During  many  years  of  his  residence  in  Hopkinton  village,
Mr.  French  made  a  specialty  of  an  annual  sale  of  cattle  by
auction,  the  stock  being  supplied  principally  or  wholly
from  Vermont.  In  this  way,  from  250  to  300  cattle  were
annually  disposed  of  in  the  fall,  and  for  a  long  time
French's  sale  was  one  of  the  established  features  of  the
year.  Incidentally,  Mr.  French  dealt  at  times  in  sheep,
which  he  drove  to  market  or  slaughtered  at  home.
Mr.  French  never  made  a  specialty  of  political  ambition,
but  he  was  elected  representative  to  the  General  Court  in
1869  and  1870.    For  many  years  before  his  death,  he  resided


376  LIFE   AND   TIMES   IN   HOPKINTON.
on  the  farm,  at  the  west  of  the  village,  that  was  formerly
the  property  of  Judge  John  Harris.
On  Thanksgiving  Day,  1834,  Reuben  E.  French  married
Sarah  Chase,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Sarah  Chase  of  Dun-
barton.  They  had  six  children, — Edward  Del  van,  Robert
Chase,  Charles,  Magarette  Ann,  Clara,  and  Maria  Louisa.
Reuben  E.  French  died  April  1,  1888.  Mrs.  French  died
May  1,  1868.
Edward  D.  French,  the  son  of  Reuben  E.  French  and
Sarah  Chase,  was  born  in  Hopkinton,  August  31,  1836.
His  home  has  always  been  in  Hopkinton.  For  many  years
he  has  operated  as  a  meat  merchant.  In  1878  and  1880,  he
was  a  supervisor  of  the  check-list.
In  1857,  December  2,  Mr.  French  married  Jennie  Stevens,
of  Hopkinton,  daughter  of  Dr.  Eben  Stevens  and  Lena
Temple.  They  have  had  children, — Emma  Gertrude,  Chas.
L.,  Willie  T.,  Robert  K.,  Clarence  F.,  Edward  C,  Herbert
J.,  Clara  M.
Eben  French,  the  son  of  Ebenezer  French  and  Mollie
Morrill,  was  born  in  South  Hampton,  January  8,  1793.
