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Thomas Freeman (1653–1716), son of Major John Freeman and Mercy Prence

Rebecca Sparrow (c. 1655–1740), daughter of Captain Jonathan Sparrow and Rebecca Bangs

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Thomas Freeman was born in September 1653. [1] He died on 9 February 1716. [1] He married Rebecca Sparrow on 31 December 1673. [2, no last name for Rebecca][3] Rebecca was the daughter of Jonathan Sparrow. [1][4]

Rebecca Sparrow, the daughter of Captain Jonathan Sparrow and Rebecca Bangs, was born on 30 October 1655. She [5] died in February 1740, age 85. [1][5]

Thomas and Rebecca are buried in the old Burying Ground in (now) Brewster. The inscriptions on their gravestones say: [6]

Thomas was admitted an inhabitant of Eastham before 1675. [3]

Thomas settled in Harwich (now Brewster) and was a founding member of the church on 17 October 1700. [1] He was the first deacon, installed on 28 November 1700. [1]

Thomas was a selectman from 1702 to 1710 and a town clerk from 1701 to 1706. He was appointed coroner in 1695. He might have held earlier offices, but the town records are lost. [1]

Thomas Freeman, Sr. of Harwich made his will on 4 February 1715/6. He named his sons Thomas, Joseph, Prince, Hatsell and Edmond Freeman, his daughters Mercy and Rebecca, and his wife Rebecca. He named his son Thomas and wife Rebecca his executors. His witnesses testified and his estate was probated and administration granted to Rebecca and Thomas on on 20 April 1716. Rebecca testified to his inventory—untotaled and without real estate—the same day. [7]

Rebecca was one of the heirs of her father-in-law who agreed to a division of his estate on 27 January 1719/20.

Rebecca made her will on 13 June 1729. [8]

Children of Thomas Freeman and Rebecca Sparrow: Births, recorded in Harwich [2][3, except Rebecca]

i. Mercy Freeman was born in the last week of October 1674. She married Paul Sears.

Thomas Freeman of Harwich died intestate. His estate was divided between his widow Mary and his children Thomas, James, Bathsheba, and Samuel on 30 July 1718. Administration was granted to his widow Mary the same day. [BWP]

iii. Jonathan Freeman was born on 11 November 1678. He died on 27 April 1714, age 35] in Harwich. [1][8] He is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Brewster. [8] He married first Mercy, the daughter of John Bradford, on 12 October 1708 in Plymouth. [8] She died on 27 June 1738, age 56, in Plympton. [8] She married second Isaac Cushman on 10 October 1717 in Harwich. [8] Isaac was the son of Reverend Isaac and Rebecca Cushman. [8] He married first Sarah, the daughter of Thomas and Alice (Warren) Gibbs, on 28 January 1700/1 in Plymouth. [8]

iv. Edmond Freeman was born on 11 October 1680. He died on 10 March 1745/6, age 65. [1][8] He is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Brewster. [8] He married Phebe Watson of Boston. [1][8] Phebe, the daughter of Elkanah and Mercy (Hedge) Watson, was born in June 1681. [8]

Paine refers to Edmond as "Colonel" Edmond Freeman. [1] He was a selectman in Harwich and representative for many years. [1][8] He was a justice of the peace. [8]

Edmond Freeman of Harwich, gentleman, made his will on 18 February 1745. It was proved on 14 May 1745. Inventory was taken on 24 1746. It totaled £7,540-08-02 and included several enslaved persons. [8]

v. Captain Joseph Freeman was born on 11 February 1682. He died in March 1756. [1] He married first Lydia Thatcher of Yarmouth. [1][8] Lydia, the daughter of John Thacher and Lydia Gorham, died on 3 September 1724 and is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Brewster. [8] He married second Mary (Watson) Freeman on 9 September 1736 in Harwich. Mary was the sister of Joseph's brother Edmond's wife Phebe. [8] She married first her stepbrother Nathaniel Freeman on 24 October 1706 in Harwich. [8] Nathaniel, the son John Freeman and his first wife Sarah Herrick, was born on 24 October 1706 in Eastham and died on 5 January 1719/20. [8]

Joseph was a selectman and representative for many years and a justice of the peace. [1]

vi. Joshua Freeman was born on 7 March 1684/5. He apparently died before 4 February 1715/6.

vii. Hannah Freeman was born on 27 September 1687. She apparently died before 4 February 1715/6.

viii. Prince (Prence) Freeman was born on 3 January 1689. He died on 14 April 1769, age 79, in Chatham (now East Hampton), Connecticut. [8] He married Mary Doane of Eastham on 20 March 1711/2 in Eastham. [1][8] Mary was the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Godfrey) Doane. [8]

Prince is referred to as Prince in the records, but he might have been named after his grandmother Mercy Prence and her family.

ix. Hodsoll Freeman was born on 27 March 1691. He died on 23 May 1733. [1] He married Abigail Hallett of Yarmouth on 18 June 1719 in Yarmouth. [1][8] Abigail, the daughter of Jonathan and Abigail (Dexter) Hallett of Yarmouth was born on 15 November 1698 in Yarmouth, died on 9 December 1796, age 98, and is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Brewster. [8]

Hodsoll's name is not spelled this way in the records, but presumably he is named after his great-grandmother Bennett Hodsoll.

x. Rebecca Freeman was born on 26 April 1694. She died after 13 November 1757. [8] She married first Joseph Vickery. [8] She married second as his second wife John Wing. [8] John, the son of John and Elizabeth (Dillingham) Wing, died on 12 June 1758, age 77, in Harwich and is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Brewster. [8] He married first Bethiah Winslow on 12 March 1712/3 in Harwich. [8] Bethiah, the daughter of Kenelm and Bethiah (Hall) Winslow, died on 19 June 1720, probably from complications of childbirth, in Harwich. [8]

References:

1. Joseph Paine, "The Freemans—The Eastham Branch of the Sandwich Family—Major John Freeman," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 20 (1866): 59–63, 353–5.

2. George Ernest Bowman, "Harwich, Mass., Vital Records," Mayflower Descendant 3: 174–5.

3. David Hamlin, "First Settlers of Eastham, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6 (1852): 41–46.

4. George Ernest Bowman, "The Heirs of Captain Jonathan Sparrow as Shown by a Conveyance Dated 5 October, 1708, Mayflower Descendant 14 (1912): 1–5.

5. Mary Walton Ferris, Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines, vol. 2 (Milwaukee: Cuneo Press, 1931–1943), 767.

6. Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 03 August 2023), memorial pages for

7. "Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685–1789," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, vol. 3: 268–71 (Thomas, Sr.); 299–300 (Thomas, Jr.).

8. Alicia Crane Williams, "Early New England Families, 1641–1700," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org > Brewster, William (MFIP Patience), 42–56.

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Last revised: 04-Aug-2023