Name origin: One who enjoys liberty, or is entitled to a franchise, or peculiar privilege. The family is believed to be descendants of natives of Firesea or Firesland, a Teutonic race occupying the country around Zuyder Zee. In the fifth century a band of Frisir, the Latin name, joined the Saxons and Angles in their invasion of England.
b.1515 Wallengrove, England; parents ukn
m.abt.1539 Mary Wintershall
b.1519 Bentley, England
CHILD:
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b.1541 Pulborough, Sussex, England; s/o Henry and Mary (Wintershall) Freeman
d.at Pulborough
m.__________ Isham
b.1545 at Pulborough, England
CHILD:
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b.abt.1572 at Pulborough, Sussex, England; s/o John Freeman and Ms.Isham
d.June 6, 1623 at Pulborough
m.Jan. 1, 1591 Pulborough; Alice Coles
b.abt.1576 England, d/o George Coles
CHILDREN (all born Pulborough, England and bapt. St. Mary's Church)included:
NOTES: He made a will dated May 20, 1623, proved June 8, 1623, disposing of about 800 pounds.
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b.July 25, 1596 Pulborough, Sussex, England; s/o Edmund and Alice (Coles) Freeman
d.June 21, 1682 prob.Sandwich, MA
m.(1)June 16, 1617 at Cowfold, Sussex, England; Bennett Hodsoll
b.1596
d.April 12, 1630 at Pulborough, Sussex, England [This date must be an error: see note re Freeman Ancestry in England]
m.(2)Oct. 13, 1617; Elizabeth Greavely
b.Herts, England
d.Feb. 14, 1676
CHILDREN included:
NOTES: On the roster of the ship Abigail which sailed from Plymouth, England to Boston arriving c.Oct. 8, 1635 with smallpox aboard. Richard Hackwell, Master:
Edmund Freeman, 34, gentleman, Pulborough, Lynn Co., Sussex; Mrs. Elizabeth Freeman; Alice Freeman; Edward Freeman 15; Elizabeth Freeman 12; John Freeman 8.
From Directory of Ancestral Heads of New England Families 1620-1700 by Holmes: EDMUND b.Eng., 1590, settled at Lynn, Mass., 1673, later resided at Duxbury, Mass.
From Freeman Ancestry in England Edmund Freeman m.(2)Oct. 13, 1617 to Elizabeth Graveley Hodswell who was b.Herts, England and d.Feb. 14, 1676. He arrived in New England in 1635 and took up abode at Saugus [Lynn], Mass. He was there but a short time, moving to Plymouth where he was made a freeman Jan. 2, 1637.
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b.Jan. 28, 1626 Pulborough, Sussex, England; s/o Edmund and Elizabeth (Greaveley) Freeman
d.Oct. 28, 1719 Eastham or Rochester, MA
m.Feb. 14, 1649 at Eastham, MA; Mercy Prence [Prince]
b.Jan. 4, 1631 Duxbury, MA
d.Sept. 28, 1711 Eastham, MA
CHILDREN included:
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b.ca. 1630 England parents unk
d.May 25, 1718 Attleborough, MA
m.Katherine Lions
CHILDREN included:
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b.ca.1673, presumed son of Ralph Freeman and Katherine Lions
m.Jan. 18, 1699 Alice Peniwell
CHILD of Nathaniel and Alice:
Nathaniel was a bookkeeper, then schoolmaster. Lived in Portsmouth, N.H. and York, ME. Banks' History of York, concludes that Nathaniel "was probably the son of Ralph Freeman of Dedham..."
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