The Long Life of a Tobacco Farmer — John Robey

B. about 1714 in Charles County, Maryland¹
M. about 1735 in Charles County, Maryland¹
Wife: Mary ________
D. before 23 Jul 1808 in (probably) Lincoln County, North Carolina²

During much of the 18th century, John Robey made a living growing tobacco in the region around the Potomac River. John was born in about 1714 in Charles County, Maryland,¹ the peninsula south of present-day Washington, DC. His father was also named John, as was his grandfather who had come over from England in the mid-1600s.¹ The Robey family was numerous in Charles County, and it’s challenging to accurately piece them together due to a lack of vital records. John’s mother may have been named Sarah Berry, but this isn't proven.

Map of colonial Maryland showing Charles and Prince George's Counties.

What is known about John is that his early years, and into his middle-age, were spent on small tobacco plantations. The climate and geography of southern Maryland was ideally suited for growing the crop, and it was the reason most people settled there. The peninsula where John lived had natural irrigation from many small streams, which along with rich soil, made the land perfect for growing tobacco. It's likely that John got married during the early 1730s, and his wife was only known by the first name Mary.¹ They had at least eight children, the youngest being born in 1763.³

On November 12, 1750, John purchased an 84-acre plantation in Charles County for the price of 5,000 pounds of tobacco.¹ Most plantations in Maryland were given names to identify them, and this was a section of a larger one called “Three Brothers.” Later, another record dated April 1764 showed he bought more land adjoining the earlier purchase, and this was called “Roby’s Help.”¹ Two years later, John’s name appeared in another transaction, this time a lease for a tract called “Partnership,” located near a place called “Zachiah Manor.”¹ The document showed he would gain possession of 150 acres on Christmas Day of 1766, and that the rent for it was 850 pounds of tobacco per year. In the terms of the deal, he was forbidden from cutting trees for wood. He kept this land until September of 1774.¹

Typical tobacco farm in Maryland.

After that, John seems to have moved to an adjacent county. A census was taken in Maryland in the summer of 1776 which showed him living in Prince George’s County along with wife Mary and eight others ranging in age from 6 to 23.⁴ In February 1778, his name was on a list of men who took the oath of allegiance in support of the Americans declaring independence.⁵ It’s believed that John continued to live in Prince George’s County until the early 1790s, when in his old age, he joined younger family members in moving to Iredell County, North Carolina.³

By the end of his life, John’s wife had died and he was living in the care of his children. All three of his sons had farms there, and it’s likely he lived with one of them. A grandson, Robey Tucker, may have taken him into his household for a time, and John wrote a will dated February 1, 1804 bequeathing Robey’s wife Rachel five pounds for presumably caring for him.² John lived another four years, dying in early 1808 at the age of about 94.²

Among John’s descendants is Vice President Dan Quayle’s wife Marilyn Tucker.

Children:
1. Mary Robey — B. about 1736, Charles County, Maryland;³ D. before 1 Feb 1804;² M. (maybe) Thomas Tucker³

2. Leonard Robey — B. about 1738, Charles County, Maryland;¹ D. 1815, Iredell County, Maryland;³ M. Emma Wedding (~1735-?), 1770, Charles County, Maryland³

3. Esther Robey — B. about 1740, Charles County, Maryland;¹ D. before 1 Feb 1804;² M. ______ Tucker²

4. Berry Robey — B. 1742, Charles County, Maryland;³ D. 1820, Iredell County, North Carolina⁶

5. Tobias Robey — B. about 1745, Charles County, Maryland;³ D. before 12 Nov 1802, Iredell County, North Carolina³

6. Basil Robey — B. Charles County, Maryland³

7. Elizabeth Robey — B. Charles County, Maryland;⁶ M. _______ Barel⁶

8. Edith Robey — B. about 1762, Charles County, Maryland;⁶ D. before 1 Feb 1804;² M. John Smith, 18 Jan 1778, Rowan County, North Carolina⁶

9. Millie Robey — B. 6 Jan 1763, Charles County, Maryland;³ D. 25 Apr 1844, Giles County, Tennessee;³ M. Jeremiah Parker (1766-1841)⁶ 

Sources:
1    Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia’s Northern Neck Counties (website)  
2    North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, FamilySearch.org
3    Robey/Roby/Robie: the family history from early England to America, William Grafton Robey Jr., 1994
4    Maryland Records: Colonial, Revolutionary, County and Church from Original Sources, Vol. 1, Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh, 1915
5    Maryland Indexes, Oaths of Fidelity, 1778, Maryland State Archives
6    "Families of Mary Elizabeth Polly Parker McConnell," Christian County, Missouri Genealogy (website) 

From the Potomac to the Piedmont — Robey Tucker

B. about 1753 in Prince George’s County, Maryland¹
M. (1) before Aug 1776 in (probably) Prince George’s County, Maryland¹
Wife: Hester ______
M. (2) before 1800 in (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina²
Wife: Rachel ______
D. after 14 Nov 1837 in (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina²

Robey Tucker was part of a migration of poor tobacco planters from Maryland who moved to the backwoods of North Carolina during the late 18th century. His origins are not well-documented; some sources indicate that his parents were Thomas Tucker and Mary Robey, but there doesn't seem to be hard evidence of this. His father may have had a different first name, and his mother could have been Esther instead of Mary. Either way, Robey was born in about 1753.¹

The place where Robey was born and grew up was Prince George’s County, Maryland, a rural area where the only crop was tobacco. Most of the population were descendants of English settlers who arrived in the colony during the 17th century. Robey likely did much of the farm labor as he grew up. Through land records, it’s possible to identify the general location of where the family lived, an area which was irrigated by one of the many creeks flowing into the Port Tobacco River.

Helping his father harvest tobacco. (AI-generated image)

Robey first turned up in records as a married man at age 23. A census was taken in Maryland in August of 1776 to assess the collection of taxes for supporting the Continental Congress. Some of the records are remarkably detailed, listing names and ages for everyone in each household. Robey’s wife was named Hester, also age 23, but in the absence of any marriage record, her maiden name is unknown. Their farm was the only one with just two people.¹ Nearby were John and Drusilla Tucker, ages 74 and 64, and John and Mary Robey, ages 62 and 55.¹ The Robeys were his grandparents, and the Tuckers were likely his close relatives.

Robey was a young man during the American Revolution, but there's no evidence that he ever volunteered as a soldier. He did swear his allegiance to the cause on February 23, 1778;³ nearly all of the men in Maryland did the same. Perhaps one reason Robey didn’t join the service was that he had started a family in 1777 with the birth of a son.⁴ He had seven children with Hester, mostly boys, with the youngest child born in about 1789.

Robey's name on list of men who signed 1778 oath of allegiance.

About 1790, Robey left the tobacco country of Maryland for the piedmont of North Carolina. The motivation was probably to find cheaper land, and there was plenty available in the backwoods of the Carolinas. The 1790 census showed that Robey lived in Iredell County with his wife and eight children, all unnamed in the listing.⁵ Other members of his family migrated to Iredell around the same time or earlier, including Robey’s uncle, Leonard Robey, and his grandfather, John Robey.

Sometime during the 1790s, Robey’s wife Hester passed away, and he remarried a woman only known as Rachel.² She was likely much younger and provided him five children who were born between 1803 and about 1810, when Robey was nearly 60-years-old. Robey and Rachel spent over two years as caretakers for his elderly grandfather, and when the old man made out his will, he left Rachel a small bequest.⁶ After the will was probated in 1808, Robey was paid £30 for the work he had done, of which £10 was for “trouble and expense of his last sickness and death.” The receipt for the payment shows Robey’s only known signature.⁶

Robey's signature in 1808.

Robey was shown to be living in Iredell County at least until 1820. In each of the census years 1800, 1810 and 1820 he was listed as a head of household with descriptions of dependents corresponding to his wife and known children.⁷ At no time did he own any slaves, which he likely couldn’t afford. Robey made out his will on November 14, 1837;² at age 84, he was “weak in body” and signed his name with a shaky “X,” suggesting that he had some disability. The document is very brief and mentions only one of his children, Robey, to whom he left his entire estate. This was likely because Robey was the only one who still lived in North Carolina, since most of the others are known to have moved to Kentucky or Illinois.

Robey's mark on his 1837 will.

The will was probated in February 1842, so Robey died by that date. It isn’t known if Rachel survived him. His descendants scattered across the U.S. continuing the migration of the family to the west. One of his descendants was Marilyn Tucker, the wife of Vice President Dan Quayle.⁸

Children by Hester:
1. John B. Tucker — B. 25 Sep 1777, (probably) Prince George’s County, Maryland;⁴ D. 30 Dec 1846, (probably) Washington County, Indiana;⁴ M. Mary Campbell (1781-1853), after 9 Nov 1797, Iredell County, North Carolina⁴

2. (possibly) Zachariah Tucker — B. about 1782, (probably) Prince George’s County, Maryland; D: 2 Oct 1857, (probably) Kentucky; M. Levina Jarboe, after 27 Jun 1812, Washington County, Kentucky⁹

3. (possibly) Freeman Tucker — B. about 1779, (probably) Prince George’s County, Maryland; D. 15 Feb 1850, Tazewell County, Illinois; M. Esther Fitzgerald

4. Absalom Tucker — B. about 1783, (probably) Prince George’s County, Maryland;¹⁰ D. 1849, Washington County, Kentucky¹⁰

5. (possibly) Thomas Tucker — B. about 1785, (probably) Prince George’s County, Maryland;¹¹ D. 28 Jun 1859;¹¹ M. Rachel Kendrick, 3 Aug 1815, Washington County, Kentucky¹²

6. Benjamin Tucker — B. about 1787, (probably) Prince George’s County, Maryland;¹³ D. 1848, Nelson County, Kentucky;¹³ M. Elizabeth Livers, 26 Jan 1823, Nelson County Kentucky¹⁴

7. (possibly) Mary Tucker — B. about 1789, (probably) Prince George’s County, Maryland;¹⁵ D. about 1852;¹⁵ M. Samuel Turner¹⁵

Children by Rachel:
1. Esther J. Tucker — B. 20 Apr 1803, (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina;¹⁶ D. 27 Feb 1883, Waverly, Illinois;¹⁶ M. Joseph Luckey (?-~1840), before 1829¹⁷

2. Samuel S. Tucker — B. 20 Nov 1805, (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina;¹⁸ D. 22 Dec 1891, Hat Creek, California;¹⁸ M. Nancy Ann Allison (~1803-1875), 1825, Iredell County, North Carolina¹⁸

3. (possibly) Elizabeth Tucker — B. about 1807, (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina

4. Robey Tucker — B. 8 Sep 1808, (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina;¹⁹ D. before 7 Dec 1885, (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina;²⁰ M. Rachel Mason (1832-1914), 11 Jan 1853, Iredell County, North Carolina¹⁹

5. Randolph J. Tucker — B. 1810, (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina;²¹ D. 1892, Illinois;²¹ M. (1) Henrietta Jones (1813-1868), before 1837, (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina;²¹ (2) Sarah Mahala Stroud (~1832-?), after 1868, (probably) Illinois²¹

Sources:
1    Prince George’s County, St. John’s and Prince George Parishes Maryland State Census, 1776
2    Will of Robey Tucker, 14 Nov 1837, North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, FamilySearch.org
3    Maryland Records: Colonial, Revolutionary, County and Church from Original Sources, Vol. 1, Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh, 1915
4    Find-a-Grave listing for John B. Tucker  
5    1790 U.S. Census
6    Will of John Robey, 1 Feb 1804, N.C.P.R.
7    1800, 1810 and 1820 U.S. Censuses
8    Political Family Tree (PDF) 
9    Marriage record of Zachariah Tucker and Lovina Jarboe, Kentucky County Marriages, 1797-1954, FamilySearch.org
10  Find-a-Grave listing for Absalom Tucker
11  Estimated birth and death of Thomas Tucker from family tree listing on FamilySearch.org 
12  Marriage record of Thomas Tucker and Rachel Kendrick, Kentucky County Marriages, 1797-1954, FamilySearch.org
13  Estimated birth and death of Benjamin Tucker from family tree listing on FamilySearch.org 
14  Marriage record of Benjamin Tucker and Elizabeth Livers, Kentucky County Marriages, 1797-1954, FamilySearch.org
15  Estimated birth, marriage and death of Mary Tucker from family tree listing on FamilySearch.org  
16  Death record of Esther J. Luckey, Morgan County, Illinois
17  Find-a-Grave listing for Esther J. Luckey
18  Find-a-Grave listing for Samuel S. Tucker
19  Find-a-Grave listing for Robey Tucker (younger)
20  Probate file card for Roby Tucker, North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979, FamilySearch.org
21  Find-a-Grave listing for Randolph J. Tucker

An Unknown Route to Vincennes — Nicolas Baillargeon

B. 24 Mar 1740 in St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, New France¹
M. 24 Jul 1778 in Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory²
Wife: Françoise Plichon
D. 6 May 1803 in Vincennes, Indiana Territory³

Most early French settlers of present-day Indiana followed a progression of migration from the Montreal and the Great Lakes areas. But Nicolas Baillargeon, who was born near Quebec City, left no records in either of those places.

Nicolas began life in St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, a settlement on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. He was born there on March 24, 1740, the second child of Nicolas Baillargeon and Marie-Madeleine Proulx.¹ Through his mother he descended from the founders of Quebec, including Louis Hebért and Hélène Desportes. Nicolas’ father tragically drowned near their home when he was just a baby,⁴ and his mother remarried to a man named Ignace Dessaint.⁵ That marriage gave Nicolas two half-brothers, then his mother died when he was about 13-years-old.⁶

What Nicolas did for the next 20 years is a mystery. He would have come of age about the time England took over Quebec during the French and Indian War; perhaps he fought among the French, and afterwards, sought to make a life on the frontier. He turned up in Post Vincennes by the beginning of 1773, where he was named as godfather to a child of Louis Victor Edeline on January 23rd of that year.⁷ The infant was also named Nicolas, suggesting Nicolas may have been close friends with Edeline.

1773 baptism in Vincennes. (AI-generated image)

During the 1760s and 1770s, Vincennes’ fort was manned by British forces, who let the French settlers continue much as they had been under French rule. But the presence of the Catholic church was diminished, and the church had no permanent priest. Settlers had to wait for the priest from nearby Kaskaskia, Father Pierre Gibault, to make a visit in order to receive the sacraments. So when Father Gibault came to Vincennes during the summer of 1778, Nicolas was able to get married. His bride was Françoise Plichon, the 18-year-old daughter of a Detroit farmer, and the wedding took place at St. Francis Xavier Church on July 24th.²

Father Gibault had come to Vincennes for another reason: he wanted to get the support of the French people for the Americans who were fighting for independence in the East.⁸ He was convinced that if the Americans won, the right of the settlers to practice the Catholic religion would be protected. During his visit, he asked all of the men to sign an oath of allegiance, pledging their support for the Americans, and Nicolas put his mark on the document, an act which qualified him as a patriot. The following February, a force under George Rogers Clark successfully captured Fort Vincennes with the help of the people who lived there.

In December 1779, Nicolas saw the birth of his first child.⁹ Over the next twenty years, he became a father ten more times, but six of the children seem to have died young. During the prime of his life, Nicolas owned a lot of land in and around Vincennes. At some point early on, he was granted 300 acres, part of which was likely where he operated his farm.

In 1790, the U.S. government gave 400 acres of land to anyone who had been head of a family in Vincennes at the end of the American Revolution.¹⁰ Nicolas was awarded property on the Embearas River (in present-day Illinois), but the title was disputed years later after he sold it someone else.¹¹ In 1806, the government was invalidating land claims if there was no proven development of the land. During the investigation, a woman testified that in about 1784, Nicolas had gone out to his tract, built a cabin, and cleared an acre of land. Unfortunately for the new owner, the testimony was ruled to be hearsay and the title was rejected.

Nicolas died on May 6, 1803 at the age of 63,³ leaving behind his wife Françoise with a couple of young daughters. She lived on for many years as a widow, passing away in 1837.¹²

Children:
1. Françoise Baillargeon — B. 14 Dec 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;⁹ M. Charles Moyse, 23 May 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹³

2. Nicolas Baillargeon — B. 10 Feb 1782, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹⁴ M. Pelagie Vallé, 23 May 1808, Vincennes, Indiana Territory¹⁵

3. François Baillargeon — B. 21 Jan 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory¹⁶

4. Barbe Baillargeon — B. 20 Jan 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹⁷ D. 1 Aug 1850, Vincennes, Indiana;¹⁸ M. André Lacoste (1788-?), 1 Oct 1810, Vincennes, Indiana Territory¹⁹

5. Eustache Baillargeon — B. 2 Feb 1788, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;²⁰ D. 18 Sep 1788, Vincennes, Virginia Territory²¹

6. Archange Baillargeon — B. 21 Oct 1789, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²² D. before 11 Dec 1793, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²³

7. Victoire Baillargeon — B. Jun 1790, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁴ D. 20 Feb 1793, (probably) Vincennes, Northwest Territory²⁵

8. Archange Baillargeon — B. 11 Dec 1793, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²³ D. 28 May 1849, Vincennes, Indiana;²⁶ M. (1) Joseph Sansouci, 1 Oct 1810, Vincennes, Indiana Territory;²⁷ M. (2) Joseph Gaile, about 1817, Vincennes, Indiana²⁸

9. Jean Baillargeon — B. 11 Dec 1793, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²⁹

10. Marie-Josephe Baillargeon — B. 6 Feb 1797, Vincennes, Northwest Territory³⁰

11. Victoire Baillargeon — B. 8 Nov 1799, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;³¹ M. Isadore Cartier, 25 Apr 1820, Vincennes, Indiana³²

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Nicolas Baillargeon, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Nicolas Baillargeon and Françoise Plichon, Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992, FamilySearch.org
3    Find-a-Grave listing of Nicholas Baillargeon  
4    Burial record of Nicolas Baillargeon (his father), Q.C.P.R.
5    Marriage record of Ignace Dessaint and Marie-Madeleine Proulx, Q.C.P.R.
6    Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Proulx, Q.C.P.R.
7    Baptismal record of Nicolas Edeline, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Records: Baptisms 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
8    Pierre Gibault (Wikipedia article)  
9    Baptismal record of Françoise Baillargeon, Indiana Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
10  American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States, Part 8, Volume 7, 1860, p. 678
11  American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States, Part 8, Volume 7, 1860, p. 687
12  Burial record of Françoise (Plichon) Baillargeon, Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993, FamilySearch.org
13  Marriage record of Charles Moyse and Françoise Baillargeon, I.M.
14  Baptismal record of Nicolas Baillargeon (son), I.B.& C.
15  Marriage record of Nicolas Baillargeon and Pelagie Vallé, I.M.
16  Baptismal record of François Baillargeon, I.B.& C.
17  Baptismal record of Barbe Baillargeon, I.B.& C.
18  Burial record of Barbe (Baillargeon) Lacoste, A complete survey of cemetery records, Knox County, Indiana, collected and compiled by Mrs. Alta Amsler
19  Marriage record of André Lacoste and Barbe Baillargeon, I.M.
20  Baptismal record of Eustache Baillargeon, I.B.& C.
21  Burial record of Eustache Baillargeon, Roster of Soldiers & Patriots in the American Revolution Buried in Indiana, 1938
22  Baptismal record of Archange Baillargeon (older), I.B.& C.
23  Baptismal record of Archange Baillargeon (younger), I.B.& C.
24  Baptismal record of Victoire Baillargeon (older), I.B.& C.
25  Burial record of Victoire Baillargeon, Indiana, Knox County: A Complete Survey of Cemetery records, p. 276
26  Death Record of Archange (Baillargeon) Gaile, Ravellettes from Indiana Roys, Griffith, etc., www.genealogy.com
27  Marriage record of Joseph Sansouci and Archange Baillargeon, I.M.
28  Marriage date of Joseph Gaile and Archange Baillargeon based on baptismal record of oldest child Marie, I.B.& C.
29  Baptismal record of Jean Baillargeon, I.B.& C.
30  Baptismal record of Marie-Josephe Baillargeon, I.B.& C.
31  Baptismal record of Victoire Baillargeon (younger), I.B.& C.

32  Marriage record of Isadore Cartier and Victoire Baillargeon, I.M.

Minuteman from Tewksbury — Thomas Kittredge

B. 9 Nov 1731 in Billerica, Massachusetts
M. before 23 Nov 1755 in Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Wife: Anna Thorndike
D. 16 Jan 1806 in Tewksbury, Massachusetts

Thomas Kittredge was one of the hundreds of Massachusetts soldiers who answered the call to confront the British army at the beginning of the American Revolution.

Thomas came from a strong New England heritage, born on November 9, 1731 in Billerica to Thomas and Jane Kittredge. His parents were first cousins who married, and had suffered the terrible tragedy of losing their first two children in a fire that happened in 1729. Thomas was likely named for one of the children, who was also named Thomas. There were also five other siblings in the family.

Birth records of the Thomas and Jane Kittredge family.

The part of Billerica where Thomas was born was split off during the 1730s to form the town of Tewksbury. After he came of age, he helped construct pews in the town’s new meetinghouse in 1752. It was there that by three years later, he married his wife, Anna Thorndike. Their first child was born November 23, 1755; by 1777, the couple had seven children. 

During the 1750s, England was at war with France, and the conflict played out in North America as the French and Indian War. Thomas was a soldier in the militia in Tewksbury, and in August 1757, as a member of Captain William Brown’s company, he went to upstate New York to assist British forces. The mission was to help relieve forces at Fort William Henry, a place that suffered an attack from the French. It’s not known what Thomas’ role was in this expedition. His younger brother Joshua had been killed near there the previous year.

Almost 20 years later, Thomas still served in the militia, and he was called into conflict once more. The aftermath of the French and Indian War led to England trying to collect heavy taxes from the colonists, and the people of Massachusetts threatened to revolt. It all came to a breaking point in April 1775 when the British Army stationed in Boston planned to put an end to things by attacking the town of Concord, where a stockpile of ammunition was being collected by the rebels. Colonists got word of the plan and town militias prepared to fight. 

Training to be Minutemen. (AI-generated image)

The night of April 18th is remembered for Paul Revere’s heroics, but actually there were several brave riders who fanned out over New England. The name of the rider who entered Tewksbury that night is unknown. Thomas was among the militia who were gathered near “a sturdy oak" known as "the Meeting Tree.” The rider is believed to have gone to the house of Jonathan Trull, who then put himself in charge of the three militia companies in Tewksbury, and they marched towards Concord.

The militia of Tewksbury took up a position near the road between Lexington and Concord at a place called Meriam’s Corner. The Battle of Concord had already taken place and the defeated British were trying to retreat on the road back to Boston. Because thousands of Minutemen showed up to confront them, they were suddenly outnumbered and suffered significant casualties. The American Revolution had begun and Thomas had been a witness to history. 

The site of the fighting at Meriam's Corner.

At age 44 and with a family to take care of, Thomas didn’t see any other action in the Revolution, but his oldest son Joshua joined the service as soon as he was old enough in 1778. Thomas lived out the rest of his life with his family in Tewksbury. He was said to manage his father’s properties, which by the 1780s extended into New Hampshire.

Thomas died in Tewksbury on January 16, 1806 at the age of 87. His wife Anna survived him by many years, passing away in 1824.

Children:
1. Anna Kittredge — B. 23 Nov 1755, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. 2 Aug 1815, Mount Vernon, New Hampshire; M. Solomon Kittredge (1755-1845)

2. Joshua Kittredge — B. 4 Sep 1757, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. 8 Jun 1759, Tewksbury, Massachusetts

3. Joshua Kittredge — B. 15 Mar 1761, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. 18 Feb 1834, Nelson, New Hampshire; M. (1) Lydia Kittredge (1767-1795), 29 Nov 1787, Amherst, New Hampshire; (2) Beulah Baker (1768-1827), 10 Jun 1796, Packersfield, New Hampshire

4. Jeremiah Kittredge — B. 5 Oct 1763, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; D. 22 Aug 1818, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. Anna H. Chapman (1766-1848)

5. Lucy Kittredge — B. 7 Mar 1769, Tewksbury, Massachusetts

6. Esther Kittredge — B. 2 Aug 1773, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. John Chapman, 7 Nov 1793, Tewksbury, Massachusetts

7. Mary Kittredge — B. 16 Aug 1777, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. Jesse Manning (1776-1852), 15 Dec 1796

Sources:
The Kittredge Family in America, Mabel T. Kittredge, 1936
Vital Records of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849, 1912
History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 3, Duane Hamilton Hurd, 1890
Tewksbury: A Short History, Edward W. Pride, 1888
History of Jaffrey, N. H., Albert Annett and Alice Lehtinen, 1934
Tewksbury Historical Society (website)
John Trull (Wikipedia article)
Battles of Lexington and Concord (Wikipedia article)

The Creole Way of Life — Louis Favel Ravellette

B. before 25 Sep 1758 in Detroit, New France¹
M. 2 Aug 1784 in Vincennes, Virginia Territory²
Wife: Françoise-Agnes Godere
D. before 1830 in Vincennes, Indiana³

At the point in time of the English takeover of Canada, the waterways south of the Great Lakes were dotted with remote French outposts. This is where Louis Favel Ravellette spent his entire life, seeing a transition as others eventually moved in.

Louis was born in the Detroit River area to Jean-Baptiste Ravellette and Rosalie Marie-Françoise Fauvel; his parents got married on September 25, 1758, and Louis was baptized on September 28th, so he must have been born before their wedding.¹ Louis had at least one brother and four sisters. The family moved to Vincennes by 1767, where two of Louis’ sisters were born.⁴

England took control of New France during Louis' childhood, then as he came of age, the American Revolution began. In 1778, French men living in Vincennes, including Louis, pledged an oath of allegiance to support their cause.⁵ The following year, George Rogers Clark fought a victorious battle to take Vincennes from the English, and did so with the help of the French inhabitants. It’s likely that Louis, at about age 20, was one of those who joined in.

Louis' mark on the Vincennes Oath of Allegiance.

In the spring of 1783, Louis got involved with a 16-year-old girl named Françoise-Agnes Godere, and she became pregnant.⁶ To make things right, Louis agreed to a contract where he promised to marry her. On a document dated September 1, 1783, he committed to having 150 livres paid from his estate if he died before the wedding took place.⁷ Their baby was born in January, a girl they named Marguerite, and on August 2, 1784, Louis married Françoise-Agnes at St. Francis Xavier church in Vincennes.² The couple went on to have twelve more children over the next 21 years.

Louis was part of a French Creole culture that was vastly different from that of the Americans who were moving into Vincennes. French farmers kept their cattle on common land, a system that had to be abandoned under the Americans. They didn't live on their farms, but instead had their houses clustered together with their neighbors in town; Louis' house in 1790 was on a lot that was little more than 1,000 square feet. Living in close proximity to each other, families sought to balance farming with enjoying a lively social life.

Creole culture in 18th-century Illinois and Indiana.

With the rush of new settlers moving to the Vincennes area seeking to buy land, the new American government needed to verify the French settlers’ ancient claims to their property. It was a process that dragged out for years. Louis had two land claims rejected, one for 400 acres and one for 68 acres.⁸ A claim that he had for 136 acres was validated,⁸ so Louis did end up with some land, but it was too much work to clear much of it, and he sold it off within a few years. For the French settlers, this period began a downward spiral, where they found themselves selling off acres to pay living expenses, and it wasn’t long before their tracts of land shrunk to small amounts.

Louis seems to have died before the 1830 U.S. Census,³ and by that time, the French settlers of Vincennes were in the minority. With few exceptions, non-French people formed the leadership and society of Vincennes. It was a sad outcome for the people who were the earliest settlers of the town.

Children:
1. Marguerite Ravellette — B. 25 Jan 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;⁶ M. Jean Mominy (1776-?), 16 Aug 1802, Vincennes, Indiana⁹

2. Louis Ravellette — B. 20 Feb 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹⁰ D. before 23 Feb 1859, Vincennes, Indiana;¹¹ M. Helene Campeau, 1 Oct 1810, Vincennes, Indiana¹²

3. Pierre Ravellette — B. 24 Jan 1788, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹³

4. Antoine Ravellette — B. before 11 Jan 1790, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁴ D. 14 Feb 1840, Vincennes, Indiana;¹⁴ M. Adelaide Cabassier (1797-1837), 6 Jul 1818, Vincennes, Indiana¹⁵

5. François Ravellette — B. 9 Nov 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁶ D. 7 Dec 1857, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana;¹⁷ M. (1) Elizabeth Turpin (1798-1835), before 8 October 1817 (probably) Vincennes, Indiana;¹⁸ (2) Angeline Trombley, 17 Jan 1837, Vincennes, Indiana¹⁹

6. Andre Ravellette — B. 4 Feb 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁰ D. Oct 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²⁰

7. Françoise Ravellette — B. 19 Aug 1795, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²¹ M. François Bono (1790-1831), 16 May 1816, Vincennes, Indiana²²

8. Marie-Theotiste Ravellette — B. 19 Aug 1795, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²³ M. Pierre Renaud dit Deslauriers (1787-1860), 12 Nov 1813, Vincennes, Indiana²⁴

9. Agnes Ravellette — B. 30 Sep 1797, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²⁵

10. Helene Ravellette — B. 25 Feb 1799, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²⁶

11. Marie-Amable Ravellette — B. 13 Jun 1802, Vincennes, Indiana Territory;²⁷ M. Pierre Meteyer, 2 Oct 1820, Vincennes, Indiana²⁸

12. Elizabeth Ravellette — B. 26 Mar 1804, Vincennes, Indiana Territory;²⁹ D. 20 Jan 1871, Vincennes, Indiana;³⁰ M. Pierre Cabassier (1788-1863), 24 Jul 1820, Vincennes, Indiana³¹

13. Victoria Ravellette — B. 25 Oct 1805, Vincennes, Indiana³²

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Louis Ravalet, Indiana, Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Louis Ravalet and Agnes Renault Codere, Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992, FamilySearch.org
3    1830 U.S. Census listing of Louis Ravellette, son of Louis, who appears to have his mother in his household as a widow.
4    Baptismal record of Marie Joseph Ravalet (sister of Louis), Indiana, Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
5    Vincennes Oath, 1778, Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, Illinois Library
6    Birth record of Marguerite Ravalet, I., B. & C.
7    Marriage contract of Louis Ravalet and Agnes Goder, 1 Sep 1783
8    American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States, Part 8, Volume 7, 1860
9    Marriage record of Jean Mominy and Marguerite Ravalet, I., M.
10  Baptismal record of Louis Ravalet, I., B. & C.
11  Probate record of Louis Ravellette, Indiana Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999, Ancestry.com
12  Marriage record of Louis Ravalet and Helene Campeau, I., M.
13  Baptismal record of Pierre Ravalet, I., B. & C.
14  Baptismal record of Antoine Ravalet, I., B. & C.
15  Marriage record of Antoine Ravalet and Adelaide Cabassier, I., M.
16  Baptismal record of François Ravellette, I., B. & C.
17  “Ravellettes from Indiana Roys, Griffith, etc.,” Genealogy.com
18  Baptismal record of Pierre Ravellette, I., B. & C.
19  Marriage record of Francis Ravellette and Angeline Trombley, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1806-1861, Ancestry.com
20  Baptismal record of Andre Ravalet, I., B. & C.
21  Baptismal record of Françoise Ravellette, I., B. & C.
22  Marriage record of François Bono and Françoise Ravalet, I., M.
23  Baptismal record of Theotiste Ravellette, I., B. & C.
24  Marriage record of Pierre Renaud dit Deslauriers and Theotiste Ravellette, I., M.
25  Baptismal record of Agnes Ravellette, I., B. & C.
26  Baptismal record of Helen Ravellette, I., B. & C.
27  Baptismal record of Marie-Amable Ravellette, I., B. & C.
28  Marriage record of Pierre Meteyer and Marie Ravellette, I., M.
29  Baptismal record of Elizabeth Ravellette, I., B. & C.
30  Find-a-Grave listing of Elizabeth (Ravallet) Cabassier
31  Marriage record of Pierre Cabassier and Elizabeth Ravellette, I., M.
32  Baptismal record of Victoria Ravellette, I., B. & C.

4th Generation Fur Trader — Charles Diel

B. 16 Oct 1746 in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, New France¹
M. about 1773 in (probably) Illinois Territory²
Wife: Elisabeth Clermond Dubord
D. 8 Jul 1813 in Vincennes, Indiana Territory³

Like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him, Charles Diel engaged in the fur trade in the Great Lakes region, and was also the fourth generation in a row with that name.

Charles was born on October 16, 1746 to Charles Diel and Felicite Sauve dit LaPlante in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue,¹ their first child and only son; he had three younger sisters. His father seems to have died in 1756,⁴ and his mother remarried, but she died when Charles was 13-years-old.⁵

On May 29 1765, Charles agreed to a fur trading contract to travel to Michilimackinac for one year,⁵ putting his X on the document (he likely had no education as a boy). He was to be paid 300 livres for his work and supplied with some clothing. The contract said Charles was to leave immediately, and he must have traveled by canoe in a convoy to the remote trading post. By this time, England had control over all of New France, but fur trade was still thriving in places like Michilimackinac, which was recovering from an Indian uprising two years earlier known as Pontiac’s Rebellion. 

A young voyageur. (AI-generated image)

After 1765, there is no record of Charles until ten years later when he turned up at Post Vincennes on a baptism for his own child.⁷ He had married Elisabeth Clermond Dubord, a native of Detroit, sometime before that date.² It may have been fur trading that brought Charles to Vincennes, but by there’s no evidence that he continued in that business, and most likely he supported his family as a farmer. He and his wife had eleven more children born between 1776 and 1798.

Charles was one of the men who made his mark on the Oath of Allegiance in Vincennes in 1778, pledging his support for the American side during the Revolution.⁸ Like all French people who lived in Vincennes, he was there when George Rogers Clark took charge of the fort in February 1779, and it’s likely that he helped the soldiers in some way. 

Charles' mark on Vincennes Oath of Allegiance. Gueille was a variation of Diel.

After the war, the French settlers were considered to be patriots, and anyone who could prove they were the head of a household in 1783 received land. But in 1790, when Charles wanted to formalize the title for 136 acres, his claim was rejected because he had only cleared about 4 acres and he hadn’t planted any crops there.⁹

On July 22, 1808, Charles was involved in another land claim, this one for his late father-in-law’s estate.¹⁰ Elisabeth had died by then, so he represented his children as partial heirs to 400 acres of land, and Charles made his mark on the petition to settle the title. It’s not known how this was resolved.

Charles died on in Vincennes on July 8, 1813, and he was buried at St. Francis Xavier church cemetery.³ The line of French fur traders named Charles Diel stopped here.

Children:
1. Charles Guiel — B. 5 Sep 1775, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory;⁷ Marie Helen Jacqueau (?-1796) 4 Apr 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹¹

2. Genevieve Guiel — B. 21 Aug 1776, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory¹²

3. Eustache Guiel — B. 16 Sep 1778, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory¹³

4. Louis Guiel — B. 21 Sep 1781, Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory¹⁴

5. Dominique Diel — B. 25 Jan 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory¹⁵

6. Ursule Diel — B. 25 Jan 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory¹⁶

7. Josephine Guiel — B. before 25 Sep 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹⁷ M. François Turpin (1777-?), 14 Jul 1805, Vincennes, Indiana Territory¹⁸

8. Joseph Gaile — B. before 18 Nov 1788, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁹ D. May 1835, Lawrence County, Illinois;²⁰ M. Archange Baillargeon (1793-1849), before 18 Oct 1818, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana²¹

9. Françoise Diel — B. May 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²² D. May 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²³

10. Susanne Diel — B. 3 Jun 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁴ D. after 4 Sep 1835, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana;²⁵ M. Dominic Legarde (1785-1835), Before 19 Oct 1815, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana²⁶

11. Marie Diel — B. 3 Oct 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁷ D. 19 Oct 1848, Vincennes, Indiana;²⁷ M. Joseph Metteix (1789-?), 8 Nov 1813, Vincennes, Indiana Territory²⁸

12. Adelaide Diel — B. 6 Sep 1798, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁹ D. 30 Nov 1800, Vincennes, Indiana Territory²⁹

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Charles Diel, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Estimated marriage year based on birth of oldest child.
3    Indiana, Knox County: A Complete Survey of Cemetery Records, Vol. 5
4    Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Crete and Marie-Felicite Sauve on 8 Jan 1757, Q., C. P. R.
5    Burial record of Marie-Felicite Sauve, Q., C. P. R.
6    Fur trade contracts for men named Diel, Centre du patrimoine website
7    Christening record of Charles Guiel, Indiana Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
8    Vincennes Oath, 1778, Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, Illinois Library
9    American State Papers, Class 8, V. 2
10  Clermont, Widow petition of heirs to partition her land 1808, Indiana Memory Hosted Digital Collections
11  Marriage record of Charles Guiel and Marie Helen Jacqueau, Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992, FamilySearch.org
12  Christening record of Genevieve Guiel, I., B. & C.
13  Christening record of Eustache Guielle, I., B. & C.
14  Christening record of Louis Guille, I., B. & C.
15  Christening record of Dominique Guiele, I., B. & C.
16  Christening record of Ursule Guiele, I., B. & C.
17  Christening record of Marie Josette Diel, I., B. & C.
18  Marriage record of François Turpin and Josephine Guelle, I. M.
19  Christening record of Joseph Diel, I., B. & C.
20  Death record of Joseph Gail, Ancestry.com
21  St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Records: Baptisms 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
22  Christening record of Françoise Diel, I., B. & C.
23  Burial record of Françoise Diel, I., D. & B.
24  Christening record of Susanne Guielle, I., B. & C.
25  Death record of Dominic Lagarde, I., D. & B.
26  Christening record of Joanne Lagarde, I., B. & C.
27  Christening record of Marie Guele, I., B. & C.
28  Marriage record of Joseph Metai and Marie Guele, I. M.
29  Christening record of Adelaide Guele, I., B. & C.

Farming the North Carolina Piedmont — John Clifford

B. (probably) 1740s in Ireland¹
M. (1) before 18 Sep 1778 in (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina¹
Wife: Rachel Gray
M. (2) before about 1791 in (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina¹
Wife: Alsey Galloway
D. about Nov 1826 in (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina²

During the 18th century, large numbers of Scots-Irish people came to America, and headed to where land was available. A common place where many ended up was in the backwoods of North Carolina, and John Clifford’s family was among them. 

John was the son of Michael Clifford, and he was born in an unknown part of Ireland sometime during the mid-1740s.¹ John was only a small child when the family sailed to America, but his mother died on the voyage,¹ leaving his father with three children. It’s likely they arrived in Philadelphia, and lived in New Jersey for a time before moving on to Maryland.¹ This was a typical migration pattern for the Scots-Irish. At some point, John’s father remarried¹ and gave him five half-siblings.

In around 1775, John settled with his family in Rowan County, North Carolina,¹ where he would spend the rest of his life. After he came of age, he got married to a woman named Rachel Gray;¹ their oldest known child was born in 1778, but it’s likely they been together for a few years. John and Rachel had at least three more children, then she passed away in about 1790.¹ John took a second wife named Alsey Galloway,¹ and they had six children born between 1791 and 1806. 

Living in Rowan County. (AI-generated image)

John was of the right age to have served in the American Revolution, and there is evidence that he fought in his local militia along with his brothers Michael and Jacob. A document shows that he was paid 11 pounds 2 shillings for his service.³ There is a gap of almost four years between the birth of his oldest child and his second one, 1778 and 1782, and this was likely when he enlisted. It was the period when the theater of war had shifted to the southern colonies, so it makes sense.

1783 document ordering payment to John for his militia service.

Besides a short stint as a soldier, John's life was likely devoted to his Piedmont farm, which was challenging because with its rocky landscape, it wasn’t the best place to grow crops. John never owned slaves,⁴ but this may have been that he couldn’t afford them. In 1785, his father left him £20 in his will;⁵ the small bequest was due to the fact his father recently sold him 50 acres of land at a very reduced rate.⁶

Little else is known about John, but he seems to have lived a long life. He made out his will in 1824,² leaving his land to his wife and two of his sons, and smaller parts of his estate to his other children. The will was probated in November 1826,² and it’s likely this was shortly after John had died. As for the North Carolina Piedmont where he had farmed, most of his children chose to leave the area, with one relocating to Tennessee and six others to Illinois. His widow Alsey also went to Illinois during her final years – she was living with daughter Jane in 1850 at age 95.⁷

Children by Rachel Gray:
1. Elizabeth Clifford — B. 18 Sep 1778, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹ D. 30 Sep 1827, Jefferson County, Tennessee;¹ M. Charles Galloway (1758-1846), about 1795, (probably) Iredell County, North Carolina¹

2. Joseph Clifford — B. 20 Jun 1782, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹ D. 23 Feb 1844, Davie County, North Carolina;¹ M. Susannah Wells (1787-1863), 15 Apr 1809, Rowan County, North Carolina⁸

3. Sarah Clifford — B. May 1783, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹ D. 4 May 1851, Greene County, Illinois;¹ M. Enoch Irwin (~1787-?), 30 May 1808, Rowan County, North Carolina⁹

4. Rachel Clifford — B. about 1787, (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina;¹ D. 16 Sep 1838, Davie County, North Carolina;¹ M. Overton White, 10 Dec 1817, Rowan County, North Carolina¹⁰

Children by Alsey Galloway:
1. John Clifford — B. about 1791, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹ D. 18 Feb 1844, Jersey County, Illinois;¹ M. Hester L.W. Van Hart, 14 Apr 1840, Trenton, New Jersey¹¹

2. Jane Clifford — B. 4 Sep 1794, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹ D. 23 Feb 1857, Greene County, Illinois;¹² M. William Wells (1800-1871), 18 Oct 1819, Rowan County, North Carolina¹³

3. Michael Clifford — B. 7 Jan 1795, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹ D. 24 Aug 1873, Dongola, Illinois;¹ M. (1) Ellender Leach (1796-1866), 1 Oct 1815, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹⁴ (2) Leah _____, 22 April 1868, Union County, Illinois¹

4. Mary Clifford — B. 11 Dec 1798, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹⁵ D. 7 Nov 1875, Jersey County, Illinois;¹⁵ M. Samuel Davis (1798-1888), 31 Jul 1823, Rowan County, North Carolina¹⁶

5. William Clifford — B. 1804, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹ M. Barbara Thomson, 24 Jul 1824, Rowan County, North Carolina¹⁷

6. Joanna Clifford — B. 1806, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹ D. 25 Nov 1882, Jersey County, Illinois;¹⁸ M. John Eaton (1812-1869), 28 Oct 1829, Rowan County, North Carolina¹⁹

Sources:
1    “Michael Clifford, Sr. and Descendants,” A.E. Collier, The Heritage of Rowan County, North Carolina, 1991
2    Probate record of John Clifford, North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998, Ancestry.com
3    Salisbury, North Carolina militia pay stub for John Clifford, 1783
4    Census records for 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1820 list no slaves in his household
5    Will of Michael Clifford, Rowan County Will Books, 1792-1806, FamilySearch.org
6    Rowan County Court Minutes, 1753-1795, FamilySearch.org
7    1850 U.S. Census, Greene County, Illinois, FamilySearch.org
8    Marriage record of Joseph Clifford and Susannah Wells, North Carolina, Marriages, 1759-1979, FamilySearch.org
9    Marriage record of Enoch Irwin and Sarah Clifford, N. C., M.
10  Marriage record of Overton White and Rachel Clifford, N. C., M.
11  Marriage record of John Clifford and H. L. W. Van Hart, New Jersey, Marriages, 1678-1985, FamilySearch.org
12  Find-a-Grave listing of Jane (Clifford) Wells
13  Marriage record of William Wells and Jane Clifford, N. C., M.
14  Marriage record of Michael Clifford and Nelly Leach, N. C., M.
15  Find-a-grave listing for Mary (Clifford) Davis
16  Marriage record of Samuel Davis and Mary Clifford, N. C., M.
17  Marriage record of William Clifford and Barbara Thompson, N. C., M.
18  Find-a-Grave listing of Joanna Eaton
19  Marriage record of John Eaton and Joanna Clifford, N. C., M.