The Thorncombe Frenches – Maison French

Thorncombe – 1888 : Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland see their web site.

Saint Mary’s Church

No doubt that the church has played a big part in the lives of the Thorncombe Frenches, from being baptised to being laid to rest in the churchyard.

The known FRENCH graves in the churchyard are those of:

John FRENCH died 3rd August 1934 aged 82 and Ellen FRENCH died 22nd February1937 aged 85

Bertie FRENCH died 23rd December 1950 aged 65 and Kezia FRENCH died 11th January 1972 aged 87.

The Vicar of Thorncombe

Between 1748 – 1760 William FRENCH, M.A. was vicar of the parish! He died 13th November 1760. Doubtful that he was related to the Thorncombe Frenches but you never know. There is a monument to him in St. Mary’s Church.

1841 Census

Where	First Name	Last Name	Age	Occupation	Born in County
Kinch Lee?	Samuel	COOMBES	60	Woolen manufacturer	Y
	Mary	COOMBES	60		Y
	Ann	FRENCH	20	Dressmaker	Y
	Hanah	COOMBES	20	House servant	Y
	Elizabeth	COOMBES	15		Y
	Mary	HAWKER	13		N
	Harriot	HAWKER	5		N
Parn’s Droop	John	FRENCH	50	Cardwinder	N
	Susannah	FRENCH	30		N
	Eliza	FRENCH	25		N
	George	FRENCH	20	Journeyman	Y
	Mary Ann	FRENCH	15		Y
	Hannah	FRENCH	13		Y
	John	OUSLEY	15	Apprentice	Y
	Heber	GEORGE	15	Apprentice	Y

1851 Census

Where	First Name	Last Name	Position	Age	Occupation	Born
Pain’s Down	John	FRENCH	Head	61	Cordwainer	Chardstock
	Susannah	FRENCH	Wife	43	Wife	Hawkchurch
	Henry	HAINS	Visitor	10		South Petherton
	Joannah	ENGLAND	Visitor	77	Needlewoman	Creech St. Michael
Painsdown	George	FRENCH	Head	34	Cordwainer (journeyman)	Thorncombe
	Elizabeth	FRENCH	Wife	28		Thorncombe
	Charles	FRENCH	Son	5		Crewkerne
	Henry	FRENCH	Son	3		Broadwinsor
	Samuel C	FRENCH	Son	1		Thorncombe

1861 Census

Where	First Name	Last Name	Position	Age	Occupation	Born
Stone Lake	George	FRENCH	Head	41	Grocer	Thorncombe
	Elizabeth	FRENCH	Wife	39	Wife	Thorncombe
	Henry	FRENCH	Son	13	Mason’s boy	Broadwindsor
	Samuel C	FRENCH	Son	11		Thorncombe
	John	FRENCH	Son	9		Thorncombe
	Walter	FRENCH	Son	6		Thorncombe
	William	FRENCH	Son	3		Thorncombe
Painsdown	John	FRENCH	Head	73	Shoemaker	Chardstock
	Susannah	FRENCH	Wife	51	Domestic	Hawkchurch
	William	ROCKETT	Lodger	21	Journeyman	Stockland
	Elizabeth Mary	WHITE	Visitor	8	Visitor	Hawkchurch

1871 Census

Where	First Name	Last Name	Position	Age	Occupation	Born
Old Way	Ann	FRENCH	Head	53	Glover	Thorncombe
	Jenette	FRENCH	Daughter	15	Glover	London
	Flora	FRENCH	Daughter	13	Glover	London
	Susan	FRENCH	Daughter	10	Scholar	Bridport
Stonelake	George	FRENCH	Head	50	Cordwainer	Thorncombe
	Elizabeth	FRENCH	Wife	48		Thorncombe
	Samuel	FRENCH	Son	21	Blacksmith	Thorncombe
	John	FRENCH	Son	18	Cordwainer	Thorncombe
	Walter	FRENCH	Son	16	Under shepherd	Thorncombe
	William	FRENCH	Son	14	Cordwainer	Thorncombe
	Harriet Flora	FRENCH	Daughter	9	Scholar	Thorncombe
	Anna	FRENCH	Daughter	5	Scholar	Thorncombe
Painsdown	John	FRENCH	Head	81	Cordwainer	Chardstock
	Susan	FRENCH	Wife	63		Hawkchurch
Painsdown	Henry	FRENCH	Head	23	Cordwainer	Thorncombe
	Mary	FRENCH	Wife	24		Thorncombe
	Ellen	FRENCH	Daughter	7mth		Thorncombe
	Annie	FRENCH	Daughter	7mth		Thorncombe

1881 Census

Where	First Name	Last Name	Position	Age	Occupation	Born
Oldway	John	DOWN	Head	25	Labourer	Thorncombe
	Flora	DOWN	Wife	25	Glovemaker	London
	George	DOWN	Son	0		Thorncombe
	Ann	FRENCH	Sister-in-law	64	Dressmaker	Thorncombe
Stonelake	Elizabeth	FRENCH	Head	58	Grocer	Thorncombe
	John	FRENCH	Son	28	Bootmaker	Thorncombe
	Flora	FRENCH	Daughter	19	Glovemaker	Thorncombe
	Anna	FRENCH	Daughter	15	Glovemaker	Thorncombe
Gribb	Henry	FRENCH	Head	38	Shoemaker	Thorncombe
	Mary	FRENCH	Wife	34		Thorncombe
	Ellen	FRENCH	Daughter	10	Scholar	Thorncombe
	Annie	FRENCH	Daughter	10	Scholar	Thorncombe
	Bessie	FRENCH	Daughter	9	Scholar	Thorncombe
	George	FRENCH	Son	9	Scholar	Thorncombe
	James	FRENCH	Son	5	Scholar	Thorncombe
	Charles	FRENCH	Son	2		Thorncombe
Vicarage	Charles Albert	BRAGGE	Head	41	Vicar	Bloxworth
	Susan	FRENCH	Servant	21	Housemaid	Thorncombe
	plus 5 others

1891 Census

Where	First Name	Last name	Position	Age	Occupation	Born
Stonelake	Elizabeth	FRENCH	Head	69	Grocer	Thorncombe
	Ann	FRENCH	Daughter	25	Dressmaker	Thorncombe
	John	HAWKER	Lodger	86	Own means	Thorncombe
Stonelake	John	FRENCH	Head	38	Cordwainer	Thorncombe
	Ellen	FRENCH	Wife	37		Burstock
	Bertie	FRENCH	Son	5	Scholar	Thorncombe
	Iva G	FRENCH	Daughter	4	Scholar	Thorncombe
	Albert E	FRENCH	Son	1		Thorncombe
Synderford	Henry	FRENCH	Head	43	Cordwainer	Thorncombe
	Mary	FRENCH	Wife	45		Thorncombe
	Annie	FRENCH	Daughter	20	Dressmaker	Thorncombe
	Ellen	FRENCH	Daughter	20	Dressmaker	Thorncombe
	George	FRENCH	Son	19	Labourer	Thorncombe
	Charles	FRENCH	Son	12	Scholar	Thorncombe
	Flora	FRENCH	Daughter	4		Thorncombe
Synderford	Ann	FRENCH	Head	74	Dressmaker	Thorncombe
	plus 6 DOWNs

1901 Census

Where	First name	Last name	Position	Age	Occupation	Born
Holeway	Henry	FRENCH	Head	53	Shoemaker	Thorncombe
	Mary	FRENCH	Wife	54		Thorncombe
	Flora	FRENCH	Daughter	14		Thorncombe
Stonelake	John	FRENCH	Head	48	Bootmaker	Thorncombe
	Ellen	FRENCH	Wife	49		Burstock
	Bertie	FRENCH	Son	15		Thorncombe
	Ida Gertrude	FRENCH	Daughter	14		Thorncombe
	Albert Edward	FRENCH	Son	11		Thorncombe
	Mary Ann	ROCKETT	Sister	70		Burstock
Shedrick (mill?)	William	FRENCH	Head	38	Labourer	Chardstock
	Sarah Jane	FRENCH	Wife	37		Yarcombe
	Eva Susan	FRENCH	Daughter	5		Yarcombe
	Clariss	FRENCH	Daughter	4		Cricket St. Thomas
	Raymond	FRENCH	Son	3		Cricket St. Thomas
	Letha	FRENCH	Daughter	1		Thorncombe
	Alice Mary	FRENCH	Daughter	0		Thorncombe

1911 Census

Where	First name	Last name	Position	Age	Occupation	Born
Holeway	Henry	FRENCH	Head	65	Bootmaker	Thorncombe
	Mary	FRENCH	Wife	67		Thorncombe
?	John	FRENCH	Head	58	Bootmaker	Thorncombe
	Ellen	FRENCH	Wife	59		Burstock
	Burt	FRENCH	Son	25	Carpenter	Thorncombe
	Albert Edward	FRENCH	Son	21	Coachman	Thorncombe
	Mary Ann	ROCKETT	Widow	80		Burstock

First World War

There are four Frenches commemorated in Thorncombe’s church. they are: A E FRENCH (RFA), B FRENCH (RASC), C FRENCH (Wilts) and J FRENCH (RHA). Albert Edward FRENCH is commemorated on the war memorial. He was a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery and died near Arras in Northern France on 9th April 1917 aged 27. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial. See the 1911 Census for his family details. In the summer of 1916 he had married Ellen Rockett, the housemaid at Greenhill. See First World War Thorncombe men (thorncombe-village-trust.co.uk) for details of Thorncombe’s fallen heroes.

1921 Census

Where	First name	Last name	Position	Age	Occupation	Born
Maulden Farm	Albert Eli	CROSS	Head	39	Farmer	Thorncombe
	Alice Mary	FRENCH	Help	20	Domestic	Thorncombe
	plus 3 others
Fore Street	Bertie	FRENCH	Head	35	Carpenter	Thorncombe
	Kezia	FRENCH	Wife	37		Thorncombe
	Harold Edward	FRENCH	Son	0		Thorncombe

1939 Register

Where	First name	Last name	Position	Age	Occupation
7 High Street	Bertie	FRENCH	Head	54	Aux postman, carpenter
	Kezia	FRENCH	Wife	55
	Harold Edward	FRENCH	Son	19	Assist. in cream dept.
High Street	Tom	FRENCH	Head	74
	Sarah J	FRENCH	Wife	72
	Florence M	FRENCH	Daughter	35
	Cissie J	FRENCH	Daughter	31
	Kate	DOWN		57