GAIL ROGERS and LINDA WALLS You said your Frenches lived in Otsego County. Gail, and may have come from northeastern CT. Can you find any of the people in the following in New York. You also said, if you got a chance, you would see if you could find John Burgess’ will, probate in Cooperstown in 1821. Linda you said you had some northeast CT French families, can you connect any of the people in the following list? If you can’t send me some names and I will check them against my notes for other French families there. KEEPER OF THE FFA: Is there a place on the INTERNET where I can search the French Family Association database. If there is not could you check that database for the names in the following? ANYONE ON THE LIST WITH A FRENCH FAMILY IN CONNECTICUT: Do you have any connections with the French families listed bellow? MY PROBLEM: Find the ancestors of Sally (French) Burgess who had cousins in Plainfield, Windham County, CT. She was born 4 March 1776, married Gideon Burgess (who’s grandparents are buried in Sterling, CT: a village for which the market town is Plainfield, CT. She died at Winfield, Herkimer County, NY 10 February 1844 and is buried there with her husband Gideon Burgess. Winfield is near the Otsego County line and may once have been in Otsego County, NY. DEAN BURGESS POSSIBLE GRAND PARENTS FOR SALLY (FRENCH) BURGESS (i. e. those born circa 1740 - 1750 who could have children in the 1770s) Heads of families in the census of 1790 for Windham County, CT (I have presumed that free white males other than the head of the family are sons and free white females other than a wife are daughters): In Plainfield: John French with his wife and 1 son over 16, 4 sons under 16 and 4 daughters. Stuman French with his wife and 1 son over 16, 2 sons under 16 and 2 daughters. In Volluntown: Isaac French with his wife and 3 sons under 16 and 4 daughters. From Barbour’s Collected Connecticut Vital Statistics for Windham County, CT. In Plainfield: Nathan French and his wife Sarah - I believe these to be the grandparents of Sally (French) Burgess and of Hezekiah French. Sarah is listed as the widow of Nathan when she marries Jonathan Parker 29 December 1757. The younger children of this couple would be the right age to be the parents of Sally (French) Burgess, and perhaps of Hezekiah French: a relative of hers who remained in CT and is mentioned bellow. The children of Nathan French and Sarah are as follows 1. Lydia French, born 14 December 1742. I checked most listings with the original listings in the Plainfield Records Office and when there was a match I will indicate it as “PRO.” Lydia was listed in those records. 2. Hezekiah French, born 1 September 1744. PRO 3. Mehitable French, born 14 September 1746. PRO 4. John French (probably the same John in the 1790 census for Plainfield), born 26 October 1747. PRO. I am sure this is the father of Sally (French) Burgess and Hezekiah French, because he is buried with the family of Hezekiah and Olive (see bellow) and on his stone in the Union Cemetery in Plainfield it says: “Died October 16, 1867 age 62 years,” which matches exactly with the birth year in the Plainfield Record Office where his parents are identified. His wife’s name is Delight and she is also buried in the Union Cemetery in Plainfield with the following inscription: “Delight French wife of John French died October 20, 1822 age 72 years.” 5. Isaac French (probably the same as listed in the 1790 census in Volluntown), born 5 May 1750. PRO In Windham, Windham County, CT Johnathan French marries Sarah Walcut on 15 December 1725. These children are too old to be Sally’s parents, but if I should be wrong about John this family would be the only other alternative in the county. Their children are as follows: 1. Johnathan French, born 14 January 1726/27 2. Sarah French, born 13 June 1729 3. Rachel French, born 19 February 1730/31 4. Miriam French, born 22 March 1733 also in Windham, Windham County, CT: Jonathan French marries May One son is listed for them: Amos French, born 30 August 1748 POSSIBLE SIBLING FOR SALLY (FRENCH) BURGESS From Barbour’s Collected Connecticut Vital Statistics for Windham County, CT. Hezekiah French was born in Plainfield in 1788 (that would make him 10 or 11 years younger than Sally (French) Burgess (calculated from his grave in the Union Cemetery in Plainfield). He married Olive F. Hall at Plainfield 28 April 1816. From the autograph book we know he is related to Sally (French) Burgess, and I think he is her brother. They are both children of John and Delight French, as noted above. His grave reads, “Hezekiah French died October 6, 1868 age 81 years. His wife’s grave in the Union Cemetery at Plainfield reads: “Olive French wife of Hezekiah French died October 8, 1869 age 77 years.” Hezekiah and Olive’s children are as follows: 1. Emeline Elizabeth French, born 8 May 1817. In the Plainfield Record Office she is listed as Pauline Elizabeth with the same parents and birth date. 2. Henry French, born 6 November 1818. PRO. He wrote a poem in the autograph book of the daughter of Sally (French) Burgess calling himself her cousin and dated 18 August 1841 “Plainfield, Connecticut.” 3. Sally French, born 6 September 1820. The Plainfield Record Office lists her as “Polly,” with the same parents and date of birth. 4. Stephen French, born 21 April 1822. The Plainfield Record Office calls him Stephen John. On his gravestone in the Union Cemetery in Plainfield it says: “Stephen John French, son of Hezekiah and Olive French died April 23, 1832 age 10 years. 5. Delight French, born 11 April 1824. PRO. She is also in the IGI (film 453889 ord. # 40151). She also signs Sally’s daughters autograph book as a “cousin” in Plainfield, CT, 17 August 1841. Her sad gravestone survives: “Delight French daughter of Hezekiah and Olive French died August 4, 1842 age 18 years.” 6. Susan French, born 11 February 1826. PRO. I believe, however, that she is the same as Sarah French, Sarah’s birth does not appear in the PRO, but her wedding does (identifying her parents). She marries John M. Becker, a carriage maker, from Brooklyn, Windham County, CT 15 February 1848. The note says she was 23 years old at the time of her marriage and that would match the birth date for Susan. She also signs the autograph book as “your cousin Sarah French” in Plainfield on 4 September 1841. Her gravestone survives in the Union Cemetery in Plainfield. She died apparently unmarried 27 June 1890. The birth date on the stone matches the PRO birth date. 7. Olive French, born 16 May 1828 (PRO), married at Plainfield Warren Williams of Brooklyn, Windham County, CT, 25 November 1847. In the marriage note it says she was 20 and he was 23. 8. Hezekiah French, born 28 February 1831 (PRO) marries Elizabeth H. Wells at Plainfield 3 October 1853. His graves survives in the Union Cemetery in Plainfield: “Hezekiah French Jr. died August 25, 1868 aged 37 years.” His wife Eliza Ann is buried by him. She died 4 October 1860 age 32 years 4 days. One of their daughters is buried near them: Nellie Jane French who is identified on the stone as their daughter and 5 years old; and a son is also buried there William French who died 18 October 1869, 18 months old.. 9. Edwin French, born 27 November 1833, listed as a farmer and as having died at age 17 on 25 October 1849. PRO records his name as Colwin with the same parents and birth date. His grave also survives in the Union Cemetery at Plainfield: “Edwin French son of Hezekiah and Olive French died October 25 1848 age 17 years.” 10. Mary Jane French, born 16 January 1835. PRO With a little more work in the Union Cemetery I think I can piece together some of Sally and Hezekiah’s siblings, presuming Sally is really Hezekiah’s sister. I hope there are some in Otsego County, NY as well.