Ancestors of Mandy Willard

John FREEMAN (c1749-1819)

and Ann WOOLVEN (1753-1831)

John Freeman and Ann Woolven were my 5x Great Grandparents.  (Click here to see their place in my pedigree chart.)  They married by licence on Tuesday 23 April 1776 at the parish church of St. James in Ashurst, Sussex.  John was then a bachelor of Ashurst and Ann a spinster of West Grinstead, Sussex.  They both signed their names.  The witnesses were William Freeman and Thomas Muzzall.  Their marriage licence was issued by the Archdeaconry of Chichester on 19 April 1776 and recorded that John was a farmer of Ashurst (4 weeks) aged 21 years and upwards.  Ann was a spinster of West Grinstead (4 weeks) and also aged 21 years and upwards.  Surety for the licence was provided by John himself and William Freeman a shoemaker of West Grinstead.  (Might William have been a brother of John?)

John Freeman's date and place of birth/baptism are unknown, to me, although he was the son of Richard Freeman (c1715-1778).  John died aged 70 years in Ashurst and was buried on 5 March 1819 in West Grinstead.  His baptism was not recorded in the Ashurst or West Grinstead parish registers.  John was mentioned in his father's 1776 will.  John was also mentioned in the 1775 will of his kinsman John Freeman (c1689-177), from whom he was left "Tenament Farm Lands and Premisses situate lying and being in the parish of Ashurst in the said County called by the Name of Costides and Costling".

Ann Woolvin was baptised on 5 June 1753 in West Grinstead.  She was the daughter of Thomas Woolvin (1719-1757) and Mary Neeve (1719-1782).  She may have died aged 79 years in Ashurst and have been buried on 6 May 1831 in West Grinstead, but the burial register just records that "widow Freeman of Ashurst was buried".  She was named in her mother's 1777 will as the wife of John Freeman.

There was another Ann Woolven baptised on 28 April 1757 in West Grinstead.  She was the daughter of William Woolven and Ann Steel (1737-?), but she died aged 62 in 1819 and married Henry West in 1780.

John Freeman and Ann Woolven had 10 known children:

1. Richard Freeman was baptised privately on 12 March 1777 in Ashurst.  He may have died aged 61 years and have been buried on 22 November 1838 in West Grinstead, but there was but there was another Richard Freeman born in 1775 and another Richard Freeman who was born in 1776.

   Richard may have married Frances Philpott by banns on 8 February 1816 in Ashurst.  Richard was a bachelor and Frances a spinster.  They were both of Ashurst and both made their marks.  The witnesses were Felix Freeman and Elizabeth Freeman, who also both made their marks.

   Frances was born about 1777/8 in West Grinstead.  She died aged 82 years in Steyning and was buried on 24 February 1859 in Ashurst.  When the 1841 census was recorded she was living at Hills in Ashurst, along with her son John and 35 year old Michel Philpot, who was an agricultural labourer.

   Richard and Frances had 1 known son:

   1. John Freeman was born about 1816 in Ashurst.  In 1841 he was a 25 year old labourer living with his mother in Ashurst.

      John married Sarah Kensett on 21 July 1849 in Shipley.  She was born about 1814 in West Grinstead or Shipley.

      When the 1851 census was recorded the couple was living at Golden Cross in Ashurst along with their young son, Sarah's 10 year old son William Kenset and John's widowed mother, Frances Freeman who was a 73 year old pauper.  John was an agricultural labourer.  In 1861 the couple were living in Clayton, Sussex along with their 2 sons and a lodger, 24 year old Henry Kensett.  The 1871 census records that John and Sarah were living Burpham and he was a bailiff.  In 1881 the couple were living at Green Cross in Plumpton, Sussex.  Their son Peter was then living next door.

      John and Sarah had 2 known sons:

      1. George Freeman was baptised on 23 March 1851 in Ashurst, at which time his father was a labourer.  He was a month old when the 1851 census was recorded.  In 1861 he was a 10 year old scholar.  When the 1871 census was recorded he was an unmarried 20 year old agricultural labourer living with the family of his brother, William Kensett at Halfway in Clayton.

      2. Peter Freeman was born about 1853 in Keymer or Ditchling, Sussex.  In 1861 he was an 8 year old scholar.  When the 1871 census was recorded he was an 18 year old agricultural labourer, lodging at the Dairy House in Mill Lane, Arundel in the home of Ann Beadmore.  In 1881,28 year old Peter and his wife 31 year old wife Mary Ann were living next to his parents at Green Cross in Plumpton, along with their 2 young sons, 4 year old John and 2 year old George.

2. John Freeman was baptised on 3 September 1778 in Ashurst.

3. Anne Freeman was baptised privately on 20 February 1781 in Ashurst.  She married William Browning in 1802.  (They have their own page.)

4. Mary Freeman, my 4x Great Grandmother, was baptised on 12 January 1783 in Ashurst.  She married John Wedge in 1807.  (They have their own page.)

5. Edward Freeman was baptised on 20 November 1784 in Ashurst.  He may have been buried on 10 December 1841 in West Grinstead, however, the transcript of the burial register records his age at death as 52 years.  He may have been a witness to the marriage of William Illman and Sarah Stringer on 26 October 1826 in West Grinstead.

   Edward married Ann Harris on 26 May 1823 in Shipley.  According to a transcript of the headstone she shares with her husband, sh died aged 79 years on 1 October 1869.

   When the 1841 census was recorded the couple and 2 sons were living in Shipley.  Edward was then a cordwainer.

   Edward and Ann had 3 known children:

   1. Elizabeth Freeman was baptised on 4 July 1824 in West Grinstead.

   2. William Freeman was born about 1828.  He was 13 years old in 1841.

   3. Edward Freeman was born about 1829/30 in West Grinstead.  He was 11 years old in 1841.  In 1851 he was an unmarried 22 year old servant and footman living at 54 Dorchester Terrance in Paddington, London.

6. William Freeman was baptised on 26 October 1786 in Ashurst.

   William may have married Ann Wheatland by banns on 4 May 1807 in West Grinstead.  William was of Ashurst and Ann of West Grinstead.  They both made their X marks.  The witnesses were John Nailin and James Boistord - I think that’s their surnames, but they both signed and it is difficult to read their signatures.  The banns were published on 22 and 29 March and 5 April 1807.

   William and Ann had the following known children:

   1. Peter Freeman was baptised on 22 January 1826 in Ashurst, at which time his father was a labourer.

   2. Jane Freeman was baptised on 6 January 1828 in Ashurst, at which time her father was a labourer.

   3. Elizabeth Freeman was baptised on 20 March 1831 in Ashurst, at which time her father was a labourer.

7. Thomas Freeman was baptised on 7 September 1788 in Ashurst.

   Thomas married Ann sometime before 1814.  She was born about 1789 in Shermanbury, Sussex.  When the 1841 census was recorded the family were living at Dayland in Ashurst and Thomas was an agricultural labourer.  They were still living at Day Land in 1851.  By 1861 Thomas was lodging at Parish House, the home of Thomas Freeman, junior who was 45 years old.  Thomas senior was then said to be a married 73 year old, but his wife was not living at the same address on census night.

   Thomas and Ann had 9 known children:

   1. Anne Freeman was baptised on 9 October 1814 in West Grinstead.

   2. Mary Freeman was baptised on 11 August 1816 in Ashurst, at which time her father was described as a labourer.

   3. Phillee Freeman was baptised on 6 September 1818 in Ashurst, at which time her father was a labourer.

   4. Harriet Freeman was baptised on 13 February 1820 in Ashurst, at which time his father was a labourer.

   5. Isaac Freeman was baptised on 1 January 1821 in Ashurst, at which time his father was a labourer.  He died aged 67 years and was buried on 25 January 1888 in Ashurst.  His name looks like Mack Freeman in the 1851 census and he was then an unmarried 30 year old agricultural labourer.

   6. Thomas Freeman was baptised on 25 May 1823 in Ashurst, at which time his father was a labourer.

   7. John Freeman was baptised on 24 July 1825 in Ashurst, at which time his father was a labourer.  In 1851 he was probably an unmarried 25 year old farm labourer living at Jessops in Ashurst in the home of George Goacher.

   8. Jane Freeman was baptised on 22 July 1827 in Ashurst, at which time her father was a labourer.

   9. Allen Freeman was baptised on 14 November 1830 in Ashurst, at which time his father was a labourer.  When the 1841 census was recorded he was 10 years old and the only one of his siblings living at home.  He was a 20 year old farm labourer in 1851 living at Jessops in Ashurst, the home of George Goacher.

8. Felix Freeman was baptised on 30 May 1790 in Ashurst.  He died aged 55 years in Ashurst and was buried on 23 June 1845 in West Grinstead.  He was a farmer. 

   Felix married Harriet Parsons by banns on 13 April 1825 in Steyning.  Felix was of Ashurst and Harriet of Steyning.  They both signed their names.  The witnesses were Peter Freeman and Elizabeth Freeman, who both signed their names.

   On 7 May 1829 in Wiston, Felix and Harriet were a witnesses to the marriage of Robert Parsons, widower of Thakeham and Leah Lilliot widow of Wiston.

   Harriet was born about 1796 in Thakeham.  When the 1851 census was recorded she was a 55 year old widow living with her nephew, 40 year old George Herrington in Henfield.

   When the 1841 census was recorded the couple and their 3 children were living at Costels in Ashurst and Felix was a farmer.

   Felix and Harriet had 3 known sons:

   1. John Freeman was baptised on 18 September 1825 in Thakeham, Sussex.  He was 15 years old when the 1841 census was recorded.  John married Sarah Ann Osbourne on 1 February 1845 in West Grinstead.  He was then a bachelor and labourer from Ashurst.  She was a spinster.  Their fathers were named as John Freeman a farmer (I think this is a mistake in the transcipt I have) and Caleb Osbourne a shoemaker.  The witnesses to their marriage were Henry Freeman and Jane Stringer. 

      Sarah was born about 1821 in West Grinstead.

      When the 1851 census was recorded the couple and their 2 young children were living in west Grinstead and John was an agricultural labourer.

      They had the following children:

      1. Harriott Freeman was born about 1846 in West Grinstead.  She was 5 years old when the 1851 census was recorded.

      2. Mary Freeman was born about 1848 in West Grinstead.  In 1851 she was 3 years old.

   2. Henry Freeman was baptised on 29 July 1827 in Ashurst, at which time his father was a farmer.  He was 13 in 1841.  In 1851 he was an unmarried 24 year old farm labourer living with the family of his uncle William Brownings at Wantly in Henfield.

   3. George Freeman was born about 1831.  He was 10 years old in 1841.  In 1851 he was a 20 year old servant/agricultural labourer living in East part of Eatons House in Henfield.

9. Elizabeth Freeman was baptised privately on 12 July 1792 in Ashurst.

   Elizabeth married William Grant by licence on 17 July 1824 in Ashurst.  She was then a spinster aged 32 years, whilst he was a 28 year old bachelor and farmer.  They were both then of Ashurst.  Their marriage licence was dated 16 July 1824 and was issued by the Archdeaconry of Chichester.

   William was born/baptised on 27 October 1795 and was the son of Thomas Grant (1758-?) and Jenny Botting (1763-?).

10. Peter Freeman was baptised privately on 4 February 1796 in Ashurst.  He married Elizabeth Standing in 1819.  They have their own page.)

FREEMAN          WOOLVEN