His Religion Beliefs Were His Legacy — Stephen French

B. about 1749 in (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts¹
M. 7 Jan 1773 in Dracut, Massachusetts²
Wife: Dorothy Coburn
D. 16 Nov 1832 in Bedford, New Hampshire³

New England of the late 18th century had a culture with roots in its Puritan beginnings. This gave many individuals a strong sense of their community and their religion. One person who perfectly represented this was Stephen French, who was devoted to his beliefs and passed this on to his children.

Stephen French was born in Billerica, Massachusetts to William French and Tabitha Peirce. His birth is missing from town records, but from other sources the year seems to be about 1749.¹ He was likely named for his grandfather, Stephen Peirce, who died late that year. Stephen was the eighth of twelve children, one of whom died young. When he was about 16-years-old, the family relocated to Monson, New Hampshire,⁴ which became part of the town of Hollis within a few years.

On January 7, 1773, Stephen married Dorothy “Dolly” Coburn in Dracut, Massachusetts,² the town where she was from. Soon after, they moved to Bedford, New Hampshire,⁴ not far from Hollis. They raised a family of 11 children (there were said to be 3 other daughters, but their names aren’t known). 

Stephen was a tanner and ran his business from the property where he lived;⁴ it was the second tannery established in Bedford and would one day become the largest.⁴ In colonial times, every farmer butchered his own animals and had skins they needed to discard. By offering his services as a tanner, Stephen could collect skins from neighboring farms and use them to make a living. In addition to making raw leather, he produced goods such as shoes and “whip lashes,” mostly from ox hides, but also from the skins of woodchucks.⁴ Stephen took his finished products all the way to Boston; it was said that he was the first wagon owner in Bedford, probably for this reason.⁴

The History of Bedford, New Hampshire described Stephen’s tannery like this: “He had a primitive mill to grind his own bark, consisting of a heavy stone wheel about eight inches wide and six feet in diameter. This stone ran in a circular trough, with a solid foundation, into which the bark was put for pulverization. The stone was propelled by horse power.”⁴ Stephen's original millstone was moved from the tannery, and in 1902, covered a well near the site of an old book shop in Bedford.⁴

Example of an 18th-century tannery. 

In May 1775, Stephen joined others in Bedford in an effort to evict their church’s minister Reverend John Houston.⁴ It was during the time after Lexington and Concord. Most people in town supported the Revolution, but Reverend Houston was a Loyalist. The members of the congregation wrote a resolution stating that “the meeting house doors be shut against Mr. John Houston until he comes to his sense of duty and behaves himself to the satisfaction of the town.”⁴ Most of the men in Bedford signed the resolution and Stephen was one of them. In early 1776, Stephen signed the Declaration of the Inhabitants of New Hampshire.⁴ This was a document put forward by the New Hampshire Committee of Safety pledging support to the “United American Colonies” against the “British Fleets and Armies.” All of the men over the age of 21 were directed to sign it, and Stephen did so.

During the years after the war, one interesting town record indicated that Stephen asked for a license to sell liquor. On February 9, 1803, Bedford council approved him to “mix and sell for one year or less.”⁴ This act was repeated in 1804. While he clearly wasn’t running a tavern, he was likely brewing some sort of alcohol and wanted permission to sell it to the public. He wasn’t alone in this: five other men in town also received such licenses at that time.

As with many in the world Stephen occupied, religious played an important part in everyday life. It was reported that “religion as exhibited in his character appeared attractive and engaging,” offering an impression that his beliefs gave him comfort. Stephen suffered from a “protracted and distressing illness,”⁵ and that in his old age, he was “chiefly devoted to prayer and meditation on the rich precious discoveries of the gospel.”⁵

Stephen and his wife Dolly seemed to have spent their final years surrounded by most of their children, who in turn took care of them. At some point, Stephen bought land in Bedford, and built a house large enough for two families, apparently so his married sons Leonard and Daniel could live there.⁴ The 1830 census showed Stephen and Dolly living in the household of “Stephen French,”⁶ although it’s not clear if he or his son was the head of that household was the father or son. There was only one Stephen listed in Bedford that year and many children were in the household, so it’s likely it was the younger man and his family with his elderly parents under their roof.

Stephen passed away on November 16, 1832 at his home in Bedford.³ When he died, he had 91 living descendants.⁵ Dolly lived another three years, passing away on October 13, 1835.⁷ Some of Stephen’s sons and grandsons maintained a tannery in Bedford for more than 75 years.⁴ But also 25 of Stephen’s descendants were engaged in the ministry at the time of his death,⁵ suggesting he had a strong influence on his family.

Stephen's house in about 1890 with some of his descendants.

Children:
1. Ebenezer French — B. 28 Apr 1774, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁸ D. 20 Nov 1846, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁹ M. Rhoda Coburn (1780-1853), 16 Nov 1797, Merrimack, New Hampshire¹⁰

2. Stephen French — B. 7 Nov 1775, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹¹ D. 21 Sep 1850, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹² M. Hannah Swett (1777-?), 1800, Bedford, New Hampshire¹³

3. Dolly French — B. 9 Nov 1778, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹⁴ D. 12 Nov 1858, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹⁵ M. Gawn Riddle (1777-1837), 20 Feb 1800, Merrimack, New Hampshire¹⁶

4. William French — B. 24 Mar 1781, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹⁷ D. 1 Mar 1847, Prospect, Maine;¹⁸ M. Agnes Riddle (1781-1852), 9 Feb 1807, Bedford, New Hampshire¹⁹

5. Sarah French — B. 10 Apr 1782, (probably) Bedford, New Hampshire;²⁰ D. 29 Sep 1823;²⁰ M. William McDole McPherson (1778-1869), 15 Mar 1804, Bedford, New Hampshire²¹

6. Leonard Coburn French — B. 10 Feb 1785, Bedford, New Hampshire;²² D. 23 Feb 1868, Bedford, New Hampshire;²³ M. Nancy Hutchinson (1787-1870), 26 Jan 1808, Bedford, New Hampshire²⁴

7. Elizabeth French — B. 28 Apr 1789, Bedford, New Hampshire;²⁵ D. 2 Apr 1877, Bedford, New Hampshire;²⁵ M. William Bursiel (1780-1857), 12 Feb 1807, Bedford, New Hampshire²⁶

8. Phineas French — B. 14 Dec 1791, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁴ M. (1) Hannah Cutler (1792-1845), Dec 1813;⁴ (2) Mary Patten, 8 Apr 1847²⁷

9. James French — B. 22 Nov 1794, Bedford, New Hampshire;²⁸ D. 3 Mar 1878, Bedford, New Hampshire²⁸

10. Daniel L. French — B. 28 Jan 1796, Bedford, New Hampshire;²⁹ D. 20 Jul 1860, Hudson, New Hampshire;²⁹ M. Polly Riddle (1797-1880), 10 Oct 1820, Bedford, New Hampshire³⁰

11. Robert W. French — B. 31 Oct 1801, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁴ D. Feb 1880, Bedford, New Hampshire;³¹ M. Harriet Parker (1812-?), 24 Apr 1832, Bedford, New Hampshire³²

Sources:
1    Estimated birth of Stephen based on age at marriage and birth dates of known siblings
2    Marriage record of Stephen French and Dolly Coburn, Massachusetts Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3    Find-a-Grave listing of Stephen French 
4    The History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737, Rumford Printing Company, 1903
5    Obituary of Stephen French, The Farmers’ Cabinet, 7 Dec 1832
6    1830 U.S. Census, Bedford, New Hampshire
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Dolly (Coburn) French  
8    Birth record of Ebenezer French, New Hampshire Births and Christenings, 1714-1904, FamilySearch.org
9    Find-a-Grave listing of Ebenezer French  
10  Marriage record of Ebenezer French and Rhoda Coburn, New Hampshire Marriages, 1720-1920, FamilySearch.org
11  Birth record of Stephen French (younger), N.H.B. & C.
12  Find-a-Grave listing of Stephen French (younger)  
13  Marriage record of Stephen French and Hannah Swett, N.H.M.
14  Birth record of Dolly French, N.H.B. & C.
15  Death record of Dolly Riddle, New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947, FamilySearch.org
16  Marriage record of Gawn Riddle and Dolly French, N.H.M.
17  Birth record of William French, N.H.B. & C.
18  Death record of William French, Maine Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910, FamilySearch.org
19  Marriage record of William French and Agnes Riddle, N.H.M.
20  Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah W. (French) McPherson  
21  Marriage record of William McFerson and Sally French, N.H.M.
22  Birth record of Leonard Coburn French, N.H.B. & C.
23  Death record of Leonard Coburn French, N.H.D. & B.
24  Marriage record of Leonard C. French and Nancy Hutchinson, N.H.M.
25  Find-a-Grave listing of Betsey (French) Bursiel  
26  Marriage record of William Bursiel and Betsey French, N.H.M.
27  Marriage recORd of Phineas French and Mary Patten, M.T.C.V. & T.C.
28  Find-a-Grave listing of James French   
29  Find-a-Grave listing of Daniel L. French 
30  Marriage record of Daniel L. French and Polly Riddle, N.H.M.
31  Find-a-Grave listing of Robert W. French  
32  Marriage record of Robert French and Harriet Parker, N.H.M.