hingham house tour - thomas chubbuck jr house

In my last post, I wrote about the Hingham Historical Society's annual House Tour - and how two of the houses belonged at some point to my ancestors.  This post will show some deeds related to the Thomas Chubbuck, Jr. House.  

The Thomas Chubbuck Jr. House - 1778

Courtesy of Hingham Historical Society

Another house on the Hingham Historical House Tour that one of my ancestors lived in is the house of Thomas Chubbuck, Jr (b. 1757).  Thomas Chubbuck, Jr. is my 5th great grand-uncle, the brother of Sally (Chubbuck) French.  According to the Hingham Historical Society, Jeremiah Chubbuck, my sixth great grandfather, owned this land before his grandson Thomas Jr. built his house here.

The house description from the Hingham Historical website is as follows:

"Thomas Chubbuck, Jr. was a patriot and soldier of the Revolution, serving in the Battle of Bennington in 1777. He was descended from the first Thomas Chubbuck, a large landowner and early planter who arrived in Hingham in 1634. Upon his return from war in 1778, Thomas Jr. built this house atop a knoll in the Liberty Plain area on property owned by his father, Thomas, whose house at 1175 Main Street is also on the tour this year. This land was originally granted by the Town to Robert Peck. Subsequently, it was owned by the Thaxter family from 1641 to 1692 and was then purchased by Theophilus Cushing. It was part of the land that passed to the Chubbucks (detailed in 1175 Main Street history). In 1749, a portion of the land was mortgaged to Harvard University by Jeremiah Chubbuck to pay for his college tuition. Thomas deeded the land to Thomas Jr. who married Joanna Whiton, daughter of Captain Enoch Whiton and Joanna (Whiton), in 1787. Thomas Jr. died shortly after their marriage, and he and Joanna had no children, but Joanna lived here 60 more years until her death in 1850."

The land that this house is on is probably part of the 100 acres purchased from Seth Cushing by Thomas Chubbuck in 1742, recorded in the first deed I wrote about in the previous post, Suffolk County deed 73(164).  I have not found deeds which show how the land is transferred to the later generations of Chubbucks; I am assuming the land was handed down through wills or maybe part of some other deeds of land referenced above.  (see note 1)

I did find the Suffolk County deed 76(147), which records Jeremiah Chubbuck's first transaction with Harvard College.  The college treasurer pays to Jeremiah one hundred pounds for...

"a certain piece or parcel of land situate and being in Hingham aforesaid butted and bounded as follows, viz, eastwardly partly on the highway and partly on the land of Thomas Chubbuck, southerly on the land of Daniel Wyton, west on the river, and northward on Seth Cushing the whole containing by estimation about 40 acres be the same more or less now lying in partnership with my father Mr. Thomas Chubbuck, the land hereby intended to be granted is the one moiety or half part of the above described land and premises..."

dated March 1749

and another Suffolk deed 81(101) records the mortgage of Jeremiah's land to Harvard College; where the treasurer of the college pays fifty pounds for...

"one full moiety or half part of a certain piece of land with the fence thereon situate lying and being in Hingham aforesaid butted and bounded as follows viz southwardly on Accord Pond westwardly on the proprietor's land, and the land of Peter Ripley, northwardly on Seth Cushing's land, and eastwardly on the river, containing in the whole 45 acres..."

dated August 1748

I believe later in the deed it is stated that Jeremiah is expected to pay back the fifty pounds, with interest, and the deed will be void.  The language was a little difficult for me to understand while I was reading it quickly.
I am not sure that Jeremiah did pay the college back, as another deed records a division of land between Jeremiah Chubbuck and Harvard College, Suffolk County deed 87(66).

[Harvard College and Jeremiah Chubbuck] "do hold and enjoy in common and undivided a certain tract of land situate and lying at a place called the great plain in Hingham aforesaid containing in the whole sixty eight acres and thirty eight rods...and is bounded northerly with the land of Enoch Whitten easterly with the country road southerly with Daniel Whitten's land and westerly with the land of Peter Ripley and the said Enoch Whitten...that a partition and division of the same land be made between them...that the divisional line of said tract of land begin at a stake and heap of stones standing in or near the highway nine rods...from the northeast corner of said Chubbuck's dwelling house...college has northerly part containing about 30 acres...southerly part contains about 35 acres to be Jeremiah Chubbuck's... "

dated may 1755 

Eventually, the land that Jeremiah has left, the 35 acres, is probably handed down to his son Thomas, and Thomas' son Thomas, Jr. who builds the house pictured above.

notes:

1. There are some Suffolk County deeds which describe transactions between Seth Cushing and Jeremiah Chubbuck, it looks like Jeremiah and Seth exchange about 100 acres in Hingham back and forth.  It looks like Seth Cushing buys this land suffolk deed 67(236) and 67(237) back from Jeremiah Chubbuck in 1742.  These may be mortgages, as the end of the deed describes how Seth will pay Jeremiah.  Then also in 1742, suffolk deed 70(183), Jeremiah pays 600 pounds to Seth Cushing for part of this land, 100 acres.

nathaniel french (part 3 of 3)

death

Nathaniel French died on September 19, 1818 in Hingham, MA.  His death is recorded in the Vital Records of Hingham available on americanancestors.org.  This record has Nathaniel's age as 42 years old, which would make Nathaniel's birth year 1777.  This date conflicts with the birth date I have for Nathaniel as son of George Lane French and Sarah Tower.  The date of their son's birth is 1768.  This death record is a transcribed document; though, so it could be incorrect. 

Hingham Vital Records, death of Nathaniel French

To complicate things a little, I did find another transcription of Hingham town records on ancestry.com, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988.  This record has the same death date of September 19, 1818 for Nathaniel French in Hingham, MA; but has his age as 52, not 42 years old.  This transcription makes much more sense for my Nathaniel, which would give him a birth date of about 1767.  This is close to the birth date of 1768 for the son of George Lane French and Sarah Tower.  I do believe that the first record was transcribed incorrectly and Nathaniel is the son of George and Sarah.  I did not find any other Nathaniel's in the town records for births or deaths that match.  Which makes things a little easier to trace Nathaniel in Hingham. 

Massachusetts Town and Vital Records, Hingham, Nathaniel French death

When Nathaniel died, he left his widow Sarah with two daughters, 13 and 15 years old; and three sons at the ages of 17, 19, and 21. None of his children were married yet. Most were probably still living at home when Nathaniel died (the 1820 census has all but one older son living with their mother Sarah).  I was also able to find Nathaniel French's probate file on familysearch which supports the 1818 death date of Nathaniel French in the records above.  Once you get into the actual probate records, they also do mention his widow, Sarah. 

From nathaniel french march 2013

The first probate document is a letter of administration for David Whiton, of Hingham to be the administrator to Nathaniel French's estate.  It was signed by Jedidiah Lincoln and John Curtis.  David Whiton was probably a friend of the family as I do not have him listed in my family tree. Nathaniel's son Freeman marries a Joanna Whiting, but she does not seem to have a David in her immediate family. (Plymouth Probate vol. 46, p. 308)

The next document provides the names of the men who will appraise the estate of Nathaniel French: David Whiton, gentelmen; Perez Whiton and Daniel Wilder, yoeman. (Plymouth Probate vol. 50, p. 49)

There is also an inventory of Nathaniel's Estate provided in his Probate file. This is where Nathaniel's widow, Sarah, is first mentioned. The documents show Sarah will receive any items she chooses to the sum of $300.00. (Plymouth Probate vol. 50 p. 50-51)

The inventory is interesting to see what Nathaniel and his family possessed. It seems Nathaniel had land in Abington in addition to Hingham.  (Plymouth Probate vol. 50 p. 50-51)  One of Nathaniel's sons, Freeman, does move to Abington after he marries around 1826. Maybe he purchased the land at auction from his father's estate, although he only would have been about 17 years old. Abington is part of Plymouth County so I will search for deed transactions for this county around 1818 up to 1826.

The inventory also mentions that Nathaniel owned a farm and 1/2 of a Coopers Shop. (Plymouth Probate vol. 50 p. 50-51).  I found an interesting article on coopers from Old Sturbridge Village website which discusses both the trade of coopers and how they often also kept farms. Most of the tools listed in Nathaniel's inventory seem to be farm tools. (see note 1)  I was a little surprised to see that Nathaniel was a Cooper, as the History of Hingham book states that he was a packetman (p238). I have not found any evidence of this profession for Nathaniel, I wonder if he could have done both. Part of the description for Coopers on the Old Sturbridge Village website does discuss making barrels that are used for shipping. Maybe his barrels were sent on the ships.



Another document in Nathaniel's probate allows the adminsitrator, David Whiton, to sell items or land from the Estate of Nathaniel French to the sum of $800.00 so that he may pay the debts of Nathaniel.  (note 2) (Plymouth Probate vol. 50, p 427)

These debts are also listed in Nathaniel's Probate file.  The article on Coopers does mention that usually accounting books were kept noting bills and receipts. I am guessing that is where the administrator accessed the information for Nathaniel's debts.  These debts list many familiar surnames, such as Chubbuck, Gardners, Whitings and Whitons, and Dills. Also mentioned are Deacon John Jacobs and Doctor Shute. (Plymouth Probate vol. 53, p.131) (note 3)  I have not been able to find any information on a Deacon John Jacobs for this time period, but the History of Hingham book does discuss Dr. Daniel Shute and his son Dr. Daniel Shute Jr., who both resided on Main Street in the south part of Hingham. This is probably the area in Hingham that Nathaniel French also lived as most of the above mentioned surnames are also from South Hingham.

Having these probate records is great, but they have left me with some questions, such as:

• Who was the land at auction sold to? Was it the land in Hingham or Abington, or both?
• Who owned the other half of the cooper shop?
• Did his widow Sarah remain on land in Hingham, and who was that handed down to?
• Since he had property and items to hand down, why didn't he leave a will, did he die suddenly?

notes:
1.  Plymouth Probate vol. 50 p. 50-51

Inventory of Estate of Nathaniel French

• 25 1/2 acres of land in the homeplace at 35.............................................................$892.50
• 7 acres of woodland in Abington, 56...dwelling house 575.....................................$631.00
• 1 barn 100, 1/2 a Cooper shop 12 ...........................................................................$112.00
• $1635.50
• 1 hog 30, 2 sheep 5, 3 cows 60..................................................................................$95.00
• 3 Tom English Hay ?, Salt? 10, pesh? 15..................................................................$70.00
• 2 ladders 2,25, 4 hay forks 2, 25, 3 rakes 3,25............................................................$2.25
• 1 hand cart 2, 9 hoes ?, 4 spade ? ...............................................................................$4.00
• 1 ? shovel .40, 1 dung fork .75, 2 scythes and staff .75, 3 yokes .50 .........................$2.40
• 1 ? hoe .50, 1 bill hook .50, 2 iron crows ? ................................................................$3.50
• 1 beetle and 3 wedges .75, 1 collar and hamer .50, 1 gindstone ?..............................$2.50
• 3 ? ?, 1 cropeut saw ?, 1 handsaw .50, 2 wood saw ?..................................................$6.50
• augen? gimblets chipals?, old iron ? , 2 pittelyards ? .................................................$6.00
• 1 gun 8.00, 1 pistol 1.00, 4 kat? irons 1.00, 1 coffee mill .50 ....................................$5.50
• 4 dish kettles 2.00, 2 pots 1.50, 1 tea kettle 1.00, 3 spiders 1.50 ...............................$6.00
• 1 toad iron .50, 1 bread ? .50, 1 cheese ? .50, wooden ? ? 10...................................$11.50
• 2 meal ? 1, dairy furniture 2.50, 9 kitchen chairs 2.50................................................$6.00
• 1 table .50, 1 fire sett 1.50, 1 lantern, candlestick, lamps and bellows 1.....................$3.00
• books 6.00, bed, furniture in the East Back chamber 12.00.......................................$18.00
• wool and sundries in the West Champber 3.00, 3 bbls cider? 6.00............................$10.00
• potatoes 13.00, empty bbls, keg? in the cellar 5.00, cheese 10.00 ............................$28.00
• bed and purniture in the front room 36.00, crockery in the frontroom closet 5.00, ...$41.00
• 1 doz knives and forks 2.00, 9 silver teaspoons 3.00, 1 silver watch 10.00 ...............$15.00
• ? 19.00, wearing apparel 22.00 .....................................................................................$41.00
• $399.15
• pew in meeting house ..................................................................................................10.00
• $409.15

David Whiton, administrator on the Estate of Nathaniel French, late of Hingham in said County, yeoman deceased...You are hereby directed to deliver to Sarah French the widow of said deceased so much of his personal Eastate in such articles as she may choose as will amount to the sum of three hundred according to their appriased value the same being an allowance much her for necessaries...after the widow Sarah French has selected from the personal Eastate of said deceased the allowance that has been made her you are hereby...

pg. 51

authorized to sell the residue at public or private sale as you shall judge most beneficial to all persons interested therein and account unto me for the porceeds thereof...

2. Plymouth Probate vol. 50, p 427

To the Hon Joshua Thomas, Esq, judge of Probate for the County of Plymouth, who petition of preresentation of David Whiton administratior on the Estate of Nathaniel French late of Hingham in the said County yeoman deceased humbly show that the personal Estate of said deceased is insufficient by the sum of eight hundred dollars to pay all his past debts and incidental charges therefore prays that he may be licensed and empowered to sell so much of said deceased real Estate as shall produce the sum aforesaid ...

Plymouth Court of Probate, Dec 6th, 1819, on the foregoing petition ordered that the said David Whiton cause personal notice to be given to all persons interested in said Estate of this his petition and order thereon and that they may appear at the Court of Probate now held at Scituate in said County on this first monday of Dec instant at three o clock pm when and where they may appear and show cause if any they have why the prayer of said petition should not be granted...

Plymouth December 6, 1819 by virtue of the within I have notified the widow and children of the deceased Nathaniel French to appear at the times and place and for the ? within mentioned.

Plymouth Court of Probate Decmeber 6 1819 David Whiton Administrator of the Estate of Nathaniel French late of Hingham in said County yeoman deceased having filed in the probate office for said County his petition for License to sell as much of the real etsate of said deceased as will produce the sum of eight hundred dollars for the purpose of paying his just debt and incidental charges and the said David Whiton having given notice to all persons interested in said Estate agreeable to the order of this Court all which being made evident to me by due Examination, therefore ordered that the said David Whiton be and hereby empowered to sell and pay deed to convey so much of said deceased in real Estate as shall produce the sum.

3. Plymouth Probate vol. 53, p.131

The account of David Whiton adminstrator on the estate of Nathaniel French late of Hingham yeoman deceased

The said accountant charges himself with sundry receipts viz

• for sundires sold at auction as ? 25.27 cash ? of Benjamin Whiton balance of ? .............31.29
• Warren Thayer note ?, Joshua Damon 15, Daniel Chubbard note ? 116.25 ..................135.25
• Deacon John Jacob note of interest 11.85, Jesse Gardner 1.63, Joseph Whiton 3.05......16.53
• Col Washington Cushing 1.75, Deac J. Jacobs 2, David Whiton balance of ? 319.82...323.57
• Sundry articles of personal estate including cash delivered widow on account of allowance by the judge..........................................................................................................................273.90
• cash received for the real estate sold at auction by order of court.............................800.00

                                                                                                                                             1580.84

And ? allowance for the following payments and charges viz

• sundries delivered the widow by order of the judge 277.90 as paid samuel gardner jr 2.61................................................................................................................................280.51
• james gardner 5.78 joseph whiton on 2 notes and interest 15.60 -................................21.38
• job loring jr. 5.50 perez whiting balance 7.94 davis whiting balance 10.35 ..................23.79
• eliha whiton 2.08 mary dills note 152.01 doctr shute jr. 25.49...................................179.58
• daniel dills note and int. 15.58 emma dills 22.72 whiton and fearing's acct 19.57........57.87
• doctr shute 2.40 deacon john jacobs note and int 138.22 ? 70.12................................210.47
• henry chubbuck note and int 107.55 ditto 35.20 ditto 154 ditto 256...........................552.75
• ditto for cash lent 60 abigail gardner note and int 23.98................................................83.98
• patience gardner 41.34, ditto 4.36 anthony gardner bill 4.09.........................................49.79
• perez whiting 2.25 david whiton and co. bill 27.47 daniel wilder 2.32..........................32.04
• ? Lane 2 B wilder collector 5.20 B. wilder collector 8.42..............................................15.62
• paid joshua hersey jr collector 3.20 joseph wilder ? .30...................................................3.50
• probate fees 5.85 ditto for inventory 1.25 for license to sell real estate 5.50 ................12.60
• perez whiting collector 4.53 administrators services 30, probate fees for recording ?...36.53

                                                                                                                                             1560.68
                                                                                                          Sarah French left her mark x





to do:

1.  Search for the deed for Freeman French's land in Abington - Plymouth County Deeds - 1818-1830.  Freeman then moves back to South Scituate/Norwell, where all his children were born - after Nathaniel's death.   (need to search index at registry in Plymouth for these dates - records are online, but need book vol. number, etc)

2. Find where Nathaniel's land went after his death and after his wife's death - their children:

• son Theodore said to have removed from Hingham in the History of Hingham book.  I could not find a record of him in Hingham.
• son Nathaniel stayed in Hingham, died in 1867 - look at his children too.
• daughter Mary French marries Joseph Wilder, remains in Hingham - have a son Joseph Wilder
• daughter Sarah dies in 1863, marries Jacob Dunbar - not sure where they ended up or if they had children.

nathaniel french (part 2 of 3)

family life

Nathaniel French married Sally Chubbuck on January 8, 1797, in  Hingham, MA.  The record is from the Vital Records of Hingham, from americanancestors.org.

index of marriage record for Nathaniel French and Sally Chubbuck, Hingham, MA

The first census that Nathaniel and Sally are found in show that they are not living in the almshouse, like Nathaniel's father, George.  In fact, the Massachusetts and Maine direct tax census of 1798 shows that Nathaniel lives in the South Parish of Hingham, with 1/2 shop and 12 acres of land.  I do not know if Nathaniel purchased this land, or if he inherited it.  The next step would be to check Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, since Hingham is in Norfolk County from 1793-1803. (note 1)

The 1800 census shows Nathaniel's growing family:

1800 US Federal Census, Hingham, Nathaniel French

1800 census : 2 males under 10 (nathaniel and theodore); 1 male 26-44 (nathaniel); 1 male 45+ (?); 1 female 26-44 (sarah) 

There is one male over 45 years old who is unaccounted for in Nathaniel's household in 1800.  It may be Sarah's father, Thomas Chubbuck, since his wife died in 1797, and I was unable to find him listed separately in the census.  Thomas died in 1802 in Hingham, so most likely he was living in Hingham in 1800.  I checked to see if it could have been any of Sarah's or Nathaniel's brothers, but none of them would have been 45 or older in 1800.  It also was probably not likely to be Nathaniel's father as he is married in 1800 (to his third wife, Fanny).

The 1800 census shows who Nathaniel's neighbors probably were.  The listing under Nathaniel is Daniel Dill, which is Sarah's sister's, Mary, husband.  This would probably be her family, living next door to each other. 

1810 census...

1810 US Federal Census, Hingham, Nathaniel French

1810 census : 1 male under 10 (freeman); 2 male 11-15 (nathaniel and theodore); 1 male 26-44 (nathaniel); 2 female under 10 (sarah and mary); 1 female 26-44 (sarah); 1 female 45+ (?) 

By 1810, the older male living with Nathaniel and Sarah in 1800 is no longer in their household.  This would make sense if it were Thomas Chubbuck, as he dies in 1802.  There is; however, another older female living with them that is over the age of 45.  Both Nathaniel's and Sally's mothers had died before 1800 according to History of Hingham book.  Perhaps this woman is a sister of either Nathaniel or Sally.  Nathaniel does not have any living sisters in 1810.  Sally has two sisters age 45 and over.  Her sister Mary is married, but her other sister, Patience, never marries.  I am guessing it is more likely to be Patience, than Mary.  I did not find a separate entry for Patience in the 1810 census. 

It seems likely that the land Nathaniel and Sarah are living on in Hingham may have come from Sarah's family for a few reasons.  The 1800 census has Nathaniel and Sarah probably living with Sarah's father.  Maybe they lived in his house as he was older, taking care of Thomas if he needed it.  Also, the 1810 census has them most likely living with Sarah's sister, Patience.  Perhaps Thomas handed down his land and house to Sarah and she was to provide residence for her sister Patience.  Also, Sarah's other sister, Mary, is living next door to Nathaniel and Sarah in the 1800 Census.  Mary may have also been given land from her father Thomas.  The 1810 Census is alphabetized for the town of Hingham, so that does not show who Nathaniel and Sarah's neighbors may have been.  I am not sure if Thomas Chubbuck left a will or probate, but that would provide many clues as to where Nathaniel and Sarah were living in Hingham. (note 2)

(to be continued...)

notes:
1.  Hingham is in Norfolk County from 1793-1803; Plymouth County starting 1803; before 1793 in Suffolk County.    Norfolk County Registry of Deeds do have all their deed register books online.  I found a great guide to using the Norfolk Register of Deeds webpage here - from GeneaMusings blog.  If you are looking for deeds before 1900 you have to search through their scanned index.  There were no French's or Chubbuck's at all from Hingham listed.  In fact, I did not see any listings for Hingham, which makes me think that maybe Hingham was not included in these deeds.  Perhaps because it was in Norfolk County for such a short time, they are still indexed with either Suffolk or Plymouth County for these years.  Have to go to Plymouth Registry of Deeds to look at their index.

2.  I looked in Probate index, Norfolk County, Massachusetts ... 1793-1900, vol. 1, online through Internet Archive, and did not find an entry for Thomas Chubbuck, Sarah's father, who died in 1802 in Hingham, MA.  Again, there were no Chubbucks from Hingham listed.  Thomas is also not listed for the Plymouth County Probate files available online through familysearch.   I will have to look in the Suffolk County probate. 

to do:
1.  Check the Suffolk and Plymouth county deeds to find where Nathaniel got his land in Hingham, MA - around 1797 - year of his marriage.  Plymouth county deeds are online, but for this time period, need to know book number.  I did look at French surnames for 1910-1915, to see if maybe some deeds would link back through his descendants, but there were none that matched.  I also asked on the Plymouth County ancestry boards if anyone had access to the Plymouth county deed index.  The Plymouth County Deed index is available at Plymouth Registry of Deeds, and available from Family Center microfilm. I am not sure about process for Suffolk County Deeds yet. 
 
2.  Since Thomas Chubbuck is not in the Norfolk County Probate index and his probate record is not online for the Plymouth County Probate records, check Suffolk County probate for Sarah Chubbuck's father, Thomas Chubbuck, d. 1802 in Hingham, MA (Nathaniel's father George died in almshouse). 

3.  Also look at Sarah's brothers' probates - Plymouth county probably.  Sarah's brother Thomas has a son Henry Chubbuck who leaves land to Sarah Chubbuck and her children - including Freeman French.  Henry's will also mentions Sarah's sisters Mary Dill and Patience Chubbuck.  Strange to me that Henry left to his aunts and cousins, but maybe he had no children and maybe his father Thomas did not have many other children. 

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.

joanna whiting french probate

I wrote a blog post for Joanna Whiting French here, before I had access to her probate record.  The following blog entry will just be about her probate from Plymouth County. 

Joanna died in South Scituate, June 27, 1887.  The docket for Joanna French (Plymouth County Probate 3624) is listed below, from familysearch.org's database, Massachusetts, Plymouth County Probate Records, 1633-1967.

Plymouth County Probate for Joanna French 1888

Plymouth County Probate vol. 174, p. 487:

• petition for administration of Joanna French's estate by Benjamin W. French
• appointment granted
• Alpheus Thomas, Elisha C Sprague sureties - Benjamin W. French to make inventory of Joanna's estate
• signed in presence of Lucy A Thomas, Josie M French
• June 25, 1888

Plymouth County Probate vol. 169, p. 463:

• affidavit of motion of appointment filed for Benjamin W. French, administrator of Joanna French's estate
• Oct 28, 1889

Plymouth County Probate vol. 163, p. 595:

• Edwin Beal, Edward A French, Charles N Gardner - to appraise the estate of Joanna French, deceased, intestate - deliver the order of doings to Benjamin W French, administrator
• $326.00 personal estate, as per schedule exhibited. (but i do not see a schedule of inventory)
• Oct 29, 1889

The main person in these documents, other than Joanna, is the administrator, Benjamin W. French.  Benjamin is the second oldest son of Joanna and Freeman French.  I did not find a familial connection between Joanna Whiting French to either Alpheus Thomas or Elisha C. Sprague, listed as sureties in her estate.  None of her daughters or sisters were married to anyone with these surnames.  I also did not find a connection to two of the people appointed to appraise her estate, Edwin Beal and Charles N. Gardner.  The third appraiser is Joanna's youngest son, Edward A. French. 

I have not had much experience looking at probate documents, but I do find it a little strange that Joanna's husband, Freeman, is not listed in any of the documents.  Maybe it is because he was about 86 years old at the time of his wife's death and was not able to handle legal matters.  I do also find it strange that Freeman does not have any probate records of his own when he died almost two years later.  Maybe his possessions were dealt with before he died.  It would have also been nice to see the inventory of Joanna's possessions that amounted to $326.00. 

to do:
1. find Plymouth County deed records for Freeman French to see where their land ended up. 

freeman french

Freeman French is one of those ancestors that would have been nice to find a diary of his daily life. (actually, finding one for every ancestor would be nice too). Freeman lived during an interesting time in American history; I would love to know what he thought about everything going on around him at this time.

Freeman is my 4th great grandfather. He was born April 24, 1801 in Hingham, MA to Nathaniel French and Sarah Chubbuck. He seems to have grown up in South Hingham, where he was the middle child, having two older brothers and two younger sisters. His father was a packetman working at the Hingham packet station in Boston. (note 1)

Freeman was about 24 years old when he had his first son, Henry Freeman French in September of 1825, still living in Hingham. The date is interesting, as he did not marry Joanna until December of 1826, again in Hingham. If these dates are correct, I am sure it was difficult to have a child before marriage. It is nice to see that they stuck it out together though, and continued to have a large family of at least 8 children.

Freeman and his family lived in Hingham until at least 1830, when he is located in the census in Abington. By 1841, when he and his wife Joanna had their 5th child, Lydia, he had moved his family to South Scituate. Maybe he was struggling to find a place of their own, moving from Hingham to Abington to South Scituate. They seem to have settled in South Scituate, which eventually became Norwell in 1888. South Scituate is very close to South Hingham, where he grew up. Maybe he felt the need to be closer to his mother as she was getting older. Freeman's father died in 1819, but it looks like his mother died in April of 1843 (note 2).

Freeman not only moved his family a couple of times, but he also had a couple of professions; changing back and forth between shoemaker and farm laborer (note 3). I am not sure how common this was, but it does seem strange to me that he did not have a consistent profession. His property value as listed in the censuses is usually lower than others around him; it does seem they may have struggled a bit. He still supported his children though, even after they were married and had children of their own. The 1850 census shows his daughter, Joanna, and her husband and child living with them. Also in 1850, his son Henry and his wife are living with them. Their son Benjamin is still living with them at the age of 36 in the 1880 census. Freeman also opened his house to someone outside of his family in 1880. In the census there is a John Gurney, a 27 year old shoe finisher, living with them. Maybe he was a boarder to bring in a little extra money, or maybe Freeman was just helping him out. Regardless, the household never seems to be a lonely one. I tend to think of Freeman as a welcoming and friendly man; a happy person even though he may have been struggling a little financially.

Since Freeman is listed in the 1880 Census as living in South Scituate, I looked up the historical land ownership map on ancestry for this area. I found him near Accord Pond, bordering the town of Rockland.




Freeman was alive during many changes in American history. Around the 1830's in Massachusetts, there was a stirring of feelings rising against slavery. In 1831, The first abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, was published in Boston by William Lloyd Garrison. Freeman's daughter, Lydia (my 3rd great-grandmother), actually married into a family, the Cowings, which had ties to the abolitionists and Garrison (note 4). Perhaps it was a philosophy also held by the French Family. Freeman was about 59 years old when the Civil War broke out, therefore he did not fight in the war. His family, as most Massachusetts families, supported the cause though with at least one of his sons, Benjamin, enlisting at the age of 18, with the 39th regiment. Benjamin received a disability discharge only a couple of months after enlisting in 1862, and applied for a pension in 1885 (note 5). Freeman also had three nephews give their lives in the Civil War, 2 as prisoners. (note 6)

Technology was also changing the world; especially in 1876, with Alexander Graham Bell demonstrating the first telephone in Boston. I do not know if Freeman actually ever saw a telephone before he died, but he most likely did not have one in his home. I wonder what he thought about the invention and all the changes that were occurring during his lifetime.

Freeman lived 88 years, dying on March 2, 1889 in Norwell, about 2 years after his wife Joanna died. During his life, he was probably close to his children, as they did not move far from home. He unfortunately had to see three of his daughters die in their 20s; some of them had children of their own. He was fortunate enough to know at least 12 grandchildren; unfortunate to have 4 of these grandchildren die; 3 in infancy, one at the age of 10.

I wrote a blog post about Freeman's wife Joanna, noting that they were probably buried at the Liberty Plains Cemetery in South Hingham as that was the closest cemetery to their home. I did finally get a chance to go to Liberty Plain Cemetery. Luckily it was not too large to walk through, and I was able to find the gravestones of both Freeman and his wife. The three daughters that died at young ages; Sarah, Mary, and Pamelia, are buried near them. I was happy to find them all together.



notes:
1. Bouvé, Thomas T, Edward T. Bouvé, John D. Long, Walter L. Bouvé, Francis H. Lincoln, George Lincoln, Edmund Hersey, Fearing Burr, and Charles W. S. Seymour. History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts. Hingham: Pub. by the town, 1893. (vol 2; page 237)
2. death date for a sarah french, aged 74, in 1843 in south hingham - matches approximate birth date of sarah chubbuck (freeman's mother)
3. 1840 - agriculture; 1850 - shoemaker; 1860 - farm laborer; 1870 - shoemaker; 1880 - past laborer
4. Lydia's husband's great aunts (Susan, Sarah and Maria Cowing) had involvement in the abolitionist movement - wrote about them in a post here.
5. Benjamin W. French. Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.
6. Freeman's brother Nathaniel had three sons that died in the civil war, Nathaniel, Henry and Charles, the latter two as prisoners. Information from The History of Hingham book from note 1, (vol. 2, page 238)

to do list:
1. any probate records for father Nathaniel or mother Sarah? probate for Freeman? (UPDATE: Plymouth County Probate is online at familysearch - none listed for Freeman or his mother Sarah; probate for wife Joanna written about here, and father Nathaniel will be posted soon.)
2. any land records for Nathaniel, Sarah and Freeman

george lane french and abigail lewis

I have written a couple of times about George Lane French already, but since this is the 228th anniversary of George and his second wife, Abigail Lewis, I thought I would see if there was any other information I could find on this couple. They were married on April 21, 1782 in Hingham, MA. They were married for only a short time, as Abigail died April 17 1790, 4 days before their 8th anniversary.

Their marriage record is noted in the database, Hingham, MA: Vital Records, 1639-1844 on americanancestors.org. I was unable to locate an official death record for Abigail in this database. I obtained the death date from the History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts (note 1), p 235. I am not sure what the source is for this information, but the book also contains other dates that I have been unable to obtain; such as birth records for some of George's children and a death date for George's first wife, Sarah, my 6th great-grandmother.

This is the information from the Hingham book:



There is a discrepancy in the town records on the americanancestors.org database and the Hingham book for the date of marriage for George and Abigail. The record from the town database states they were married in 1782; while the book states they were married in 1783. This difference of one year is important if the other dates are accurate in the Hingham book. George's first wife, Sarah, does not die until June 1782, according to the book (I was also unable to find Sarah's death record in the town records). This information makes the town database marriage record of April 1782 for George and Abigail unlikely, as it is 2 months before his first wife Sarah dies. Perhaps there was a transcription error in the records that I obtained from americanancestors.org or maybe the Hingham book has the wrong date for the death of Sarah. Again, it is necessary to find the primary sources for the dates for this family.

Maybe the authors of the Hingham book had access to Hingham church records for the dates they published in the book for George French's family. After reading through an earlier written history book on Hingham, by Lincoln (note 2), I found there were two churches in Hingham at the time of George and Abigail's marriage. The First Church's pastor at the time was Rev. Ebenezer Gay, from 1718-1787 (p 26). The New England Historic Genealogical Society library has a copy of Dr. Gay's records of births, marriages and deaths from 1718-1787, along with other town records from 1635-1830, in their library. This document on microform will be a good place to start to find the dates that are not listed in the database online (note 3).

There was also another church in Hingham at this time, the Second church of Hingham (note 4) (p. 36), whose first pastor was Rev. Daniel Shute, from 1745-1799. I did not find a document of Shute's that was kept, but perhaps his record of births and other vital records is included in the above mentioned document. Lincoln's Hingham book also mentions a controversy that arose in the town with the creation of the Third Church in Hingham in 1807 (p. 38). The later History of Hingham book (vol. 1 part 2 p 40) states that this Second Church was in the south part of Hingham, and the Third Church was in the north part of the town. The descendants of George were living in South Hingham, so perhaps George became a member of the Second Church if he also lived in South Hingham (note 5). Another book worth obtaining from the NEHGS library is Two hundred years in South Hingham, 1746-1946, which includes information on the Second Church of Hingham.

At the time of their marriage, George had seven children; according to the History of Hingham book in the excerpt above. I have only found three birth recorded in the Hingham town records for children of George, but the Hingham book does have dates for the birth of the other four. George would have been his oldest child at about age 16, then Nathan, age 14, Phinneas age 12, Theodore age 10, and Perez age 6. George's oldest son Joshua and youngest daughter Sarah had died before George and Abigail were married. Abigail would have been taking on a new family with her marriage to George. They did not have any children of their own according to the town records and the Hingham book. George was about 41 years old at the time of his second marriage to Abigail; she was about 52 years old. (note 6)

The Revolutionary War had just ended by the time George and Abigail were married, so the towns and people were settling into their new independence (note 7). The end of the war does not seem to have provided easy times for George though, as he is noted to have had some difficulty supporting his family. Almost 14 years after Abigail died, George and his third wife, Fanny, died in the Hingham almshouse in 1814 and 1819. I am not sure when George had to ask for support from the town, or if Abigail and George lived at the almshouse during their marriage. I would find it surprising if Abigail would marry George if he were already living at the almshouse, unless she was also living in unfortunate circumstances. Hopefully the records for helping the poor in the town of Hingham were kept in town meetings. (note 8)

notes:

1. Bouvé, Thomas T, Edward T. Bouvé, John D. Long, Walter L. Bouvé, Francis H. Lincoln, George Lincoln, Edmund Hersey, Fearing Burr, and Charles W. S. Seymour. History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts. Hingham: Pub. by the town, 1893. Print. (3 vols.)
2. Lincoln, Solomon. History of the Town of Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Hingham: C. Gill, Jr, 1827. Print.
3. other repositories of hingham records:

• Massachusetts Historical Society also has hingham records of Ebenezer
  Gay at the First Parish - online catalog
  
• Hingham Public Library Historical and Genealogical Collection
  
• Town Clerk office of Hingham has original records
  

4. This Second Church was actually the third church formed in the town of Hingham. The first Second Church of Hingham later became the First Church in the newly separated town of Cohasset. The third church then became the Second Church in Hingham (South Hingham). History of Hingham Vol 1 Part 2 (p. 31)
 5. History of Hingham book in note 1 (p 237) states George Lane French resided on Hersey Street. Not sure Hersey Street would be considered South Hingham. Most likely did not have land to hand down to children as he died in the alms house. Maybe there are deeds to where this land went.
6. Abigail Lewis' age is determined by History of Hingham book in note 1 (see excerpt in blog). Abigail's death at age 60 in 1790, so born around 1730.
7. I only found a record of George enlisting for a period of 2 weeks in 1776, married to Sarah at this time, maybe he felt he needed to be home to help his family. From Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, 17 Vols database on ancestry.com. There is no record of George, or any of his sons, asking for a pension from the Revolutionary War on the footnote.com database. Maybe he did not serve long enough to request a pension.
8. Archive Publishing: town of Hingham bibliography lists some documents which may contain information on town meetings. You can order fiche for different Massachusestts towns.

To Do:
1. deed records for George Lane French - what happened to his property - was he living on Hersey Street?
2. find primary sources for birth of 4 children, and death of first two wives.
3. find town meeting records to see if there is information on the alms house records - how long was George there?
4. find gravestone - which cemetery?

george lane french revisited

After looking through the information and records available through the History of the Town of Hingham book and the Hingham and Weymouth Vital Records, I thought it would be good to put down some of the conflicting information on George French's family to keep track of it all.

According to the Hingham book, George Lane French had a son George who marries, first a Delight Rice in 1785, and secondly an Anna Rice in 1791. There seems to be two George French's around the same age at this time though, as the Hingham vital records has another George, with a middle name of Lincoln, marrying a Sally in December of 1790 and then a Betsey in 1804. So in 1790 there should be three George French's living in either Weymouth or Hingham; George Lane, his son George, and the George Lincoln French. I have no proof as to which George is George Lane's son, other than the Hingham book which states the George who marries Delight and Anna is George Lane French's son. The other George is not mentioned in the Hingham book at all.

The census for 1790 only has one George French, living in Hingham, that I have found. This George's family includes the following; 2 males under the age of 16, 1 male over the age of 16 and 2 females. As I mentioned in a previous post, this George does not seem to match the family of George Lane French. It also would not match the George who married Sally in December of 1790, as he would not be married and have children at the time of the census in April. This George in the 1790 census is probably the George who marries Delight Rice in 1785, as according to the Hingham book, they have 2 sons by 1790 under the age of 16 and one daughter. The other two people listed on the census would be George and his wife Delight. I should note that I did not find records of George and Delight's children in the Hingham records on newenglandancestors.org. The vital records of Hingham do show, however, that George's wife Delight and his son Phinneas, both die in 1791 at the almshouse in Hingham.



George Lincoln French is not listed in the 1790 census, probably because he could still be living with his parents (whoever they are) as he did not marry until December 1790. George Lane French is not listed either as a head of household in 1790, even though he is still living, most likely in Hingham. He could either be living with one of his children or already at the almshouse in Hingham, where he dies in 1814. I know from the Hingham Vital records that George and Sarah had at least three sons, Joshua, George and Nathaniel. The Hingham history book states they had 6 sons and one daughter (Phinneas, Theodore, Perez, and Sarah d. as infant). Let's say that George in the 1790 census is George Lane's son, we would know that his father is not living with him as there is not another male over 16 listed in the family.

George's first son, Joshua was born in 1764. I did not find him in the 1790 census, nor did I find any vital records of marriage or death in the Hingham or Weymouth records. The History of the Town of Hingham book has Joshua's death on August of 1778. If he does die in 1778, he obviously would not be listed on the 1790 census. There must be some church or town records that The Hingham author used for his data that I have not found yet.

I next looked at George's son Nathaniel, my 5th great grandfather. Nathaniel does not marry until 1797, but he is 22 years old in 1790, which means he could be living on his own. He is not listed in the 1790 census in either Hingham or Weymouth though. On another note, I want to address the possibility that Georges' son Nathaniel may not be "my" Nathaniel that marries Sally Chubbuck. I came to the conclusion that Nathaniel's (my 5th great-grandfather) parents were George Lane French and Sarah Tower through possible birth dates I obtained for Nathaniel trough the censuses. Using the 1800 and 1810 census for Nathaniel, he would have been born between 1766-1774. I then looked in the Hingham vital records for a Nathaniel born between those years and there was only one listed, the son of George Lane and Sarah, who was born January 19, 1768. I came to the conclusion that this is most likely my Nathaniel French. There is also a death record for a Nathaniel French for 1818. The records indicate that this Nathaniel would have been 42 when he died, which would not make sense for the age of Nathaniel if he were born in 1768. If this record is correct, the Nathaniel that dies in 1818 would have been born around 1776, which is too late for my 5th great-grandfather, who was probably born between 1766-1774. If my Nathaniel died in 1818, he would be about 52 years old. The Hingham records that I have access to on newenglandancestors.org were transcribed, which could have resulted in a transcription error, perhaps it does say he was 52 years old at death, and not 42. It is also important to note that the History of the Town of Hingham book lists my great-grandfather's death in 1819 at the age of 52, which makes more sense. I will have to find the original record of death to see which is the correct date for additional proof that I have the correct parents for Nathaniel. (I am not sure if it was recorded at the town or at a church). This death date of 1818 or 1819 does make sense for Nathaniel who marries Sally Chubbuck as his wife is listed as widow in the 1820 census. So there is some question as to Nathaniel's parents, but judging from the census information, it seems likely that they are George Lane French and Sarah Tower. I would like to find more of a connection between Nathaniel and George Lane French, possibly through probate and land records of Jonathan French (George Lane French's father) or Sarah's father, Nathaniel Tower.

Getting back to George Lane French's location in 1790, it is also important to look at his other sons that are stated in the Hingham book. Looking at their ages in 1790 though shows they would probably be too young to be listed as a head of household in the 1790 census. We still have not found where George Lane French and his family are all living at this time. As I mentioned earlier, it could be possible that they are in the almshouse by 1790, which would mean we would not find George in the census. There are a couple of more options to explore for George's location in 1790 though; his parents, parents-in-law, and brothers.

I checked to see if George's father or father-in law were living in 1790. However, George's father Jonathan died in 1780 and his father-in-law, Nathaniel Tower, died in 1767 according to the Hingham book. George Lane French also had two brothers that could have been helping him at this time. I found in the Hingham vital records that George had a brother Theodore born in 1744. According to the Hingham book, Theodore is still living in 1790 with a wife, a son and a daughter. Theodore is listed in the 1790 census in Hingham, MA. Unfortunately, I have let my subscription to ancestry.com lapse, so I am unable to see who is listed in his household. George had another brother, according to the Hingham book. The book names a Jonathan who was born about 1753 and marries in 1776. (I did not find his birth in the Hngham Vital records on newenglandancestors.org). There is also a Jonathan French listed as a head of household in the 1790 census for Hingham, which I will have to look at once I renew my subscription to ancestry.com. Jonathan and his wife would have had 4 boys and maybe 2 girls when the 1790 census was taken. It is also important to note that the Hingham book states that both Theodore and Jonathan reside on French Street, the same street that George Lane French's father Jonathan resided on. Perhaps their father Jonathan gave his property to his two sons, as George had already moved out and had his own land at the time of his father's death. The book states that George Lane French resided on Hersey Street. Also, George Lane French's son, George, who is listed in the 1790 census is not on the same census page as his uncles Theodore and Jonathan French.

to do list:
1. find where hingham book obtained information on George Lane French's family - church records maybe (Check out Peter Hobart's journal, published in NEHGR 121(1967):3-25, 102-127, 191-216, 269-294 - peter was the minister of the old ship church - although these records seem to end in 1688 http://dunhamwilcox.net/ma/hingham_ma_marr.htm)
2. find where George and his possible sons are buried - maybe with father/grandfather jonathan french - where is he buried
3. find almshouse records
4. find probate of nathaniel tower (d. 1767) and jonathan french (d. 1780 no probate listed in hingham book) see if they list grandchildren or george lane french and sarah tower french.  Hingham was in Suffolk County until 1793. (UPDATE: index online for suffolk county probate, P-Z; no nathaniel tower - some sarah towers.  The index for A-F is not available online yet, so could not check for Jonathan French)
5. look at 1790 census for brothers theodore and jonathan to see if george lane and his family could be living with them

george lane french

George Lane French, one of my 6th great-grandfathers, was born on April 4, 1741 in Weymouth, MA, as listed in the Weymouth Vital Records. His parents were Jonathan French and Jael Beal. The History of the Town of Hingham book states that George was baptized July 11, 1742 in Hingham, MA. His family must have lived in Weymouth at the time of his birth, but he eventually found his way to Hingham.

It seems that his family originally settled in Weymouth, but moved back and forth between Weymouth and Hingham, MA throughout the years. I have been able to find some information on George Lane French. The records I have found for him almost always list his middle name of Lane. Perhaps this was to distinguish him from other George French's in the area, or maybe the middle name has some important significance to the family. I did find George Lane French noted in a Lane geneaology book as listed in the will of Elizabeth Stowell Lane. George's mother, Jael French, is listed in Elizabeth's husband (George Lane)'s will.

I was not sure what the connection was to this Lane family, so I started to trace Jael's family back to see if there were Lanes on her ancestry. Using the following book, the History of the Town of Hingham, vol. 3, p 126 and p. 216 , it seems that Jael is the daughter of Elizabeth's Stowell's neice, as follows: Samuel Stowell and Mary Farrow have the following children...Mary, Samuel, John, David, Remember, William, Isreal, Elizabeth and Benjamin. Elizabeth is the woman who lists the French's in her will. A sister of Elizabeth's, Remember, marries Thomas Remington and they have Jael Remington (neice of Elizabeth Stowell Lane). Jael Remington marries Thomas Beal who have Jael Beal (daughter of Elizabeth's neice). Jael Beal marries Jonathan French and they have Abigail, George Lane, Theodore, and Hannah. As noted above, Jeal is mentioned in George Lane's will (Elizabeth's husband), and Jael's children are mentioned in Elizabeth's will. It seems like a distant connection to benefit from someone's will, but I am guessing Elizabeth and George Lane did not have children of their own and became close to this family and their children. After all, Jael and Jonathan French did name their son after George Lane.

I did find one other connection that George's mother Jael Beal may have had to Elizabeth Stowell Lane while reading through the Beal geneaology in the History of the Town of Hingham, vol. 2, p 54. Elizabeth Stowell Lane's mother Mary married secondly Joshua Beal (both widows). Elizabeth was only 16 years old, so Joshua Beal could have been close to Elzabeth, like a father. Joshua Beal is Jael's father's uncle (so Joshua Beal was Jael Beal French's great-uncle). I am sure that Jael and Elizabeth had a relationship due to this second marriage of Elizabeth's mother.

Getting back to George Lane French now, his first wife was Sarah Tower, married November 14 1762 in Hingham, MA. According to the History of the Town of Hingham, George and Sarah had 7 children together. Their first son, Joshua, died when he was 14 years old, and their last child, Sarah, died before she turned 1. I found records for only three of the children in the Hingham Vital Records. George's first wife died at a young age of 40, in 1783, only three months after she had her last child, Sarah.

Between the birth of his 6 children and the last child, Sarah, George enlisted for a very short time in the Revolutionary War. According to Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, "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." I searched for a pension file on footnote.com, but there were not any George French's from Massachusetts that filed a pension. I also searched for service records on footnote, but was not able to find any.

After Sarah's death, George married a second time in 1783, to Abigail Lewis. This marriage also ended with his wife's death in 1790. George then married a third time, in 1791, to Fanny James Humphrey. The History of the Town of Hingham book states that this family resided on Hersey Street in Hingham.



I searched the 1790, 1800, and 1810 censuses for Hingham and Weymouth for a George French. I was able to find a Geo. French in the 1790 census, listing in the household 2 males under the age of 16, 1 male over the age of 16 and 2 females. If we match these numbers up to the children listed in the History of the Town of Hingham book, we would have Perez under the age of 16, but Theodore would be about 18 years old. Of course, George Lane would be the male over 16. We still need to account for two females. One of the women living in this household in 1790 could be George's second wife Abigail, although she died in April of 1790. According to a wikipedia entry, the census was taken after she died, in August of 1790. That still leaves us with two females unaccounted for in this household. According to the vital records and the Hingham book, George did not have any daughters except Sarah, who died around 1782. This family does not seem to match up to George Lane French's family very well. I will have to check if there is another George French living in this area in 1790. (George does have a son George, but he does not marry until December of 1790.) The options left for George Lane French would be he was living with one of his sons or he was already living at the almshouse, which did not list residents in the census at this time. My next step will be to track George's sons in the census. I also did not see an entry for a George French in the 1800 or 1810 census in this area.

As stated in the excerpt above and in the Hingham Vital Records, George died on May 12, 1814 at the age of 72. The records of Hingham also state that both George and his 3rd wife Fanny died at the Almshouse in Hingham. The following is a passage in the History of the Town of Hingham, describing the almshouse in Hingham for the period that George and Fanny may have lived there.

I am not sure if the town's records for the meetings still exist, but they may provide names of the poor that were living at the almshouse. This would be interesting to see when George and his wife had to gain the support of the town.

to do list:
1. find records for George Lane French and Jael Beal French's children
2. find town records - may have information on almshouse
3. find where George and his three wives were buried - were George and Fanny buried separately as they died at the almshouse.
4. find if other George Frenchs would be living in this area in 1790 to match them up to the Geo. French entry on the census. update - found 3 possible george's living in 1790 - the one listed in census is probably george lane french's son george who marries delight rice - see next post
5. track George's sons through the census, see if he could be living with them. update - george not living with children - see next post

more maps and property

After spending a lot of time looking at the maps on the Historic Land and Atlas database available on ancestry, I wanted to organize some of my thoughts and research process.

I was able to locate some of my ancesters, mainly the Whiting (Whiton) families in South Scituate and South Hingham. I thought it would be interesting to track the land as it may have been passed from family member to family member. This will eventually help me when I am able to search the probate and land records. I used both the maps and the local histories of both Hingham and Hanover as a basis for my conclusions.

Benjamin Whiton (my 6th great grandfather) married Joanna Gardner in 1766 in Hingham, MA. According to The History of the Town of Hingham book, Benjamin was a farmer who lived near Accord Pond in South Hingham.

The Historical Sketch of the Town of Hanover states that this Benjamin lived in a house where Eleazer Chubbuck now lives. The book was published in 1858.

Also according to the Hanover book, Eleazer Chubbuck married Benjamin's Granddaughter Elizabeth (Betsey b. 1801). So Benjamin's land probably went to his son Archelaus. Betsey's mother died in 1803, and her father Archelaus enlisted in 1812 (probably died in war). This would have left Betsey alone at age 11, her grandparents were already dead at this time too. Maybe she moved in with one of her aunts or uncles, and the property was left to Betsey - where she later lived with her husband Eleazer Chubbuck. The property from the map looks like they lived on Gardner Street.

Another son of Benjamin that lived in this area was Joseph. The Hingham books states that Joseph resided on Gardner Street near Accord Pond and that Joseph's son Joseph (another one of Benjamin's grandchildren), stayed on at his paternal homestead. I also find J.M. Whiting on the map on Gardner Street living two houses up from Eleazer Chubbuck, which is probably Joseph and therefore his father Joseph's house. Perhaps Benjamin divided his land and gave some to his granddaughter Betsey (through his son Archelaus) and some to his son Joseph, who passed it on to his son Joseph. So Betsey and Joseph, who are living on Gardner Street in South Hingham in 1879 are cousins, both grandchildren of Benjamin Whiton and Joanna Gardner.

There is still a house between J. Whiting and E. Chubbuck on the map of Hingham. It would make sense if this house were also on Benjamin's original property. The map states the house belongs to E Beal. Looking at The History of the Town of Hingham book, this is probably Edwin Beal who married Elizabeth Chubbuck (daughter of Eleazer Chubbuck and Betsey Whiting).

Elizabeth would have been living next to her parents on the map. If this were originally Benjamin Whiting's property - Elizabeth Chubbuck Beal would be his great-granddaughter, living next to two of Benjamin's grandchildren. So perhaps Benjamin's property was split amonst them all - or further subdivided by his grandchildren. As seen in the excerpt above, The History of The Town of Hingham book does state that Edwin Beal lived on Gardner St.

Map of South Hingham which lists the properties I have discussed above

Benjamin also had a son Benjamin (my 5th great grandfather) that lived in Hingham near Accord Pond, accoring to the Hanover book. The History of Hingham book states Benjamin removed to Scituate. According to the census data, he did move to South Scituate, which was right down the street from Hingham and where his father lived. He must have built or bought his own house, as he is not in Hingham where his father lived. I have no direct evidence as to where his property went when he died, but it seems it probably went to his children as many of them are living in the same area of South Scituate near Accord Pond.

Benjamin's daughter, Joanna, married Freeman French and lived in South Scituate. We can see F. French on the South Scituate map below Accord Pond. Another daughter of Benjamin and Lydia's, Lydia Whiting, never married and lived with her brother Jared and sister Mary Whiting (both probably never married either). The censuses for 1860-1880 have this family of siblings living next door to Freeman and Joanna French. They are not listed on the property map of South Scituate, so maybe they lived on the same property in a second house. Elizabeth, another daughter of Benjamin and Lydia's, married James Burrill. On the censuses and the map of Scituate, there is a J. Burrill living across the street from Freeman French and Joanna. Elizabeth probably resides in her parent's house as she and her husband lived with her mother Lydia after her father Benjamin died. The second oldest son of Benjamin and Lydia was Richard, who married Mary Stoddard. Richard had died by the time the Scituate map was made in 1879, but his wife Mary was living in Hingham. I was not able to locate a Mrs. Mary Whiting on the map in Hingham, but as they were living in Hingham, they most likely did not have his father's property. Benjamin and Lydia's other children had either died by the time the map was created in 1879, or removed to another town after marrying.

Map of South Scituate with Benjamin Whiting's property as discussed above

to do list:
1. list picture of jos. j whiting and amasa whiting house
2. find mary whiting - widow of richard whiting on hingham map - look in census
3. create family chart to explain relationships better