Changes

===Return to New York, marriage, political beginnings===

===Return to New York, marriage, political beginnings===

In 1854, French returned yet again to Sag Harbor, establishing the H & S. B. French mercantile business.<ref name=nytimesobit/> The following year, he married the former Mary Ann Hand, who subsequently died a decade later; French would remarry in 1867 to the former Julia Prentis of New-London, Connecticut,<ref name=nytimesobit/> two decades his junior.

In 1854, French returned yet again to Sag Harbor, establishing the H & S. B. French mercantile business.<ref name=nytimesobit/> The following year, he married the former Mary Ann Hand, who died a decade later; French would remarry in 1867 to the former Julia Prentis of New-London, Connecticut,<ref name=nytimesobit/> two decades his junior.

French began as an affiliate of the [[Whig Party]], though subsequently joined the newly established [[Republican Party]].<ref name=nytimesobit/> Years later, when Joseph H. Goldsmith resigned from the position of Suffolk County Treasurer in 1868, French was appointed to the post, serving until 1874.<ref name=nytimesobit/> The same year, French ran in the midterm elections for [[U.S. House of Representatives]] from the state's first congressional district,<ref name=politicalgraveyard>[https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/french-frensdorf.html#700.77.05 Index to Politicians: Fremstad to Frentz]. ''The Political Graveyard''. Retrieved May 25, 2023.</ref> though lost to Democratic opponent Henry B. Metcalfe by around 1,200 votes during the Democratic-friendly election cycle.<ref name=nytimesobit/> He sought the county treasurer position again the following year, though faced defeat by a drastically narrow margin of only 12 votes.

French began as an affiliate of the [[Whig Party]], though subsequently joined the newly established [[Republican Party]].<ref name=nytimesobit/> Years later, when Joseph H. Goldsmith resigned from the position of Suffolk County Treasurer in 1868, French was appointed to the post, serving until 1874.<ref name=nytimesobit/> The same year, French ran in the midterm elections for [[U.S. House of Representatives]] from the state's first congressional district,<ref name=politicalgraveyard>[https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/french-frensdorf.html#700.77.05 Index to Politicians: Fremstad to Frentz]. ''The Political Graveyard''. Retrieved May 25, 2023.</ref> though lost to Democratic opponent Henry B. Metcalfe by around 1,200 votes during the Democratic-friendly election cycle.<ref name=nytimesobit/> He sought the county treasurer position again the following year, though faced defeat by a drastically narrow margin of only 12 votes.