My 10th-great-grandfather, Edmund Freeman, was baptized 25 July 1596 at Pulborough, England, and died before 2 November 1682 in Sandwich, Massachusetts. He married (as his first wife) 16 June 1617 in Cowford, England, Bennett Hodsoll, who was baptized 26 August 1600 and died before 12 April 1630, when she was buried in Pulborough.
Bennett was only 29 years old when she died and she lies buried in St. Mary’s Churchyard in Pulborough, England. Edmund married (as his second wife) c. 1634 in England, Elizabeth (—), who was born c. 1600, and died 14 February 1676 in Sandwich.
Edmund, a farmer, his second wife Elizabeth, and Alice, Edmund, Elizabeth and John, his surviving children from his first marriage, arrived in America in 1635 on the ship Abigail. At first they lived in Saugus (now Lynn) and then moved to Sandwich in 1637. Edmund & Elizabeth were original settlers of Sandwich, the oldest town on Cape Cod, which was incorporated in 1639.
When I was a small child developing a strong curiosity about family history, my grandmother told me about her 8th-great-grandfather, Edmund Freeman, who was buried with his second wife Elizabeth, in the Saddle & Pillion graves in Sandwich. Over the years I occasionally tried to locate these graves but couldn’t make sense of any description of where in Sandwich they were located. At long last, I stumbled across a blog, Historical Tid-Bits of Cape Cod’s Oldest Town, which had a link to a map! Maps (pictures) I can understand! And so in October 2017, while visiting Cape Cod, my sister and I drove right up to the beginning of a short trail that led us to the site in the woods.
Freeman settled on his homestead about a mile and a quarter east of the present Town Hall on the sloping land leading from what is now Tupper Road down to the Cape Cod Canal. (Most of the former Freeman land is now occupied by the NRG power plant.) They lived out their lives here and when Elizabeth passed away on February 14, 1676, Edmond buried her on a hill on their farm. He marked her grave with a large stone likening to a pillion (a British term for the seat behind the saddle on a horse). With foresight, Edmond also positioned a large stone that resembled a saddle to be used as a monument for his own grave. Family tradition tells us that the headstones reminded Edmund of the early years in Sandwich when he and Elizabeth traveled by horseback over the fields of their farm. Edmund Freeman died in 1682 and was buried beside Elizabeth, the longer stone, “the saddle,” was placed over his grave.
The burial place became known as the Saddle and Pillion Cemetery and is the oldest burying ground in Sandwich. Bronze plaques were added to these stones in 1910 by their descendants.
~ Sandwich Historical Commission website
Bennett & Edmund were the parents of six children:
1. Alice Freeman, baptized 4 April 1619 at Pulborough, died 24 April 1651 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. She married (as his first wife) 24 November 1639, in Sandwich, Dea. William Paddy, who was born c. 1600 and died 24 August 1658 in Boston, Massachusetts.
2. Edmund Freeman, baptized 26 November 1620 at Billingshurst, England, died 29 March 1673. He married (as his first wife) 22 April 1646 in Sandwich, Rebecca Prence, who was baptized 22 May 1627 in Plymouth and died before 23 March 1648 in Sandwich, daughter of Thomas & Patience (Brewster) Prence.
Edmund married (as his second wife) 18 July 1651 in Sandwich, Margaret Perry, who was born there c. 1624 and died there 5 November 1688, daughter of Edmund & Sarah (Crowell) Perry.
3. Bennett Freeman, baptized 20 January 1621 at Billingshurst, died before 13 January 1634, age 12.
4. Elizabeth Freeman, baptized 11 April 1624 at Billingshurst, died 24 June 1692 in Rochester, Massachusetts. She married c. 1644, Lt. John Ellis, who was born 14 September 1623 in England and died c. 1676 in Sandwich. John was censured to be whipped at a public post for committing uncleanness with Elizabeth before their marriage. Elizabeth had to stand by and observe the whipping.
5. Maj. John Freeman (my 9th-great-grandfather), baptized 28 January 1627 in Billingshurst, died 28 October 1719 in Eastham, Massachusetts. He married 13 February 1650 in Eastham, Mercy Prence, who was born c. 1631 in Plymouth and died 28 September 1711 in Eastham, daughter of Thomas & Patience (Brewster) Prence.
6. Nathaniel Freeman, baptized 2 September 1629 in Billingshurst, buried 12 September 1629 in Pulborough.
Edmund & Elizabeth were the parents of a daughter:
1. Mary Freeman, born c. 1636, died 5 November 1688 in Sandwich. She married c. 1652, Edward Perry, who was born c. 1630 and died 16 February 1695 in Sandwich.
Last Revised: 6 September 2024