Fanny FREEMAN

1814 - 1893  (78 years)

• Name	Fanny FREEMAN
  Birth	12 Nov 1814	Hertfordshire   [1, 2]
  Baptism	25 Dec 1814	Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire   [2]
  Gender	Female
  1841 Census	Bovingdon, Hertfordshire   [3]
  	At 1841 Census, she is "26"
  1851 Census	Budge Row, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire   [4]
  	At 1851 Census, she is 37, occ "Straw Plait Manufacturer" - note she is Freeman, not Merridon.
  1861 Census	A Cottage, Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire   [5]
  	At 1861 Census, she is 47, occ "Straw Plaiter"
  1871 Census	Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire   [6]
  	At 1871 Census, she is 57, occ "straw plaiter"
  1881 Census	Crouchfield (North Side), Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire   [7]
  	At 1881 Census, she is 59, occ "Charwoman"
  1891 Census	49, Puller Road, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire   [1]
  	At 1891 Census, she is 79
  Individual Note	Evidence for Fanny being Ann's mother comes from 1891 Census when Ann's children are granddaughters; although the date of Ann's birth appears to be after William had died.  [1]
  Individual Note 2	best match on death is Jul qtr 1893, Hemel Hempstead, vol 3a, p368
  Death	27 Sep 1893	Hertfordshire   [8]
  Person ID	I41	Webb
  Last Modified	9 Mar 2025

  
  

  Father	Thomas FREEMAN,   b. Abt 1780, Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire d. 1851, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire (Age 71 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Anne GHOST,   b. Abt 1778, Tring, Hertfordshire d. Abt 1849, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire (Age 71 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	13 Feb 1802	Union Workhouse, Redbourn Rd., Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire   [9]
  Family Note	There are other children born to Thomas and Ann, but in general I have ignored those born between 1802 and 1815 in Hemel Hempstead
  Family ID	F24	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	William MEREDEN,   b. 4 Dec 1811, Latimer, Buckinghamshire
  Marriage	19 Dec 1831	Bovingdon, Hertfordshire   [10, 11]
  Notes	The tree at http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/34754962/person/18699292740 has Fanny's parents as Tom and Ann (HADDEN)
  Children	1. Ann MERRIDON,   b. 12 May 1853, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire d. 1896, 39, Puller Road, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire (Age 42 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Henry MERRIDON,   b. 2 Apr 1832, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Joseph MERRIDON,   b. 12 Apr 1834, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. Keziah MEREDEN,   b. 1843, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. Thomas MEREDEN,   b. 1850, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F13	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	9 Mar 2025

  
  

  Family 2	David MONGER,   b. 1817, Overton, Hampshire
  Marriage	6 Dec 1892	St John, Station Road, Boxmoor, Hertfordshire   [12]
  Family ID	F16	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	9 Mar 2025

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 12 Nov 1814 - Hertfordshire Baptism - 25 Dec 1814 - Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire 1841 Census - At 1841 Census, she is "26" - - Bovingdon, Hertfordshire 1851 Census - At 1851 Census, she is 37, occ "Straw Plait Manufacturer" - note she is Freeman, not Merridon. - - Budge Row, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire 1871 Census - At 1871 Census, she is 57, occ "straw plaiter" - - Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire Marriage - 19 Dec 1831 - Bovingdon, Hertfordshire Marriage - 6 Dec 1892 - St John, Station Road, Boxmoor, Hertfordshire Death - 27 Sep 1893 - Hertfordshire  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Notes

  1841 Census implies Fanny's parents are Thomas and Ann and she has siblings James and Ann (see also 1851 Census). The following family on the internet has more info, eg birth of 12/11/1814 :- http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/24171653/family?cfpid=1483820285 For the 1861 Census, Ann and Fanny are living with Martha MONGER, aged 17 at the time. She was originally written in as "dau", crossed out to "head", as befits a new entry/address. The 1851 Census for Martha identifies her parents as David and Jane MONGER - David Monger who Fanny later marries. Fanny and many of her descendents were straw plaiters, an activity particularly practised by women and daughters, and particularly in this part of the country. The blog https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2019/06/05/straw-plaiting-in-rural-britain/ and the article https://prestonherts.co.uk/strawplaiting.htm has some information on this.

  
  

• Sources

  [S26] 1891 Census :- 49, Puller Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. [S229] Baptism register :- Great Gaddesden (1814). [S75] 1841 Census :- Bovingdon, Hertfordshire. [S74] 1851 Census :- Budge Row, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire. [S12] 1861 Census :- A Cottage, Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. [S16] 1871 Census :- Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. [S22] 1881 Census :- Crouchfield (North Side), Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. [S227] IGI record of Death :- Fanny Freeman (1893). [S163] IGI record of Marriage :- Thomas Freeman - Ann Ghast (1802). [S73] Marriage transcript :- William Merriden - Fanny Freeman (1831). [S2934] Marriage register :- William Merriden - Fanny Freeman (1831). [S228] Marriage register entry :- David Monger - Fanny Freeman (1892).