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Note: 47 Samuel French, third, was born about the year 1710, in England , and was brought to America by his parents in 1774. He spent hi s boyfood in Stratford and probably learned the trade of carpent er and joiner, working with his father. He acquired land in th e Town of Stratford at an early age and his dwelling-house was n ot far from his father's homestead farm. He was deeded four piec es of land in 1735, the first on May 12, 1735, described as fou r acres of the 13th lot of the new third-mile division. Under Ma y 16 the record states: "laid out a parcel of the new three-mil e division on the hill a little to the south-west of Thomas Bear dslee's House; also a piece on the east side of the highway at t he north end of his father's home lot." The hill referred to wa s probably Trapfall Hill as his father's homestead was at the so uth end of Trapfall Hill near the "cut-off" road leading from th e Ripton road south to the Wells Hollow Road, about two and one- hald miles north-east of the present Nichols Farms in Trumbull . On July 2, 1735 he and his eldest brother, Jeremiah French, bo ught of Zaccheus Mallery seventeen and one-quarter acres of lan d with a dwelling house and barn in the Parish of Ripton, appare ntly in Walnut Tree Hill District. June 29 1738 Jeremiah deed t o Samuel his interest in this property, describing it as "ye ful l and equall half of seventeen acres & a quarter of Hom lot Lan d with ye half of ye Dwelling House & Barn thereon scituate an d lying in the Parish of Ripton in the bounds of said Stratfor d at Mohegan Hills so called, ye granted premises being of Lan d and Buildings ye Grantor & Grantee purchased fo Zaccheus Malle ry," etc... It would appear that this was the home farm of Samue l French, third. On September 20th, 1735 he received "part of 17 1 Lot purchased of his honored father, and one acre in part of 6 6 Lot and we laid said parcels our in Ripton near the north en d of Turkey Road Swamp." He bought, sold and exchanged many othe r pieces of land for for many years he was engaged in the work o f clearing his property and converting it from forest into agric ultural land, converting the timber into lumber, erecting buildi ngs and selling at a profit. About 1773 Samuel, with his sons and daughters and their famili es, moved to Manchester, Bennington County, Vermont. The Town o f Manchester, then in the Province of New Hampshire, was about s ix miles square, chartered Aug. 11, 1761 by Benning Wentworth, t hen Governor of New Hampshire, under a patent granted by King Ge orge the Third of England, conveying sixty-four rights to indivi duals, two to Governor Wentworth, one to the first settled Minis ter and one to the Society for Propagagting 48 the Gospel in Foreign Parts. In 1764 Jeremiah French, a younge r brother of Samuel, then living in Beekman Precinct, Dutchess C o., New York, organized with other men of Dutchess Co., the Amen ia Land Company. They acquired the rights of the New Hampshire p atentees in the Town of Manchester. Jeremiah owned seven of th e seventy rights and undoubtedly interested his kinsmen in the s ettlement of the virgin lands. In 1768 Jeremiah French was elect ed Treasurer and Clerk of the Town of Manchester. Possibly thi s was the son, Jeremiah, junior, as he was an early settler in M anchester. At a meeting held on the 2nd Tuesday in March 1771, T homas French, brother of Jeremiah, was elected as a selectman an d fence-viewer and on Nov. 1, 1774 Samuel French, Jeremiah's bro ther, was elected a committeeman. Samuel was elected Town Survey or in 1779 and continued to lay out the highways and land bounda ries for many years, probably combining that work with clearin g his lands. Apparently he found in the neighboring Town of Dors et land more to his liking, as his will, dated Oct. 14, 1787, st ates that he resides in Dorset. As the will was offered for prob ate on June 20, 1788, he probably died within that month. The wi ll is given, verbatim. In the Name of God Amen the 14 day of October AD 1787 I Samue l French of Dorset in the County of Bennington & State of Vermon t I being Blest with my perfect Reason and Memory thanks be to g od for it calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing t hat it is ones Apointed for all men to die I Doe make and Ordai n this my Last Will and testament that is to say first I Give an d Recommend my Sole to God that giveth it and my body I Recommen d to the Earth to be buried in A desent and a Christian Manner a tt the discretion of my Executor or Executors Nothing Doubting b u att the General Resurection I shall receiv the Same Again by t he Mighty power of God ----------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ And as Touching Such Worldly Estate as it hath pleased god to Bl ess me With in this life after my funeral Charges and All my jus t Debts are paid I give and Dispose of the Remander part of my E state in the maner as follows ---------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- Firstly I give and bequeath to my loving sun Nehemiah Loring Fre nch five shiling Lawful money-Secondly I give and bequeath to m y loving Sun Samuel French jur. Five Shillings lawful money - thirdly I will give and bequeath to my loving dafter Sarah Jakso n Five Shillings lawfull money Forthly I giv and bequeath to my loving dafter Freelove Bardsle e All my household good & my Cow ------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- Fifthly I giv and bequeath to my loving Sun Joseph French And El ijah French & Andrew French the Remander part of my intrust Eaqu elly Devided between them three Sixly and lastly I constitute & appoint Joseph french to be Exec utor of this my last will & testament and I do hereby 49 utterly Disallow Revoke and Disannul all and Evry former testame nt Will bequeats & Executors by me in any wais before Named Will ed or Bequeathed Ratifying one Comprehending this and no Other t o be My last Will and testament In witness Where of I hereunto Set my hand & Seal the say of year above Writen Samuel french Signed sealed published Pronouced & Declared by me Samuel French as his Last will and testament in presents of us the witnesses John Houghton Frederic Wever William Ames On June 20 1788 Martin Powel, Probate Judge, allowed the will a nd issued letters testamentary to Joseph French. The inventory o f the personal estate indicates that Samuel had sold his lands t o members of his family. On July 3, 1788 the appraisers reported : "one Cow 80s, one Bed 54s, one Hatchet 10s, one Pot 7s, one fr ying Pan 3s, one Grid Iron 3s, one Trowwel 4/6, one pair of Stil liards 3/6, one pr of Tongs 2/6, Pewter Plates & Basons 16/9, on e funnel /9, one Brass Kettle 10/0, one chest 4/6, 1 Barrel 3/9 ; Total 35-9-0. - List of Notes- 1 Note against Elijah French �4 -0-0; 1 Do against Elijah French �13-0-0; 1 Do against Price Bea rdslee 8-9-0. 1 Do against Joseph French 10-0-0. Total �35-9-0 . The above Described Notes were given for Lands which have late ly been Judged the property of Stoddard Squire by the County Cou rt of the County of Bennington, except �3-9-0, therefore the los s sustained by Sd Est. Total �32-0-0." On Dec 14 1789 a discharge by the heirs of Samuel French was sig ned by Samuel, Elijah and Andrew French, sons of Samuel, and b y Price Beardslee, his son-in-law. As Stoddard Squire was a son- in-law of Jeremiah French, senior, it is evident that Jeremiah h ad not given good title to Samuel. In 1897, an antique tombstone, found in Manchester Center Cemet ery on the grave of Samuel, junior, indicates that Samuel, senio r, was buried in a near-by grave. The small marble stone, reprod uced below, has disappeared. It was probably cut from the famou s quarry close to Samuel's home. (Hand drawing of gravestone)
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