William Freeman
(1831-1898)

William Freeman was the tenth of the eleven known children of John Freeman and his wife Phoebe of the fenland village of Coveney in Cambridgeshire, England.

William married Sarah Jane Constable (usually referred to only as 'Jane') on Christmas Day 1854 in her native Witchford, and the couple had six children. Sadly, the first and penultimate children only lived a few years each, both dying before the age of 5 years.

By 1858, William had become a publican, with the 1861 census noting him as the Publican at The Cross Keys pub on the High Street of Coveney.

In 1869, at the baptism of his son Arthur, the family have moved a few miles away, and are noted as 'of Foxey'. This would be Foxey Farm, which is situated in the West Fen area of fenland between Coveney and Little Downham.

William is noted on the 1871 census of Coveney, as a 'Farmer of 120 acres, employing 3 men and 4 boys'. His widowed father is living with him, and his brother John appears to have died. This appears to explain how William's land acreage increased.

William's wife Sarah Jane, died in the May of 1873, seemingly just a couple of weeks after the birth of their final child, Tom.

With a family of four surviving children, William re-married to Elizabeth Bell in 1875, and the couple had one child in 1879.

By 1881, he had become a farmer of 60 acres.

William pre-deceased his second wife in 1898 by fourteen years, dying aged 69 years.

Life Events

Born

• Circa 1831 at Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England.

Baptism

• 19th June 1831 at Holy Trinity Church, Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.

Married

• Sarah Jane Constable (1831-1873) on 25th December 1854 at St. Andrew's Church, Witchford, Cambridgeshire, England.
• Elizabeth Florence Bell (1838-1912) during 1875 at Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, England.

Children

• Walter William Freeman (1855-1857)
• Walter William Freeman (1858-?)
• Agnes Mabel Freeman (1862-?) married Ephriam Frederick Conisbee (1863-?)
• Arthur Freeman (1869-?) married Emily Pound (1867-?)
• Phoebe Maud Freeman (1871-1875)
• Tom Freeman (1873-?)
• Florence Mabel Ethel Freeman (1879-1912)

Census and Residence

• 1841: 10yrs, Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1851: 20yrs, Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1861: 30yrs, The Cross Keys Public House, High Street, Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1869: Foxey Farm, Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1871: 40yrs, Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1881: 51yrs, Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1891: 60yrs, Lane House, Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England.

Employment

• 1858-1861: Publican at The Cross Keys (Public House)
• 1869: Farmer at Foxey Farm

Death

• 24th November 1898 presumably at Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England, aged 69 years.

Burial

• 29th November 1898 with his second wife Elizabeth, and daughter Florence, at St. Peter-ad-Vincula Church, Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England. View Grave.