French

One would think with a name like French the French would be French, oui?

Non.

The French are, Irish!

Who knew?

 Maybe that's why, for the longest time, I couldn't find very many of them.

While doing some research into my husband's mother's family tree (she was a Rafferty), I was led to the town of French Park, Ireland, in Roscommon. Apparently, French Park was the seat of the French family and the Barons de Freyne, created in 1851 for Arthur French, the 1st Baron.

Despite years of effort, and the assistance of my mom's cousin, "French," the farthest I was been able to trace my French line is to William French, born 1804 in Belfast, Ireland.

My original records, handed down to me by my grandmother, listed his wife as a nice Scottish girl, Marguarite Orr, who was born around 1804-07.

But, just recently (early 2018), I was going through some papers in my filing cabinet and came across a stack from some Internet cousins, Ed and Paulette. They had done extensive research and emailed it all to me some time ago. I put it aside for later... and later .... and later... Well, now it's a few years.
(I am eternally grateful to Paulette and Ed for sending me all of this information -- and for AOL, which has a mailbox feature that never empties.)

So I started going through it and found a treasure trove of information.

William Joseph (or maybe he was Joseph William) didn't marry Miss Orr, he married Elizabeth O'Neill, also of Belfast. And in 1854, she and her sons William (20), Alexander (18), James (15) and Robert John (9), along with daughter Margaret (26) left Liverpool on the ship "Hibernia" and landed in Philadelphia, PA. Not long afterward, they all ended up in Jackson, Mississippi.

My grandmother believed that James was the first to come to America, arriving in New York and working as a tinner to help pay for passage for his brothers and sisters. Perhaps that story belongs to another James French.

William and Eliza also had a son named Joseph Henry French, born in 1824 in Belfast, Ireland.He was a master carpenter. Joseph Henry, perhaps accompanied by some brothers, arrived July 30, 1844 on the Barque Christiana from Londonderry to Philadelphia. Other passengers on this ship were John O'Neill, Nancy O'Neill and  Edward O'Neal. He would have been approximately 20.

Tools belonging to Joseph Henry French

 My grandmother used to say that he was a bugler in the Confederate Army and this is indeed true. He enrolled in the Cres. Regt LA Infantry, Co. I, as a bugler -- enrolled March 8, 1862, New Orleans, LA.

Joseph Henry French

The French Family lived long and prospered in Jackson, Miss., Vicksburg, Miss., and Mobile, Ala., becoming rather prominent citizens in those locales. Many worked for the railroads, some were painters, craftsmen and mechanics. Several belonged to their local Masonic Lodges and were prominent members of their churches.

According to the Census of 1850, on 11 Feb. 1851, Joseph was living in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, 3rd Ward, 2nd Municipality, in a Boarding House # 981 (street ?). He is listed as a resident of this address as: Jno FRENCH, a white male, 23 years old, working as a Carpenter and born in Ireland. He was not married and could read and write.

Also living in this same boarding house was Thomas and Mrs. Power (#27) and her four children of her 1st marriage to Henry Philemon Howard (#26). Mr. Power (#27B) is listed as "Thos." He is recorded at a later date (1852) as Michael. He was a white male, 32 years old, a cabinet maker by trade, who owned real estate. Born in Ireland and married to Mrs. Power in the year 1851.

Mrs. Power, (#27, Charlotte, nee BLISS, widow Howard) was a white female, 35 years old, born in New York, and declares also to have been married withing the year 1851 to Mr. Power.

Joseph would marry Janette Eliza Howard, born about 1838, the daughter of Henry Philemon Howard and the above mentioned Charlotte Bliss, about 1852 in Louisville, Kentucky. They, apparently, moved quite a bit, as two of their children were born in Louisville, two more were born in Jackson, Mississippi and two were born in Mobile, Alabama, their last stay. ,

Joseph  died on 19 May, 1868 when he fell off of the roof of the Episcopal Church in Mobile. He is buried in Magnolia Cemetery, Lot w/219, Square 17, Mobile, Mobile County, Alabama.

DEATH NOTICE, MOBILE REGISTER, AUG. 31, 1868,
KILLED BY A FALL
Mr. French, a carpenter employed on the new building in course of erection at the corner of Front and Church streets, fell yesterday evening from the third story to the ground, fracturing his skull. Every attention was shown him but without avail, the unfortunate man dying in about fifteen minutes after the accident. Mr. French was a man much respected in the community. He leaves a wife and four children.

Janette married second to John Thomas Owens and had five more children.

Joseph and his wife Janette had six children together. One of them was my great-grandfather, Henry David French.

Henry David French was a noted statesman in New Orleans politics.  Born in Mobile, Ala., Henry moved with his family to Algiers, Louisiana, at the age of six.  He first worked for the Good Intent Dry Dock, but eventually moved to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company.   He began his railroad career as a brakeman, but worked his way up.  In 1902, he was promoted to conductor.

In 1903, Henry was elected State Representative from the 15th Ward of New Orleans (Algiers).  He was the father of Louisiana's child labor laws and the laws on compulsory education. He was a member of the Order of Railway Conductors, the Young Men's Social and Benevolent Association and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He also was a member of the Orleans Delta Chapter No. 1, Royal Arch Masons and St. John Lodge No. 153, F&AM.  He was a vestryman of Mt. Olivet Episcopal Church.

The French family lived at 813 Pacific Avenue in Algiers. Henry and wife, Matilda Louise Sutherland, had four daughters and two sons, but two children were lost as infants.  Lillian Irene French, aged four months and seven days, choked to death (legend says on a chicken bone. A tracheotomy was performed on her, right on the dining room table).

Irma Lee French married Haskell Bloodworth then Norman Brownlee. Janette Eliza French married Henry Lochte. Hazel French married Noel Parmentel. Their son, Noel Parmentel, is a well-known political journalist. Henry David French, Jr., also known as "Bud" was ill all of his short life and died at the age of 11 years and four months.

The French's surviving son was Martin Behrman French, named in honor of one of Henry's fellow politicians, New Orleans Mayor Martin Behrman.

Martin Behrman French was my grandfather.

Born August 26, 1904 in Algiers, Louisiana, he was named in honor of New Orleans Mayor Martin Behrman, a close friend of the Frenches. Martin attended Warren Easton High School, graduating in 1923. He was an avid baseball fan and player. He played for the Easton team and also played semi-pro ball in and around New Orleans.  Martin went to work for Bell Telephone, starting as a pole-digger. Eventually he worked his way up to plant manager.  He retired from the company in 1969, after 45 years of service.

But Martin's true love was music.  He was a talented musician and song writer, and played the guitar, the banjo and the ukelele.  He played with various bands, from jazz to pop, and regularly entertained at the Houma area retirements homes well into his own old age. He also wrote his own songs, including, La Christine, a Cajun Christmas tale, and "This is the Place," a tribute to Houma, Louisiana in Terrebonne Parish.

Martin had no male children, only my mother, Lettie Lee French.

My mother died on Dec. 4, 2017 during what was supposed to be a brief rehab stint at a nursing home near me. She was 84.

Lettie Lee French

Obituary Lettie Lee French, a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and eccentric character passed away Monday, December 4, 2017 after a brief illness. She was 84. Fiercely independent and a mistress of reinvention, she had careers as a comptometer operator, restaurant hostess, hotel night auditor, office manager and hobby shop owner in Houma and New Orleans. She was a talented painter who studied with well-known American artist Henry Hensche. After moving from Bay St. Louis, Miss., to Norco, La., she spent 10 of her final years as a Tarot Card Reader at The Bottom of the Cup Tea Room in New Orleans. She loved her family, her poodle, Lulamae, and the casinos. She is survived by her daughters, Jo Lee Catton (Abby "Nick" LeBlanc) of Baton Rouge; and Lori Lyons (Marty Luquet) of Norco; daughter-in-law Louella Pitre Lyons; Grand children Lee Saunier (Regina) of Prairieville, Beau Saunier of Baton Rouge, Casey Catton of Baton Rouge, Lena Lyons Brunet (Clayton) of Houma, Marti Lyons of Houma, Kevin Lyons (Samantha) of Houma, Daniel Luquet (Cori) of Luling, Courtney Luquet of Destrehan and Lora Leigh Luquet of Norco; and 10 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, Martin Behrman French and Evelyn Himel Cross French; her son, Rhett Martin Lyons. Friends and family are invited to a casual gathering to be held on Sunday, December 10, 2017 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the home of her daughter in Norco. In lieu of flowers, donations to a favorite charity are preferred. The family wishes to thank the staffs at Oschner Hospital in Kenner and Ormond Nursing and Care Center in Destrehan for its thoughtful care in recent weeks. Arrangements made by Samart Funeral Home of Houma.

Other prominent members of our line include Miss Emma French, born in 1870, who was a longtime educator in Jackson, Mississippi. The Emma French School there is named in her honor.