Genealogy: Hassell, Lovewell, and French

This genealogy of the Hassell, Lovewell, and French ancestors of Lucy Preston, wife of Frederick Wickham, is an excerpt from the transcription of a handwritten notebook I discovered in my grandmother’s papers. The family history in this notebook was the work of two women, Agnes Caroline Wickham and her daughter, Harriott Benedict Wickham Barton (my grandmother), who separately researched and made entries in it over a period of seventy years.  Agnes Wickham wrote roughly half of the entries in the notebook from 1909 to 1915.  In 1915, she gave handwritten copies of her work to each of her five children: Eleanor, William, Lucy, David and Harriott.  Harriott continued her mother’s work off and on for the next sixty years, adding entries as late as 1977.

Dave Barton

Hassell, Lovewell, and French Genealogy

Hassell Family

1.  Richard Hassell, born 1622; married Joan, Joane, or Jane.  He was admitted as a freeman in 1647; settled in Cambridge before 1643; in Billerica 1676; Dunstable, 1679.  Had 4 children.

2.  Joseph of Dunstable, born September 20, 1645; died September 26, 1691; married Anna Perry of Watertown, daughter of William & Anna.  “Was a good & useful citizen.”  Removed to Concord and later to Dunstable, 1679.  He, his wife and son Benjamin were slain by Indians.
1.  Abiah, married Joseph Blanchard.
2.  Anna, married John Love well (see below).
3.  Joseph, whose daughter married Zaccheus Lovewell. N.B. Abiah, Anna & Joseph, Jr. all ancestors of Esther French.

3.  Joseph Hassell, born about 1675; lived in Dunstable.  Had 8 children.

4.  Esther Hassell, born July 30, 1709; married Col. Zaccheus Lovewell.
(see below)

Lovewell Family

1.  John Lovewell, married January 24, 1658 to Elizabeth Sylvester, daughter of Richard & Naomi (Torrey) Sylvester of Scituate.  At time of marriage, John Lovewell was resident of Boston, removing about 1663 to Rehoboth, and about 1678 to Lynn, and very soon after to Dunstable.  Had six children: one died in Lynn, 2 sons and 3 daughters married and lived in Dunstable.

2.  John Lovewell, born in Boston, April 7, 1660; married in Dunstable, December. 7, 1686 to Anna Hassell (see above).  Lived in Dunstable and had 4 children: John, born 1691; Hannah, married Lieutenant Josiah Farwell; Zaccheus, and Jonathan, born 1713.

3.  Zaccheus, born July 22, 1701; married Esther Hassell, daughter of his Uncle Joseph Hassell (3).  Colonel in French & Indian War.  An able man & prominent in Dunstable affairs; died April 2, 1772.
1.  Zaccheus, born 1726-7; died young.
2.  Esther, born 1728.
3.  Lucy, born 1730-1
4.  Mary, born 1732; married Benjamin French.

5.  Zaccheus, born 1735.
6.  Noah, born 1742.
7.  Sarah, born 1744.
8.  Hannah, born 1747; married Joseph Hale.
9.  Bridgeth, 1749, married Augustus Blauchard.

[below is from French Genealogy Page]

1.  William French, with wife Elizabeth & 4 children, came from England in the “Defense” in summer of 1635, members of the group headed by Harlakendeu & Shepherd, & settled at Cambridge.  He was a member of the Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company, 1638; and appears on the colonial military records as junior sergeant, 1643; First Sergeant, 1646; Lieutenant, 1647; Ensign, 1650; and Captain of Militia in 1681.  Settled in Billerica, Massachusetts, where he was one of the leading citizens; Representative to General Court at Boston, 1660-63; deacon and held local offices.  Born in England about 1603-4; died at Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 20, 1681; married in England, Elizabeth Symmes, sister of Reverend Zacharia Symnms.  She was born about 1605-6; died March 31, 1668.

2.  Samuel, born about 1648, settled in Dunstable, Massachusetts about 1680.  One of the foundation members of the church; a selectman & honored citizen.  Mason’s “History of Dunstable” says of the year 1689: “In point of population, D. was at this time the smallest town in the province, & but for the indomitable perseverance of Major Jonathan Lying, Lieutenant Samuel French, John Lovewell, Samuel Whiting, and Rev. Mr. Weld, must have been again abandoned.”  December 25, 1702, in Queen Anne’s War, garrison there was manned, among others, by the following of our ancestors: Samuel French, John Cummings, Joseph Hassell, and Daniel Galuska.  Samuel French married in Chelma Ford, December 24, 1682, Sarah Cummings, born January 27, 1661, daughter of John & Sarah (Howlett) Cummings.

3.  Joseph French, born in Dunstable, March 10, 1687.  Was a Captain of Militia.  Last record of him in Dunstable is that: “April 16, 1747, a meeting was held at the house of Capt. Jos. French in D., which resulted in the Masonian Charter of New Ipswich, among the many grantees being Capt. Jos. French.”  Possibly he died in one of the newly organized towns in New Hampshire, in which he was interested.  He married about 1711-12, his cousin Elizabeth Cummings, born January 5, 1687-8; he died April 30, 1751.  Had 7 sons and at least 1 daughter.

4.  Benjamin French, born July 6, 1726, son of Capt. Joseph & Elizabeth French; died in Dunstable, December 15, 1799.  His stone, his wife’s and son Benjamin’s are all at the “Old Burial Place” at Little Station.  Just at prime of life, when war broke out, he took an active & interesting part in civil and military doings.  In 1773, was selectman at Convention of Exeter, April 25, 1775, for choosing delegates to Continental Congress.  He was chosen one of “Committee of Inspection to see that the result of the late Continental Congress be carried into practice, and that all men in this town conform themselves thereto.”  Delegate to County Congress, February 1776.  1776 was delegate from D. to prepare a petition to Congress & to State Legislature.  Member of Committee of Safety, 1776.  Chosen delegate to convention to be held June 10, 1778 for framing a state constitution.  Representative in 1782.  One of committee of 4 to state reasons for rejection by Dunstable of state constitution.  Elected representative in 1784 to 1st regular state legislature session in New Hampshire. (Dunstable was originally in Massachusetts.  This territory was sometimes in one state and sometimes in another).  Married (1) January 28, 1751, Molly (Mary Lovewell, daughter of Col. Zaecheus & Esthes (Hassell) Lovewell, born May 26, 1732; died December 17, 1774. (2) February 1, 1776, Mary, widow of Jeremiah Cummings (the same day his daughter Esther was married). (1)

5. Esther French, born in Dunstable, January 7, 1754; married (1) Dr. Allen Toothaker of Merrimac, N.H., who died July 12, 1775. (2) February 1, 1776, in Merrimac, Timothy Taylor, son of Timothy & Rachel (Converse) Taylor, born September 18, 1754 in Dunstable; died at Norwalk, Ohio, February 26, 1851.  She died July 1, 1843.

(1) Dunstable “Vital Records”; Fox’s History of Dunstable.

[below is from Preston Genealogy Page]

V. Samuel, born June 24, 1778 at New Ipswich, New Hampshire; married Esther, daughter of Timothy Taylor and Esther French of Merrimac, New Hampshire; died March 3, 1852 at Norwalk, Ohio. (1)
1.  George Albert, born July 16, 1805; died January 14, 1815.
2.  Catherine, born March 12, 1807; died April 15, 1818.
3.  Charles Lauris, born July 23, 1812; died January 18, 1815.
4.  Lucy Bancroft, born March 27, 1814; died January 19, 1897.
5.  Charles Albert, born January 22, 1816; died June 14, 1868.  Had daughter Nellie, born April 1860 &
son Charles – both went to live in Denver. Charles & wife died young & “Cousin Nellie” brought up his children (Mignon Bee & Lucy)
Mignon’s daughters are Mignon Pearl & Jo Lytton of Colorado.

VI. Lucy Bancroft Preston, born at Nashua New Hampshire March 27, 1814. (1)

Footnotes:
(1) History of the Western Reserve, p. 1690).

NOTE: Agnes and Harriott cited their sources in the margins of original notebook.  I included these citations as footnotes, attempting to keep them as close as possible to where they appear in the original notebook.

I would appreciate critiques and corrections of this genealogy. Please comment below. Thank you.

© 2006, 2009 by David W. Barton. All rights reserved