Removing His Name From a Petition — Ezekiel Richardson

B. about 1604 in Westmill, England
M. 25 Feb 1630 in England
Wife: Susannah ________
D. 21 Oct 1647 in Woburn, Massachusetts

When masses of English people who were united by their religion settled in the colony of Massachusetts, some splintered off when they disagreed with authorities. Ezekiel Richardson was about to go off in that direction, but changed his mind at a critical point.

Ezekiel was born in Westmill, England in about 1602 to Thomas Richardson and Katherine Duxford. He had at least two brothers and one sister. Westmill was located in eastern Hertfordshire, the mill that gave the village its name being long gone by the time Ezekiel grew up there. On February 25, 1630, Ezekiel married a woman named Susannah (whose maiden name is unknown); the wedding may have taken place in Westmill, but this is unproven.

Ezekiel and Susannah were Puritans, and shortly after their wedding, they joined the Winthrop Fleet, a mass migration for those seeking religious freedom in America. The exact ship they sailed on is unknown, but likely by the mid-summer of 1630, they arrived in the Massachusetts colony to start a new life there. They settled first in Boston, then moved to Charlestown by 1632; this is evidenced by their names being on a list of the original members of the church at Charlestown, which was founded on November 2nd. 

The Richardsons started a family, and between about 1632 and 1643, they had seven children. Ezekiel was chosen as a constable by Charlestown’s council in 1633, and served as selectman during 1634-35 and 1637-39. For the years 1634 and 1635, he was Charlestown’s representative to the General Court in Boston. By early 1638, Ezekiel’s brothers Samuel and Thomas also migrated to the colony, and the three were given lots in Malden, Massachusetts on the “mistick side above the ponds.”

Like some of his fellow Puritans, Ezekiel became a follower of Anne Hutchinson and John Wheelwright, two people who ran counter to the leadership in Massachusetts. Wheelwright was judged to be guilty of sedition, and Ezekiel was one of 80 men signing a petition presented to the General Court in 1637 opposing the ruling. But then he presumably had second thoughts when he saw the serious nature of defying colony leadership. Along with many others, he got his name removed from the document in order to save himself from being censured. However, it seems his expression of dissent may have led him to leave Charlestown.

Reverend John Wheelwright.

On May 15, 1640, Ezekiel was among a small group of Charlestown men to explore territory granted by the General Court for a new town. In November, he was on a committee to establish what would become Woburn, Massachusetts. The committee met at the houses of each of the men who served. There were seven members, and Ezekiel hosted the meeting held on February 13, 1641. At that gathering, it was decided that February 16th would be the day all of the new settlers would help lay out the town at the site.

The 1640 expedition to Woburn.

In the next couple of years, Woburn’s settlers built their houses and established a church. Ezekiel and his brothers took up residence on one road which became known as “Richardson’s Row.” The first town council was named in 1644, and Ezekiel was one of the first seven selectmen. He went on to serve for the three years that followed. Ezekiel would have likely continued doing even more in early Woburn, but sadly, he died October 21, 1647 when he was in his early 40s. He left a will naming all of his surviving children and his wife Susannah. The inventory of his estate was valued at £100. Susannah remarried another Woburn man, and died in 1681.

Ezekiel’s descendants include Franklin Pierce, George W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Jeb Bush, Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Katharine Hepburn, former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bartlett Giamatti and actor Paul Giamatti. Today’s Woburn has a street named Richardson, perhaps in his and his brothers’ honor.

Children:
1. Phebe Richardson — B. before 3 Jun 1632, (probably) Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 13 Sep 1716, Woburn, Massachusetts; M. Henry Baldwin (~1630-1698), 1 Nov 1649, Woburn, Massachusetts

2. Theophilis Richardson — B. before 22 Dec 1633, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 28 Dec 1674, Woburn, Massachusetts; M. Mary Champney (1635-1704), 2 May 1654, Woburn, Massachusetts

3. Josiah Richardson — B. before 7 Nov 1635, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 22 Jun 1695, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Remembrance Underwood (1640-1718), 6 Jun 1659, Concord, Massachusetts

4. John Richardson — B. before 21 Jul 1638, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 7 Jan 1643, Woburn, Massachusetts

5. Jonathan Richardson — B. before 13 Feb 1640, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. (probably) young

6. James Richardson — B. before 11 Jul 1641, Charlestown, Massachusetts; D. 28 Jun 1677, Scarborough, Maine; M. Bridget Henchman (~1638-1731), 28 Nov 1660, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

7. Ruth Richardson — B. 23 Aug 1643, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. 7 Sep 1643, Woburn, Massachusetts

Sources:
The Richardson Memorial, John Adam Vinton, 1876
Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire, Vol. 1, Lewis Publishing Company, 1908
Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Boston and eastern Massachusetts, Vol. 2, William Richard Cutter, 1908
The History of Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Samuel Sewell and Charles Chauncy Sewell, 1868
WikiTree
Famous Kin (website)

A Child Not Her Husband's — Madeleine Dubois

B. about 1640 in La Rochelle, France
M. 19 Oct 1661 in Quebec City, New France
Husband: Michel Baugis
D. 5 Mar 1721 in Beauport, New France

The records don’t seem to tell the whole story of Madeleine Dubois, who came to the colony of New France on her own, then got pregnant by a man she met after arrival. What caused her to leave France? And why did she have a baby with a man she didn’t marry?

Madeleine was born in La Rochelle, France in about 1640 to Isaac Dubois and Anne Richer. Isaac was a "master wool comber." She had at least two sisters, neither of whom came to America. In 1661, Madeleine traveled on her own to New France, offering herself as a marriageable woman. It’s likely that she was recruited by someone looking to populate the colony; this was a couple of years before the Filles du Roi migration began. Madeleine probably had some challenges in life because this was such a drastic step for a French woman — to leave behind her family, her homeland, and civilization for an unknown future.

Not long after landing at Quebec, she seems to have gotten involved with a man named Jean Royer, and this led to a pregnancy. There is no way of knowing if this was a consensual relationship, but there is no information that it wasn’t. For some reason, her condition didn’t result in a trip to the altar with Royer, and Madeleine decided to marry someone else. Royer went on to marry another woman, Marie Targer, who arrived in New France two years later. He would have seven children with his wife, but died in 1675 at the age of 40.

The man Madeleine did marry was Michel Baugis, and their wedding took place at his home in Beauport on October 19th. Madeleine gave birth to the baby fathered by Royer on February 7, 1662, but the child took the name of her step-father, Baugis. Michel and Madeleine went on to have six children of their own born between 1663 and 1679. They settled in Beauport and were listed in the 1681 census as having "30 arpents of land under cultivation." 

Record of Madeleine's marriage to Michel Baugis.  

A curious lawsuit appeared in the court records of New France naming Madeleine as being accused of slander. Her insults had been supposedly directed at a woman named Marie Leblanc. The ruling went against Madeleine, and she was forced to “ask forgiveness” of Leblanc. Another accusation in the records claimed that the apology wasn’t strong enough, but this charge was dismissed.

In 1711, Madeleine and her husband Michel drew up a document that signed their property over to a grandson in return for having him care for them in their old age. Michel died on November 26, 1717 and Madeleine passed away March 5, 1721. She was the ancestor of Dan Aykroyd and Mark Wahlberg.

Child by Jean Royer:
1.  Marie-Madeleine Baugis — B. 7 Feb 1662, Quebec City, New France; D. 23 Mar 1743, Beauport, New France; M. Jacques Menard dit Deslauriers (~1638-1716), 28 Nov 1680, Beauport, New France

Children by Michel Baugis:
1. Jean Baugis — B. 10 Aug 1663, Quebec City, New France; D. 17 Oct 1720, Beauport, New France; M. Jeanne-Thérèrse Parent (1673-1767), 11 Jan 1689, Beauport, New France

2. Marguerite Baugis — B. 11 Jul 1666, Beauport, New France; D. 22 Apr 1737, Beauport, New France; M. Pierre Parent (1660-1715), 23 Nov 1683, Beauport, New France

3. Marie-Anne Baugis — B. 27 Feb 1669, Beauport, New France; D. 23 Jan 1748, Beauport, New France; M. Pierre Choret (1662-1736), 21 Jan 1686, Beauport, New France

4. Louise Baugis — B. 22 Nov 1672, Beauport, New France; D. 8 Dec 1672, Beauport, New France

5. Jeanne-Marie Baugis — B. about 1675, (probably) Beauport, New France; D. 22 Nov 1760, Quebec City, New France; M. François Langlois (1673-1748), 17 Sep 1696, Beauport, New France

6. Michel Baugis — B. about 1679, Beauport, New France; D. 14 May 1756, Lachine, New France; M. (1) Angélique Senard (1683-1703), 9 Nov 1699, Beauport New France; (2) Marie Miville (1665-1726), 2 Jun 1704, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; (3) Marguerite Perrier (~1677-1755), 2 Dec 1726, Lachine, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Before the King's Daughters: The Filles à Marier, 1634-1662, Peter J. Gagné, 2002
Fichier Origine for Madeleine Dubois 
Godbout — Racicot / LeBeauf — LaHaye (website)

Which Edward Bishop Was Witch? — Edward Bishop

B. about 1620 in England
M. before 1646 in Massachusetts
Wife: Hannah (last name unknown)
D. after 1694 in (probably) Salem, Massachusetts

Sometimes an individual is challenging to identify, and such is the case for Edward Bishop of Salem, Massachusetts, who was the father of Mary Colburn. There were three Edward Bishops living in Salem during the 1690s, and it’s important to sort them out because one was accused of being a witch.

The Edward of this biography was born in England in about 1620 (some have given a date as early as 1611). Nothing is known of him until he turned up in Salem, Massachusetts in 1639. He was married to a woman named Hannah (possibly her last name was Moore) and they had at least three children who were baptized in Salem between 1646 and 1651. One of these children was also named Edward.

There is evidence that the elder Edward was living in Salem at the time of the witch trials; he appears along with wife Hannah having signed a petition in defense of one of the accused, Rebecca Nurse. Another of the accused women who was tried before this date was Bridget Bishop, the wife of another Edward Bishop, who seems to be unrelated to the other two Edwards. 

Bridget Bishop became famous as the first person found guilty at the witch trials who was then executed. Several town members, including a group of teenaged girls, claimed she had caused them harm with just a glance, and several people testified that she appeared as a specter in their homes. She denied the accusations, but was found guilty, and was hung from the town gallows.

The execution of Bridget Bishop, who was unrelated to the Edward Bishop of this biography.

Some time after this, Edward's son Edward and his wife Sarah were arrested in a separate case. They ran an inn out of their home in Salem and it was known for serving "drinks to underaged patrons and allowed 'shovel'-board to be played at all hours of the night." A neighbor who complained about their behavior was found a short time later dead from an apparent suicide — a slashed throat from a pair of sewing scissors — and this was thought to be witchcraft caused by Edward and Sarah. They managed to escape jail, though, and were said to have hid until the witch trial craze was over.

It is not known when the elder Edward died; some have said 1694 and others have given dates as late as 1711. There is a record dated June 25, 1695 in Salem charging "Edward Bishop, Senr." with drunkenness (he had to pay a fine of 5 pence), but it isn't known which Edward this is. The relationship between all of the Edward Bishops of Salem can never be proven completely, but the scenario described here seems likely from all of the circumstantial evidence.

Children:
1. Hannah Bishop — B. before 12 Apr 1646, Salem, Massachusetts; M. William Raymond (1637-1709), about 1661

2. Edward Bishop — B. before 24 Apr 1648, Salem, Massachusetts; D. 12 May 1711, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; M. Sarah Wilde (1651-?), 1670

3. Mary Bishop — B. about Aug 1651, Salem Massachusetts; D. after 1742, Concord, Massachusetts; M. (1) Robert Colburn (~1647-1701), 16 Mar 1669, Beverly, Massachusetts; (2) Eliphalet Fox (1644-1711), 15 Apr 1702, Concord, Massachusetts; (3) Joseph Lee (1643-1716), 28 Jan 1713, Concord, Massachusetts; (4) Daniel Hoar (~1650-1742), October 1717, Concord, Massachusetts

Sources:
Wikipedia article on Edward Bishop
Salem Witchcraft with an account of Salem Village and a history of opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects, Charles Wentworth Upham, 1867
A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, James Savage, 1860

Keeping the Town Records — William Carpenter

B. about 1631 in Wiltshire, England
M. (1) 5 Oct 1651 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Wife: Priscilla Bennett
M. (2) 10 Dec 1663 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Wife: Miriam Searles
D. 26 Jan 1703 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts

William Carpenter was skilled at using a pen as well as a saw, and during a period of his life, he was appointed as his town’s clerk.

William was born in about 1631 to William Carpenter and Abigail Briant, somewhere near the town of Shalbourne, England, which is in Wiltshire. He was one of eight children. When William was seven years old, the family migrated to America aboard the ship Bevis. The ship's passenger list includes 4 children in the family and one servant, suggesting they weren't poor. The family settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts, then moved to Rehoboth in 1644 as a founding family of that community.

On October 5, 1651, William married Priscilla Bennett. Priscilla died on October 20, 1663 giving birth to their fourth child. William then married Miriam Searles on December 10, 1663. They had nine children born between 1664 and 1687.

William worked as a carpenter and owned a "long Cross cut saw," but his other profession was as town clerk of Rehoboth, a service he performed for almost 35 years, from 1668 until his death. It is said he was noted for his exceptional handwriting. During his time as clerk, he was a deacon in the church, a deputy to the General Court at Plymouth, an overseer of the highways, a constable, and a magistrate. He was also appointed to settle boundary disputes, and helped to hire a schoolmaster.

Example of William's handwriting in Rehoboth records.

William wrote his will on November 10, 1702 and he died on the following January 26th. His will was proved in April with his estate valued at over £215; among his possessions were several books and a compass for surveying land. He was buried at Newman Cemetery, which is in present-day Rhode Island. Descendants of William include Raquel Welch and Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Children by Priscilla Bennett:
1. John Carpenter — B. 19 Oct 1652, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; D. Woodstock, Connecticut; M. (1) Rebecca Readaway; (2) Sarah _______

2. William Carpenter — B. 20 Jun 1659, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; D. 10 Mar 1719, Attleboro, Massachusetts; M. Elizabeth Robinson (1657-?), 8 Apr 1685

3. Priscilla Carpenter — B. 24 Jul 1661, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; D. after 1744, East Greenwich, Rhode Island; M. Richard Sweet

4. Benjamin Carpenter — B. 20 Oct 1663, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; D. 18 Apr 1738, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Hannah Strong (1671-1762)

Children by Miriam Searles:
1. Josiah Carpenter — B. 18 Dec 1664, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; D. 28 Feb 1727; M. Elizabeth Read (1668-1739)

2. Nathaniel Carpenter — B. 12 May 1667, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; M. (1) Rachel Cooper (~1671-1694), 19 Sep 1693, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; (2) Mary Preston (~1674-1706), 17 Nov 1695; (3) Mary (~1675-1712), 8 Jul 1707; (4) Mary Bacon

3. Daniel Carpenter — B. 8 Oct 1669, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; M. (1) Bethiah Bliss (?-1703), 15 Apr 1695; (2) Elizabeth Butterworth (1682-1708), 30 Mar 1704; (3) Margaret Thurston (~1687-1717), 12 Dec 1710; (4) Mary (or Margaret) Hunt (~1698-1719), 15 Oct 1718; (5) Mary

4. Noah Carpenter — B. 28 Mar 1672, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; Apr 1756; M. (1) Sarah Johnson (1677-1726); (2) Ruth Follett (?-1745); (3) Tabithy _______, 29 Nov 1745

5. Miriam Carpenter — B. 16 Oct 1674, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; D. 21 May 1706; Jonathan Bliss (1666-?), 23 Jun 1691

6. Obidiah Carpenter — B. 12 Mar 1678, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; D. 25 Oct 1749; M. Deliverance Preston (?-1767), 6 Nov 1703

7. Ephraim Carpenter — B. 25 Apr 1684, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; D. 20 Apr 1743; M. (1) Hannah Read (~1682-1717), 14 Aug 1704; (2) Martha Ide, 24 Mar 1719

8. Hannah Carpenter — B. 10 Apr 1685, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; M. Jonathan Chaffee, 23 Nov 1703

9. Abigail Carpenter — B. 15 Apr 1687, Rehoboth, Massachusetts; D. 15 Jan 1781; M. Daniel Perrin (1682-?), 12 Nov 1706

Sources:
Representative men and old families of southeastern Massachusetts, J.H. Beers & Co., 1912
A genealogical history of the Rehoboth branch of the Carpenter family in America, Amos Bugbee Carpenter, 1898
Rehoboth Carpenter family (Wikipedia article)
Will and Estate Inventory of William Carpenter, 1702 and 1703

A Poor Wounded Man — John French

B. 1635 in England
M. (1) 21 Jun 1659 in Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Abigail Coggan
M. (2) 3 Jul 1662 in Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Hannah Burrage
M. (3) 14 Jan 1668
Wife: Hannah Rogers
M. (4) 16 Jan 1678 in Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Mary Littlefield
D. October 1712 in Billerica, Massachusetts

During colonial times in New England, communities looked after those who needed help. And when wounded war veteran John French pleaded poverty, his town came to his aid.

John was born in 1635 in England to William and Elizabeth French, their third child. When he was still a small baby, the family boarded the ship Defence, landing in Boston on October 8th. The family settled in Cambridge, where John grew up. His parents had six more children there.

When John was 18, the family moved to a newly settled region of the colony that was inland from the coast. John’s name was one of 14 men on a petition in October 1654 asking for approval to add a substantial amount of land to their settlement, and to change its name from Shawshin to Billerica. Both requests were granted by the General Court.

Life was rough in Billerica’s early years, and John suffered the tragedy of losing three wives at a young age. On June 21, 1659, he married Abigail Coggan of Barnstable. She died less than three years later at the age of 23, on April 5, 1662. He quickly married again on July 3rd of that year to Hannah Burrage of Charlestown. She bore him two daughters, but died on July 7, 1667 also at the age of 23. John married a third time on January 14, 1668 to Mary Rogers. She had a daughter in 1670 and died on June 16, 1677. Finally, on 16 Jan 1678, he married a fourth wife, Mary (Littlefield) Kittredge, who had been widowed with five young sons. John and Mary had six children together.

Over the years, John held many offices in Billerica. He was a selectman in Billerica in 1674-76, 1678-86, 1691, and 1700-02. In 1683, he served on a committee of three men who met with three men from neighboring Andover to decide on the boundary between the two towns.

In 1675, relations with Indigenous people deteriorated into the conflict known as King Philip’s War, and John served as a corporal in the militia in Billerica. On August 2nd, the English force met up with warriors of the Nipmuck tribe in a swamp near Billerica called Quaboag (or Brookfield) where several settlers were killed. John was in the fight, and after shooting a Nipmuck, he got hit by return fire, which cut off one of his thumbs and seriously wounded his body near his shoulder.

At the end of the war, he was one of four Billerica selectmen who wrote a report to the General Court about the terrible effect the war had on their town. They asked the Court to reduce the amount they were required to pay in annual fees to the General Court because of losses they suffered in the war.

During the years that followed, John petitioned the town for financial help, describing himself as "a poor wounded man." He was exempted from paying taxes for several years. He was also permitted to sit "at the table with Capt. John Lane and Mr. Crosby" during church services, and his wife Mary was allowed to "sit in the front gallery with Mrs. Foster and those women placed there." It was said that he was "an influential citizen of Billerica and held many town offices from time to time." John died in October of 1712 at the age of 77.

Notes from a Billerica town meeting on December 26, 1701 regarding John.

Children by Hannah Burrage:
1. Hannah French — B. 14 Dec 1664, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 9 Oct 1755, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. John Kittredge (1666-1714), 3 Apr 1685, Billerica, Massachusetts

2. Abigail French — B. 6 Dec 1665; D. 13 Mar 1723; M. Benjamin Parker (1662-?), 10 Nov 1697

Children by Mary Rogers:
1. Mary French — B. 4 Mar 1670; D. 21 Aug 1740, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Nathan Shed (1669-?)

Children by Mary Littlefield:
1. John French — B. 15 May 1679, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 17 May 1748, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Ruth Richardson (1685-1730), 13 Feb 1707, Billerica, Massachusetts

2. Elizabeth French — B. 24 Jul 1681, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 30 Sep 1754, Andover, Massachusetts; M. Thomas Abbott, 25 Dec 1706, Billerica, Massachusetts

3. William French — B. 26 Nov 1683, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 21 Apr 1685, Billerica, Massachusetts

4. Sarah French — B. 15 Sep 1685, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Joseph Frost (1683-1737), 5 Apr 1710, Charlestown, Massachusetts

5. Hannah French — B. 18 Feb 1693; D. 12 Dec 1769; M. (1) Jonathan Richardson (1682-1720), 1713, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Benjamin Frost (1688-1753), 15 Feb 1726, Billerica, Massachusetts

6. William French — B. 8 Aug 1687, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 25 Feb 1746, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Mehitable Patten (1687-1743), about 1712

Sources:
"Lieutenant William French and his Descendants," John M. French, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1890
History of Billerica, Massachusetts: With a Genealogical Register, Henry Allen Hazen, 1883
The Kittredge Family in America, Mabel T. Kittredge, 1936
Billerica, a centennial oration by the Rev. Elias Nason, July 4, 1876, 1876

A New Life and Religion in Quebec — Marthe Quitel

B. about 1638 in Rouen, France
M. 22 Sep 1665 in Château-Richer, New France
Husband: Barthélemy Verreau dit LeBourguigon
D. 25 Dec 1722 in Château-Richer, New France

Marthe Quitel was one of a small number of French Protestant women who signed up to be a Fille du Roi, but she had to give up her religion in order to do so.

Marthe came from Rouen, France, born in about 1638 to Denis Quitel and Louise Bénard. Nothing is known of her family except that her parents must have been followers of Calvinism, a religion that had large numbers of people in southern France, but was a small minority in the north. Protestants in Rouen were mainly of the merchant class, people who were generally wealthier and better-educated than those who were Catholic. It’s known that Marthe could sign her name, an indication that she had at least some schooling.

Saint-Maclou Church in Rouen, near where Marthe was said to have lived. 

When Marthe was in her mid-20s, the French government was seeking to populate New France, so they offered a deal to get young women to marry settlers in return for passage and a dowry. Marthe signed up in 1665, probably because she had no other way to support herself. She boarded the ship Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Dieppe, which carried about 90 Filles du Roi and 30 male indentured servants across the Atlantic, arriving in Quebec City on June 18, 1665.

Marthe foreswore Calvinism in a ceremony the very next day because Protestants were strictly forbidden to live in the colony. She was then was placed in the home of Nicolas Marsolet; most Filles du Roi were housed in a convent—not in private homes—as they awaited marriage. Marsolet was a former interpreter and clerk in the fur trade who had been in New France since its beginnings. He was also from Rouen, which may be one of the reasons Marthe stayed at his house.  Within six weeks, she became engaged to Barthélemy Verreau dit LeBourguigon, a blacksmith, and the contract signing took place in the Marsolet home. On September 22nd, Marthe and Barthélemy were married at the church in Château-Richer.

Marthe and Barthélemy lived in Château-Richer for the rest of their lives. Between 1667 and 1684, Marthe had nine children. After Barthélemy died on December 17, 1700, Marthe turned to her son François to take care of her in return for all of her husband’s land. She died suddenly on Christmas Day of 1722. After her death, her son had “25 Masses celebrated for the repose of her soul.” Among Marthe's descendants is Justin Bieber.

Children:
1. Antoine Verreau — B.13 Jan 1667, Château-Richer, New France; D. young

2. Jeanne Verreau — B. 15 Nov 1668, Château-Richer, New France; D. 22 Oct 1711, Quebec City, New France; M. (1) Pierre Cloutier (1667-~1702), 16 Feb 1696, Château-Richer, New France; (2) Jacques-Baptiste Cauchon (1663-1726), 16 Apr 1703, Château-Richer, New France

3. Joseph Verreau — B. 27 Jan 1671, Château-Richer, New France; D. 28 Feb 1671, Château-Richer, New France

4. Marie Verreau — B. 18 Mar 1672, Château-Richer, New France; D. 25 Feb 1703, Château-Richer, New France; M. Pierre Dumas dit Langoumois (~1668-?), 16 Feb 1699, Château-Richer, New France

5. Marguerite Verreau — B. 26 Apr 1674, Château-Richer, New France; D. 24 Nov 1748, L'Ange-Gardien, New France; M. Jacques Boutillet (1668-1749), 12 Jan 1699, Château-Richer, New France

6. Prisque Verreau — B. Sep 1676, Château-Richer, New France; D. before 1681

7. Barthélemy Verreau — B. 13 Jul 1678, Château-Richer, New France; D. Jun 1718, Château-Richer, New France; M. Marguerite Prieur (1691-1758), 13 Feb 1708, Quebec City, New France

8. François Verreau — B. 20 Mar 1682, Château-Richer, New France; D. 1 Jun 1754, Château-Richer, New France; M. Genevieve Gagné (~1707-1743), 20 Jan 1724, Château-Richer, New France

9. Anne Verreau — B. 10 Jul 1684, Château-Richer, New France; D. 1 Dec 1749, Château-Richer, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
King's daughters and founding mothers: the filles du roi, 1663-1672, Peter J. Gagné, 2001
WikiTree
Huguenots (Wikipedia article)
Theology, Politics and Letters at the Crossroads of European Civilization, Gerarld Cerny, 1987
Navires Venus en Nouvelle-France (website)

FamousKin.com listing for Marthe Quitel

Married her Father's Farmhand — Mary Edith Luckey

B. 18 Jun 1854 in Jersey County, Illinois
M. (1) 24 Jul 1872 in Jersey County, Illinois
Husband: James Ross
M. (2) 9 Aug 1887 in Labette County, Kansas
Husband: Albert Leonartz
D. 18 Jan 1899 in Labette County, Kansas

When Mary Edith Luckey was widowed at a young age, she desperately needed a husband, and she apparently found one on her father's farm.

Mary's entire heritage traced back to North Carolina. She was born in Jersey County, Illinois on June 18, 1854 to Samuel Luckey and Mary Jane Davis, the oldest of 10 children. On July 24, 1872, Mary married her first cousin James Ross (Mary's father and James' mother were brother and sister). Between 1873 and 1882, they had five children.

In 1879, the Ross family moved to Labette County, Kansas, along with Mary's parents and most of her siblings. The two families bought adjoining farms near the town of Parsons. In February 1884, a big storm damaged their roof, and James went up to repair it, exposing himself to the winter chill. He came down with pneumonia, and died 5 days later, leaving Mary a widow with five children at age 29.

Mary managed the farm for at least a year. In 1885, she had 40 acres valued at $1,000, raising 35 acres of corn and a half acre of potatoes. About two years later, she became pregnant, and on August 9, 1887, she married her father's farmhand, Albert Leonartz, at her farm. Her baby was born a month later; presumably, Albert was the child's biological father, but this isn't known for certain.

License for Mary's marriage to Albert Leonartz.

It was said that Albert was a rough man. He was of a German background, illiterate, and strict with her children. Besides the child Mary had in 1887, she had two more children with Albert born in 1890 and 1893. By 1895, the family lived on a farm of 160 acres with a cash value of $2,660. They raised corn, oats, and flax; plus they had an orchard of 300 apple trees, and several peach and cherry trees. They also owned six horses, one cow and one dog.

Mary died on January 18, 1899 of "la grippe" (influenza). The Parsons Daily Sun reported on Januray 20, “The funeral services over the remains of Mrs. Albert Leonard [sic], who died at her home near this city on Wednesday, took place from the family residence yesterday afternoon, Rev. J.T. Crawford of the Baptist church officiating.”

Mary's two daughters, Laura Sheridan and Agnes Leonartz, in about 1910.

Children by James Ross:
1. Laura Ethol Ross – B. 24 Sep 1873, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 17 Mar 1917, Los Angeles, California; M. Howard Milton Sheridan (1871-1951), 6 Mar 1895, Oswego, Kansas

2. James Anderson Ross – B. 8 Aug 1875, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 20 Feb 1939, Iowa; M. Alberta Louella Goodknow (1883-1956), 12 Sep 1900, Clarksville, Iowa

3. Charles Howard Ross – B. 4 Aug 1877, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 2 Dec 1918, Los Angeles, California

4. Edward Auguster Ross – B. 23 Jan 1880, Labette County, Kansas; D. 4 Jan 1964; M. Ora Itasca Turner (1895-1987), about 1912

5. John L. Ross – B. 6 Aug 1882, Labette County, Kansas; D. 28 Sep 1892, (probably) Labette County, Kansas

Children by Albert Leonartz:
1. Simon Alexander Leonartz – B. 9 Sep 1887, Labette County, Kansas; D. 1923

2. Flora Agnes Leonartz – B. 5 May 1890, Labette County, Kansas; D. 17 Jan 1965, Wenatchee, Washington; M. (1) Robert James Malcolm (~1876-?), 26 Jul 1907, King County, Washington; (2) Jesse Lee Rader (1885-1968), 16 Apr 1919, Chelan County, Washington

3. Thomas Jefferson Leonartz – B. 19 Oct 1893, Parsons, Kansas; D. Jan 1972, Lone Jack, Missouri; M. Laura M. [?] (1898-1979), about 1917

Sources:
Family bible of Mary Leonartz
Marriage certificate of James Ross and Mary E. Luckey, Jersey County, Illinois, 24 Jul 1872
1860, 1870, 1880, 1920 and 1930 U.S. Censuses, Illinois and Kansas
1885 and 1895 Kansas State Censuses, Labette County
Marriage certificate of Albert Leonartz and Mary Ross, Labette County, Kansas, 9 Aug 1887
Obituary of Mary Leonartz, Parsons Daily Sun, 20 Jan 1899
Interviews of Thomas Michael Mitchell, 1976-1977
Death certificate of Laura Ethol Sheridan, 17 Mar 1917
Kansas marriages database, 1840-1935
Death certificate of Howard M. Sheridan, Mar 1951
Social Security death index
1920, 1930 and 1940 U.S. Censuses, Washington
World War I draft card database
Transcribed tombstones of Rosebank Cemetery, Mulberry, Kansas
Washington death records index, 1940-1996

First European Mother in Canada — Françoise Langlois

B. about 1599 in France
M. before 1620 in France
Husband: Pierre Desportes
D. 20 Apr 1632 in Dieppe, France

The year before the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock, an anonymous French ship brought a handful of settlers to a small enclave on the St. Lawrence River. One of them was Françoise Langlois, who became the first European woman to give birth there.

Little is known about Françoise’s background, though some have said she was born in 1599, the daughter of Guillaume Langlois and Jeanne Millette in Calvados, France, which is in Normandy. After marrying a man named Pierre Desportes, the two were recruited to become pioneer colonists in Canada. Up until 1608, the region had only seen seasonal seasonal visits from men who fished and traded with the Indians. Then explorer Samuel de Champlain decided to make a permanent settlement, building a small wooden enclosure at a bend in the St. Lawrence called Quebec. Part of his plan was to bring over women along with their husbands, and in 1619, Pierre and Françoise, along with her sister Marguerite and husband Abraham Martin signed on.

During that first year, Françoise’s daughter Hélène was born. The record of the child’s baptism is lost, but later records for Hélène identified her birth year based on her age. Hélène's godmother was Hélène Boulle, Champlain’s wife, who arrived in Quebec in late July 1620, therefore putting the historic birth during the second half of that year. No other child’s birth preceded Hélène, and she was the first to be born in the colony. Françoise seems to have had no other children born to her.

Living conditions in Quebec were challenging because the settlement was isolated, and the winters were bitterly cold. Champlain had intended to have more people migrate to Canada, but very few did, and by 1627, the population was only 55. Françoise and the other women worked together for their survival, pooling resources and midwifing for each others babies. When supply ships were delayed, the colony experienced periods of starvation, often having to grind peas into soup as their only nourishment.

Françoise was a godmother to a child of another Quebec settler in 1627, and to another child on May 18, 1629. Two months later, the colony was invaded by Englishman David Kirke, and most of the French settlers were forcibly taken back to France by way of England. Françoise, Pierre and Hélène ended up in the city of Dieppe. According the records of the Church of Saint-Jacques, Françoise passed away on April 20, 1632. It isn’t known when Pierre died, but it was within a couple of years of her death.

Champlain surrenders Quebec to Kirke in 1629.

After France regained control of the Quebec settlement in 1633, Françoise’s young daughter Hélène returned to Canada. She would go on to marry twice, and giving Françoise many descendants, including Madonna, Céline Dion, Jim Carrey, Angelina Jolie, Bridget Fonda, Julianne Hough, Jack Kerouac. Ricky Gervais, Cliff Arquette, Roseanna Arquette, Patricia Arquette, Emeril Lacasse, June Foray, Leo Durocher, Chloë Sevigny, Pierre Trudeau and Justin Trudeau. 

Child:

1. Hélène Desportes — B. 1620, Quebec City, New France; D. 24 Jun 1675, Quebec City, New France; M. (1) Guillaume Hébert (~1614-1639), 1 Oct 1634, Quebec City, New France; M. (2) Noël Morin (~1609-1680 ), 9 Jan 1640, Quebec City, New France

Sources:
A Point in History (website)
One-hundred French-Canadian Family Histories, Philip J. Moore, 1994
Hélène’s World: Hélène Desportes of Seventeenth Century Quebec, Susan McNelley, 2014
FamousKin.com

Hard-working Indentured Servant — Joachim Martin

B. about 1636 in Aytré, France
M. (1) 5 Nov 1662 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Marie Chalifour
M. (2) 16 Jun 1669 in Quebec City, New France
Wife: Anne-Charlotte Petit
D. 30 Jun 1690 in Saint-Pierre, Île d'Orleans, New France

Joachim Martin was like many of the men who populated New France: he started out as an indentured servant and made a life for himself when his service ended. He was born about 1636 in Aytré, France to Jacques Martin and Luce Chaslut. Aytré was a village on the coastline just south of La Rochelle, a major seaport for ships coming and going to New France. Joachim’s mother died when he was a young boy and his father remarried. The family moved into La Rochelle by 1649, but his father died in early 1653.

On April 11, 1656, Joachim signed a contract to become a laborer in New France. The agreement said he was to receive the sum of 75 livres per year for three years. He boarded the ship Le Taureau on April 30th along with 30 other indentured men; the crossing took about six weeks, arriving at Quebec City on June 15th. Typically, Joachim would have been assigned to work for someone doing labor for their farm, household, or business, but no record survives of who he might have worked for.

Joachim's 1656 labor agreement.

After his term of service was up in February 1660, Joachim bought a farm in L’Ange-Gardien on the Beaupré Coast, but cancelled his purchase the following day. He may have at this point signed another contract of servitude. There was a shortage of women in New France, and on November 5, 1662, Joachim married a 13 year-old girl named Marie Chalifour at Notre-Dame de Quebec. Her father, Paul Chalifour, offered to build the couple a house 18 by 16 feet, and he promised to feed them “until All-Saints’ Day 1663,” but Marie died within the year. In 1664, Joachim settled on the Île d’Orleans; he was listed in 1667 as having 9 arpents of land under cultivation.

Joachim married a second wife, Anne-Charlotte Petit on June 16, 1669 in Quebec City. Betwenn 1671 and 1689, they had eight children. The family lived on Ile d’Orleans until 1680 when Joachim signed a 3-year sharecropping lease under Pierre Denis. The deal offered workable land with 6 arpents of river frontage in La Canardiére. The land had “a habitable house, barn, stable yards [and] garden.” Joachim was required to share half of his crops with Denis.

The 1681 census shows that Joachim owned a gun and 10 head of cattle, with 15 arpents under cultivation. In 1684, he was hired by a wealthy woman in Quebec City, Anne Auber, to deliver building materials for her new house; he was paid by the boatload. By 1685, Joachim and his family returned to Île d’Orleans, to the parish of Saint-Pierre, where his last two children were born. The house where the family of 10 lived measured 24 by 18 feet. 

Joachim's land in Saint-Pierre.

In 1690, Joachim spent 9 days in the hospital at Quebec City, but returned home and died on June 30, 1690 at the age of 54. His wife Anne remarried twice and outlived all of her husbands, dying on March 3, 1736 in St. Augustin, New France. They were ancestors of Ricky Gervais and Matt LeBlanc.

Children (all by Anne-Charlotte Petit):
1. Louis Martin — B. 12 Jun 1671, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. May 1749, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatiere, New France; M. Louise-Angelique Ratté (1680-1749), 12 Jan 1700, St-Pierre, Ile d’Orleans, New France

2. Marie-Anne Martin — B. 4 Apr 1673, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 6 Feb 1709, Riviére-Ouelle, New France; M. Pierre Roy (~1669-1734), 12 Feb 1691, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

3. Marguerite Martin — B. 6 Jan 1675, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 14 Nov 1751, Quebec City, New France; M. (1) Jean-Pierre Jollet (~1670-?), 18 Feb 1692, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France; (2) Henri Rémi Picoron (1677-1746), 9 Feb 1705, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

4. Marie-Angelique Martin — B. 4 Mar 1678, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. (1) Pierre Chantal dit Lafleur (~1667-1707), 12 Jan 1696, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; (2) Pierre Chatigny dit Lepine (~1681-1731), 26 Nov 1710, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

5. Catherine-Françoise Martin — B. 19 May 1680, La Canadiére, New France; D. 16 Jan 1747, Kamouraska, New France; M. Jean-Baptiste Labouriére (1680-?), 11 Feb 1697, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France

6. François-Lucien Martin — B. 22 Jun 1683, Quebec City, New France; D. 13 Feb 1747, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. Marie-Françoise Autin (1689-1747), 25 Nov 1710, Riviere Ouelle, New France

7. Jean-Baptiste Martin — B. 2 Dec 1686, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; D. 4 Aug 1761, Kamouraska, New France; M. Marie Genest Labarre (1670-1761), 25 Feb 1710, St-Pierre, Ile d’Orleans, New France

8. Marie-Charlotte Martin — B.16 Jan 1689, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; M. (1) Louis Vernas dit Dufresne (?-1720), 25 Feb 1710, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France; (2) Pierre Raté (1699-?), 14 Oct 1725, Quebec City, New France

Sources:

Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)

Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
WikiTree

Ship Owner in Early Connecticut — John Plumb

B. 28 Jul 1594 in Great Yeldham, England
M. 27 Mar 1616 in Hitcham, England
Wife: Dorothy Chaplin
D. 1 Jul 1648 in Branford, Connecticut

When Puritans migrated to New England during the 1630s, among them were men who had a certain amount of wealth. For John Plumb, this translated into being able to own a boat, which allowed him to make a living along the Connecticut River. 

John was born July 28, 1594 in Spaynes Hall, Great Yeldham, England, which is in the northern part of Essex. His parents were Robert Plumb and Grace Crackbone and he was one of at least nine children. 

Record of John's birth.

On March 27, 1616, John married Dorothy Chaplin in Hitcham, Suffolk, and between 1617 and 1635, they had nine children. John and his family lived in Ridgewell Hall, a manor house that still survives today (although it was modified in the 18th and 19th centuries).

John is listed on the Essex Visitation of 1634 (a sort of upper class census in England), but he sold his estate at about that time and it is said that he used the money to buy a ship that he sailed to America. He landed at Dorchester, and moved to the then remote town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, the second settlement in Connecticut after Windsor.

In his nine years living in Wethersfield, John held several offices. He was a magistrate in 1637, was named appraiser on February 9, 1637, town clerk in 1641, and a collector of customs in 1644. Starting in 1638, he was a member of Connecticut’s General Court “off and on until 1644.” And John has been noted to have been the first ship owner in Wethersfield.

John often made voyages up and down the Connecticut River trading with the Indians. It is likely that his vessel was used to carry Captain Mason and his men to Narragansett Bay during the Pequot War in 1637. The Pequots were defeated, and this allowed for settlement of Connecticut to continue. In the aftermath, John was appointed to buy corn from Indians to help feed the people of Wethersfield on April 5, 1638.

Attack of a fort in the Pequot War.

In 1644, John sold most of his Wethersfield property, consisting of 13 parcels of between 2 and 204 acres, and moved to the new settlement of Branford, which was located on the coast of Connecticut. John was one of its earliest settlers; he was elected town clerk and held this office until his death.

John died on July 1, 1648 in Branford, and his will was proved a month later with an estate valued at over £3,661. His wife Dorothy survived him by at least 21 years. Only three of his children were alive at the time of his death; one of them, Samuel, helped found a new settlement that became Newark, New Jersey.

Famous descendants of John Plumb include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan and Helen Hunt.

Children:
1. Robert Plumb — B. 30 Dec 1617, Ridgewell, England; D. 12 May 1655, Milford, Connecticut; M. Mary Baldwin (1625-1708), 9 Jan 1642, Milford, Connecticut

2. John Plumb — B. 27 May 1619, Ridgewell, England

3. William Plumb — B. 9 May 1621, Ridgewell, England

4. Ann Plumb — B. 16 Oct 1623, Ridgewell, England

5. Samuel Plumb — B. 4 Jan 1626, Ridgewell, England; D. 22 Jan 1713, Newark, New Jersey; M. Hannah

6. Dorothea Plumb — B. 16 Jan 1627, Ridgewell, England

7. Elizabeth Plumb — B. 9 Oct 1629, Ridgewell, England

8. Deborah Plumb — B. 28 Jul 1633, Ridgewell, England

9. Dorcas Plumb — B. 12 Jan 1635, Wethersfield, Connecticut; D. 21 Apr 1725, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. John Lyman (1623-1690), 12 Jan 1654, Branford, Connecticut

Sources:
WikiTree
American Biography: A New Cyclopedia, American Historical Company, 1919
Genealogical notes on the founding of New England: my ancestors part in the undertaking, Ernest Flagg, 1926
Families of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, Henry R. Stiles, 1904
GeneaStar: Famous Family Tree and Genealogy (website)

A Promise to his Dying Wife — Abel Kittredge

B. 14 Nov 1798 in Packersfield, New Hampshire
M. (1) 28 Jan 1824 in Nelson, New Hampshire
Wife: Sophia Lyman
M. (2) 29 Nov 1838 in Nelson, New Hampshire
Wife: Anne Marie Lyman
D. 13 Sep 1882 in Boston, Massachusetts

Abel Kittredge was a humble, hard-working man, who spent most of his life in a small New England town. And when his happiness was shattered by the death of his young wife, he took her suggestion on who he should marry next.

Abel was born to Joshua Kittredge and Beulah Baker on November 14, 1798 in Packersfield, New Hampshire (later renamed Nelson). He was one of eight children and the oldest son; his father also had three daughters from an earlier marriage.

Records in Nelson show that Abel joined the First Congregationalist Church in 1822. About two years later, on January 28, 1824, he married Sophia Lyman, the adopted daughter of the church pastor, Reverend Gad Newell. They soon had two children, Sophia and Edward. Unfortunately, Sophia suffered some physical complications after the birth of their third child, Samuel Farrington. She weakened even more after giving birth to a fourth child in 1835, who died at the age of one year.

Besides working as a farmer, Abel learned the skills to make cabinets and furniture. A desk that he made in about 1830 has been handed down in the family so that we can see his craftsmanship and design abilities. A note attached to the back states that it was built so he could gain initiation into a guild of cabinet makers. Abel owned a cabinet-making shop during this time. 

Desk built by Abel in about 1830.

It was also in about 1830 that Abel had his portrait done. In the days before photography, the only way to preserve one’s face for posterity was by sitting for an artist. The man who captured Abel's likeness was Rufus Porter, a renown painter who worked in watercolor. The portrait was done as a profile, and it shows a handsome young man with a determined gaze — this was Abel in the prime of his life.

Rufus Porter's watercolor painting of Abel.

By the late 1830s, it became clear that Sophia was not going to recover from her last pregnancy, and sadly, her life came to an end on May 2, 1838. Before her death, she asked Abel to marry her younger half-sister, which must have been an emotional prospect for him. He kept his promise, and on November 29th, married Anne Marie Lyman. About a year later, Anne Marie gave birth to a son; she went on to have two more children with him (one died young).

1838 was a particularly rough year for Abel. Along with losing Sophia, a building he owned, presumably for his cabinet-making business, went up in flames. The fire was started in a lightning storm in early July; it was said that materials which were kept there essentially made it a tinder box, and the fire destroyed the building with everything in it. Abel had no insurance, so he presumably took a huge financial loss. 

As for Abel's personal property, he lived on land in Nelson where his father had built a large house during the 1790s. His brother Herbert and nephew Russell lived on the land as well; presumably they all had their own houses for their families. A letter written by a cousin in 1846 described that Abel was constructing a house that year. "The chimney is up so [the family] can use the oven, but the shed has to answer for the kitchen, parlor and sitting room." The letter also said how hard Abel had worked in "haying" season, and the fact that only one of his grown sons was available to help with the labor.

Soon Abel's older children were leaving the nest. In 1849, sons Edward and Samuel took off for the California gold rush, and daughter Sophia married a minister from Maine, who left her widowed a few years later. By 1860, Abel lived in Boston with Anne Marie, their sons Henry and Minot, and Sophia's 3-year-old daughter, Nancy French. He was listed on the census with the occupation of “market man.” Minot went on to serve in the Union army during the Civil War, and he participated in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. 

Letter written by Abel in 1877.

Abel and Anne Marie moved back to Nelson by 1870, but she passed away in 1879. In his final years, Abel moved into the household of granddaughter Nancy, who now lived in Boston and was married to a carriage maker, George Hewes. One family member warmly recalled a particular spot where Abel always sat next to a window in Hewes' kitchen. He became sick with pneumonia, and died on September 13, 1882 at the age of 83.

Identifying images of Abel
I inherited a collection of family photos which had belonged to Abel’s daughter, Sophia. Some of the photos had writing on them, but many didn’t, and none were identified as Abel, a fact that was frustrating. But in February 2023, I came into contact with another descendant of Abel, who owns the desk and watercolor painting shown above. This gave me hope that I could use the painting to identify Abel in Sophia’s photos.

The first images I looked at were two daguerreotypes of a couple. Because daguerreotypes were so expensive, I assumed that the couple would have to be people closely related to Sophia. Unfortunately, both are badly damaged because they were not in protective cases, but I made copies and cleaned them up in Photoshop as best as I could. I concluded that the man in the daguerreotypes might be Abel. 

Next I looked through the other types of photos. One carte de visite taken in about 1860 was absolutely the same man as in one of the daguerreotypes. I also noticed that it was taken in the same studio set-up of a photo of Sophia, which suggested a scenario that they had their portraits done at the same time. Then I found a tintype which seemed to be the same man again only older. 

  

One feature I found in all of the images was a prominent tuft of hair that stuck up from the top of his head, something I could see even in the watercolor, which led me to one more image that predated everything else. In Sophia’s collection were two small tintype copies of silhouette portraits of a man and a woman. I always wondered who these people were. The clothing in the silhouettes was a strong clue and I was able to put a date on them of about 1825. It made sense that they were Abel and his first wife Sophia based on the fact their daughter owned them. The silhouette of the man doesn’t perfectly match the watercolor, but there were similarities in the facial features, and there was that tuft of hair. 

When I was done, I compared the five possible images of Abel Kittredge. With the exception of the more badly damaged of the daguerreotypes which is probably Abel, I feel confident that the other images are all definitely him. 

Children by Sophia Lyman:
1. Sophia Newell Kittredge — B. 22 Nov 1824, Nelson, New Hampshire; D. 22 Dec 1900, Los Angeles, California; M. James Riddle French (1810-1857), 7 Aug 1849, Nelson, New Hampshire

2. Edward Lyman Kittredge — B. 14 May 1827, Nelson, New Hampshire; D. 16 May 1906, Boston, Massachusetts; M. Deborah Lewis (1822-1906), 30 Nov 1854, Boston, Massachusetts

3. Samuel Farrington Kittredge — B. 14 Mar 1830, Nelson, New Hampshire; D. 24 Nov 1907, Boston, Massachusetts; M. Marietta Prudy Fillebrown (1835-?), 24 Nov 1853

4. Charles Stone Kittredge — B. 15 Dec 1835, Nelson, New Hampshire; D. 1 Mar 1837, (probably) Nelson, New Hampshire

Children by Anne Marie Lyman:
1. Minot Melville Kittredge — B. 24 Nov 1839, Nelson, New Hampshire; D. 25 Jun 1903, Boston, Massachusetts; M. Martha E. Marsh (~1845-?), 19 Nov 1867

2. Henry Sumner Kittredge — B. 23 Nov 1843, Nelson, New Hampshire; D. 27 Oct 1912, Boston, Massachusetts

3. Charles Wheeler Kittredge — B. Jul 1849, Nelson, New Hampshire; D. 26 Sep 1853, (probably) Nelson, New Hampshire

Sources:
A History of Nelson, New Hampshire, Parke Hardy Struthers, 1968
The Kittredge Family in America, Mabel T. Kittredge, 1936
Letter from Sophia L. Kittredge to Anne Lyman, Nelson, New Hampshire, 21 Nov 1830
Letter from B.G. Newell to Sophia N. Kittredge, Nelson, New Hampshire, 17 Aug 1846
George Lyman Kittredge – Teacher and Scholar, Clyde Kenneth Hyder, 1962
Letter from Samuel Farrington Kittredge to Sophia N. French, West Newfield, Maine, 12 Sep 1893
Letter from Deborah Kittredge to Sophia N. French, Roxbury, Massachusetts, 9 Dec 1889
1860, 1870 and 1880 U.S. Censuses, Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Death certificate of Abel Kittredge, Boston, Massachusetts, 13 Sep 1882
Family bible of James Riddle and Sophia Newell French
Letters of James Riddle French (1849-1852)
Death certificate of Sophia French, 22 Nov 1900, Los Angeles, California
Massachusetts deaths, 1841-1915

Ex-Soldier Settles on Island — Jean Soucy dit Lavigne

B. about 1640s in Abbeyville, France
M. 1670 in (probably) Île d'Orléans, New France
Wife: Jeanne Savonnet
D. about 1678 in New France

Jean Soucy dit Lavigne was one of 1,200 soldiers who arrived in New France in 1665, and he was one of the 400 who didn’t return to France. There were many options of where he could live, and he ended up in a somewhat unlikely place. 

There is no surviving record of Jean that shows his birth or age. He was born in Abbeyville, France, an ancient city in the Picardy region, and his parents were Claude Soucy and Françoise de Vaime. Most likely, he was born during the 1640s. All other details of his origins are unknown.

Jean came to New France as a soldier during an effort by France to protect their North American colony. From June to September in 1665, over a thousand troops were transported across the Atlantic. This was called the Carignan-Salières Regiment, and Jean served in the company of Grandfontaine. In April 1665, Jean's company was camped on the Île de Oléron in France. He left on board the ship L' Aigle d'Or on May 13th. The crossing took an agonizing three months; the hull was eaten with worms and was said to have sprung a leak. On August 18th, the ship arrived in New France; upon the return trip to France, it was deemed no longer seaworthy.

The soldiers worked to protect the colony against the Mohawk Indians. Jean was involved in building a fort on the Richelieu River and a road connecting two outposts. In 1666, he took part in an expedition that took possession of some Mohawk land. When the Carignan-Salières Regiment returned to France at the completion of their mission, Jean decided to stay in New France.

On October 6 1669, Jean signed a bond to marry a Fille du Roi named Madeleine Marechal, but a week later, the marriage contract was cancelled. Why the marriage fell through isn’t known, but she may have already promised herself to another man who she ended up marrying. Madeline later got into trouble for “scandalous conduct,” and was banned from Montreal.

After the marriage with Madeleine fell through, Jean married another Fille du Roi, Jeanne Savonnet, on the Île d'Orléans; the exact date of their marriage is unknown. The couple had four children born between 1671 and 1677. Perhaps the reason Jean’s marriage isn’t recorded was that by this time he was living on the remote island, Île-aux-Oies. One of the men he had served with in the Grandfontaine Company, Pierre Bécart, had became seigneur of two small islands in the middle of the St. Lawrence. In about 1669, Jean was asked to help build him a house, and in return, he received some land to clear for a farm. Île-aux-Oies only measured 3 miles in length and 2/3 of a mile at its widest point, so very few people could settle there.

Location of Île-aux-Oies.

Jean died in about 1679 because Jeanne remarried on August 22nd of that year. It’s been speculated that he may have drowned because there is no record of a burial. Because he lived on a small island, he would have been out on the water frequently, which would increase the odds of having an accident. His wife Jeanne survived her second husband, and married a third whom she also outlived; she passed away in 1721. Jean was the ancestor of Chloë Sevigny and Dan Aykroyd.

Children:
1. Anne Soucy — B. 5 Sep 1671, Île-aux-Oies, New France; M. (1) Jean Lebel (?-1699), 16 Aug 1689, Riviere Ouelle, New France; (2) Jacques Bois, 24 Nov 1704

2. Pierre Soucy — B. 13 Apr 1673, Île-aux-Oies, New France; D. 7 Jan 1760, Riviere Ouelle, New France; M. Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau (1679-1758), 13 Jan 1699, Riviere Ouelle, New France

3. Marie-Anne Soucy — B. 15 Feb 1675, Île-aux-Oies, New France; M. (1) Charles Pelletier (?-1713), 24 Nov 1701, Riviere Ouelle, New France; (2) Robert Gaulin, 15 Apr 1716, Ste-Famille, New France

4. Guillaume Soucy — B.  5 Apr 1677, Île-aux-Oies, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
King's daughters and founding mothers: the filles du roi, 1663-1672, Peter J. Gagné, 2001
Wikipedia article on the Carignan Regiment

His Land Became a Cemetery and a Park — Ralph Hill

B. before about 1596 in England
M. (1) 2 Aug 1616 in Binfield, Berkshire, England
Wife: Johann Trebick 

M. (2) 21 Dec 1638 in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Wife: Margaret
D. 19 Apr 1663 in Billerica, Massachusetts

The history of people’s lives is often tied to the land where they lived, and Ralph Hill of Billerica, Massachusetts still has a connection to the property he owned during the 17th century.

Ralph was a Puritan immigrant during the Great Migration, the wave of people who settled in New England during the 1630s. He likely came from Berkshire, England, where a “Raffe Hill” was listed on a marriage record in the village of Binfield. The wedding took place on August 2, 1616, and his bride was called “Johan Treebeecke” on the record, the only place where her name ever appeared. Also in the Binfield records are christenings for Ralph's children Jane in 1618, Joan in 1620, Margaret in 1625 and Ralfe in 1627. Jane and Ralfe (or Ralph) were known to be his daughter and son, so these records almost certainly prove that this was Ralph Hill who ended up in America.

The exact year Ralph migrated to the Plymouth colony isn't known. His wife Johan died at some point, because on December 21, 1638, Ralph married a widow named Margaret Toothaker. There has been speculation that Margaret Toothaker’s maiden name was French, based on the fact that Ralph mentioned “brother William French” in his will. But to Puritans, the term “brother” often meant two people who had a close friendship, not that they were literally brothers or brothers-in-law. 

Ralph sold his land at Plymouth on September 16, 1643, and moved to the town of Woburn, where he was chosen as a selectman in 1649. As time went on, colonists began to develop more settlements, a process where groups of men arranged to get large amounts of land to form communities. On October 23, 1654, a petition was received by the General Court asking for recognition of a new settlement that would become Billerica; it was signed by 14 men, including Ralph and his son. The request was granted in January of the following year. Ralph was given the largest plot of land when the original 1,500 acres was parceled out; over the next few years, he added to his property as the town acquired additional land.

Ralph chosen as one of five Billerica selectmen in 1660.

On July 25, 1660, Ralph, his son and three other men were approved to build a stable for their horses near the new Billerica meetinghouse. Most of the settlers walked to Sunday services, but Ralph and the others asking for a stable lived too far away. The following year, Ralph and three others were given the authority to decide where everyone in town would sit inside the meetinghouse. Puritans always had assigned seating in their churches. If anyone objected to where they were placed, they could submit an appeal to the committee.

Ralph wrote his will on November 18, 1662, and the following spring, he gave a half acre of land to the town for a burial place. This became the South Cemetery, or Old South Burying Grounds, and many of Billerica's earliest settlers have graves there. On April 19th, Ralph died, and was the first burial in the cemetery. 

About 30 years after Ralph's death, his step-son, Roger Toothaker, was a Salem witch trial victim. Ralph became his step-father when he married Margaret, and he was the only father Toothaker ever knew. As an adult, he became a physician with a wife and large family. Then in 1692, three Salem girls accused Toothaker of witchcraft. One of the girls was a servant to a doctor who was Toothaker's competitor, and this may have been their motivation to claim he was casting spells on them. He was arrested, and his wife and one daughter accused and arrested as well. Toothaker was sent to Boston Prison, and in June 1692, he died there.

Ralph had a lasting legacy on Billerica; the wooded property he acquired in 1658 is today a hiking park known as Ralph Hill Conservation Area. The park consists of 61 acres of forest, wetlands and rock formations bordering on the Concord River. It has a beaver pond and nesting areas for birds native to the region. Ralph’s descendants include George W. Bush, Jeb Bush and Barbara Bush.

Children by Johan Trebick:
1. Jane Hill — B. before 8 Nov 1618, Binfield, Berkshire, England; D. 20 Dec 1646, Woburn Massachusetts; M. Francis Littlefield (1619-?)

2. Joan Hill — B. before 17 Sep 1620, Binfield, Berkshire, England; D. before 23 Jun 1635, Binfield, Berkshire, England

3. Margaret Hill — B. before 22 Jan 1625, Binfield, Berkshire, England; D. young

4. Ralph Hill — B. before 8 Apr 1627, Binfield, Berkshire, England; D. 9 Apr 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Martha Toothaker (~1635-1703), 15 Nov 1660, Billerica, Massachusetts 

Children by Margaret:
1. Nathaniel Hill — B. 1642, Plymouth, Massachusetts; D. 14 May 1706, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Elizabeth Holmes (~1646-1685), 21 Jun 1667, Billerica, Massachusetts

2. Jonathan Hill — B. 20 Apr 1646, Woburn, Massachusetts; M. Martha Hartwell (1649-?)

3. Rebecca Hill — B. about 1648, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. 29 Mar 1669, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Caleb Farley (1645-1712), 5 Jul 1666, Billerica, Massachusetts

Sources:
England Marriages, 1538-1973, FamilySearch.org
England Births and Christenings 1538-1975, FamilySearch.org 

History of Billerica, Massachusetts: With a Genealogical Register, Henry Allen Hazen, 1883
Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter, 1908
A genealogical history of the French and allied families, Mary Elizabeth Queal Beyer, 1912
The Richardson Memorial, John Adams Vinton, 1876
Wikipedia article for Roger Toothaker
“Free Trail Walk at Billerica’s Ralph Hill Conservation Area,” Michael Sanders, 2014, Sudbury Patch blog