-18-

THE FIRST THREE GENERATIONS OF THE FREEMAN FAMILY

Extracts from the Register of St Mary's Parish Church in Pulborough, county Sussex, England identify members of the Freeman family and their relationships. These include John Freeman, identified in the "Extracts" as "paterfamilias"-i.e., father of the family; Edmund Freeman, Seniour; and Edmund Freeman (the immigrant).

All three generations lived in Pulborough. However, for one period of time Edmund Freeman, the immigrant, lived in Billingshurst, about nine miles north of Pulborough (1618-1627).

Both towns are located on Stane Street, the Roman Road which connects the English Channel (Bognor Regis) with London.

Pulborough is located in the south of England in the area titled the South Downs. The land slopes downward to the south toward the chalk cliffs along the English Channel.

A photograph follows showing "Old Place Manor" which was in existence in the 12th Century. Nearby is a Mill-converted to a cottage-which was not only in existence at the time of the invasion by William the Conqueror in 1066, but which is also identified in the census William caused then to materialize. (Domesday Book, 1086 A.D.)

St Mary's Church chancel )Pulborough)) was built in the 13th Century (1220) on the site of an Anglo-Saxon church that was built in the 12th Century (1120). An addition to the present chancel area was built in 1440.

In St Mary's there is a stone baptismal font which came from the Anglo-Saxon Church. Therefore, all three generations of the Freemans identified above were baptized in this font-as were the children of Edmund Freeman, the immigrant,

Our visit (wife Nancy Jean and the author Ray M Freeman) to this region on May 20-21, 1992 provided many insights. The area is extremely green and very humid. Stane Street is the only north-south street, and is thus very heavily traveled. The heavy traffic was no doubt also true in the 1530-1635 period when the Freeman family lived here in Pulborough; also in Billingshurst, nine miles north.

In the churchyard of St Mary's of Pulborough are gravestones. These are indecipherable now, but must include the Freemans whose burials are recorded in the records of the Church.

Across Stane Street on the same road which passes the north side of the Church is the Chequers Hotel where we stayed.

The church attended by the Edmund Freeman Family (the immigrant) in Billingshurst is titled "The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin". It is stone, statuesque, of 600-700 years age, we were told, and has a graveyard surrounding the church. The gravestone inscriptions are indecipherable.