According to Colonial New Jersey Source Records, 1600s-1700s [database online], Genealogy.com: 1670 Dec. 30. Do [Patent]. to John ffrench of Woodbridge mason for: 1, 10 acres of upland on the West of Vaquellins [Vauquellin's?] Hill, along Israel Thorncum's meadow; 2, five acres of meadow, not yet laid out. Marg[ina]l Note: "This pattent is transported [?] to Robert Vauquellin." 1670 Dec. 31. Affidavit of John French, that he has conveyed land and meadow, mentioned in his patent to Robert Vauquellin. 1687 Dec. 12. Deed. John French of Staten Island, mason, to Peter Dassigny of Woodbridge, surgeon, for half a lot betw. Abraham Coole and Claese Smith on Staten Island. 1687 Dec. 12, Consent of Susanna, wife of John French, to the preceding conveyance. 1687 Dec. 12. Power of attorney. Same to same for the management of his affairs on Staten Island. 1688 April 11. Will of Thomas Bartlet of Barcla's Point over against Perth Amboy. Myles Forster sole heir and executor of real and personal estate. Witnesses--John and Sussanah French. Proved April 16, 1695. 1690 May 26. Do [Deed]. John Lambert to John French, for 10 acres on Slingtail Brook, N. Mathew Ganett, E. Stephen Kent. * * * According to Monnette, Orra Eugene, First Settlers of Ye Plantations of Piscataway and Woodbridge Olde East New Jersey, Los Angeles, CA: The Leroy Carman Press, 1932, part 4, p. 267, John FRENCH, who was then of Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ, executed his will which was dated January 1711/1712, and proved March 20, 1713. * * * We know that John FRENCH was "of Woodbridge," NJ no later than Dec. 30, 1670, when he received a patent for 15 acres of land in NJ. On the next day, he conveyed to Robert VAUQUELLIN the same 15-acre parcel of land. We know that as of December 12, 1687, John FRENCH was "of Staten Island," NY. On that date, he executed a power of attorney "for the management of his affairs on Staten Island," possibly because he was not going to be on Staten Island to manage his affairs there for himself. We know that as of April 11, 1688, John FRENCH was in NJ, because he witnessed a will executed on that date by "Thomas BARTLET of Barcla's Point over against Perth Amboy." We know that as of May 26, 1690, John FRENCH obtained a deed "for 10 acres on Slingtail Brook" in NJ. We know that John FRENCH died sometime before March 20, 1713, and at the time of his death was "of Woodbridge," Middlesex County, NJ. * * * According to an article regarding the history of early NJ, set forth at http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/nj/statewide/history/history01.txt, the then newly-appointed Governor of NJ, Sir Philip CARTERET, and his entourage of some 30 passengers (mostly Frenchmen from the Channel Islands), set sail from England for America on the ship Philip in April 1665. Bad weather forced the ship to VA in May 1665, but after spending some weeks in VA, Carteret and his entourage finally arrived in NY on July 29, 1665. John FRENCH is not listed in that article as being one of the members of CARTERET's entourage, unless John was a man whose first name was "Joan alias Peter," and whose surname is not listed in that article. * * * According to Ellison, Harry C., Church of the Founding Fathers of New Jersey, a History: First Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 1664-1964, Cornish, ME: Carbrook Press, 1964, pp. 11 et seq. [reproduced in the Family & Local Histories section of Ancestry.com]: The greatest number of the land-owning Associates who founded Elizabeth Town, NJ came from eastern Long Island, NY; a smaller number of them came from CT; a few of them came from MA; and a few of them came from western Long Island. Among the Associates who founded Elizabeth Town were John OGDEN and his sons, who came from eastern Long Island. John OGDEN was an experienced church builder, having constructed a stone church in the fort at New Amsterdam in 1642. While no records of the first church building in Elizabeth Town have ever been found, John OGDEN and his sons probably built it, and the construction of the church was probably completed by 1668. [This is purely speculation on my part, but since John FRENCH was a mason, he might have been employed in the construction of that church.] Substantial numbers of new settlers, mostly Scotch Presbyterians, later came to East NJ to escape persecution in their native land. [For example, I have traced several FROSTs who were imported into East NJ by Robert FULLERTON in 1684.] However, most of these Scotch immigrants did not arrive in the area until several years after 1670, when John FRENCH obtained his land patent in NJ. Mike Frost