My 9th-great-grandfather, Maj. John Freeman, son of Edmund & Bennett (Hodsoll) Freeman, was baptized 28 January 1627 in Billingshurst, England, and died 28 October 1719 in Eastham, Massachusetts. He married 13 February 1650 in Eastham, Mercy Prence, who was born c. 1631 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and died 28 September 1711 in Eastham, daughter of Thomas & Patience (Brewster) Prence.
John arrived in America with his father and stepmother and siblings in 1635 on the ship Abigail. John & Mercy were original settlers of Eastham, which was incorporated in 1651. They lie buried in Cove Burying Ground in Eastham.
BURIED YE BODY
OF MARCY FREEMAN
WIFE TO MAJOR JOHN
FREEMAN AGED
80 YEARS DEC’d
SEP YE 28th
1711
BODY OF MAJOR
JOHN FREEMAN
DECd OCTOBER YE
28th 1719
IN YE 98th YEAR
OF HIS AGE
John & Mercy were the parents of eleven children:
1. John Freeman, born 2 February 1650 in Eastham, died before 2 December 1651.
2. John Freeman, born 2 December 1651 in Eastham, died 27 July 1721 in Harwich, Massachusetts. He married (as his first wife) 18 December 1673, Sarah Merrick, who was born 1 August 1654 in Eastham, and died there 21 April 1696, daughter of William & Rebecca (Tracy) Merrick. John & Sarah were the parents of eight children.
John married (as his second wife and as her second husband) c. 1697, Mercy (Hedges) Watson, who was born c. 1658 and died 27 September 1721 in Harwich, daughter of William Hedges, and widow of Elkanah Watson. John & Mercy were the parents of a daughter
3. Dea. Thomas Freeman, born 16 September 1653 in Eastham, died 9 February 1716 in Harwich. He married 31 December 1673 in Harwich, Rebecca Sparrow, who was born 30 October 1655 in Eastham, and died 7 February 1740 in Harwich, daughter of Jonathan & Rebecca (Bangs) Sparrow. Thomas & Rebecca were the parents of ten children.
4. Lt. Edmund Freeman (my 8th-great-grandfather), born 3 June 1657 in Eastham, died there 11 February 1719. He married (as his first wife) in January 1678, Ruth Merrick, who was born 15 May 1653 and died c. 1680, daughter of William & Rebecca (Tracy) Merrick. Edmund & Ruth were the parents of a daughter.
Edmund married (as his second wife) c. 1681, Sarah Mayo (my 8th-great-grandmother), who was born 19 December 1660 in Boston, Massachusetts, and died 5 March 1746 in Eastham, daughter of Samuel & Thomasine (Lumpkin) Mayo. Edmund & Sarah were the parents of eleven children.
5. Mercy Freeman (my 9th-great-grandmother), born 15 July 1659 in Eastham, died there 17 April 1745. She married 16 December 1679 in Orleans, Massachusetts, Dea. Samuel Knowles, who was born 17 September 1651 in Plymouth, and died 19 June 1737 in Eastham, son of Richard & Ruth (Bowers) Knowles. Mercy & Samuel were the parents of eleven children.
6. William Freeman, born c. 1661 in Eastham, died 31 May 1687. He married (as her first husband) c. 1685, Lydia Sparrow, who was born c. 1662 in Eastham, and died 16 March 1708 in Eastham. William & Lydia were the parents of two children.
7. Patience Freeman (my 8th-great-grandmother), born c. 1663, died 15 February 1745 in Eastham. She married 31 January 1683, Lt. Samuel Paine, who was born c. 1652 in Eastham, and died there 13 October 1712, son of Thomas & Mary (Snow) Paine. Patience & Samuel were the parents of nine children.
8. Hannah Freeman, born 15 February 1664 in Eastham, died 15 February 1743 in Harwich. She married 14 April 1681 in Hingham, Massachusetts, John Mayo, who was born 15 December 1652 in Orleans, and died 1 February 1726 in Harwich, son of Samuel & Thomasine (Lumpkin) Mayo. Hannah & John were the parents of nine children.
9. Prence Freeman, born 3 February 1665 in Eastham.
10. Nathaniel Freeman, born 20 March 1669 in Eastham, died there 4 January 1760. He married 7 December 1690, Mary Howland, who was born 23 February 1666 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and died 29 January 1743 in Eastham, daughter of Zoheth & Abigail (—) Howland. Nathaniel & Mary were the parents of six children.
11. Bennett Freeman, born 7 March 1671 in Eastham, died there 30 May 1716. She married (as his first wife) 14 March 1689 in Eastham, Dea. John Paine, who was born there 14 March 1661, and died there before 26 October 1731, son of Thomas & Mary (Snow) Paine. Bennett & John were the parents of twelve children.
Last Revised: 7 September 2024