M. 22 Apr 1736 in (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Tabitha Pierce
D. after 1787 in (probably) Hollis, New Hampshire
The town records of Billerica, Massachusetts show that William French was a man who performed many civic duties in the mid-18th century. He was a sergeant and a lieutenant in the militia, he sometimes served as tithingman and various other community assignments, and contributed to efforts such as building a new meetinghouse. The trouble is that Billerica had more than one William French, and it’s sometimes hard to figure out who did what.
The William French of this story was born in Billerica, Massachusetts on January 25, 1713, the son of William French and Mehitable Patten; he was the oldest of their eight children. On April 22, 1736, William married Tabitha Pierce from the nearby town of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Between 1737 and 1756, they had twelve children.
The French family had lived in Billerica for several generations, all descended from William French (~1603-1681). Through another line was another William French (1668-1723), who was the first cousin of this William’s father. And he had a son William (1701-1776). This second cousin of William is the one who causes so much confusion when reviewing the Billerica town records. In addition to having the same name, each was often referred to as “junior.”
Starting in 1734, we can see that William’s father was identified as a militia sergeant, and a William French Jr. gained this status in 1736. But which one was it? It’s impossible to know. We later find that William’s second cousin does become a lieutenant. Perhaps he was the one who was a sergeant, too, early on. There’s also a repeated assignment of “fence viewer” that tracks to the second cousin because the later notes clearly identify him with the rank of lieutenant.
A couple of other mentions in the Billerica town notes are hard to pin to either man. One was the curious job first mentioned in 1735 of “perambulating the Tewksbury line.” This referred to having a town member walk and inspect the boundary between Billerica and the bordering town of Tewksbury. Another interesting mention happened for three years straight starting in 1741 — the men of Billerica were paid an amount of money for how many squirrels and birds they killed each year. In the third and final year, William had a tally of 125 squirrels and 13 birds, which no other man could equal. The payouts seemed to be the town’s solution to a pest problem. Again, it’s hard to tell which William was the one at work with his gun.
Partial list of Billerica men who killed squirrels and birds in 1742. Birds were grouped as "young" and "old."
William was an administrator of his father's estate in 1745, retaining the Billerica homestead until October 8, 1766, when he sold it and moved to Monson, New Hampshire. He first appeared on a tax list there in February 1768. Monson was said to be built on land that was hard to cultivate, and after a period of struggle, the town was dissolved in about 1770. The section where William lived became part of the town of Hollis; he was "first settler of a place since known as Cobbett's mill on Witch brook." At the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775, William’s son William was one of the Minute Men who marched from Hollis to Lexington.
William continued to appear on tax lists in Hollis all the way through 1787, then he disappeared from the records. Some researchers have said he died in 1793, although the evidence for this is lacking. It’s unknown when his wife Tabitha died.
Children:
1. Jonathan French — B. 10 Oct 1737, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Abigail Hosley (1739-?), 20 Jan 1763
2. William French — B. 16 Feb 1738, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. Bedford, New Hampshire; M. Lucy Fletcher, 25 Jul 1776, Hollis, New Hampshire
3. Joseph French — B. 10 Dec 1740, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. (probably) before 1815, Hollis, New Hampshire; M. Mary Youngman, 1 Feb 1771, Hollis, New Hampshire
4. Tabitha French — B. 31 Dec 1742, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Mr. Carleton
5. Benjamin French — B. 18 Feb 1744, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. Milford, New Hampshire
6. Nehemiah French — B. 29 Mar 1746, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. Vermont; M. Submit Leeman
7. Mehitable French — B. 5 Feb 1747, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. young
8. Stephen French — B. about 1749, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 16 Nov 1832, Bedford, New Hampshire; M. Dorothy Coburn (1752-1835), 7 Jan 1773, Dracut, Massachusetts
9. Ephraim French — B. 10 Nov 1751, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 27 Sep 1834, Amherst, New Hampshire; M. Hannah Melendy
10. David French — B. 15 Sep 1754, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 13 Jun 1790, Bedford, New Hampshire; M. Lydia Parker (~1758-?)
11. Mehitable French — B. 18 Aug 1756, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. Wilton, New Hampshire; M. Job Bailey, 18 Aug 1776, Hollis, New Hampshire
12. Elizabeth French — B. Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 25 Jul 1817, Hollis, New Hampshire; M. Daniel Bailey (1755-1847), 4 Mar 1784, Hollis, New Hampshire
Sources:
Lieutenant William French and his Descendants, John M. French, 1890
The History of Bedford (New Hampshire), 1903
An Account of Some of the Early Settlers of West Dunstable, Monson and Hollis, New Hampshire, Charles Spaulding, 1915
Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage Book, Vol. 19, p. 196
