Freeman Family

FREEMAN FAMILY

Sarah How of Studham married William Freeman of Gaddesden Row in the spring of 1877, their first child Mary Ann was born a few weeks later in Gaddesden Row. William worked as a Sheppard and Sarah a straw plater.

The Freemans moved a lot over the coming years this is noted with the births of the 10 children. Herbert in Studham in 1879, 1880 Frank in Eaton Bray and only 9 months old, has already moved to Kensworth were Alice was born in 1882. Emily, in Wood End 1884, Frederick followed by Ellen both born in Leavesden.

The family move to Leverstock Green can be gauged by the birth of Elizabeth in 1892 in Bushey and Kate born in Westwick Row two years later. William the last child was born in Westwick Row in 1897.

Mary Ann the family’s oldest child, when aged just 17 died in Westwick Row on 7^th December 1894. Ellen would only appear on the 1891 census and Elizabeth went to Hill End Asylum.

Two from the Herts Advertiser about William Freeman.

July 1901: LEVERSTOCK GREEN. Educational.— At the St. Albans Divisional Sessions on Saturday, William Freeman, of St. Michael’s, was summoned for not sending his son regularly to school.—Mr. G. Everitt (school attendance officer) stated the facts of the case, and defendant was ordered to send the boy to school, and to pay the costs the summons, 4s.

William did not appear at the St Albans Divisional Sessions to answer a charge of being drunk and disorderly at Leverstock Green on Sept. 16^th 1907—P.C. Hackle stated that he was on duty in Leverstock Green when he saw defendant staggering about the road, drunk. P.C. Hackle said he told Freeman to go away twice, but he proceeded to use very bad language having previously cautioned him, owing to the fact that he was continually drunk.—The Bench considered the case a very bad one, William was fined 10 shillings (50p) or 14 days jail.

All four of the Freeman brothers served in the forces during the war. Three in the army and Frederick in the Royal Navy.

William the youngest was baptised in the village church on 14^th May 1907 aged 10 years and married there in 1921. He served in the army during the war; enlisting into the Hertfordshire Regiment in May 1915, going over to France during August 1916, there he’s transferred to the West Riding Regiment. The family were lucky not to lose a third son as William was wounded in the arm and returned to England in October 1917 and did not serve overseas again.

Frederick Freeman who had enlisted in the Royal Navy as a boy seaman a number of years before the war. During the war he saw service on H.M.S. Moth, a small gun boat in Mesopotamia, now Iraq.

Both Sarah and William lived into their 70s