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-280-

EDMOND FREEMAN'S followers continued to live in England whereas JOHN FREEMAN'S followers ultimately moved to Plymouth Colony in October 1635 when Edmund Freeman, born in 1596 in Pulborough sailed on the Abigail to Saugus, MA. That is the significant fact that was discovered and proven in this research effort using the LDS Family Search mechanism.

Why didn't the Visitation of London performed in the north of England in Northamptonshire identify JOHN FREEMAN, born 1541 in Pulborough, whereas it did identify his brother EDMOND FREEMAN, born ca 1530 in Honington? The Visitation is a British Census, and, like any other Census, is subject to possible incompleteness. Also see page 280a.

In any event we find in sources 582g/ and 582m/ the proof that JOHN FREEMAN, born 1541 in Pulborough, is indeed the son of Henry Freeman, born in 1509 in Wallgrave/Northampton thus proving my Freeman bloodline back to John Freeman, born in 1442 in Bently/Northamptonshire 1

As displayed in the attachment "Revised 1/13/2000" therefore is the unbroken proven lineage of the Freemans from John Freeman, born 1442 in Bently/Northamptonshire through succeeding 18 generations.

Regarding Coat of Arms, there is the one ascribed to the Freemans as displayed in the Visitation of London (which was performed in 1687-1700) and detailed in the Boston Transcript #3283 dated 8/4/1913 which says: "The coat of arms borne by John Freeman (born 1442 in Bently/Northamptonshire) is the same as that borne by the Freeman family for over 250 years, a very old copy of which is in the possession of the descendants of Edmond Freeman (born in 1596 in Pulborough), at the Freeman place in Sandwich." In pages 49 through 55 of my published research book titled "Freeman Genealogy 1442-1994, A Mayflower Family by Raymond M Freeman" are a number of pictures of the Freeman family Farm house and barn. On page 50 there is this description: "The Freeman Family Barn was not affected by the fire in 1979 which destroyed the Farm House. The Barn was subsequently dissembled, moved, and reassembled by the Town of Sandwich to its present location west of the Town Hall Annex and just south of the Daniel Webster Inn."

There is yet another Coat of Arms in the Freeman Family: as shown in the Visitation of London attached, it is the Coat of Arms of the Frebodyes. In Generation 2 identified in the Visitation of London, Lawrence Freeman of Bentley and Wallgrave married Ann daughter of Thomas Freebodye of Northamptonshire.

Signed this 13th day January of 2000 at 3311 W Monmouth Avenue, Englewood, Colorado
Raymond M freeman
The Visitation of London identified those who were qualified to bear arms. This was by decree of King Henry VIII who said in 1530 that all officials should assist Clarenceaux King of Arms in confirming and registering the arms of those who claimed to be gentry. Gentry, in England, included those ranking just below the nobility. (See p 146 "The Visitation Books" on page 280b).

Said Visitation of London performed this obligation in 1687-1700 per page 146 "Visitation Books".

Per Sir Anthony Wagner in "Heralds and Heraldry in the Middle Ages", pages 161-2, "the heralds were merely examining descents submitted to them, and accepting or rejecting these".

Our Freeman Bloodliner, Edmund Freeman, the Immigrant, left Pulborough, England in July 1635 for the New World (Plymouth Colony). He was not there in 1687-1700 when the Visitation of London took place in that area; he was living in the New World. In fact he had already died in 1682 in Sandwich, Massachusetts.

All the other Freemans in the Family remained in England and it was important to them to be able to prove that they were gentry and able to Bear Arms. This explains why in the 1630 period shown in the Visitation Books that Edmund Freeman is not listed, but that his brother John Freeman was.
EPL: Heraldry and the Heralds by Rodney Dennys Call 929.6 pub 1982 p 146 "The Visitation Books By Letters Patent in 1530 Henry VIII instructed all sheriffs, mayors, bailiffs and other officials concerned to give all aid and assistance to Clarenceaux King of Arms on his forthcoming visit to each of the counties within his province of Southern England and South Wales., for the purpose of confirming and registering the arms of those who claimed to be gentry, where evidence could be shown that they were legally borne, and to 'reform all false armory and arms devised without authority' and grant new arms to such as qualified for them". (Footnote 6 = State Papers (1) 73, for 193.. See also Wagner, Heralds of Englands The last visitation was that of London between 1687 and 1700. (Footnote 7 = Anthony R Wagner, The Records and Collections of the College of Arms is invaluable for Visitations). Nothing as comprehensive as these Visitation records exists in any other European country. They are of outstanding importance to genealogists and armorists, and are of growing value for other academic studies. Although many temporary and later copies were made, and are now to be found in such famous collections as the Harleian manuscripts in the British Library, the College Visitation Books are the only ones that can be accepted as record evidence for proof of descent. Naturally there is a continual requirement from all the English-speaking countries for recourse to them".

p 155 "In 1530 Henry VIII issued Letters Patent instructing all royal and county officials to assist Clarenceaux King of Arms during his forthcoming visitation of the province, for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of arms being then borne by those who made claim to them and 'to reform all false armory and Arms devised without authority". "At a rather later date we find phrases used that one had to have 'the port, charge and countenance of a gentleman' or be a 'worthy man of good repute and adequate substance', before one could be recognised as a gentleman and so granted arms". 

p 161-2 "Sir Anthony Wagner, in his classic book Heralds and Heraldry in the Middle Ages, dealt in considerable detail with the Visitation functions of the King of Arms in the fifteenth century, as part of their official duties. Here again, the heralds were merely examining descents submitted to them, and accepting or rejecting these". "Genealogical work comes to the Officers of Arms either directly because of their reputation or by recommendation, or through 'waiting'. The present system of waiting, first established in 1568, whereby each herald and pursuivant is on duty for a week at a time, means that a 'wait' comes round once in ten weeks. During that week all genealogical inquiries, whether by visitors, telephone or letter, which are not addressed to a particular officer by name, are handled by the Officer in Waiting".
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