Francis FREEMAN
1749 - 1824 (75 years)
-
Name Francis FREEMAN Birth 1749 Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire 
[1] Baptism 14 May 1749 Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire [1] Gender Male Individual Note Described as a "pauper" at Shadrach's burial [2] Death 1824 Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire [3] Burial 4 Apr 1824 Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire [3] Person ID I154 Webb Last Modified 24 Mar 2025
Father Francis FREEMAN Relationship natural Mother Ann ???? Relationship natural Notes - There is no very obvious evidence of a marriage between Francis and Ann. IGI identifies 2 other probable children in Hertfordshire - Eliseph (b1752), who probably died 1752 and Mary (b1744). Mary is also mentioned in the parish register, but there is no mother - nor are any of the children's mothers mentioned. So it is likely on that basis that they were married 1735-1745, but there are no obviously suitable internet records anywhere in the country. The key problem is that the parish registers for Great Gaddesden from 1711 to 1741 are missing. This means that if, as would be most probable, that both Francis and Ann are from Great Gaddesden, we are unlikely to ever know their births or even marriage. The nearby parishes of Little Gaddesden, Harpenden etc have possible names, but there is no obvious reason to pick any of these.
So the story finishes with some speculation and comments.....
There is a marriage with Ann CLARK in Watford 20/4/1729, but this seems too early. However internet trees have children born to this marriage in the 1730s....I think this is not correct, as there are the following children baptised to Francis and Anne at the parish church in Watford:-
Thomas (1731)
Francis (1732/3)
Anne (1736)
Mary (1739)
Francis (1754)
(There is also an unnamed, and so presumably young child of Francis Freeman buried on 31st Feb(?) 1730/1)
The gap between Mary and Francis is tempting to think the family married in Watford, moved 12 miles to Great Gaddesden and then moved back to Watford, but the baptism of Francis in 1754 while Francis (b1749) is still alive makes this seem more unlikely than not.
In addition, there is a marriage between Francis Freeman and Ruth IVORY on 6/12/1753 at Great Gaddesden. A number of children are recorded as born to these :-
James (1757)
Fanney (1759)
Jenny (1762)
John (1764)
There is also Thos, in 1755, but the parents given as Frances and Eliz.
There is no evidence for a death of Ann Freeman up to and including the marriage of 6/12/1753 at Great Gaddesden. There is a burial of Ann FREE on 12 Aug 1749. It is possible that there was a communication problem and if so that would fit a reasonable story....
Family ID F142 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Mary MAILS, b. 1749, Flamstead, Hertfordshire d. 1833, Water End, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire (Age 84 years) Marriage 7 Jan 1775 Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire [4] Children 1. Thomas FREEMAN, b. Abt 1780, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire d. 1851, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire (Age 71 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]2. Pheobe FREEMAN, b. 1797, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]3. John FREEMAN, b. 1783, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]4. James FREEMAN, b. 1788, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]5. Ruth FREEMAN, b. Abt 1790, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire d. 1851, Union Workhouse, Redbourn Rd., Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire (Age 61 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]6. William FREEMAN, b. 1776, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]7. Joseph FREEMAN, b. Abt 1786, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]8. Shadrach FREEMAN, b. Abt 1792, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire d. 1792, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire (Age 0 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]Family ID F55 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 24 Mar 2025
- There is no very obvious evidence of a marriage between Francis and Ann. IGI identifies 2 other probable children in Hertfordshire - Eliseph (b1752), who probably died 1752 and Mary (b1744). Mary is also mentioned in the parish register, but there is no mother - nor are any of the children's mothers mentioned. So it is likely on that basis that they were married 1735-1745, but there are no obviously suitable internet records anywhere in the country. The key problem is that the parish registers for Great Gaddesden from 1711 to 1741 are missing. This means that if, as would be most probable, that both Francis and Ann are from Great Gaddesden, we are unlikely to ever know their births or even marriage. The nearby parishes of Little Gaddesden, Harpenden etc have possible names, but there is no obvious reason to pick any of these.
-
Event Map 
Birth - 1749 - Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire 
Baptism - 14 May 1749 - Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire Marriage - 7 Jan 1775 - Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire Death - 1824 - Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire Burial - 4 Apr 1824 - Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire = Link to Google Earth
-
Notes - Data on Francis Freeman based on somebody of about the right age in the same village. Reasonable but not definite by any means.....
My reading of the handwriting looks like "Frances", ie the female version, though it does clearly say "son of". However I have used "Francis" as it is not clear, and simplifies things in this tree.
Note - 2 different docs on baptism, but the one chosen appears to be the contemporaneous one.....
- Data on Francis Freeman based on somebody of about the right age in the same village. Reasonable but not definite by any means.....
-
Sources