Frank

Stone Number: MA 25

Frank and his wife, Parthena, were among those enslaved by Rev. John Williams, the town’s first minister, who also performed their marriage. When Deerfield was attacked in February 1704 by French soldiers with their Indigenous allies, Parthena was killed, along with two of Rev. Williams’ children. In his 1706 account of the attack, Williams referred to their deaths, writing “some were so cruel and barbarous as to take and carry to the door two of my children and murder them, as also a negro woman.” Frank and Rev. Williams were among the 100 people who were captured and marched to Canada. In his book, The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion, Rev. Williams also wrote that on the first night of the march, the captors “killed my negro man.” 

Significant Dates

  • 1704: Death

Primary Sources

Deerfield Vital Records
(The redeemed captive returning to Zion. Or a faithful history of remarkable occurrences in the captivity and deliverance of Mr. John Williams, , John Williams, Pastor of the Church in Deerfield, published 1800, p. 11
The redeemed captive returning to Zion. Or a faithful history of remarkable occurrences in the captivity and deliverance of Mr. John Williams, , John Williams, Pastor of the Church in Deerfield, published 1800, p. 14
Dedicated On: September 1, 2024
Location: Historic Deerfield
Geolocation: