FREEMAN Royal

Notes:

Jared, born December 27 1753, was one of two of Samuel and Mary's sons who trekked westward to try their fortunes in the relatively open lands of Berkshire County. He began his family at Sturbridge but moved, judging from land transactions, around 1784. Ten years earlier he married, by necessity, Martha Marcy; within seven months daughter Mary was born. In 1777 they had a son, Royal; no other children were recorded here. At the time of the 1800 census, the family was listed in Windsor, Massachusetts with three sons and two daughters. Ten years later, now in Lanesboro, only two children were enumerated in the family. He died sometime before 1820; on that census list his family was not listed as an independent household.76

Initially, Jared intended to farm nearer to home. In 1779 he acquired, for L225, rights to a fifty acre farmstead in Dudley. Four years later he purchased (for L20) from Abijah Sairles an adjoining thirty-five acre parcel, as well as rights (for L60) to Sarah Cheney's widow's dower of ten acres and a dwellinghouse—possibly part of the same farm—though he was not allowed possession until her death. His last recorded transaction was in 1784, the deed which quitclaimed to his youngest brother Walter rights in their mother's third.77

If he divested himself of any of this property before departing the county, the deeds were not recorded. A later document suggests that he may have become embroiled legal difficulties relating to some of his land deals (perhaps motivating him to leave?). In 1798, Jared Freeman formally granted his brother Benjamin power of attorney "in all causes real, personal, or mixed, moved or to be moved for me or against me in any court of law." The problems may have been tied particularly to the land of Sarah Cheney, now deceased, which he specified his brother was to sell.78

Died:
died before 1820

Jared married MARCY Martha. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Notes for SAMUEL FREEMAN:
Samuel Freeman was the son of Benjamin Freeman and Rachel Peck.
Thomas Wilmouth of Attleborough was appointed as his guardian and on
16 May 1732 in Attleborough, MA, Samuel Freeman was listed as "under
14" and the son of Benjamin Freeman, deceased. He served as a
Lieutenant of the MA troops in the French and Indian Wars in 1763.
After the death of his son, Samuel, he was appointed guardian of his
grandson, Chester, only two months before his own death. Benjamin
and Comfort Freeman were sureties under a bond of L200 on 31 October
1772 at Sturbridge, MA. Upon the death of Samuel Freeman, his sons
Benjamin and Comfort Freeman were appointed Administrators of his
estate on 20 January 1773 at Sturbridge, MA. The inventory of his
estate showed a value of L1203 on 21 February 1773 at Sturbridge, Ma.
The probate court ordered the distribution of his estate to his
heirs. Receipts were given by Silas and Rachel Hodges, Mary Freeman
as guardian for Urania, Jared Freeman, Comfort Freeman, Daniel
Plimpton and Moses Wild on 28 March 1774 at Sturbridge, MA.

Samuel Freeman was descended from Ralph Freeman of Dedham and
Attleborough, MA. A blacksmith, he settled in Sturbridge, where he
was the first resident of the area that is now Southbridge, MA. He
built the first house in what is now the center of Southbridge. He
and Col.Moses Marcy of Dudley owned a large part of the land in
Southbridge.

His death in 1772, proceded by the deaths of his son Samuel, and
daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Cheney Freeman, only three months earlier
created havoc in this family. Both Samuels had minor children for
whom guardians were appointed. Chester Freeman, son of the younger
Samuel, came under the guardianship of his grandfather, only to have
his grandfather die and have another guardian appointed. A third
generation Samuel, born in 1772, died as an infant in the summer of
1773. Although there is no record as to what brought on this
catastrophe, it is possible that a sickness went through the family,
or even that there was an epidemic at Sturbridge at the time.


Thanks go to Robert Freeman for this information on the Freeman
Family.
Sources:
1.Abstracts of Bristol County, MA, Probate Records, 1687-1745, p.203
(book 7, pp335-336)
2.Freeman Genealogy, p. 377, n 77
3 Genealogical Memorial and Family Records of the Ammidown Family,
and a Partial Record of some other Families of Sturbridge,Ma, p.36
4.Massachusetts Commonwealth: Worcester County Probate Records, 1731-
1881, v 19, pp 249, 277, 433; dockets 22345, 22407, 22408

Birth:
1 MAR 1721/1722

Samuel married CHUBB Mary on 09 May 1744 in Needham, Norfolk Co., MA. Mary was born about 1724 in MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Benjamin married PECK Rachel on 03 Jul 1718 in Attleboro, Bristol Co., MA. Rachel (daughter of PECK Hezekiah and COOPER Deborah) was born on 18 Apr 1698 in Attleboro, Bristol Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]