| Notes |
- Notes for RALPH FREEMAN, SR.:
.First Generation American
The Freeman family in North America begins with Sir Ralph
Freeman, who was born December 14,1629 and baptized in St.Peter's
Church, Cornhill, London County, London, England, in 1630. His
father was Sanford Myron Freeman. Ralph immigrated to New England
and was next located at Dedham, Norfolk County, MASS., when he was
admitted as a Townsman in 1651 as by "Dedham Town Records, Page 135".
Ralph was the 106th person to sign the town Couenant of Dedham, and
his marriage to Katherine Lyon, on 21 October 1652, also from
the"Dedham Town Records of Vital Records". Ralph received lot "29 of
ye 10" in 1653, " the south end of the East Street between the drawn
way there and the swamp", Page 217, Dedham Town Records. Ralph was
active in the town of Dedham affairs until 1656 as mentioned in the
town records. Mentioned on page 144 land grants, 146 sheep commons,
184 tax rate, 190 general town meeting, 192 voted in as townman, 198
town tax rate, 203 highway work, 205 town tax rate, 212 land grants,
214 town tax rate, and on page 216 for his school rate. (These
records are at the DEDHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Dedham, MA.,USA.)
Dedham in 1649, was the farthest colony in-land. It was
located above the water falls on the Charles River, which originates
in the harbor, at Boston, MASS. The choice of river valleys for
settlement was dictated by the need to bring out valuable timber from
the interior forests. The river also provided an easy means of
transporting people and supplies to and from the frontier. The
colony of Boston had become exceedingly overpopulated with the mass
immigration of Puritans from a hostile England, during its first 20
years of existence. The later arrivals, as well as, the colony's
young men, moved up these river valleys to obtain their own land.
The original land grant for Dedham in 1636 was comprised of 200
square miles, one of the largest grants given. Many of its
inhabitants had previously lived nearby. They went to the site
almost daily between the spring of 1637 and the summer of 1638. They
fell the trees, hewed them into beams, framed and clapboard their
new dwellings, before they actually moved into them. The vast
majority of these houses were one story cottages with thatched roofs.
In 1638 the Meeting House (church) in Dedham measured 38' by 20'
and 12' in height but wasn't finished inside until 1649, just 3
years before Ralph and Katherine were married here.
Dedham was a replica of other Puritan towns based on a central
village common and Meeting House with many small farms, called
"freeholds". The size of individual house lots varied among the
towns, although 4-6 acres seems to be the average. Social status and
wealth were important in determining the size of a family's lot. The
shape of an individual lot was usually rectangular and designed to
keep the settlers closely supervised by the town selectmen and
defense against attack. Normally, an acre within the town center
was reserved for public use, i.e. grazing animals, church, school
and a jail. A settler would find his land spread in several parcels
around the village plot, which assured each family meadow for
pasture, fields for crops, and a wood lot for timber.
As many of the settlers were educated, and Puritans believed
everyone should be able to read the bible, education of their
children was an early concern. A school was erected in Dedham in
1649, at the public expense. It measured 18'x15'. It had a
fireplace 4' wide, 2 windows for light, boarded walls and a plank
floor. Stairs led up to the Master's study chamber. Two years later
the school was shingled and the old chimney replaced by a brick one.
Scholars from Dedham, could become adequately prepared for entrance
to Harvard University.
Most of the settlers found the system of outlying fields an
inconvenience and would move their families to these areas. When
enough settlers had moved to a district, a new community, with the
permission of the parent village, separated to begin a parish of the
original town.
By 1713, the vast stretches of forests and meadows, which had
first attracted settlers to Dedham, were all divided. The
population of Dedham had so increased that the average holding shrank
to about a hundred acres, adequate to support a single family in
comfort but not enough to support the addition of the son's and their
families.
The rising generation in Dedham must have sensed that their
lives would be different from those of their parents and
grandparents. For some, it meant leaving Dedham, for opportunities
elsewhere.
Ralph and Katherine Freeman, had 5 known children, all born
in Dedham, Norfolk Co., MASS.
More About RALPH FREEMAN, SR.:
Fact 1: October 21, 1652, Marriage, Vital Records, Dedham, MA
Fact 2: 1656, Active in Dedham, Town Records Dedham
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1629 - 1718 (88 years)