The Freeman surname refers to status under English law in which a person had attained full righs of citizenship, including the rights to own land, vote and participate in civil affairs.
The first Freeman in America was Edmund who arrived in Plymouth in 1635 aboard the "Abigail." He was the son of Edmond and Alice Coles Freeman who lived at Reigate in County Surrey, England.
He was admitted freeman at Plymouth, January 2, 1637. Edmund was prominent, active and influential in affairs of the colony. Edmund of one of the original nine men who founded the town of Sandwich on Cape Cod.
Edmund's first wife was Bennett Hodsoll, but she apparently died in England. Edmund married Elizabeth Gurney who came to America with him. Four children also came American with the family.
Edmund and Bennett's son John was active in civic affairs and is frequently mentioned in public records. He served as a soldier, first as Lieutenant, then as Captain, and later as Major and took an active part in the Indian Wars. He was a major in the expedition against Indians at Saconet in 1677. He served as a member Council of War from 1667-76. He served as captain in the fight against Indians at Taunton in 1675. He was a major of Barnstable Troop in 1685 and Deputy at Eastham for eight years. He served as a selectman for ten years starting in 1663. John was assistant in the Government in 1666. On 7th Dec. 1692, he was appointed to the Bench of the Court of Common Pleas. For many years he was a Deacon of the Eastham Curuch.
John married Mercy Mary Prence, daughter of Governor Thomas Prence and Patience Brewster. Patience was the daughter of Elder William Brewster, the spiritual leader of the Mayflower.
John and Mercy's son Thomas Freeman married Rebecca Sparrow, daughter of Capt. Jonathan Sparrow and Rebecca Bangs Sparrow. Thomas served as a Deacon in the Church.
Thomas and Rebecca's son Thomas, Jr. married Mary Smith and resided at Harwich in Barnstable County.
Thomas and Rebecca's son Samuel married Margaret Smith. After her death about 1755 Samuel married Mary Mayo, descendant of Rev. John Mayo. In the early 1750's Samuel and Mary emigrated to Nova Scotia along with many others from New England. It is said that the removal of the French Acadians to Louisiana cleared the way for settlement of those such as the Freemans. The New Englanders who moved to Nova Scotia are profiled in The "New Englander of Nova Scotia". During the American Revolution it is said that Samuel Freeman financed privateers that attacked American shipping. Ironically, back in Massachusetts some of his children from his marriage to Margaret Smith fought on the American side.
Samuel and Mary's son James married Hannah Barss, descendant of Augustine (Austin) Bearse of Plymouth. During the War of 1812 James was a crew member on privateer ships against American shipping.
David Barss Freeman, son of James and Hannah Barss Freeman sailed with a yet unidentified brother to New Orleans in 1830 where they reportedly sold the ship they had sailed from Nova Scotia. The name of the ship is believed to be "Parnasso." There is some speculation in the family that they had transported Acadians (Cajuns) to Louisiana from Nova Scotia when they were expelled by the British, although that is almost certainly not true since the Acadians were expelled from Nova Scotia before the Freemans arrived there.
David eventually made his way to Burkeville, Newton County, Texas, where he married Talitha T. Thompson, daughter of George and Drusilla Thompson, late of Marengo County, Alabama. About 1850 the family moved to Angelina County just west of the location of the present city of Lufkin. The Freeman homestead was on the south side of what later became Highway 94 east of the site of Freeman cemetery.
David and Talitha's daughter Talitha married Thomas Wayne Largent, son of William J. and Martha Largent, natives of Georgia and more recently residents of Mississippi.
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