B. about 1790 in Tickenham, Somerset, England1
M. (1) 2 Jan 1811 in Bristol, England2
Husband: Thomas Hughes
M. (2) 12 Nov 1836 in Bristol, England3
Husband: Jonathan Horler
D. Jul 1868 in Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England4
Hester Keen was caught in an endless cycle of poverty, a fact made worse when she was widowed twice. But she seems to have stayed out of the workhouse, a death sentence for many in her circumstances.
Little is known about Hester’s beginnings — her parents and family are unknown. She was born in about 1790 in the village of Tickenham, Somerset, England.1 On January 2, 1811, she married Thomas Hughes of Almondsbury, Gloucestershire.2 Hester gave birth to eight children between 1813 and 1831, with two known to have died young.
During the first couple decades of the 19th century, the Hughes family appeared several times in the Almondsbury vestry order books, a record of church handouts to the poor. In November 1814, Hester’s husband received 3 1/2 yards of cloth,5 which presumably was used by Hester to make clothing (at that time, there were no children in her household). A couple of years later, the family got a small amount of money to build a house,5 something that was likely little more than a shack given their consistent poverty.
In the years of Hester’s early adulthood, the economic situation of lower class English people got much worse. With the end of the Napoleonic wars, many disabled veterans overwhelmed the system of charity, and so in 1834, a law was passed in England saying that in order to receive assistance, you had to live in a workhouse. The English workhouse was a dormitory-style facility that separated men and women, and required them to do menial labor in return for food. It also meant living in disease-ridden conditions with little ability to get out.
Hester’s husband Thomas passed away on June 15, 1835,6 and she remarried to a man named Jonathan Horler on November 12, 1836.3 Little is known about Jonathan, but with Hester in her mid-40s, they had no children together. He seems to have died by the 1841 census, which showed Hester as being a widow with two daughters.7 Her occupation was listed as “charwoman” — a designation which meant she cleaned houses for other people. As a poor, uneducated woman, she likely had few other options to survive.
The whereabouts of Hester in the 1851 census are unknown, but she was listed in 1861 living with a family who was unrelated to her, described as a border and a “pauper.”1 Perhaps the family was someone she had worked for who kept her in their household out of generosity when she became too old (this is my own speculation).
Hester was in her late 70s when she died in July 1868.4 She was buried in the graveyard of St. Mary’s Parish Church in Almondsbury.
Children (all by Thomas Hughes):
1. George Hughes — B. before 31 Oct 1813, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;8 D. 6 Feb 1814, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England9
2. George Hughes — B. before 11 Apr 1815, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;10 D. after 1891, (probably) England;11 M. (1) Mary, before 1861;1 (2) Elizabeth, before 188112
3. James Hughes — B. before 10 Aug 1817, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;13 D. before 4 Jan 1829, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England14
4. Charles W. Hughes — B. about 1819, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;15 D. before 1864;16 M. Maria Bevan (1820-1888), 15 Jun 1842, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island17
5. Thomas Hughes — B. about 1823, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;15 D. after 1861;1 M. Mary Ann Wither (~1823-?), 7 Sep 1845, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England18
6. Rachel Hughes — B. before 31 Dec 1826, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England15
7. James Hughes — B. before 4 Jan 1829, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;14 D. before 1841, (probably) Almondsbury, England1
8. Selina Hughes — B. before 31 Jan 1831, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;19 M. William Cardin (1831-?)1
Sources:
1 1861 U.K. Census, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
2 Marriage record of Thomas Hughes and Hester Keen, England, Marriages, 1538-1973, FamilySearch.org
3 Marriage record of Jonathan Horler and Hester Hughes, England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1988, Ancestry.com
4 Death record of Hester Horler, England, Bristol, Parish Registers, 1538-1900, FamilySearch.org
5 Overseers order books, 1797-1817, England, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, FamilySearch.org
6 Death record of Thomas Hughes, E., B., P. R.
7 1841 U.K. Census, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
8 Baptismal record of George Hughes (older), E., B., P. R.
9 Death record of George Hughes (older), E., B., P. R.
10 Baptismal record of George Hughes (younger), E., B., P. R.
11 1891 U. K. census, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
12 1881 U. K. census, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
13 Baptismal record of James Hughes (older), E., B., P. R.
14 Baptismal record of James Hughes (younger), E., B., P. R.
15 Baptismal record of Charles, Thomas and Rachel Hughes, E., B., P. R.
16 Hutchinson’s Prince Edward Island City Directory, 1864, which shows Maria Hughes as a widow
17 Marriage record of Charles Hughes and Maria Baird, Canada, Prince Edward Island Marriage Registers, 1832-1888, FamilySearch.org
18 Marriage record of Thomas Hughes and Mary Ann Wither, Bristol, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935, Ancestry.com
19 Baptismal record of Selina Hughes, E., B., P. R.
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Dorchester Soldier and Selectman — John Tolman
B. 8 Apr 1642 in Dorchester, Massachusetts1
M. (1) 30 Nov 1666 in Lynn, Massachusetts2
Wife: Elizabeth Collins
M. (2) 15 Jun 1692 in Dorchester, Massachusetts3
Wife: Mary Breck
D. 1 Jan 1725 in Dorchester, Massachusetts1
John Tolman was typical of New England men of his time — he served his community in various roles over a long life. John was born on April 8, 1642 in Dorchester, Massachusetts to Thomas and Sarah Tolman,1 the sixth of their eight children. The Tolman family had come from Lancaster, England during the Great Migration; it’s thought that they had arrived in about 1635.4
After John came of age, he traveled north to the town of Lynn, and married Elizabeth Collins on November 30, 1666.2 They settled in Dorchester and began a family with the birth of a daughter the following year.3 John and his wife would have a total of nine children, with the youngest born in 1687.3 He was said to have made a living as a wheelwright.5
Dorchester was near the heart of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; today it’s incorporated into the city of Boston. For some settlers, it was a first stop before moving further inland, but John lived there his entire life, and town records showed that he performed his share of civic duties. John was appointed constable in 1678,1 a position he held for many years, and during the years 1693 to 1695, he was one of Dorchester’s selectmen.1
John’s home was on land that is today part of Garvey Playground in Dorchester.5 The property was said to have been passed down among his descendants for 200 years, but no trace of his house has survived. Garvey Playground features recreational facilities, including a baseball diamond, basketball court, and ice rink.
During the 1670s, John took part in King Philip’s War, a rebellion of indigenous people in the Massachusetts area. John served in a force headed by Captain Daniel Henchman, who defended an area near Worcester in May of 1676.6,7 When Captain Henchman received information that some warriors were fishing on a small lake nearby, he led a sneak attack on them, killing seven and taking 29 prisoner. One captive was the wife of an important sachem, and she was sold into slavery in the West Indies — a cruel tactic sometimes used by the English. It seems fairly certain that John was present at this military action.
John’s wife Elizabeth passed away on October 7, 1690,3 and he remarried to a local widow named Mary (Breck) Paul on June 15, 1692.3 Mary died in 1720,3 and John passed away on January 1, 1725 at Dorchester.1 He was an ancestor of actor George Kennedy.8
Children (all by Elizabeth Collins):
1. Elizabeth Tolman — B. 14 Dec 1667, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. (probably) before 1719;9 M. Moses Ayers (1667-?), 28 Oct 1692, Dorchester, Massachusetts10
2. John Tolman — B. 8 Apr 1671, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. 23 Oct 1759, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. (1) Susanna Breck (1678-1713), 1 Feb 1696, Dorchester, Massachusetts;11 (2) Elizabeth White (~1679-1768), 1 Apr 1714, Dorchester, Massachusetts12
3. Joseph Tolman — B. 6 Sep 1674, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. 26 Jan 17605
4. Benjamin Tolman — B. 6 Dec 1676, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. (1) Ruth Fletcher ~1680-1705), 28 Dec 1703, Dorchester, Massachusetts;13 (2) Elizabeth Perry (1682-?), 4 Aug 1709, Scituate, Massachusetts14
5. Henry Tolman — B. 4 Mar 1679, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. 18 Sep 1759, Attleboro, Massachusetts;5 M. Hannah Fairweather (~1684-1735), 1705, Dorchester, Massachusetts5
6. Anne Tolman — B. 2 Mar 1681, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. Caleb Ray, 8 May 1704, Boston, Massachusetts15
7. Ebenezer Tolman — B. 27 Mar 1683, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. (1) Mary Chamberline (~1683-?), 31 Aug 1704, Dorchester, Massachusetts;16 (2) Rebecca Burroughs (1674-1730), 18 Aug 1716, Dorchester, Massachusetts17
8. Ruth Tolman — B. 1 Jul 1685, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. (1) Joseph Butt (1684-1713), 18 Jan 1711, Dorchester, Massachusetts;18 (2) John Robinson, 20 Jan 1715, Dorchester, Massachusetts5
9. William Tolman — 2 Sep 1687, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. before 24 Dec 1722;5 M. (1) Lydia Farr (1687-?), 2 Jul 1713, Boston, Massachusetts;19 (2) Experience ______ (~1687-?)5
Sources:
1 Find-a-Grave listing of John Tolman
2 Marriage record of John Tolman and Elizabeth Collins, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital And Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3 “Tolman Genealogy,” The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Vol. 14, 1860
4 History of the Town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, 1856, p. 101
5 “Thomas Tolman (1608-1690) of Dorchester, Massachusetts,” 29deadpeople.com
6 Soldiers in King Philip’s War, George Madison Bodge, 1991
7 The Worcester Magazine and Historical Journal, Vol. 2 , 1826
8 FamousKin.com listing of John Tolman
9 Deed of Moses Ayers Jr. dated 10 Jan 1719 implies his mother is deceased.
10 Marriage record of Moses Ayers and Elizabeth Tolman, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11 Marriage record of John Tolman and Susanna Breck, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12 Marriage record of John Tolman and Elizabeth White, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13 Marriage record of Benjamin Tolman and Ruth Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14 Marriage record of Benjamin Tolman and Elizabeth Palmer, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15 Marriage record of Caleb Ray and Anne Tolman, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16 Marriage record of Ebenezer Tolman and Mary Chamberline, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17 Marriage record of Ebenezer Tolman and Rebecca Fowles, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18 Marriage record of Joseph Butt and Ruth Tolman, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19 Marriage record of William Tolman and Lydia Farr, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
M. (1) 30 Nov 1666 in Lynn, Massachusetts2
Wife: Elizabeth Collins
M. (2) 15 Jun 1692 in Dorchester, Massachusetts3
Wife: Mary Breck
D. 1 Jan 1725 in Dorchester, Massachusetts1
John Tolman was typical of New England men of his time — he served his community in various roles over a long life. John was born on April 8, 1642 in Dorchester, Massachusetts to Thomas and Sarah Tolman,1 the sixth of their eight children. The Tolman family had come from Lancaster, England during the Great Migration; it’s thought that they had arrived in about 1635.4
After John came of age, he traveled north to the town of Lynn, and married Elizabeth Collins on November 30, 1666.2 They settled in Dorchester and began a family with the birth of a daughter the following year.3 John and his wife would have a total of nine children, with the youngest born in 1687.3 He was said to have made a living as a wheelwright.5
Dorchester was near the heart of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; today it’s incorporated into the city of Boston. For some settlers, it was a first stop before moving further inland, but John lived there his entire life, and town records showed that he performed his share of civic duties. John was appointed constable in 1678,1 a position he held for many years, and during the years 1693 to 1695, he was one of Dorchester’s selectmen.1
John’s home was on land that is today part of Garvey Playground in Dorchester.5 The property was said to have been passed down among his descendants for 200 years, but no trace of his house has survived. Garvey Playground features recreational facilities, including a baseball diamond, basketball court, and ice rink.
During the 1670s, John took part in King Philip’s War, a rebellion of indigenous people in the Massachusetts area. John served in a force headed by Captain Daniel Henchman, who defended an area near Worcester in May of 1676.6,7 When Captain Henchman received information that some warriors were fishing on a small lake nearby, he led a sneak attack on them, killing seven and taking 29 prisoner. One captive was the wife of an important sachem, and she was sold into slavery in the West Indies — a cruel tactic sometimes used by the English. It seems fairly certain that John was present at this military action.
John’s wife Elizabeth passed away on October 7, 1690,3 and he remarried to a local widow named Mary (Breck) Paul on June 15, 1692.3 Mary died in 1720,3 and John passed away on January 1, 1725 at Dorchester.1 He was an ancestor of actor George Kennedy.8
Children (all by Elizabeth Collins):
1. Elizabeth Tolman — B. 14 Dec 1667, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. (probably) before 1719;9 M. Moses Ayers (1667-?), 28 Oct 1692, Dorchester, Massachusetts10
2. John Tolman — B. 8 Apr 1671, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. 23 Oct 1759, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. (1) Susanna Breck (1678-1713), 1 Feb 1696, Dorchester, Massachusetts;11 (2) Elizabeth White (~1679-1768), 1 Apr 1714, Dorchester, Massachusetts12
3. Joseph Tolman — B. 6 Sep 1674, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. 26 Jan 17605
4. Benjamin Tolman — B. 6 Dec 1676, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. (1) Ruth Fletcher ~1680-1705), 28 Dec 1703, Dorchester, Massachusetts;13 (2) Elizabeth Perry (1682-?), 4 Aug 1709, Scituate, Massachusetts14
5. Henry Tolman — B. 4 Mar 1679, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. 18 Sep 1759, Attleboro, Massachusetts;5 M. Hannah Fairweather (~1684-1735), 1705, Dorchester, Massachusetts5
6. Anne Tolman — B. 2 Mar 1681, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. Caleb Ray, 8 May 1704, Boston, Massachusetts15
7. Ebenezer Tolman — B. 27 Mar 1683, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. (1) Mary Chamberline (~1683-?), 31 Aug 1704, Dorchester, Massachusetts;16 (2) Rebecca Burroughs (1674-1730), 18 Aug 1716, Dorchester, Massachusetts17
8. Ruth Tolman — B. 1 Jul 1685, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 M. (1) Joseph Butt (1684-1713), 18 Jan 1711, Dorchester, Massachusetts;18 (2) John Robinson, 20 Jan 1715, Dorchester, Massachusetts5
9. William Tolman — 2 Sep 1687, Dorchester, Massachusetts;5 D. before 24 Dec 1722;5 M. (1) Lydia Farr (1687-?), 2 Jul 1713, Boston, Massachusetts;19 (2) Experience ______ (~1687-?)5
Sources:
1 Find-a-Grave listing of John Tolman
2 Marriage record of John Tolman and Elizabeth Collins, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital And Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3 “Tolman Genealogy,” The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Vol. 14, 1860
4 History of the Town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, 1856, p. 101
5 “Thomas Tolman (1608-1690) of Dorchester, Massachusetts,” 29deadpeople.com
6 Soldiers in King Philip’s War, George Madison Bodge, 1991
7 The Worcester Magazine and Historical Journal, Vol. 2 , 1826
8 FamousKin.com listing of John Tolman
9 Deed of Moses Ayers Jr. dated 10 Jan 1719 implies his mother is deceased.
10 Marriage record of Moses Ayers and Elizabeth Tolman, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11 Marriage record of John Tolman and Susanna Breck, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12 Marriage record of John Tolman and Elizabeth White, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13 Marriage record of Benjamin Tolman and Ruth Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14 Marriage record of Benjamin Tolman and Elizabeth Palmer, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15 Marriage record of Caleb Ray and Anne Tolman, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16 Marriage record of Ebenezer Tolman and Mary Chamberline, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17 Marriage record of Ebenezer Tolman and Rebecca Fowles, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18 Marriage record of Joseph Butt and Ruth Tolman, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19 Marriage record of William Tolman and Lydia Farr, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
Friday, June 13, 2025
A Woman of Old Vincennes — Marie-Josephine Levron
B. (probably) about 1759 in Post Vincennes, New France1
M. about 1777 in (probably) Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory1
Husband: François Turpin
D. 26 Feb 1835 in Vincennes, Indiana2
In the mid-18th century, a small group of Europeans was already living in what is now Indiana: the French outpost of Vincennes. This is where Marie-Josephine Levron was born and lived for her entire life.
Josephine’s birth is unrecorded, but it’s believed to have been in about 1759.1 Her parents were Joseph Levron dit Metayer and Marie-Josephe Custeau, and she was the fifth of nine children. The Vincennes of Josephine’s childhood was a place where the Creole culture of the frontier French developed and thrived. Miles away from anything else, the people were pretty much free from outside authority, even after the British took over Canada. Vincennes had a distinct style, with log cabins painted white on narrow zig-zagged paths, and the fields located outside of town. The 60 or so families liked to socialize with each other, practicing their own version of French traditions.
In 1763, the priest in Vincennes was sent back to France, leaving them without anyone in charge of their church, and Josephine got married during this time.1 There’s no record of the event, and indeed her marriage may never have been formalized. Her husband was a mixed-race man named François Turpin (his grandmother had been a Mexican indigenous slave). They started a family with the birth of a son in October 1777;1 ten more children would follow by 1798. At least five of them died young, which was often the case in such a place.
Not long after Josephine started a family, the American Revolution came to Vincennes. The fort in the village was manned by British regulars, but the Americans knew they weren't such a presence that they could defend an entire region. So a force led by George Rogers Clark, aided by some of the French who signed on as soldiers, easily took Vincennes in February 1779. The fight took place on a single day, and when the English surrendered, it was said that the women of Vincennes prepared a feast for Clark’s men, and entertained them by singing songs.3 It would seem likely that a 20-year-old Josephine was one of them.
After the war, Vincennes started getting settlers who were from places like Kentucky and Virginia. As the original French population became dominated by the newcomers, Josephine lived through a transitional period that saw family and friends selling off land until they had very little left. Her own father went into debt before he died, and in 1799, Josephine and her siblings were sued for the money.4 The Levrons lost the case, but it isn’t known if they ever paid what was owed.
On October 1, 1809, Josephine’s husband passed away.5 Her final years were during a time that saw the French of Vincennes become a minority in their community. Josephine died in Vincennes on February 26, 1835, and she was buried in the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.2
Children:
1. François Joseph Turpin — B. 20 Oct 1777, Poste Vincennes, Illinois Country;1 M. Josephine Guelle, 14 Jul 1805, Vincennes, Indiana Territory6
2. Antoine Turpin — B. 13 Jan 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory7
3. Jean-Baptiste Turpin — B. 30 May 1782, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;8 D. 18 Aug 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory8
4. Marie-Josephe Turpin — B. 15 Oct 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;9 D. 7 Mar 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory9
5. Raphael Turpin — B. 8 Sep 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory10
6. Louis Turpin — B. 13 Mar 1789, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;11 D. 8 Aug 1845, Indiana;12 M. Celeste Joyeuse, 2 May 1830, Vincennes, Indiana11
7. Rosalie Turpin — B. Mar 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;13 M. Charles Grimard (1776-?), 19 Dec 1809, Vincennes, Indiana Territory14
8. Ursule Turpin — B. 3 Feb 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;15 D. 8 Aug 1797, Vincennes, Northwest Territory16
9. Elizabeth Turpin — B. 12 Nov 1798, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;17 D. (possibly) 1835, Vincennes, Indiana;18 M. François Ravellette (1791-1857), before 4 Oct 1817, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana19
Sources:
1 Estimated birth year of Josephine and marriage year of François and Josephine based on birth record of her oldest child, François Joseph Turpin, Indiana, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993, Ancestry.com
2 Death record of Josephine Turpin, A complete survey of cemetery records, Knox County, Indiana, collected and compiled by Mrs. Alta Amsler
3 Creole (French) Pioneers at Old Post Vincennes, Joyce Doyle, Loy Followell, Elizabeth Kargacos, Bernice Mutchmore, and Paul R. King, 1930s
4 Andre Lacoste dit Languedoc vs. François Turpin and others, Indiana Memory Hosted Digital Collections
5 Death record of François Turpin, Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993, FamilySearch.org
6 Marriage record of François Joseph Turpin and Josephine Guelle, Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992, FamilySearch.org
7 Baptismal record of Antoine Turpin, I.B.& C.
8 Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Turpin, I.B.& C.
9 Baptismal record of Marie Joseph Turpin, I.B.& C.
10 Baptismal record of Raphael Turpin, I.B.& C.
11 Burial record of Louis Turpin, I.D.& B.
12 Marriage record of Louis Turpin and Celeste Cartier, Indiana, Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, Ancestry.com
13 Baptismal record of Rosalie Turpin, I.B.& C.
14 Marriage record of Charles Grimard and Rosalie Turpin, I., U.S., S.M.I.
15 Baptismal record of Ursule Turpin, I.B.& C.
16 Burial record of Ursule Turpin, I.D.& B.
17 Baptismal record of Elizabeth Turpin, I.B.& C.
18 “Ravellettes from Indiana Roys, Griffith, etc.,” Genealogy.com
19 Baptismal record of Pierre Ravelette (Elizabeth’s oldest child), I.B.& C.
M. about 1777 in (probably) Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory1
Husband: François Turpin
D. 26 Feb 1835 in Vincennes, Indiana2
In the mid-18th century, a small group of Europeans was already living in what is now Indiana: the French outpost of Vincennes. This is where Marie-Josephine Levron was born and lived for her entire life.
Josephine’s birth is unrecorded, but it’s believed to have been in about 1759.1 Her parents were Joseph Levron dit Metayer and Marie-Josephe Custeau, and she was the fifth of nine children. The Vincennes of Josephine’s childhood was a place where the Creole culture of the frontier French developed and thrived. Miles away from anything else, the people were pretty much free from outside authority, even after the British took over Canada. Vincennes had a distinct style, with log cabins painted white on narrow zig-zagged paths, and the fields located outside of town. The 60 or so families liked to socialize with each other, practicing their own version of French traditions.
18th-century Vincennes. (AI-generated image)
In 1763, the priest in Vincennes was sent back to France, leaving them without anyone in charge of their church, and Josephine got married during this time.1 There’s no record of the event, and indeed her marriage may never have been formalized. Her husband was a mixed-race man named François Turpin (his grandmother had been a Mexican indigenous slave). They started a family with the birth of a son in October 1777;1 ten more children would follow by 1798. At least five of them died young, which was often the case in such a place.
Not long after Josephine started a family, the American Revolution came to Vincennes. The fort in the village was manned by British regulars, but the Americans knew they weren't such a presence that they could defend an entire region. So a force led by George Rogers Clark, aided by some of the French who signed on as soldiers, easily took Vincennes in February 1779. The fight took place on a single day, and when the English surrendered, it was said that the women of Vincennes prepared a feast for Clark’s men, and entertained them by singing songs.3 It would seem likely that a 20-year-old Josephine was one of them.
After the war, Vincennes started getting settlers who were from places like Kentucky and Virginia. As the original French population became dominated by the newcomers, Josephine lived through a transitional period that saw family and friends selling off land until they had very little left. Her own father went into debt before he died, and in 1799, Josephine and her siblings were sued for the money.4 The Levrons lost the case, but it isn’t known if they ever paid what was owed.
On October 1, 1809, Josephine’s husband passed away.5 Her final years were during a time that saw the French of Vincennes become a minority in their community. Josephine died in Vincennes on February 26, 1835, and she was buried in the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.2
Children:
1. François Joseph Turpin — B. 20 Oct 1777, Poste Vincennes, Illinois Country;1 M. Josephine Guelle, 14 Jul 1805, Vincennes, Indiana Territory6
2. Antoine Turpin — B. 13 Jan 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory7
3. Jean-Baptiste Turpin — B. 30 May 1782, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;8 D. 18 Aug 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory8
4. Marie-Josephe Turpin — B. 15 Oct 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;9 D. 7 Mar 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory9
5. Raphael Turpin — B. 8 Sep 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory10
6. Louis Turpin — B. 13 Mar 1789, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;11 D. 8 Aug 1845, Indiana;12 M. Celeste Joyeuse, 2 May 1830, Vincennes, Indiana11
7. Rosalie Turpin — B. Mar 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;13 M. Charles Grimard (1776-?), 19 Dec 1809, Vincennes, Indiana Territory14
8. Ursule Turpin — B. 3 Feb 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;15 D. 8 Aug 1797, Vincennes, Northwest Territory16
9. Elizabeth Turpin — B. 12 Nov 1798, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;17 D. (possibly) 1835, Vincennes, Indiana;18 M. François Ravellette (1791-1857), before 4 Oct 1817, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana19
Sources:
1 Estimated birth year of Josephine and marriage year of François and Josephine based on birth record of her oldest child, François Joseph Turpin, Indiana, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993, Ancestry.com
2 Death record of Josephine Turpin, A complete survey of cemetery records, Knox County, Indiana, collected and compiled by Mrs. Alta Amsler
3 Creole (French) Pioneers at Old Post Vincennes, Joyce Doyle, Loy Followell, Elizabeth Kargacos, Bernice Mutchmore, and Paul R. King, 1930s
4 Andre Lacoste dit Languedoc vs. François Turpin and others, Indiana Memory Hosted Digital Collections
5 Death record of François Turpin, Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993, FamilySearch.org
6 Marriage record of François Joseph Turpin and Josephine Guelle, Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992, FamilySearch.org
7 Baptismal record of Antoine Turpin, I.B.& C.
8 Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Turpin, I.B.& C.
9 Baptismal record of Marie Joseph Turpin, I.B.& C.
10 Baptismal record of Raphael Turpin, I.B.& C.
11 Burial record of Louis Turpin, I.D.& B.
12 Marriage record of Louis Turpin and Celeste Cartier, Indiana, Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, Ancestry.com
13 Baptismal record of Rosalie Turpin, I.B.& C.
14 Marriage record of Charles Grimard and Rosalie Turpin, I., U.S., S.M.I.
15 Baptismal record of Ursule Turpin, I.B.& C.
16 Burial record of Ursule Turpin, I.D.& B.
17 Baptismal record of Elizabeth Turpin, I.B.& C.
18 “Ravellettes from Indiana Roys, Griffith, etc.,” Genealogy.com
19 Baptismal record of Pierre Ravelette (Elizabeth’s oldest child), I.B.& C.
Sunday, June 8, 2025
Welfare Case In Colonial New England — John Jefts
B. 11 Mar 1651 in Woburn, Massachusetts1
M. 6 Apr 1688 in Billerica, Massachusetts2
Wife: Lydia Fish
D. 28 Sep 1712 in Billerica, Massachusetts3
One day in 1697, three men presented themselves before the town council in Billerica, Massachusetts. Each showed they were in financial trouble, and they asked for public assistance. One of these men was John Jefts.
John had spent nearly his entire life in Billerica. Born in Woburn, Massachusetts to Henry Jefts and Hannah Births on March 11, 1651,1 the family was among the first settlers in Billerica when John was a small child. He had three younger sisters and one younger brother, but his mother died when he was about 10-years-old, and John’s father remarried in 1666.4 On April 6, 1688, John married Lydia Fish,2 a young woman who had been raped about ten years earlier. Their first child was born early the following year,5 and they went on to have six more by 1703.
Billerica, like all New England towns, had a strong sense of community. Each month, the men of the town met to organize the common efforts needed to run their everyday lives. There were men who rose to prominence at these meetings, serving as selectmen, surveyors or officers in the militia; their names appeared year after year in the town notes. But there were also others who were rarely mentioned. By the late-1690s, John seemed to only have been recognized twice: in 1687, he was paid a couple of shillings for having worked on a new road, and in September 1694, he was on a list of 10 men who were to have money paid to them for “work preparing staging for the meeting house and other works.” His payment was only 2 shillings, the smallest amount on the list.6
In January 1697, the Puritan leaders in Boston declared that the entire colony was to hold “a day of humiliation” as atonement for the Salem witch trials,7 which had condemned so many innocent people to death. On a day of humiliation, “people were expected to search themselves for sin and to repent in order to appease God's wrath. Everyone between the ages of sixteen and sixty was expected to spend the entire day in fasting, church attendance, listening to sermons of exhortation and meditating on their sin.”8
On Billerica’s observation of the day, the town leaders decided they needed to show concern for the poorer members of the community. The three men identified as being in need were John, Edmund Chamberlain, and Daniel Rogers.6 A collection was taken, and a total of 14 shillings and 6 pence was donated; this was divided equally among the three men. In addition, it was decided that each of them would get a bushel of “Indian corn” or grain, and arrangements were made to deliver it to their farms. But the town authorities also assigned three other men to make sure the recipients of the charity were being truthful about their hardship. The town notes stated that they each were to “see these persons be diligent and the persons contributed unto to give an account of their time weekly to them.”
There was no follow-up about John and the others in Billerica’s meeting notes, so it’s presumed that the distribution of the town’s welfare went as planned. A couple of years later, John served as one of Billerica’s “fence viewers,” a job for which he received a small amount of pay in 1699, 1700 and 1701.6 This was a civic duty somewhat unique to New England; a fence viewer was to inspect fences and settle disputes regarding escaped livestock.
Then on October 14, 1700, a new incidence of John’s poverty came to light in the meeting notes: “…John Jefts was called to attend the selectmen who [were] informed that Jefts had been too slack in providing for the comfort of his wife and children. His apology was that he had been endeavoring what he could and had put some land upon the sale for his present relief, etc. He was advised speedily to provide otherwise than he had done, otherwise he must expect to be complained of unto authority.”6 It was an unusual act for a New England town to publicly shame a man for being down and out, and seemed to blame John for his own condition.
John wasn’t mentioned in the meeting notes again until March of 1711, when he was named as one of Billerica’s tithingmen.6 This had been a post frequently held by his younger brother Henry. Since Henry’s name returned the following year, replacing John’s, it suggests that he was a temporary substitute for his brother. John and his wife Lydia both died during September 1712, with Lydia passing away on the 8th and John on the 28th.9,3 Their youngest children were underage, so oldest son Henry was appointed as guardian to them.6
Children:
1. Henry Jefts — B. 16 Jan 1689, Billerica, Massachusetts;5 D. 19 Aug 1772, Billerica, Massachusetts;9 M. (1) Elizabeth Hayward (~1689-1735), 10 Jul 1716, Billerica, Massachusetts;10 (2) Dinah Brown (1706-1764), 13 Nov 1735, Billerica, Massachusetts11
2. Alice Jefts — B. 7 Sep 1691, Billerica, Massachusetts;12 M. Joseph Baker (1696-1761), 11 Dec 1716, Concord, Massachusetts13
3. Hannah Jefts — B. 18 Aug 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts;14 D. 2 Jul 1712, Billerica, Massachusetts15
4. John Jefts — B. 19 Dec 1696, Billerica, Massachusetts;16 D. 8 May 1725, Billerica, Massachusetts17
5. Nathaniel Jefts — B. 29 Mar 1699, Billerica, Massachusetts;18 after 28 Sep 171219
6. William Jefts — B. 17 Mar 1701, Billerica, Massachusetts;20 D. 30 Sep 1738, Billerica, Massachusetts21
7. Ebenezer Jefts — B. 28 Jan 1703, Billerica, Massachusetts;22 M. Elizabeth Farnsworth (1707-1781), 30 Dec 1729, Groton, Massachusetts23
Sources:
1 Birth record of John Jefts, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of John Jefts and Lydia Fish, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
3 Death record of John Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4 Marriage record of Henry Jefts and Mary Bird, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
5 Birth record of Henry Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
6 Town records 1685-1779 Billerica, Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, FamilySearch.org
7 Days of humiliation and thanksgiving (Wikipedia article)
8 Death record of Lydia Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
9 Death record of Henry Jefts (younger), Vital Records of Billerica, MA, to the year 1850, 1908
10 Marriage record of Henry Jefts and Elizabeth Hayward, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11 Marriage record of Henry Jefts and Dinah Brown, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12 Birth record of Alice Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13 Marriage record of Joseph Baker and Alice Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14 Birth record of Hannah Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15 Death record of Hannah Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16 Birth record of John Jefts (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17 Death record of John Jefts (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18 Birth record of Nathaniel Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19 Nathaniel wasn’t mentioned in the guardianship action after his father’s death
20 Birth record of William Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21 Death record of William Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22 Birth record of Ebenezer Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23 Marriage record of Ebenezer Jefts and Elizabeth Farnsworth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
M. 6 Apr 1688 in Billerica, Massachusetts2
Wife: Lydia Fish
D. 28 Sep 1712 in Billerica, Massachusetts3
One day in 1697, three men presented themselves before the town council in Billerica, Massachusetts. Each showed they were in financial trouble, and they asked for public assistance. One of these men was John Jefts.
John had spent nearly his entire life in Billerica. Born in Woburn, Massachusetts to Henry Jefts and Hannah Births on March 11, 1651,1 the family was among the first settlers in Billerica when John was a small child. He had three younger sisters and one younger brother, but his mother died when he was about 10-years-old, and John’s father remarried in 1666.4 On April 6, 1688, John married Lydia Fish,2 a young woman who had been raped about ten years earlier. Their first child was born early the following year,5 and they went on to have six more by 1703.
Billerica, like all New England towns, had a strong sense of community. Each month, the men of the town met to organize the common efforts needed to run their everyday lives. There were men who rose to prominence at these meetings, serving as selectmen, surveyors or officers in the militia; their names appeared year after year in the town notes. But there were also others who were rarely mentioned. By the late-1690s, John seemed to only have been recognized twice: in 1687, he was paid a couple of shillings for having worked on a new road, and in September 1694, he was on a list of 10 men who were to have money paid to them for “work preparing staging for the meeting house and other works.” His payment was only 2 shillings, the smallest amount on the list.6
At a Billerica town meeting, John was assigned to dig holes for constructing the meetinghouse.
In January 1697, the Puritan leaders in Boston declared that the entire colony was to hold “a day of humiliation” as atonement for the Salem witch trials,7 which had condemned so many innocent people to death. On a day of humiliation, “people were expected to search themselves for sin and to repent in order to appease God's wrath. Everyone between the ages of sixteen and sixty was expected to spend the entire day in fasting, church attendance, listening to sermons of exhortation and meditating on their sin.”8
On Billerica’s observation of the day, the town leaders decided they needed to show concern for the poorer members of the community. The three men identified as being in need were John, Edmund Chamberlain, and Daniel Rogers.6 A collection was taken, and a total of 14 shillings and 6 pence was donated; this was divided equally among the three men. In addition, it was decided that each of them would get a bushel of “Indian corn” or grain, and arrangements were made to deliver it to their farms. But the town authorities also assigned three other men to make sure the recipients of the charity were being truthful about their hardship. The town notes stated that they each were to “see these persons be diligent and the persons contributed unto to give an account of their time weekly to them.”
Day of Humiliation in Billerica. (AI-generated image)
There was no follow-up about John and the others in Billerica’s meeting notes, so it’s presumed that the distribution of the town’s welfare went as planned. A couple of years later, John served as one of Billerica’s “fence viewers,” a job for which he received a small amount of pay in 1699, 1700 and 1701.6 This was a civic duty somewhat unique to New England; a fence viewer was to inspect fences and settle disputes regarding escaped livestock.
Then on October 14, 1700, a new incidence of John’s poverty came to light in the meeting notes: “…John Jefts was called to attend the selectmen who [were] informed that Jefts had been too slack in providing for the comfort of his wife and children. His apology was that he had been endeavoring what he could and had put some land upon the sale for his present relief, etc. He was advised speedily to provide otherwise than he had done, otherwise he must expect to be complained of unto authority.”6 It was an unusual act for a New England town to publicly shame a man for being down and out, and seemed to blame John for his own condition.
John wasn’t mentioned in the meeting notes again until March of 1711, when he was named as one of Billerica’s tithingmen.6 This had been a post frequently held by his younger brother Henry. Since Henry’s name returned the following year, replacing John’s, it suggests that he was a temporary substitute for his brother. John and his wife Lydia both died during September 1712, with Lydia passing away on the 8th and John on the 28th.9,3 Their youngest children were underage, so oldest son Henry was appointed as guardian to them.6
Children:
1. Henry Jefts — B. 16 Jan 1689, Billerica, Massachusetts;5 D. 19 Aug 1772, Billerica, Massachusetts;9 M. (1) Elizabeth Hayward (~1689-1735), 10 Jul 1716, Billerica, Massachusetts;10 (2) Dinah Brown (1706-1764), 13 Nov 1735, Billerica, Massachusetts11
2. Alice Jefts — B. 7 Sep 1691, Billerica, Massachusetts;12 M. Joseph Baker (1696-1761), 11 Dec 1716, Concord, Massachusetts13
3. Hannah Jefts — B. 18 Aug 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts;14 D. 2 Jul 1712, Billerica, Massachusetts15
4. John Jefts — B. 19 Dec 1696, Billerica, Massachusetts;16 D. 8 May 1725, Billerica, Massachusetts17
5. Nathaniel Jefts — B. 29 Mar 1699, Billerica, Massachusetts;18 after 28 Sep 171219
6. William Jefts — B. 17 Mar 1701, Billerica, Massachusetts;20 D. 30 Sep 1738, Billerica, Massachusetts21
7. Ebenezer Jefts — B. 28 Jan 1703, Billerica, Massachusetts;22 M. Elizabeth Farnsworth (1707-1781), 30 Dec 1729, Groton, Massachusetts23
Sources:
1 Birth record of John Jefts, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of John Jefts and Lydia Fish, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
3 Death record of John Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4 Marriage record of Henry Jefts and Mary Bird, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
5 Birth record of Henry Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
6 Town records 1685-1779 Billerica, Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, FamilySearch.org
7 Days of humiliation and thanksgiving (Wikipedia article)
8 Death record of Lydia Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
9 Death record of Henry Jefts (younger), Vital Records of Billerica, MA, to the year 1850, 1908
10 Marriage record of Henry Jefts and Elizabeth Hayward, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11 Marriage record of Henry Jefts and Dinah Brown, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12 Birth record of Alice Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13 Marriage record of Joseph Baker and Alice Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14 Birth record of Hannah Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15 Death record of Hannah Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16 Birth record of John Jefts (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17 Death record of John Jefts (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18 Birth record of Nathaniel Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19 Nathaniel wasn’t mentioned in the guardianship action after his father’s death
20 Birth record of William Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21 Death record of William Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22 Birth record of Ebenezer Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23 Marriage record of Ebenezer Jefts and Elizabeth Farnsworth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
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