or young adult.

I tried to find Nathaniel's family in the 1790 Census, but was not very successful.  Nathaniel would be about 22 years old by the 1790 census; old enough to be a head of a household and enumerated in the census.  I did not find him listed in Hingham, MA; perhaps he was still living with his father as he was not yet married. (note 2)  There are only 4 pages for Hingham and I browsed through each page to make sure the index did not miss him.  The only George French enumerated in Hingham is Nathaniel's brother George, who married in 1785 and had a family of his own.  It does not seem that anyone else is living with George other than his wife and his own children.  (A year later, George's wife Delight and son Phinneas' deaths are recorded from the almshouse also.)

1790 Cenus Hingham; George French (children's names are from History of Hingham book) : Males - Under 16: 2 (joshua, phinneas) Males - 16 and over: 1 (george); Females: 2 (sarah, delight)

I also did not find an entry for Nathaniel's other brothers, Phinneas (20 years old), Theodore (18 years old), and Perez (14 years old).  Their brother Joshua probably died by 1778, (according to The History of the Town of Hingham, p237), and their sister Sarah died in 1782.  I have not been able to find out more information for any of Nathaniel's brothers other than George who dies in 1832 in Hingham, MA.  The other brothers do not seem to be listed in the later censuses, nor did I find death records for them in Hingham.  They may have either died and did not leave a record, or they removed from Hingham.  Their father, George Lane French, did not have a probate as he died in the almshouse, so no information can be found that way. 
The other French's that are listed in the Hingham 1790 census are as follows:

• Miss French : 1 female (not sure who this is)
• Ezra French : 1 male 16 and over, (ezra) 3 females (daughters lucy, hannah, sarah) - not sure where sons samuel and reuben were; and wife died in 1790 [George Lane French's cousin]
• Jonathan French : 5 males 16 and under (charles, martin, daniel, bela,?) 1 male 16 and over (jonathan), 3 females (betsey, elizabeth, elizabeth) [George Lane French's brother; Nathaniel's Uncle]
• Theodore French : 2 males 16 and over (theodore, theodore), 1 female (wife persis or daughter hannah) [George Lane French's brother; Nathaniel's Uncle]

Since I could not find Nathaniel or his father George in the 1790 census, I am guessing they may be living in the almshouse by this time.  The number of residents residing at the almshouse were included in the 1790 census, as shown below.

1790 Hingham Census showing number of residents of almshouse (6 males over 16, 1 male under 16, 12 females)

If Nathaniel was at the almshouse with his father, he managed to leave it and obtain his own residence by the 1800 census with his wife.

(to be continued...)


notes:
1. I have a name of Nathaniel French for my 5th great grandfather from my 4th great grandfather's birth record, Freeman French.  (Freeman's death record does not list parent's name).  I have an approximate birth date of 1766-1774 from the 1800 and 1810 census for Nathaniel.

2.  Nathaniel's mother died in 1782 according to the History of Hingham book.  Nathaniel's father George remarried to an Abigail Lewis in 1783.  Abigail died in 1790, and George remarried again to Fanny Humphries in 1791. 

to do:
1. find deeds of Nathaniel's father George - Hingham book states he resided on Hersey Street.  Was this after the almshouse?  George's father Jonathan resided on French Street according to Hingham book, as did George's brothers, Theodore and Jonathan.  Some of George's siblings were born in Weymouth - did Jonathan (Nathaniel's grandfather) sell their land in Weymouth when they came to Hingham.  Did George Lane French (Nathaniel's father) come to Hingham as an adult or with father Jonathan?

2.  find information on Nathaniel's brothers : Phinneas, Theodore and Perez.  History of Hingham book does not have information on them either.  May need to browse through the Holbrook Massachusetts Vital Records database on ancestry.com.  Familysearch does have a death date for a Perez, son of George, in Hubbardston, MA in 1868 - but states he was born in Hubbardston in 1796.  Record could be incorrect.