Ethel Freeman Johnson (daughter of Edward John) once said that the Freemans were French Huguenots and were kicked out of France, and that they went to Jersey Isle. (Might have been another of the Channel Islands.  Many Huguenots first went to one of the channel islands before moving on to Ireland or England.)  Also have reports that they were from the Isle of Wight or the Isle of Man, but have not been able to substantiate any of it.

Samuel E. (Edward?) Freeman

1st known generation

This is surely the father of Edward Henry Freeman. [If so, then the "Edward" Freeman line goes back 7 generations -- Samuel Edward Freeman - Edward Henry Freeman - Edward John "Ted" Freeman - Edward Victor "Eddie" Freeman - Edward Frederick Midgley Freeman - Edward Frederick "Fred" Freeman - Edward Andrew Freeman]

Samuel E. Freeman was born about 1833 at St. James, Middlesex Co, England. (There is a little residential area near St. James Park called St. James Park, in the west part of London. Neighborhoods were often named after the local church or a nearby park.)

In the 1841 England census Samuel would have been about 8-9 yrs old. The census shows only one Samuel Freeman born in St. James, which might be him --

Goswell Street, Clerkenwell, Middlesex Co:

Elizabeth Freeman - 35, born 1806, Middlesex

Samuel Freeman - 9, born 1833, St. James Clerkenwell

James Freeman - 3, born 1838, Middlesex

The mother, Elizabeth, has no husband with her in the 1841 census. The 1851 census says she was a widow. I don't know where her husband was in 1841, but she had another Freeman child by 1851.

1851 England census, 54 Ramstone St, Goswell Street district, St. Mark, Clerkenwell, Middlesex Co:

Elizabeth Freeman - 46, b abt 1805 Ramby Burwell - head, widow, occ: charwoman

Samuel Freeman - 18, b 1833, b Clerkenwell, Middlesex, Eng. - occ: gas tinker and brass finisher

James Freeman - 13, b 1838, Clerkenwell, Middlesex - occ: Bonand? Way (or Bay?)

Emily Freeman - 9, b 1842, Clerkenwell, Middlesex

Samuel married about 1855 to Louisa ? who was born in Germany about 1838.

In 1856, their first child, Edward Henry, was born at Mile End, Middlesex Co, England. Mile End is a little burg about 3k on the east side of London, just on the north edge of Stepney. Maybe the family soon moved a few blocks away because daughter Amelia was born the next year in Stepney.

In 1861 the Freeman family was living a couple of kilometers west in Shoreditch (NE part of Greater London). In 1861 the Doyle family was also living in Shoreditch, London, and since Edward Henry Freeman and Mary Doyle married about 1881, it seems likely that their families would have lived in the same area. Shoreditch is located right beside Haggerston Park (listed as the birthplace of 2 of Edward Henry's daughters and one of Michael Doyle's daughters in the 1891 census).

1861 England census, George St, St. Leonard, Hoxton Old Town, Shoreditch, Middlesex Co, England

Samuel E. Freeman - 31, b abt 1830, St. James, Middlesex Co, Eng.- occupation: clothier cutter

Louisa Freeman - 23, b abt 1838, Germany

Edward H. Freeman - 5, b 1856, Mile End, Middlesex, Eng.

Amelia L. Freeman - 4, b 1857, Stepney, Middlesex Co, Eng.

It appears that sometime in the 1860's Louisa died. By 1871 Samuel had remarried to Eliza ? and had a 11-month-old baby. Samuel had the occupation of a clothier cutter (probably a tailor) in all the census records.

1871 England census, 16 Bevenden St, Hoxton, Shoreditch, London, England

Samuel E. Freeman - 40, b abt 1831, Middlesex, Eng. - occupation: clothier cutter

Eliza Freeman - 30, b abt 1841, Hadley, Middlesex Co, Eng.

Edward H. Freeman - 15, b 1856, Middlesex Co, Eng. - occupation: tobacco moulder out-employ

Amelia L. Freeman - 14, b 1857, Stepney, Middlesex Co, Eng - occupation: artificial florist

Willm C. Freeman - 11 months, b Dalston, Middlesex Co, Eng (just a few blocks north of Shoreditch)

1881 England census, 29 Canterbury Road, St. Jude, Islington, London, Middlesex.

Saml. Freeman - 50, b London, Middlesex, Eng -- occ: clothiers cutter

Eliza Freeman - 40

Wm. Freeman - 10, b London

Walter Freeman - 8, b London

1881 England Census, 31 Penn St., Shoreditch, Hackney, London, England:

Edward H. Freeman - 25, b Mile End - occ: clothiers cutter/tailor

Mary Freeman - 20, b Hoxton, Middlesex, England

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Edward Henry Freeman

2nd generation

Edward Henry Freeman was born in 1856, Mile End, E London, England. In 1861, 1871 and 1881 his family was not far away in Shoreditch, Middlesex Co, England, where he met and married Mary Doyle about 1880.

1881 England Census, 31 Penn St., Shoreditch, Hackney, London, England:

Edward H. Freeman - 25, b Mile End - occ: clothiers cutter/tailor

Mary Freeman - 20, b Hoxton, Middlesex, England

By 1891 both Edward Freeman and his father-in-law were living in Essex County.

1891 England Census, Essex Co (civil parish: Wanstead, eccl. parish: St. Margaret, registration district: West Ham, sub district: Leyton) --

Freeman, Edward Henry (head) - 38, b Mile End, London, Wanstead, abt 1853.

Freeman, Mary - 30, b Holton, London abt 1861

Freeman, Mary Amelia (daug) - 9, b Haggerston, London

Freeman, Florence (daug) - 5, b Haggerston, London

Freeman, Edward (son) - 1, b Leytonstone, Essex, Eng.

Doyle, Elizabeth (sis-in-law) - 10, b Haggerston, London

Edward Henry must have died before the 1901 Census --

1901 England Census, 92 Clifden Rd, Clapton All Saints, Central Hackney, London:

Mary Freeman - 40, b 1841 Homerton - occupation: shirt maker

Mary Freeman - 19, b 1882, Haggerston, London - occ: account book binder server

Florence Freeman - 15, b 1886, Hackney, London - occ: account book print paper

Edward Freeman - 11, b 1890, Leytonston, Essex Co, Eng

Ethel Freeman - 3 - b 1898, Hackney, London

Mary visited her son, Ted in Canada once, sometime after 1914 when he married. Her daughter-in-law Maud didn’t like her very much, so she never visited again. Unsure when she died, but it was at least after 1914.

Children of Edward H. & Mary (Doyle) Freeman

1. Mary Amelia Freeman, b abt 1882, Haggerston, London. (I wonder if this is the Matilda who moved to Australia?)

2. Florence A. Freeman, b abt 1886, Hackney, London.  m Arthur Watson; moved to Australia; ch:

. . . . 2a)   Arthur Watson (ch: Suzanne)

3. Edward John "Ted" Freeman, b Nov. 10, 1889, Leytonston, Essex Co, England. Moved to Canada; m Maud Mapp (children: see below)

4. Ethel Freeman, born 1897; born in England; married Alf Mustart.  Lived in England. Ethel's home address in England was: SYA Burnham Road, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 2JR, Essex, England. 

Children:

. . . .  2a)   Eileen

. . . .  2b)   Gladys "Buntie" (died of TB, age 21)

5?Matilda Freeman, born in England, m Charlie Davis; moved to Australia; ch:

. . . . 5a?)   Charlie Davis (no children)

I can find no record of a Matilda in the census records, just family stories that sisters of Ted -- Florence & Matilda went to Australia. I wonder if Matilda was Mary Amelia?