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ELISHA FREEMAN

 Generation 8

The Freeman Family Bible indicates that oldest son of Elkanah and Hannah Freeman was Elisha Freeman, who is our Freeman line ancestor, and he was born in North Canaan, CT on October 3, 1746. North Canaan was created from the northern part of Canaan in 1868; thus the Bible Record, which cited the birth location as North Canaan, was apparently made after 1868 when North Canaan was an identifiable geographical territory, thus permitting more precise identification of Elisha Freeman's location at his birth date. (Note: the last time I spoke to Grandma Freeman: i.e., Agnes Edna (Egglefield) Freeman about the Bible entries was in the summer of 1940, and I don't remember if she explained to me the source of the information that was entered into the Freeman Family Bible). Elisha Freeman was baptized in the First Ecclesiastical Society (aka South Canaan Congregational Church) prior to 1751 (date not specified), per page 11 of LDS microfilm 1590000, which cited Litchfield County, CT Vital Records/Church Records for 1741-1838.

On May 5, 1771, Elisha Freeman and Chloe A Stevens (A=Alice, according to research), were married in the North Canaan Congregational Church per Bailey's "Early Connecticut Marriages as Found in Ancient Church Records Prior to 1800". The North Canaan Church was organized on December 5, 1769 according to that source. According to the same source, both Elisha and Chloe were residents of Canaan at the time of the marriage. Further, that Elisha's brother, John, was married to Anne Fellows on October 3, 1771 in the same church. This suggests that John was born shortly after Elisha was in 1746-perhaps around 1751. To date (i.e., 1988), I have been unable to find any church records or vital records which prove this out in terms of either birth date or baptismal date for John.

Their sister Mary Freeman, born in March 1763, would normally be expected to be married when she was 20-25 years of age, i.e., 1783-1788. According to the Canaan Deeds 5/227, drafted March 19, 1787, and 5/164, drafted May 22, 1795, we know that she was married to Stephen Fellows then. Her birthdate of March 1763 was cited in the Sharon CT Probate action #1311. We also know that "Mary Freeman daughter of Elkanah Freeman" was baptized in the South Canaan Congregational Church on July 3, 1763, per page 14 of LDS microfilm 1590000.

The Sharon, CT Probate Court action #1311 of 1776 indicated that an inventory was to be taken as of the date of Elkanah Freeman's death. This Probate Action said "the foregoing is the inventory of the Estate of Elkanah Freeman late of Canaan and it was shewn to us and taken on the 16th day of July 1776 by us", and signed by John Franklin, Abiel Fellows, and Thomas Fellows, thus fixing the date of Elkanah's death.