Member of First Cavalry in Connecticut — Thomas Strong

B. about 1636 in (probably) Hingham, Massachusetts¹
M. (1) 5 Dec 1660 in Windsor, Connecticut²
Wife: Mary Hewett
M. (2) 16 Oct 1671 in Northampton, Massachusetts³
Wife: Rachel Holton
D. 3 Oct 1689 in Northampton, Massachusetts⁴

In 17th-century New England, military attacks took place on foot or on water, but rarely on horseback. Thomas Strong was a member of the first ever cavalry in Connecticut, and his service may have brought him to the battlefield during King Philip’s War.

Thomas was born in about 1636 to John Strong and Abigail Ford,¹ the oldest of their 16 children. He spent his first couple of years in Hingham before the family relocated to Taunton, Massachusetts.¹ When he was about 10-years-old, they then moved to Windsor, Connecticut.¹

During the years when Thomas came of age, Connecticut was a remote place, and the Puritan settlers had an uneasy relationship with the Indians who lived around them. Also a threat were the Dutch who controlled what is now New York, and who laid claim to parts of Connecticut. The Puritan leaders thought it would be wise to raise a military force trained to defend their towns on horseback, and in 1658, the Connecticut Cavalry was formed. Thomas was enlisted as a private;⁵ the entire force consisted of 37 men, 17 of whom were from Windsor.⁵

Members of the Connecticut Cavalry. (AI-generated image)

Thomas married his first wife Mary Hewitt on December 5, 1660.² The year before that, Thomas’ parents and some of his siblings had gone upriver to Northampton, Massachusetts, and Thomas would settle there as well, but it isn’t clear what year he moved. His name first appeared in Northampton records as one of several men assigned to build a mill in 1666.⁶ Thomas had five children with Mary, but she died on February 20, 1671,⁷ and he married Rachel Holton on October 16th of that year.³ They had 11 children, with the youngest being born several months after his death.⁸

Thomas was a farmer, but he seems to have continued his participation in the military all the way into King Philip’s War in 1676.⁵ Even though he was living in Northampton by that time, he was on a list of Windsor cavalry troops. His unit may have participated in the Second Battle of Nipsachuck, one of the last fights in the war in the southern New England area. It's believed that the battle included a cavalry charge, which was an unusual military tactic for that time and place.

Site of the Second Battle of Nipsachuck (Source: Swampyank, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Thomas died in Northampton on October 3, 1689.⁴ His estate was valued at over £379, but he left no will, so the court ordered that his oldest son by his first wife provide for his second wife.⁹ Most of his children were still under age at the time of his death. Rachel remarried in 1698,¹⁰ and she passed away in 1714.¹¹

Descendants of Thomas include Princess Diana, Prince William, Nathan Hale, Glenn Close, Brooke Shields and Bob Ross.¹²

Children by Mary Hewett:
1. Thomas Strong — B. 6 Nov 1661, (probably) Northampton, Massachusetts;¹³ D. 30 Nov 1735, Durham, Massachusetts;¹⁴ M. Mary Stebbins (1666-1705), 17 Nov 1683, Northampton, Massachusetts¹⁵

2. Mariah Strong — B. 31 Aug 1663, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁶ D. 18 May 1751, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁹ M. Samuel Judd (~1652-1721)⁹

3. John Strong — B. 9 Mar 1665, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁷ D. 21 May 1699, near Deerfield, Massachusetts^9,18

4. Hewet Strong — B. 2 Dec 1666, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁹ D. 29 Sep 1689, Northampton, Massachusetts²⁰

5. Asahel Strong — B. 14 Nov 1668, Northampton, Massachusetts;²¹ D. 8 Oct 1739, Farmington, Connecticut;²² M. Margaret Hart (?-1735), 11 Jun 1689⁹

Children by Rachel Holton:
1. Joseph Strong — B. 2 Dec 1672, Northampton, Massachusetts;²³ D. 23 Dec 1763, Coventry, Connecticut;²⁴ M. Sarah Allen (1672-1724), 1694, Northampton, Massachusetts²⁵

2. Benjamin Strong — B. about 1674, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁹ D. 27 Aug 1755, (probably) East Guilford, Connecticut⁹

3. Adino Strong — B. 25 Jan 1676, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁶ D. 31 Dec 1749, Woodbury, Connecticut;²⁷ M. Eunice Johnson (1678-1763), about 1702²⁷

4. Waitstill Strong — B. 1677, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁸ D. 13 Nov 1762, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁸ M. (1) Sarah Janes (1689-~1707), 19 Dec 1701, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁹ (2) Mindwell Bartlett (1682-1741), 7 Mar 1708, Northampton, Massachusetts³⁰

5. Rachel Strong — B. 15 Jul 1680, Northampton, Massachusetts;³¹ D. 4 Jan 1769, Guilford, Connecticut;³² M. Miles Dudley (1676-1753), 23 Jan 1706, Northampton, Massachusetts⁹

6. Selah Strong — B. 22 Dec 1680, Northampton, Massachusetts;³³ D. 8 Apr 1732, Southold, New York;³⁴ M. Abigail Terry (1680-1761), 23 Jun 1702⁹

7. Benaiah Strong — B. 24 Sep 1682, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁵ D. 1714⁹

8. Ephraim Strong — B. 1 Jan 1685, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁶ D. Milford, Connecticut;⁹ M. Mary Briscoe (1675-1719), 10 May 1712, Milford, Connecticut³⁷

9. Elnathan Strong — B. 20 Aug 1686, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁸ D. 22 May 1727, Woodbury, Connecticut;⁹ M. Patience Jenner (1692-1773), 17 Apr 1712, Woodbury, Connecticut⁹

10. Ruth Strong — B. about 4 Feb 1687, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁹ D. 18 Sep 1743, Guilford, Connecticut;⁴⁰ M. William Dudley (1684-1761), 10 Oct 1712⁹

11. Submit Strong — B. 23 Feb 1690, Northampton, Massachusetts⁴¹

Sources:
1    The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, Vol. II, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 2001, p.584
2    Marriage record of Thomas Strong and Mary Hewitt, Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850, FamilySearch.org
3    Marriage record of Thomas Strong and Rachel Holton, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
4    Death record of Thomas Strong, Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, FamilySearch.org
5    The History of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut, Henry Reed Stiles, 1859
6    History of Northampton, Massachusetts, From Its Settlement in 1654, Vol. 1, James Russell Trumbull, Seth Pomeroy, 1898
7    Death record of Mary Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
8    Birth of record Submit Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
9    Hampshire, Massachusetts, Court Records, 1677-1728, FamilySearch.org 
10  Marriage record of Nathan Bradley and Rachel Strong, Massachusetts, State Vital Records, 1638-1927, FamilySearch.org
11  Find-a-Grave listing of Rachel (Holton) Bradley
12  FamousKin.com listing of Thomas Strong
13  Birth record of Thomas Strong (younger), Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
14  Find-a-Grave listing of Thomas Strong Jr.
15  Marriage record of Thomas Strong and Mary Stebbins, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Birth record of Mariah Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Birth record of John Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18  Death record of John Strong, M., D. & B.
19  Birth record of Hewet Strong, M., B. & C.
20  Death record of Hewet Strong, M., D. & B.
21  Birth record of Asahel Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Death record of Asahel Strong, Connecticut, Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934, FamilySearch.org
23  Birth record of Joseph Strong, M., B. & C.
24  Death record of Joseph Strong, Connecticut, Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934, FamilySearch.org
25  Marriage record of Joseph Strong and Sarah Allen, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com
26  Birth record of Adino Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
27  Find-a-Grave listing of Adino Strong
28  Find-a-Grave listing of Waitstill Strong
29  Marriage record of Waitstill Strong and Sarah Janes, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
30  Marriage record of Waitstill Strong and Mindwell Bartlett, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
31  Birth record of Rachel Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
32  Find-a-Grave listing of Rachel (Strong) Dudley
33  Birth record of Selah Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
34  Find-a-Grave listing of Selah Strong
35  Birth record of Benaiah Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
36  Birth record of Ephraim Strong, M., B. & C.
37  Marriage record of Ephraim Strong and Mary Buckingham, C., V. R., P. to 1850
38  Birth record of Elnathan Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
39  Birth record of Ruth Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
40  Find-a-Grave listing of Ruth (Strong) Dudley
41  Birth record of Submit Strong, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

First European Farmer in Canada — Louis Hébert

B. about 1575 in Paris, France¹
M. 19 Feb 1601 in Paris, France¹
Wife: Marie Rollet
D. 25 Jan 1627 in New France¹

One of the most unlikely figures in colonial American history was Louis Hébert, a Paris druggist who ended up being the first white man to cultivate land in what is now Canada. He was breaking new ground in more ways than one, and because he had no peers during his years as a farmer, it might also be said that he was way ahead of his time.

Louis was born in Paris to Nicolas Hébert and Jacqueline Pajot sometime between 1572 and 1575.¹ He had an older sister and brother, and a younger sister, but his mother died when he was young.² The family home on Rue Saint-Honore still exists, a townhouse in the heart of Paris.² His father Nicolas was apothecary to former queen of France, Catherine de ‘Medici,² and so as a boy, Louis must have been exposed to many of the noteworthy people in France.

As Louis came of age, he decided to follow his father into the same profession. By 1600, he established himself in Paris, selling medicine and spices in a shop.³ Because his work involved cultivating plants, Louis took a great interest in gardening throughout his life; it was said he had a passion for growing herbs. On February 19, 1601, Louis married Marie Rollet at the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris.¹ The couple was only known to have had three children, who were born between about 1602 and about 1614.

Louis Hébert at work as an apothecary.

In 1606, Louis’ life took a dramatic turn through his association with some men interested in colonizing North America. The man in charge of the effort was Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt, who was married to Louis’ wife’s niece.⁴ Because of this connection, and a need for someone with knowledge of medicine in the settlement, Louis was recruited.⁵ The group of about 50 men were joining the colony of Port-Royal, Acadia, which had been started in 1604 by Samuel de Champlain. Louis didn’t bring his wife and children as there were no women in the new settlement.

Louis seemed to thrive in Port-Royal. He was part of an expedition to explore other possible sites for settlements, and in 1606, Poutincourt led a group down the coast all the way to Cape Cod.⁶ The mission was to make contact with any Indians in the area to see if the French could co-exist with them. Unfortunately, one tribe turned hostile and got into a skirmish, killing several French men. For that reason, Poutincourt and Champlain abandoned the idea of colonizing near Cape Cod, which the English successfully did about 14 years later.

The following year, Louis returned to France along with most of the company when they lost their backing from the king.⁷ The outpost started up again in 1610, and Louis moved back.⁸ His time in Acadia ended in 1613 when the English attacked and destroyed the settlement, forcing everyone to return to France.⁹

Port Royal in about 1612.

 

Champlain had gotten to know Louis in Acadia, and in 1617, he sought him out to join in a new colony he was starting on the St. Lawrence River, which would become Quebec. Champlain made an offer to Louis to bring his family and stay there for at least 3 years; in return, Louis would get land and an annual salary of 600 livres (which was later reduced to 300 livres).³ So he, his wife and children settled in Quebec, making them the first European family to permanently live in Canada.

The 10 acres Louis was given in Quebec was the first ever land grant by the French government in New France.³ The present-day site is in the heart of Quebec City where the Basilica of Notre Dame stands. Louis planted crops, thereby becoming Quebec’s first farmer. The land was outside the small compound that served as the outpost. Since fur trading was the primary objective of the French settlers, Louis was the only one besides Champlain who was interested in growing crops. He was said to have “gardens in which flourished a variety of vegetables,” along with “cultivated land filled with fine grain.”¹⁰ The farm eventually had a pasture for cattle and an apple orchard. The cultivation was accomplished by using hand tools only, because Louis didn’t have a plow.

When Champlain left Quebec to return to France in 1620, Louis was assigned the position of “king’s attorney,” giving him some authority over administration of the colony.³ Some of the fur traders were at odds with Louis because clearing forests was bad for their business, but he was said to have great relations with the Indians, and he sometimes treated them with his medicines.¹¹ Champlain’s settlement was slow in taking hold, and during the first few years, only a handful of people signed on. While the 100 or so people relied mainly on food from supply ships, the Hébert farm offered a back-up in case the ships were delayed in France, so Louis really played an important role in the beginnings of Canada.

Unfortunately, Louis didn’t live to see the success of the colony. In late 1626, he slipped and fell on some ice, and on January 25, 1627, he died from the injuries he suffered.¹² His wife Marie remarried after his death, and she gained her own reputation by caring for Native American children.¹³ She passed away in 1649.¹⁴

Louis and Marie left a profound legacy in Canada. They have their own monument in a park in Quebec City featuring a statue of Louis, and a statue of Marie with their three children. Of the New France couples who left the most descendants, Louis and Marie rank as number 10. And their descendants include Hillary Clinton, Celine Dion, Jane Krakowski, Jack Kerouac, Jim Carrey, Alex Trebek, Ricky Gervais, Chloë Sevigny, and Bridget Fonda.¹⁵

Louis' monument in Quebec City. (Source: Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Children:
1. Anne Hébert – B. about 1602, Paris, France;¹⁶ D. about 1619, (probably) Quebec City, New France;¹⁶ M. Etenne Jonquest (~1590-~1620), 1618, New France¹⁶

2. Marie-Guillemette Hébert – B. about 1604, Paris, France;¹⁷ D. 20 Oct 1684, Quebec City, New France;¹⁷ M. Guillaume Couillard (1588-1663), 26 Aug 1621, Quebec City, New France¹⁸

3. Guillaume Hébert – B. about 1614, Paris, France;¹⁹ D. 23 Sep 1639, Quebec City, New France;¹⁹ M. Hélène Desportes (1620-1675), 1 Oct 1634, Quebec City, New France²⁰

Sources:
1    Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Louis Hebert
2    “New Findings on Louis Hébert and His Family Before His Departure for New France,” Madame M. Jurgens, French Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, Vol. V, Nos. 1-2, 1975
3    Louis Hébert (Wikipedia article)
4    Hélène’s World: Hélène Desportes of Seventeenth Century Quebec, Susan McNelley, 2014, p.8
5    A Great and Noble Scheme, John Mack Faragher, 2005 p. 3
6    Champlain’s Dream, David Hackett Fischer, 2008, p.197
7    A.G. & N.S., p. 18
8    A.G. & N.S., p. 20
9    A.G. & N.S., p. 33
10  Joseph Lionel Blanchette: Information about Louis Hebert, Genealogy.com
11  Louis Hébert, Dictionary of Canadian Biography
12  C.D., p. 351
13  Marie Rolet (Rollet), Dictionary of Canadian Biography
14  Burial record of Marie Rollet, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
15  FamousKin.com listing of Louis Hebert
16  Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Anne Hebert
17  Burial record of Marie-Guillemette Hebert, Q., C.P.R.
18  Marriage record of Guillaume Couillard and Marie-Guillemette Hebert, Q., C.P.R.
19  Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Guillaume Hebert
20  Marriage record of Guillaume Hebert and Hélène Desportes, Q., C.P.R.

Early Boston Jail Keeper — Richard Brackett

B. before 16 Sep 1610 in Sudbury, England¹
M. 6 Jan 1634 in London, England²
Wife: Alice Blower
D. 3 Mar 1690 in Braintree, Massachusetts³

Some men who joined the Great Migration to New England in the 1630s seemed destined to take on special roles in their communities, perhaps even doing jobs that no one else wanted. Richard Brackett seems to fit this description.

Richard was born in Sudbury, England to Peter Brackett and Rachel (possibly) Wheatley, one of four children, and baptized on September 16, 1610.¹ Richard’s father died when he was 6-years-old;⁴ his mother then married a man named Martin Saunders and had four more children with him.⁵

The town of Sudbury, located in Suffolk, was a “hotbed of Puritan sentiment” at the time Richard lived there, and this likely had an influence on him. At the age of 19, Richard sailed to New England with the Winthrop Fleet; his name is on the covenant to establish the first church in Boston dated August 27, 1630.⁵ After a couple of years in the colony, it seems that Richard returned to England for a short time. On January 6, 1634, he married Alice Blower in London,² then he brought her back to Massachusetts. Their first child, Hannah, was born within a year.⁶ They went on to have seven more children, with the youngest born in about 1655.⁷

At first, Richard and his family made their home in Boston near what is the present-day corner of Court and Washington Streets on property he acquired in 1636.⁵ The following year, he was appointed to be “keeper of the prison” with a salary of £13 6s 8d;⁵ on June 6, 1639, his salary was raised to £20.⁵ For a time, he moved into the house at the jail. In colonial New England, a prison wasn’t a place for long-term confinement; it was used to keep those who had been accused of a crime until they were tried in a court. The usual sentence handed to the guilty involved immediate punishments, such as public whippings, and afterwards the person was released, but it isn’t known what specific cases Richard played a role in.

Jail keeper in 17th-century Boston. (AI-generated image)

Another community task that Richard took on was indicated in a curious note from a town meeting in February 1639. In that month, authorities granted him permission to “mow” the marsh at the new settlement of Braintree in time for that summer. The record implied that he had routinely done this each year.⁵ In the years that followed, Richard seems to have aspired to be a farmer, and it motivated him to leave Boston in 1642 for Braintree.⁵ Richard’s mother and step-father, who had migrated to New England in 1635, also moved to Braintree.⁵ From then on, this would be his family’s home.

On July 21, 1642, Richard was appointed first deacon of the church at Braintree.⁵ It’s thought that Boston's church had some authority over the new church in Braintree, and that they hand-picked Richard to be Braintree’s deacon. During his time as deacon, there was a major disagreement between Braintree and Boston over 600 acres of land. It’s noteworthy that even though Richard lived in Braintree, he favored Boston’s position regarding the disputed land.⁵

Richard was captain of Braintree's militia by 1655, and he served in that rank during King Philip’s War.⁵ One story about his service involved an Indian who surrendered to the colonists, and was about to be treated with some leniency. But Richard stepped in, seeing that the man was taken to Boston and kept in their jail, later to be sold into slavery.⁵

During the years 1655-1665, 1667, 1671, 1672, 1674 and 1680, Richard was Braintree's deputy to the Massachusetts General Court.¹ The gap of service between 1675 and 1679 is thought to be associated with King Philip’s War and the lingering trouble with natives afterwards; perhaps Richard needed to devote attention to his role in the military during that time. Besides all of his other roles in life, Richard also served as Braintree’s town clerk,¹ and for a time, he may have been a teacher.⁵ In his later years, he was authorized to perform marriages and swear oaths.⁵

On March 3, 1690, Richard died in Braintree.³ His wife Alice survived him by about nine months, passing away on November 30th.⁸ One object that belonged to Richard and Alice survives today: a silver wine cup with their initials on it, made by silversmiths John Hull and Robert Sanderson. The cup was donated to the church in Braintree about nine years after they died and it was used as a communion cup. The church kept it for many years and it’s now part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.⁹

Silver cup which belonged to Richard.

Richard’s descendants include Henry Fonda, George H.W. Bush, and all of their famous offspring.¹⁰

Children:
1. Hannah Brackett — B. before 4 Jan 1634, Boston Massachusetts;⁶ D. 3 Jul 1706, Dunstable, Massachusetts;¹¹ M. (1) Samuel Kingsley (?-1662);⁵ (2) John Blanchard (?-1691)⁵

2. Peter Brackett — B. before 7 May 1637, Boston, Massachusetts;¹² M. (1) Elizabeth Bosworth (?-1686), 7 Mar 1661, Braintree, Massachusetts;¹³ (2) Sarah Parker (?-1718), 30 Mar 1687, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁴

3. John Brackett — B. before 7 May 1637, Boston, Massachusetts;⁵ D. 18 Mar 1687, Billerica, Massachusetts;⁵ M. (1) Hannah French (1644-1674), 6 Sep 1661, Braintree, Massachusetts;¹⁵ (2) Ruth Ellice, 31 May 1675, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁶

4. Rachel Brackett — B. about Nov 1639, Boston, Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. Simon Crosby (1637-1725), 15 Jul 1659, Braintree, Massachusetts⁵

5. Mary Brackett — B. 1 Feb 1641, Braintree, Massachusetts;¹⁸ D. 23 Mar 1678, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ M. Joseph Tompson (1639-1732), 1 Feb 1662, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁹

6. James Brackett — B. 8 Jul 1645, Braintree, Massachusetts;²⁰ D. 8 Apr 1718, Braintree, Massachusetts;²⁰ M. Sarah Marsh (1649-1727), 1674²⁰

7. Josiah Brackett — B. 8 Mar 1652, Braintree, Massachusetts;²¹ D. about 1681;⁵ M. Elizabeth Waldo (1648-1743), 4 Feb 1673, Billerica, Massachusetts²²

8. Sarah Brackett — B. about 1655, Braintree, Massachusetts;⁷ D. 1690;⁷ M. Joseph Crosby (1639-1695), 1 Apr 1675, Braintree, Massachusetts²³

Sources:
1    Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Vols. I-III, Robert Charles Anderson
2    Marriage record of Richard Brackett and Alice Blower, England Marriages, 1538-1973, FamilySearch.org
3    Find-a-Grave listing of Capt. Richard Brackett
4    “Parish Records from Sudbury, Suffolk, England,” The American Genealogist, Vol. 52, No. 2, pp.66-67
5    50 Great Migration Colonists, J. B. Threlfall, 1990, pp. 65-75
6    Christening record of Hannah Brackett, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Brackett) Crosby
8    Find-a-Grave listing of Alice (Blower) Brackett
9    Early American Silver in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Beth Carver Wees and Medill Higgins Harvey, 2013
10  FamousKin.com listing of Richard Brackett
11  History of the Old Township of Dunstable, Charles J. Fox, 1846, p. 83
12  Christening record of Peter Brackett, M., B. & C.
13  Marriage record of Peter Brackett and Elizabeth Bosworth, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Town and Vital Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
14  Marriage record of Peter Brackett and Sarah Parker, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
15  Marriage record of John Brackett and Hannah French, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
16  Marriage record of John Brackett and Ruth Ellice, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
17  Christening record of Rachel Brackett, M., B. & C.
18  Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Brackett) Thompson
19  Marriage record of Joseph Thompson and Mary Brackett, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
20  Find-a-Grave listing of James Brackett
21  Birth record of Josiah Brackett, Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, Ancestry.com
22  Marriage record of Josiah Brackett and Elizabeth Waldo, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
23  Marriage record of Joseph Crosby and Sarah Brackett, M., T. C., T. & V. R.

New England Town Surveyor — Jonathan Danforth

B. 29 Feb 1628 in Framlingham, England¹
M. (1) 22 Nov 1654 in Boston, Massachusetts²
Wife: Elizabeth Poulter
M. (2) 17 Nov 1690 in Billerica, Massachusetts³
Wife: Esther Champney
D. 7 Sep 1712 in Billerica, Massachusetts⁴

When 17th century Puritans settled all over New England, they needed to transform wilderness into communities. Surveyors like Jonathan Danforth played an important role in making that happen.

Jonathan was born in Framlingham, England on February 29, 1628 to Nicholas Danforth and Elizabeth Barber.¹ He was the youngest of seven children, and his mother died two days after he was born.⁵ Five years later, Nicholas and his children migrated to Massachusetts; it’s believed they arrived on the ship Griffin.⁵

After settling in the town of Cambridge, Nicholas died in 1638.⁵ Jonathan was just 10 years old and was likely cared for by his oldest sister who was married the following year. He had two older brothers who rose to prominence in New England. One was Samuel, who became a famous Puritan preacher, poet and astronomer.⁶ The other was Thomas, a Puritan leader who played a small part in the Salem witch trials in 1692; his name was used as a judge in the play The Crucible, although the character was a composite of several men.⁷

After Jonathan came of age, he became one of the earliest settlers of Billerica, Massachusetts. On November 22, 1654, he married Elizabeth Poulter, the first marriage recorded in town records.² Jonathan and Elizabeth had 11 children born between 1656 and 1676, 3 of whom died as infants.

Jonathan's signature.

Jonathan’s service of planning towns likely began in 1656. That year, several thousand acres were granted by the Massachusetts General Court to become the new town of Billerica, and Jonathan was part of a committee that divided the land into five- and ten-acre lots.⁸ By 1659, he was working as a surveyor, a profession he would pursue for the rest of his life.⁹ In 1661, Jonathan partnered with his wife’s step father, John Parker, to survey and lay out 4,000 new acres allotted for Billerica. In return for his work, the two were allotted 1,000 acres to be divided amongst themselves.¹⁰

During the 1660s, Jonathan was actively surveying throughout Massachusetts and beyond. He helped plot out portions of Massachusetts north and northwest of Boston, and the towns of Nashua, Hudson, Litchfield, Amherst and Milford in New Hampshire.⁹ He was responsible for drawing up plat maps and was referred to in documents as an “artist.”¹¹ It was said that he gave his measurements using the 32-point compass system,⁹ and that instead of a pencil to make his lines, he used a knife impressed into the paper.¹⁰ Jonathan’s last known surveying project was in March 1702 when he was 74-years-old.⁹

Working as a surveyor. (AI-generated image)

Besides his work as a surveyor, Jonathan held other important positions in the community. He was town recorder in Billerica for over 30 years,⁹ and for a time, he was Billerica’s representative to the General Court.⁸ He also served as militia captain during King Philip’s War, and was one of four men responsible for fortifying the town.¹² His house was used as a garrison, housing two other families besides his own whenever the alarm was sounded.¹² After the conflict ended the following year, Jonathan received a 12-year-old Native American boy as a bound servant. The boy was named John Warrick, but he died in 1686.¹³

Jonathan’s wife Elizabeth died on October 7, 1689,¹⁴ and he married Elizabeth Champney on November 17th of the following year.³ He passed away on September 7, 1712,⁴ and was buried at the Old South Burying Ground in Billerica. Jonathan was the 7G grandfather of Bette Davis. The salt-box-style house he built and lived in stood until 1878.⁸ A historical plaque is there today that reads:

Site of homestead of Captain Jonathan Danforth, pioneer of Billerica and famous surveyor. “He rode the circuit, chained great towns and farms to good behavior; and by well-marked station he fixed their bounds for many generations.”¹⁵

Jonathan's house in Billerica.

Children (all by Elizabeth Poulter):
1. Mary Danforth — B. 29 Jan 1656, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁶ D. May 1732, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. John Parker (1647-1699)¹⁷

2. Elizabeth Danforth — B. 27 May 1657, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ D. 9 Dec 1739, Westborough, Massachusetts;¹⁹ M. Simeon Hayward (1648-1733), 7 Mar 1687, Billerica, Massachusetts²⁰

3. Jonathan Danforth — B. 18 Feb 1659, Billerica, Massachusetts;²¹ D. 11 Jan 1711, Billerica, Massachusetts;²² M. Rebecca Parker (1661-1754), 27 Jun 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts²³

4. John Danforth — B. 23 Jan 1660, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 7 Feb 1661, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts⁸

5. John Danforth — B. 22 Feb 1661, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 4 Jun 1662, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts⁸

6. Lydia Danforth — B. 1 Jun 1664, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁴ M. Edward Wright⁸

7. Samuel Danforth — B. 5 Feb 1666, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁵ D. 19 Apr 1742, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁶ M. Hannah Crosby (1672-1752), 8 Jan 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts²⁷

8. Anna Danforth — B. 8 Mar 1668, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁸ D. 13 Aug 1737, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁹ M. Oliver Whiting (1665-1736), 22 Jan 1690, Billerica, Massachusetts³⁰

9. Thomas Danforth — B. 29 Apr 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts;³¹ D. 31 Jul 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts³²

10. Nicholas Danforth — B. 1 Apr 1671 Billerica, Massachusetts;³³ D. 8 Mar 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts³⁴

11. Sarah Danforth — B. 23 Dec 1676, Billerica, Massachusetts;³⁵ D. 15 Oct 1751, Concord, Massachusetts;³⁶ M. (1) William French (1668-1723), 22 May 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts;³⁷ (2) Ebenezer Davis (1676-1753)³⁶

Sources:
1    Birth record of Jonathan Danforth, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001
2    Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Elizabeth Poulter, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
3    Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Esther Converse, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4    Death record of Jonathan Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
5    The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, Vol. II, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 2001, pp. 281-285
6    Samuel Danforth (Wikipedia article)
7    Thomas Danforth (Wikipedia article)
8    Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter, 1908, p. 165
9    “Jonathan Danforth (1628-1712),” Backsights Magazine, published by Surveyors Historical Society 

10  The Early Grants of Land in the Wilderness North of Merrimack, George Augustus Gordon, 1892
11  “The Boundary Lines of Old Groton,” Samuel Abbott Green, M.D., Bay State Monthly, Vol. 1, 1884
12  History, Charter and By-laws of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois, 1900, p.164
13  “The Lost History of Slaves and Slave Owners in Billerica,” Christopher M. Spraker, Historical Journal of Massachusetts, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2014
14  Find-a-Grave listing of Elizabeth (Poulter) Danforth
15  Danforth Homestead marker, Billerica, Massachusetts
16  Birth record of Mary Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Danforth) Parker
18  Birth record of Elizabeth Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Death record of Elizabeth Hayward, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20  Marriage record of Simeon Hayward and Elizabeth Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Birth record of Jonathan Danforth (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Death record of Jonathan Danforth (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23  Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Rebecca Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
24  Birth record of Lydia Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25  Birth record of Samuel Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
26  Death record of Samuel Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
27  Marriage record of Samuel Danforth and Hannah Crosby, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
28  Birth record of Anna Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
29  Death record of Anna Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
30  Marriage record of Oliver Whiting and Anna Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
31  Birth record of Thomas Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
32  Death record of Thomas Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
33  Birth record of Nicholas Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
34  Find-a-Grave listing of Nicholas Danforth
35  Birth record of Sarah Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
36  Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Danforth) Davis
37  Marriage record of William French and Sarah Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

Participant in Connecticut’s Early Days — William Lewis

B. about 1620 in England or Wales¹
M. (1) before 6 May 1645 in Hartford, Connecticut¹
Wife: Mary Hopkins
M. (2) 22 Nov 1671 in Boston, Massachusetts²
Wife: Mary Cheever
D. 18 Aug 1690 in Farmington, Connecticut³

The story of William Lewis is entangled with the early history of Connecticut, having arrived there with his parents in 1635, then serving in local leadership roles throughout his life.

William was born in about 1620 to William Lewis and Felix Collins.¹ Some sources say that he and his parents were from Wales, but the raw data supporting this isn’t evident. William was the only known child of his parents. William migrated to Massachusetts with his parents on the ship Lyon in 1632.⁴ For a couple of years, the family lived in Cambridge, then joined Reverend Thomas Hooker’s party who settled in Hartford.⁴ After William came of age, he settled in the new community of Farmington, originally named Tunxis. In 1645, William became Farmington’s first town clerk.⁴

In about 1644, William married Mary Hopkins in Hartford,¹ and over the next 23 years, they had ten children. Mary died, and on November 22, 1671, William married Mary Cheever,² the daughter of Boston Latin School headmaster, Ezekiel Cheever. The wedding took place in Boston on November 22nd. William and his second wife had six children, with the youngest born in 1681 when William was over 60-years-old.⁵

William was a prominent person in Farmington. Along with being town clerk, he was deputy to the Connecticut General Court in 1689 and 1690.⁶ He also served in the town’s militia, first as a lieutenant in 1651, then as captain in 1665.⁶ He led the militia during King Philip’s War which was involved in the Narragansett campaign in 1675.⁶

Like some men who lived in colonial New England, William owned several slaves, two of whom were Native Americans.⁷ He was also known to have an African slave named Sampson.⁶ Puritans may not be thought of as having been slaveowners, but in 1640, there were actually more Africans in New England than there were in Virginia. Some of William’s enslaved people were left to his family in his will, and were freed later on.^6,7

Part of the inventory of William's estate with two slaves on last line.

On August 18, 1690, William died.³ He was buried in the Ancient Burying Ground in Farmington. His wife remarried in 1692;⁸ she passed away in 1727.⁹ Famous descendants of William include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, W.K. Kellogg, television inventor Philo Farnsworth and Mitt Romney.¹⁰

The lasting legacy of William is perhaps the house he built during the 1660s on property he got from his father.¹¹ He lived there with his family and presumably, his younger children were born there. The house remained in the family after his death and was expanded during the 18th century, becoming a much larger house.¹¹ By the American Revolution, it became the Elm Tree Inn, a landmark in Farmington for many years.¹¹ Today the building is a condominium with over eight units. At least one of them includes the original house built by William.

The house that grew around William's house, as it looks today. 

Children by Mary Hopkins:
1. Mary Lewis — B. 6 May 1645, Farmington, Connecticut;¹² D. about 1691, Farmington, Connecticut;¹³ M. Benjamin Judd (1643-1689), about 1667, Farmington, Connecticut¹³

2. Phillip Lewis – B. 13 Dec 1646, Hartford, Connecticut;¹⁴ D. 1724, Fairfield, Connecticut;¹⁵ M. Sarah Ashley (1648-1698), about 1669, Hartford, Connecticut¹⁶

3. Samuel Lewis — B. 18 Aug 1648, Farmington, Connecticut;¹⁷ D. 28 Nov 1725, Farmington, Connecticut;¹⁷ M. (1) Elizabeth Orton (~1654-?), about 1687, Farmington, Connecticut;¹⁸ (2) Mary (?-1745)¹⁷

4. Sarah Lewis — B. 1 Oct 1652, Farmington, Connecticut;¹⁹ D. 10 Aug 1722, Hadley, Massachusetts;¹⁹ M. Samuel Boltwood (1648-1704)¹⁹

5. Hannah Lewis — B. about 1653, Farmington, Connecticut;²⁰ D. 24 Feb 1725, Hadley, Massachusetts;²⁰ M. (1) Samuel Crow (1649-1676), 17 May 1671, Hadley, Massachusetts;²¹ (2) Daniel Marsh (1653-1725), 5 Nov 1676, Hadley, Massachusetts²²

6. William Lewis — B. about Mar 1657, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. about 1737, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ M. Phebe Moore (1669-1725)¹

7. Felix Lewis — B. 12 Dec 1658, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. after 1738, (probably) Hadley, Massachusetts;¹ M. Thomas Selden (1655-1734), before 16 Jun 1675, Hadley, Massachusetts²³

8. Ebenezer Lewis — B. 1660, Farmington, Connecticut;²⁴ D. 22 Jan 1709, Wallingford, Connecticut;²⁴ M. Elizabeth Merriman (1669-1750), 2 Dec 1685, Wallingford, Connecticut²⁵

9. John Lewis — B. 15 May 1665, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. Oct 1694¹

10. James Lewis — B. 10 Jul 1667, Farmington, Connecticut;²⁶ D. after 1728, (probably) Jamaica, Long Island, New York;¹ M. Mary Meekins (1670-?), about 1694, Farmington, Connecticut¹

Children by Mary Cheever:
1. Elizabeth Lewis — B. 20 Oct 1672, Farmington, Connecticut;²⁷ D. 1674, Farmington, Connecticut¹

2. Ezekiel Lewis — B. 7 Nov 1674, Farmington, Connecticut;²⁸ D. 14 Aug 1755, Boston, Massachusetts;¹ M. (1) Mary Braden (1669-1703), 18 Mar 1702, Boston, Massachusetts;²⁹ (2) Abigail Kilcup (~1678-?), 11 Oct 1704, Boston, Massachusetts³⁰

3. Nathaniel Lewis – B. 1 Oct 1676, Farmington, Connecticut;³¹ D. 24 Feb 1752, Farmington, Connecticut;³² M. (1) Abigail Ashley (1681-1727), 25 Nov 1699, Westfield, Massachusetts;³³ (2) Thankful Pomeroy (1679-1773), 4 Jul 1726, Northampton, Massachusetts³⁴

4. Abigail Lewis — B. 19 Sep 1678, Farmington, Connecticut;³⁵ D. 24 Jan 1707, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ M. William Wadsworth (~1671-1751), 10 Dec 1696, Farmington, Connecticut³⁶

5. Joseph Lewis — B. 15 Mar 1679, Farmington, Connecticut;³⁷ D. about 1680, Farmington, Connecticut¹

6. Daniel Lewis — B. 16 Jul 1681, Farmington, Connecticut;⁵ D. 16 Mar 1682, Farmington, Connecticut¹

Sources:
1    The Great Migration Begins, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995, p. 1186
2    Marriage record of William Lewis and Mary Cheever, Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850, FamilySearch.org
3    Death record of William Lewis, C., V. R., P. to 1850
4    Book VXIII of the Genealogy of the Lewis Family, William Richard Cutter, 1891, pp. 7-8
5    Birth record of Daniel Lewis, Connecticut, Births and Christenings, 1649-1906, FamilySearch.org
6    WikiTree listing of William Lewis III
7    Probate file of William Lewis, Connecticut Probate Records, 1649-1932, FamilySearch.org
8    Marriage record of Thomas Bull and Mary (Cheever) Lewis, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com
9    Death record of Mary Bull, Connecticut, U.S., Town Death Records, pre-1870, (Barbour Collection), Ancestry .com
10  FamousKin.com listing of William Lewis
11  “Elm Tree Inn (1655),” Historic Buildings of Connecticut (website)
12  Birth record of Mary Lewis, C., B. & C.
13  Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Lewis) Judd
14  Birth record of Philip Lewis, C., B. & C.
15  Find-a-Grave listing of Philip Lewis
16  WikiTree listing of Philip Lewis
17  Find-a-Grave listing of Samuel Lewis
18  WikiTree listing of Samuel Lewis
19  Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Lewis) Boltwood
20  Find-a-Grave listing of Hannah (Lewis) Marsh
21  Marriage record of Samuel Crow and Hannah Lewis, Massachusetts, State Vital Records, 1638-1927, FamilySearch.org
22  Marriage record of Daniel Marsh and Hannah Crow, M., S. V. R.
23  Birth record of John Selden, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
24  WikiTree listing of Ebenezer Lewis
25  Marriage record of Ebenezer Lewis and Elizabeth Merriman, C., V. R., P. to 1850
26  Birth record of James Lewis, C., V. R., P. to 1850
27  Birth record of Elizabeth Lewis, C., B. & C.
28  Birth record of Ezekial Lewis, C., B. & C.
29  Marriage record of Ezekial Lewis and Mary Braden, M., S. V. R.
30  Marriage record of Ezekial Lewis and Abigail Kilcup, M., S. V. R.
31  Birth record of Nathaniel Lewis, C., B. & C.
32  Death record of Nathaniel Lewis, Connecticut, Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934, FamilySearch.org
33  Marriage record of Nathaniel Lewis and Abigail Ashley, C., V. R., P. to 1850
34  Marriage record of Nathaniel Lewis and Thankful Lyman, C., V. R., P. to 1850
35  Birth record of Abigail Lewis, C., B. & C.
36  Marriage record of William Wadsworth and Abigail Lewis, C., V. R., P. to 1850
37  Birth record of Joseph Lewis, C., B. & C.

Mixed-Race Man of Early Indiana — François Turpin

B. before 1751 in Kaskaskia, New France¹
M. before 20 Oct 1777 in (probably) Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory²
Wife: Marie-Josephe Levron
D. 1 Oct 1809 in Vincennes, Indiana Territory³

During the 18th century, France laid claim to vast parts of North America, and adventurous men left Canada to make money in the fur trade. Some would produce children with indigenous women, and the outposts where they lived became populated with their bi-racial descendants. One of them was François Turpin.

François had a somewhat unusual background. He was born in about 1750 in Kaskaskia, a trading post in the Illinois country, to Joseph Turpin and Hypolite Chauvin de La Freniere.¹ His paternal grandfather had been a fur trader based in Montreal who sometimes worked outside of the law as a coureur de bois, and several of his children wound up living at Kaskaskia. François’ other grandfather had also come from Montreal, but he became an early colonial settler on the Gulf Coast; it was on a trade expedition to Mexico that he acquired a female indigenous slave who would become François’ grandmother.

François was very young when his father died, and he may have even been born posthumously. His mother remarried to Joseph de LaMirande on March 19, 1750, and in some records “LaMirande” was added to François’ name.⁴ During the mid-1750s, the family lived in Opelousas, Louisiana, where François’ mother died in about 1758 and his step-father remarried.⁵

The places François lived.

How did François end up moving back near where he was born? Without any records, we may never establish a clear timeline of when he lived where, but an older sister who married in 1751 stayed in Kaskaskia into the 1770s,⁵ and this connection may have drawn François back. Interestingly, the older sister eventually relocated to Louisiana with her third husband, leaving only François in the north.

At some point, François settled in Post Vincennes, which was then under British control. The earliest record of him there was the baptism of his oldest child, François-Joseph, on October 20, 1777.² François’ wife was Marie-Josephe Levron, but their marriage is missing from church records, possibly because no priest was assigned to the town. They went on to have eight or ten more children, with the youngest born in 1798.⁶ At least four of the children died as infants or young children.

François had his part-indigenous heritage in common with many of the people living in Vincennes. A culture developed from a mixture of French and Native American customs, which can accurately be labeled as Creole. The people lived in a tight community of log cabins, painted white and situated on narrow streets. Outsiders sometimes viewed the people of Vincennes as being lazy, but others described that “they developed a deep appreciation of their own happy lot and an attitude toward outside interests that amounted in many cases to indifference, as they leisurely hunted, fished, traded with the [local tribes], raised a few vegetables, a little corn, and tended their small herds of cattle.”⁷

Life in Vincennes. (AI-generated image)

Most remarkable about the Creole people of Vincennes is what they did during the American Revolution. While the French who lived in Canada largely supported the British, those who lived at Vincennes eagerly signed an Oath of Allegiance to the American cause. On July 20, 1778, a visiting priest named Father Pierre Gibault encouraged all the men in town to sign or put their “X” on the oath. François was one of the men who signed his name.⁸ The following February, George Rogers Clark led a successful attack on the British holding Fort Vincennes, giving the Americans a strategic foothold in the West. 

François signed his name on the Oath of Allegiance in Vincennes.

After the war, many of the French settlers participated in the transition of Vincennes into an American town. François served on the Northwest Territory Court of General Quarter Sessions grand jury in August 1798.⁹ In 1799, François was named in a lawsuit involving a debt owed by his father-in-law, Joseph Levron dit Metayer, to a man named André Lacoste¹⁰ (he had married Joseph’s widow in 1773). The suit was filed 28 years after Joseph Levron had died. François never showed up at court, and the ruling was that he and his wife, along with a few other heirs, were to pay $1,450, a very large sum of money. It’s not known if anyone actually paid.

François died on October 1, 1809,³ and was buried in the St. Francis-Xavier church cemetery in Vincennes. The following year, he was posthumously involved in a dispute of land ownership in Kaskaskia. The plot of about 12 acres had originally belonged to François’ father Joseph Turpin, and Francois had deeded it to a man named Pierre Menard in 1801. But in 1803, the children of François’ sister had deeded the same land to another man, John Edgar, claiming that François was never the legal heir because he was really the son of his mother’s second husband. The case became one of trying to prove who fathered François: Joseph Turpin or Joseph de LaMirande. Some witnesses swore François was born over a year after Joseph Turpin had died, and others said that he was born much earlier. The ruling was that François was indeed Joseph Turpin’s son and Pierre Menard could claim ownership of the land.¹¹

Debunking the incorrect identity of François’ wife
Some researchers have said that François was married to a woman named “Françoise Mallet.”¹¹ This was a wrong assumption — in fact, no one by that name seems to have existed in Vincennes. The faulty information arose from a transcription of a baptism at St. Francis Xavier church during the 1790s. It has François as the father of the child, but the mother was identified as “Françoise Mallet.” Because François has the name “LaMirande,” some concluded there were two François Turpins, and only this one was the son of Joseph Turpin and Hypolite Chauvin.

None of the other records for François Turpin’s children include the name “LaMirande," but each one gives Marie-Josephe Levron as the mother. Also, the name “Françoise Mallet” shows up in no other records in Vincennes. Therefore it seems likely that there was a mistake in the transcription for the record (or in the original record) that names Françoise Mallet. 

Children:
1. François Joseph Turpin – B. 20 Oct 1777, Poste Vincennes, Illinois Country;² M. Josephine Guelle, 14 Jul 1805, Vincennes, Indiana Territory¹²

2. Antoine Turpin – B. 13 Jan 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory¹³

3. Jean-Baptiste Turpin — B. 30 May 1782, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹⁴ D. 18 Aug 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory¹⁴

4. Marie-Josephe Turpin — B. 15 Oct 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹⁵ D. 7 Mar 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory¹⁵

5. Raphael Turpin – B. 8 Sep 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory¹⁶

6. Louis Turpin — B. 13 Mar 1789, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁷ D. 8 Aug 1845, Indiana;¹⁸ M. Celeste Joyeuse, 2 May 1830, Vincennes, Indiana¹⁷

7. Rosalie Turpin — B. Mar 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁹ M. Charles Grimard (1776-?), 19 Dec 1809, Vincennes, Indiana Territory²⁰

8. Ursule Turpin — B. 3 Feb 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²¹ D. 8 Aug 1797, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²²

9. Elizabeth Turpin — B. 12 Nov 1798, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;⁶ D. (possibly) 1835, Vincennes, Indiana;²³ M. François Ravellette (1791-1857), before 4 Oct 1817, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana²⁴

Sources:
1    There is no direct source connecting François to his parents, and the birth year is a rough estimate. But a land claim from Kaskaskia dated 24 Feb 1810 gave a witness’ testimony that he was the son of Joseph Turpin (see footnote 11).
2    Birth record of François Joseph Turpin (François Turpin’s oldest child), Indiana, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993, Ancestry.com
3    Death record of François Turpin, Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993, FamilySearch.org
4    The Family of Nicolas Chauvin de La Freniere (website), Sadie Greening Sparks, 18 Oct 2000 
5    Marriage contract of Joseph LaMirande and Catherine Frédèric, Louisiana Historical Center, Louisiana State Museum
6    Baptismal record of Elizabeth Turpin, Indiana, Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
7    Creole (French) Pioneers at Old Post Vincennes, 1930s, Wabash Valley Visions & Voices Memory Project, visions.indstate.edu  
8    “The Oath of Vincennes,” The American Catholic Historical Researches, Vol. 7, 1911, p. 400
9    Venire Grand Jurors, Indiana Memory Hosted Digital Collections 
10  Andre Lacoste dit Languedoc vs. François Turpin and others, Indiana Memory Hosted Digital Collections  
11  The Family of Joseph Turpin, Sadie Greening Sparks, 18 Oct 2000, sadiesparks.com
12  Marriage record of François Joseph Turpin and Josephine Guelle, I., U.S., S.M.I.
13  Baptismal record of Antoine Turpin, I.B.& C.
14  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Turpin, I.B.& C.
15  Baptismal record of Marie Joseph Turpin, I.B.& C.
16  Baptismal record of Raphael Turpin, I.B.& C.
17  Marriage record of Louis Turpin and Celeste Cartier, Indiana, Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, Ancestry.com
18  Burial record of Louis Turpin, I.D.& B.
19  Baptismal record of RosalieTurpin, I.B.& C.
20  Marriage record of Charles Grimard and Rosalie Turpin, I., U.S., S.M.I.
21  Baptismal record of Ursule Turpin, I.B.& C.
22  Burial record of Ursule Turpin, I.D.& B.
23  “Ravellettes from Indiana Roys, Griffith, etc.,” Genealogy.com 
24  Baptismal record of Pierre Ravalette (Elizabeth’s child), I.B.& C.