Big House On The Maine Coast — Agnes Riddle

B. 5 Jan 1781 in Bedford, New Hampshire¹
M. 9 Feb 1807 in Bedford, New Hampshire²
Husband: William French
D. 20 Jun 1852 in Prospect, Maine¹

For most of her life, Agnes Riddle made her home in a place so beautiful, it’s used today for destination weddings. She was born on January 5, 1781 in Bedford, New Hampshire to John Riddle and Agnes McAffee,¹ the third of their nine children. Early records show that she sometimes went by the name “Nancy” when she was young (see below).³ At the time of her birth, her father was serving as a soldier in the American Revolution.⁴ The house where they lived still exists today.⁵

Town record showing Agnes as “Nancy French.”

Agnes married her husband William French, also a native of Bedford, on February 9, 1807.² Within a couple of years, they moved to Prospect, Maine and started a family.⁶ Between 1809 and 1828, Agnes gave birth to 8 children with the youngest two being twin girls. Six of the children were given her maiden name as their middle name.

In 1814, the family moved into a house Agnes’ husband purchased that was located on 100 acres of farmland.⁷ The property was near where the mouth of the Penobscot River widens into a bay, and the place became known as French’s Point. It’s likely that the family added onto the original house, which was said to be built sometime in the late 18th century.⁸ Agnes would live there for the rest of her life. 

The house at French’s Point. (AI-generated image)

Agnes’ husband William died on March 1, 1847.⁹ In June 1849, Agnes was “very sick” according to her son James, who was writing to his fiancé saying that he needed to visit his mother before she dies.¹⁰ She continued on for a few more years. In 1850, she was listed in the census as head of the household with the occupation of “farmer.”¹¹ She had three unmarried children living with her ages 38, 25 and 22. Her estate was valued at $2,400, one of the wealthiest of the people in the area.

On June 20, 1852, Agnes died at her home in Prospect.¹ The house and property stayed in the family for many years until it was sold in 1890 to a church who used it for retreats.⁸ Today, French’s Point is owned by a family who rents it for destination weddings. A newer house on the property is used for services and receptions, but the house where Agnes lived is where the wedding guests can stay overnight. It is said to be the oldest wooden building in Waldo County, Maine.⁸

Agnes' house as it appears today.

The interchangeable names Agnes and Nancy
It was a Scottish tradition that girls named Agnes or Nancy often changed back and forth between the two names,¹² which sometimes makes identifying relationships challenging. Agnes’ birth record is missing from Bedford town records, but other vital records starting with the birth of oldest son James Riddle French gave her name as Nancy. It’s believed that Agnes’ maternal grandmother was named Nancy; she was long dead, so perhaps this name was in her honor. The switch to using Agnes came later in life, and this may have been after her daughter Nancy was born in 1828. The name Nancy got passed along to granddaughter Nancy Sophia French, born in 1856, but by this time, the tradition of interchangeable names seems to have been phased out.

Children:
1. James Riddle French — B. 18 Jun 1809, Prospect, Maine;⁵ D. 23 Mar 1857, Stockton Springs, Maine;¹³ M. (1) Nancy Riddle French (1811-1848), 13 Sep 1832, Bedford, New Hampshire;¹⁴ (2) Sophia Newell Kittredge (1824-1900), 7 Aug 1849, Nelson, New Hampshire¹⁵

2. Sarah Ann French — B. 27 Nov 1810, Prospect, Maine;¹⁶ D. 28 May 1839;¹⁷ M. Nathan Cutler (1799-1881), 12 Jun 1834, Prospect, Maine¹⁸

3. William Riddle French — B. 27 Feb 1812, Prospect, Maine;¹⁹ D. 3 Mar 1880;²⁰ M. Augusta Maria Eustis (1827-1909), 13 Dec 1855, Prospect, Maine²¹

4. John Riddle French — B. 15 Dec 1814, Prospect, Maine;²² D. 17 Nov 1878, Solano County, California;²³ M. Eliza Jane Black (1816-?), 29 Aug 1837, Prospect, Maine²⁴

5. Dolly Coburn French — B. 17 Apr 1818, Prospect, Maine;²⁵ D. 17 Jul 1905, Stockton Springs, Maine;²⁵ M. Alexander Black (1814-1890), 6 Feb 1842, Prospect, Maine²⁶

6. Robert Riddle French — B. 28 Dec 1824, Prospect, Maine;²⁷ D. 11 Oct 1890, Stockton Springs, Maine;²⁷ M. Frances A. Stowers (1827-1908), 13 Sep 1850, Maine²⁸

7. Nancy Riddle French — B. 11 Jun 1828, Prospect, Maine;²⁹ D. 15 Sep 1860, Prospect, Maine;²⁹ M. Samuel Addison Stowers (1823-1865), 19 Dec 1851, Prospect, Maine³⁰

8. Mary Riddle French — B. 11 Jun 1828, Prospect, Maine;³¹ D. May 1832³¹

Sources:


1    Find-a-Grave listing of Agnes (Riddle) French
2    Marriage record of William French and Agnes Riddle, New Hampshire, Marriage Records, 1637-1947, FamilySearch.org
3    Town record showing the births of her children with the name Nancy, FamilySearch.org
4    The History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737, Rumford Printing Company, 1903
5    New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources: Bedford Center Historic District, 2013 (PDF)
6    Birth record of James Riddle French, Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900, FamilySearch.org
7    Historical Sketches of Stockton Springs, Faustina Hichborn, 1908
8    “A Brief History of French’s Point,” T.P. Dadmin, 2011, French’s Point (website)
9    Death record of William French, Maine, Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910, FamilySearch.org
10  Letter from James Riddle French to Sophia Newell Kittredge, June 1849
11  1850 U.S. Census, Waldo County, Maine
12  Scottish Forenames: Their Origins and History, Donald Whyte, 2005
13  Death record of James R. French, M., D. & B.
14  Marriage record of James R. French and Nancy French, N.H., M.
15  Marriage record of James R. French and Sophia N. Kittredge, N.H., M.
16 Birth record of Sarah Ann French, M., B. & C.
17  Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah Ann (French) Cutler
18  Marriage record of Nathan Cutler and Sarah Ann French, Maine, Marriages, 1771-1907, FamilySearch.org
19  Birth record of William Riddle French, M., B. & C.
20  Burial record of William French, Maine, Nathan Hale Cemetery Collection, 1780-1980, FamilySearch.org
21  Marriage record of William French and Augusta M. Eustis, M., M.
22  Birth record of John Riddle French, M., B. & C.
23  Burial record of John R. French, California, Solano County Genealogical Society, Burial Records, FamilySearch.org
24  Marriage record of John R. French and Eliza Jane Black, M., M.
25  Find-a-Grave listing of Dolly Coburn (French) Black
26  Marriage record of Alexander Black and Dolly C. French, M., M.
27  Find-a-Grave listing of Robert Riddle French
28  Marriage record of Robert French and Francis A. Stone, N.H., M.
29  Find-a-Grave listing of Nancy Riddle (French) Stowers
30  Marriage record of Samuel A. Stowers and Nancy R. French, M., M.
31  FamilySearch listing of Mary French