Freeman

Richard FREEMAN lived in New Alresford, Hampshire, and was a wheelwright (perhaps also an owner or operator of horse-drawn vehicles). According to much later information given by a Freeman family firm, he was born in 1777. (research note - that would be right for the census age - will need to get to the non-familysearch pre-1780 parish register to check it out - and/or gravestone or similar)

There are a lot of baptisms in the Alresford parish registers to Richard and Elizabeth FREEMAN. They span 40 years so can't all have the same mother. It appears that the later ones belong to a second wife called Elizabeth (see below); the earlier ones are as follows:
David 1804
William 1807
Richard 1809
Ann 1812
James 1819
John 1821

I am confident that at least James and John belong to Richard our wheelwright - as detailed below, John appears with him in the 1841 census, and James seems to replace Richard in address and occupation in the 1851 census. The older ones I know much less about, and the gap between Ann and James makes me hesitate, but Richard was about 27 in 1804, which is a more normal age to start having children (in the 19th century) than 42, which he was in 1819. More specifically, there are clues that William and Richard junior followed occupations related to those of Richard senior - see below. So, unless I turn up evidence to the contrary, I will assume that all the above six children are probably part of the same family. The gap in the baptisms could be down to a lot of things: one or two stillbirths, or infant deaths too sudden to allow baptism; one of the parents being ill or otherwise temporarily not able to have children (or connected to their feelings about losing little Ann - see below); the family might have lived in another parish for a few years, or even baptised in another denomination.

I haven't found much about Elizabeth the mother. To have children from 1804 to 1821 she'd probably be roughly the same age as Richard. I haven't yet found a clear candidate for the marriage, but I guess it would have taken place in the early 1800s. In the New Alresford parish register, there is a burial of an Elizabeth FREEMAN in 1827, so it seems that she died then, with young John only about 6 or 7. Richard was evidently able to remarry by 1830 anyway - see below.

I have some hints about what happened to these children. I don't have anything on David yet, but a William of roughly the right age to be the 1807 baptism is next door to our Richard in the 1841 census as a carrier, and a Richard born 1809 turns up in the 1841 census in a nearby parish as a wheelwright - consistent with the idea that they were sons of Richard senior's youth, ready to start up in their own businesses before he was ready to hand his on, and so they moved out, one hiving off a sideline and one setting up a suitable distance away.

An Ann FREEMAN was buried in New Alresford in 1812, so I fear that is most likely to be Richard and Elizabeth's infant daughter.

James is our next ancestor, so he has his own section below. He seems to have been close to John, so some info on John is also in the same section. It is not surprising if they were close, being close in age, but several years away from any of their other siblings (ten years either side, if Ann did die in infancy), and having lost their mother at a young age.

Research notes for these questions: When we get to the pre-1780 registers, are there baptisms suggesting more than one Richard of an age to have children in the 18-noughties? Is there a will(s) or gravestone(s) that ties the family together or demonstrates there were two of them? MIs? There is a burial of an Elizabeth FREEMAN in the 1840s that does not appear to correspond to our family, and there's a Richard in 1859, who may or may not relate to any of the several Richards suggested by the baptism registers.

Richard FREEMAN married Elizabeth MITCHELL in Andover in 1830. Noah's 1840 birth certificate confirms that his parents were Richard FREEMAN and Elizabeth formerly MITCHELL; I take it therefore that she was the mother of all the following baptisms to Richard and Elizabeth FREEMAN in New Alresford:
Unknown (Frederic, from a later census) 1831
Susannah 1834
Robert 1835
Abraham 1838
Noah 1840
Elizabeth 1843

The family firm said Richard FREEMAN (I guess this one) was 'licensed to let horses and gigs' in 1830. In 1841 he is listed as a wheelwright on West Street in New Alresford with Elizabeth, John, Frederic and Robert, with a William, very possibly Richard's son too, listed as a carrier next door.

There look to have been a number of deaths in this phase of the family: late in 1834 there's a Susannah burial, and an Abraham and a Noah were buried just eleven days apart in late 1840, with our Noah's baptism in the interval (given as 'Nash' on familysearch). None of these children appear with the family in the 1841 census, so I think it must be likely the burials are theirs.

Acording to the family firm, Richard the father also died, in 1845; there's certainly a burial of a Richard FREEMAN in New Alresford that year, and Elizabeth his wife seems to have remarried by 1851.

She appears then as the wife of a reporter called John WILLCOX in Winchester (ref HO107/1674/~F169). Rob aged 15 and Elizabeth aged 9 are with them (and both FREEMAN born Alresford, which seals the identification of the family) - John did not seem to have children of his own or with Elizabeth. I haven't so far found any of them after that.

I do think I have Frederick in 1851 (ref HO107/1721/~F298)- he's in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, working as assistant to a chemist called Frederic W Payne, and living with him and and his family. Again the Alresford birthplace is what identifies him. He seemed to make a good go of his business, appearing in later years in nearby Wendover as a chemist in his own right (variously also stationer, druggist and/or postmaster), with a wife Anne and children (at least ten by my rough count), and employing a servant each time. (refs RG9/0861/~F29, RG10/1408/F?, RG11/1469/F?, absent 1891, RG13/1352/~F110). Interestingly, he has a grandaughter called PAYNE, so it appears one of his daughters may have married some relative of his former employer. He looks to have died in 1916 aged 84 (Deaths Mar 1916 FREEMAN Frederick 84 Wycombe 3a 1106 is the only one for his name in Bucks born 1825-35 post 1900)

James FREEMAN had left home by the time of the 1841 census. Based on name, age and occupation (he followed his father as a wheelwright), I think I have him lodging in Southampton (ref HO107/416/2 f39).

He married Sarah JUDD in 1844 in Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire. Searching the 1841 census returns for both Sarah's birthplace (Sparsholt in Hampshire) and Abbots Langley doesn't find her family but does find a number of other JUDDs (and one family of FREEMANs), suggesting that some family background or connections took them there. Perhaps also something to do with James's brother John or John's own bride Mary CAPLIN - their marriage regsistration appears on the same index page (1844 Q1 Watford 6 735) as James's, and so perhaps took place at the same service?? John witnessed James's marriage so he was at least in the church that day.

When James's father died just a year or so later it seems that, unlike his older brothers, he did not have his own established business; he looks to have taken over the family shop, appearing as a wheelwright in West Street, New Alresford in 1851. Brother John is again next door, working as a carrier (possibly taken over from his uncle William?), with his wife Mary and their three young children (they later had 4 more children down to 1859).

Starting from the census and checking up in the civil birth registration indexes, James and Sarah's children were:
James 1844 in Watford district (there are two indistinguishable entries in the birth register: Births, 1844 Q4 FREEMAN James, Watford 6 585 or 587)
Sarah Ann 1845/46 in New Alresford (1846 Q1 FREEMAN Sarah Ann, Alresford, 7 2 - there is also a baptism entry in the parish register, in May 1846 - the only one to James and Sarah)
Emma about 1847 (no apparent birth registered in Alresford - there is one in Watford district, but Q4 1846)
John 1849 (looks like 1849 Q3 FREEMAN John, Alresford 7 2 [or 3, the FreeBMD image is poor])
Arthur/Richard 1851 (1851 Q3 FREEMAN Arthur, Alresford 7 2 - see discussion of this identity below)
Edward 1853 (1853 Q2 FREEMAN Edward, Alresford 2c 112)
Charles 1858 (1858 Q2 FREEMAN Charles, Alresford 2c 124)
Frederick 1861/62 (1862 Q1 FREEMAN Frederick, Alresford 2c 143)

These children mostly do not appear to have been baptised in the parish church - I wonder if James and Sarah were nonconformists, or just lax at baptism.

James and Sarah and their children lived in Alresford at until the early 1870s. Their address in the 1861 census was Church Cottages, but in 1871 West Street again. I don't know whether that means they moved twice, or whether the same house was given different labels in different censuses. James's occupation was the same.

Oddly enough, James and Sarah (definitely the same couple, by residence, occupation and maiden name) had a son Arthur in July 1851 (and from 1881 onwards there's an Arthur FREEMAN of matching age and birthplace - see below). But in the 1861 and 71 censuses they are not with an Arthur. They have a son Richard in those records, who they say is 10 in 1861 and 19 in 71. Though as noted above the birth registrations of the children are generally easy to find on FreeBMD, there is no Richard in the district (not even the county I don't think) around that time. If Richard was born before Arthur to the same parents, he'd have to be born before about October 1850 and would show up in the 1851 census. If he were younger, he wouldn't be born before April 1852 and would be unlikely to be given as 10 in the 1861 census. In either case there would be three births in the family within two years, which is in itself unlikely. Further, Richard's 1871 occupation of painter matches with Arthur's occupation from 1881-1901. So I conclude Richard is Arthur.

In 1875 James and Sarah and their two youngest boys moved to the nearby village of Cheriton. James set up a business, later known after the two sons who took it over. Its story is told by the firm itself in a letter of 1985, of which I have a copy:

"In the 1870s James Freeman began to look for new premises to expand his wheelwright business and to have space to start up a timber yard and saw mills.

"He subsequently came to Cheriton where he acquired the site of a small farmyard known as Cotinans Close (where the present firm is still situated) and commenced work in 1875 with the help of his two sons Charles (1858-1939) and Frederick (1862-1921). At first there were about 6 tradesmen-wheelwrights and carpenters. There was also a dairy in the yard with a milk round, which supplied 42 houses in the village and continued for a number of years. Butter was made at the dairy, which had a local reputation for its quality."

This phase of the firm's development looks to be consistent with the 1881 census, which has James as a farmer of 10 acres and wheelwright. He's living with Sarah, their sons Charles and Frederick, and a George FREEMAN, born London, aged 13 and described as a cousin.

James looks to have died in 1889 (ref Deaths Jun 1889 Freeman James 69 Alresford 2c 83). Sarah appears in Cheriton as a widow in the 1891 and 1901 censuses; she lived with George from London, now described as her nephew, and next door to her son Frederick. I can't find her in the 1911 census, but nor can I identify which might be her death registration. I guess she probably did die somewhere during the decade, being 85 at its beginning, but conceivably she remarried or I just haven't found her yet.

I haven't followed up what became of most of the children yet. As I say Richard went back to his birth name Arthur, and his adult life is detailed below. Charles and Frederick moved with their parents to Cheriton and took on the business that their father started there. I quote the continuation of the same letter from their firm, describing its history.

"Eventually the business developed and taking the name of the two sons, C. & F. Freeman were trading as building contractors, English and Foreign timber Merchants, wheelwrights and undertakers. The firm continued without change until Frederick Freeman's death in 1921 and under their skilful direction, built up for itself a high name over a wide area.

"On the death of Frederick Freeman, Charles Freeman was joined by his brother's son William J. Freeman (1890-1942). On account of his advancing years, Charles Freeman retired in 1931 in favour of his own son Charles E. Freeman (1884-1957)."

The firm continued with family involvement until at least 1985, but I understand it later ceased trading and its site has been developed (around 2010) into upmarket houses, still known as Freeman's Yard.

Having been born in Hampshire as Arthur, and grown up there as Richard, our man next turns up in Leeds in 1877. I do not know why he should have moved so far - the feeling in the family seems to be that he fell out with his parents, but I have no specifics. Changing the name they had brough him up with might be indicative.

When Arthur does turn up, he's marrying Elizabeth WETHERALD, a woman of his own age from Sunderland in County Durham. Again, I don't know what she's doing in Leeds.

They had five known children:
Ethel about 1878 in Leeds
Althea in 1879 in Brighton (or perhaps Hove, actually), Sussex
Frederick Roland about 1881 in Leeds
James Edward in 1884 in Leeds
Carrie (Caroline I think) about 1889 in Leeds

Arthur continued working as a (house) painter.

The family (at this stage just with two daughters) lived at 125 Meanwood Road in north west Leeds in 1881. Their neighbours generally seem to have been tradesmen and shopkeepers so I guess this may have been a row of shops and they lived above.

In 1891 there were at an address something like 1 Back Blundell Terrace - perhaps this was a back-to-back with both sides sharing a street name. From the information in the census it seems to have been just a 4-room house, occupied by Arthur and Elizabeth and their five children.

In 1901 they were just around the corner at 3 Warwick Terrace (Warwick something anyway)in west Leeds. I think from the 1891 return that the houses in this street were a bit larger - they don't have a number of rooms occupied, which indicates there were at least 5. This time, also with the family is a nephew of Elizabeth’s, Harry Weatherald, a lad of 19 born in Dewsbury, who works as a house painter (presumably for his uncle Arthur). Frederick also works for his dad, but James is apprenticed to a plumber. Ethel doesn’t appear in this census and has presumably left home by now.

Arthur was still a painter in 1908, on his son’s marriage certificate.

I gather from an online index that they were also in west Leeds in 1911, but I haven’t got that via my census website at this stage.

Elizabeth must have died some time between 1901 and 1920, because Arthur married again. There’s a likely registration in 1917 in Leeds district.

Arthur married Gertrude RIDER in 1920 in the Leeds district; he was about 70 by this point.

There's a likely death registration for Arthur in 1932 in Leeds North district. Without an age I can't really identify Gertrude's death, but there's just one in Leeds - 1953, aged 79 which would make her 46 to Arthur's 69 when they married (ie born around 1874; there's a Gertrude Rider birth registered in Wakefield that year (and another in 1880), or one in Leeds in 1872, and various other possible candidates. I guess I'll have to wait on the 1921 census unless I get a gravestone, will or something come down through the family that gives her age or birth date/place.