Referenced in the family
Isaac Newton French
b. 1840
Life
Records & Research
Isaac Newton French was born 6 August 1840 in Licking County, Ohio, the son of John French (1795-1874) and Sarah Clark (1801-1891). His family migrated from Licking County, Ohio to Clay Township, Jones County, Iowa, where he farmed and was associated with Bethel Presbyterian Church. He married Jane Kirkpatrick Orr (1857-1903), had at least nine children, and died 16 September 1912 in Onslow, Jones County, Iowa, where he is buried in Clay Cemetery (Row 5). Identity confirmed via a multi-anchor FindAGrave match (memorial 22604644) agreeing with the trusted anchor on birth date, birthplace, and both parents' full names and life dates. A same-name person, Isaac Newton French (1872-1942) of West Virginia, was examined and rejected as a different individual.
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Isaac Newton French was born 6 August 1840 in Licking County, Ohio, USA, confirming the report's birth date (1840-08-06) and adding the birthplace.
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His father was John French (1795-1874) and his mother was Sarah Clark French (1801-1891), matching the report exactly.
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Isaac Newton French died 16 September 1912 (aged 72) in Onslow, Jones County, Iowa, USA.
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He is buried in Clay Cemetery, Onslow, Jones County, Iowa, USA (Plot: Row 5).
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He married Jane Kirkpatrick Orr French (1857-1903).
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He had at least nine children: Sarah Angeline 'Sadie' (1875-1947), Hilah French Hutton (1879-1964), Cora Alice French Hutton (1881-1965), an Infant Daughter (1884), Margaret May French Livingston (1885-1958), Charles N. French (1888-1888), George Franklin French (1890-1981), John Clifford French (1893-1979), and Frances Bernice French Adams (1896-1989).
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He had at least seven siblings: Aaron French (1819-1909), Bethuel French (1820-1904), Joseph French (1823-1900), Elijah French (1825-1896), Jesse Clark French (1832-1905), Elizabeth Ann 'Eliza' French Jenkins (1836-1916), and Joanna French Wilson (1838-1923).
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Isaac Newton French was male.
Differs from the report
birth.place: report says “null (no birthplace given)”, records indicate “Licking County, Ohio, USA”. Not a conflict; the record fills in the birthplace the report left blank. findagrave ↗
death/burial/spouses/children: report says “null / empty in the 2006 report”, records indicate “Death 16 Sep 1912 Onslow, Jones County, Iowa; buried Clay Cemetery (Row 5); spouse Jane Kirkpatrick Orr (1857-1903); at least 9 children”. New information added beyond the report; no contradiction. findagrave ↗
Not yet confirmed — probable matches and family lore, shown for research. Treat with caution.
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He lived in Clay Township, Jones County, Iowa, and is associated with Bethel Presbyterian Church (referenced as 'Isaac N. French' in church leadership by 1909). likely
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The family is documented in the printed genealogy 'Aaron French and His Descendants' by Charles Newton French (Chicago, privately printed, 1910), where Isaac Newton French appears at F-14, page 11 (#11). likely
Open questions (6)
- A different person, Isaac Newton French (1872-1942) of Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia (FamilySearch LC5M-5VY), son of Samuel French (1827-1888) and Mary Ann Goode, is a same-name-different-person and was REJECTED — different birth year and different parents than the trusted anchor; he is unrelated to the John French/Sarah Clark family.
- Exact marriage date and place of Isaac Newton French and Jane Kirkpatrick Orr were not located (spouse's 1857 birth implies marriage circa mid-1870s, consistent with first child Sadie b. 1875).
- The report lists no spouse, yet his wife (Jane K. Orr, 1857-1903) predeceased him; whether he had an earlier marriage is not established.
- The church-elder identification of 'Isaac N. French' as a Bethel Presbyterian ruling elder rests on a single name+place anchor in the Jones County history (no birth/death tie to THIS individual), so it is held at 'likely' rather than 'confirmed'.
- The printed genealogy 'Aaron French and His Descendants' (1910) was not directly examined; it is cited only via a FindAGrave flower note and likely contains a fuller biography (occupation, exact migration date) worth retrieving and verifying.
- U.S. Census records (1850 Ohio; 1860-1910 Iowa) for Isaac N. French were referenced by FindAGrave/Ancestry but not individually inspected; they would further document residence and occupation.
Sources consulted (5)
- Isaac Newton French (1840-1912) - Find a Grave Memorial 22604644 (Clay Cemetery, Onslow, Jones County, Iowa) - fetched and verified during audit · findagrave
- Find a Grave memorial search - Isaac French, b.1840 d.1912, Iowa (4 results; identified Onslow/Clay Cemetery match) · findagrave
- Clay Township History - Jones County, Iowa (IAGenWeb): lists John French and Isaac N. French (Bethel Presbyterian elder) · website
- Ancestry.com search result - Isaac Newton French, b.1840 Licking County, Ohio, d.1912 Onslow, Jones County, Iowa · ancestry
- Isaac Newton French (1872-1942), FamilySearch LC5M-5VY - REJECTED same-name-different-person (son of Samuel French & Mary Ann Goode, West Virginia) · familysearch
Ancestry
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