Mercy (Prence) Freeman (bef. 1631 - 1711)

Born before 28 Sep 1631 in Plymouth Colony

Ancestors

Wife of John Freeman Sr — married Feb 1650 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died 28 Sep 1711 after age 80 in Eastham, Barnstable, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Mercy (Prence) Freeman was related to a passenger on the Mayflower. Join: Mayflower Project Discuss: mayflower

Biography

Robert Charles Anderson in Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume II, C-F, page 580, says that John Freeman married Mercy, dau of Thomas Prence. He cites Plymouth Colony Records volume 8, page 26 for their 13 Feb 1649/50 Eastham, Barnstable Co., marriage; he cites his own Great Migration Begins, volume 3, pp 1518-24 for identification of her parents.

Mercy, b. at Plymouth about 1631; d. at Eastham September 28, 1711, aged 80 years; m. (recorded at Eastham as February 13, and at Sandwich as February 14) February 13 or 14, 1649/50 John Freeman. Apparently she and her sister Hannah had a double wedding. ^[1] m. at Eastham, 13 Feb. 1649 (sic Sandwich 14 Feb.), John Freeman, bpt. Billingshurst, Sussex, Eng., 28 Jan. 1626/7; d. at Eastham, 28 Oct. 1719 ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Mercy, d. Sept. 28, 1711, aged 80 years (g.s. at Eastham); m. Feb 13, 1649/50, Major John Freeman, brother of Edmund Freeman, Jr., who m. her sister Rebecca. He was b. in Eng.; d. Oct. 28, 1719, in the 98th year of his age (g.s. at Eastham). Res. Eastham. He is mentioned in records as 'among the early settlers, with Governor Prence.' 'Was many years prominent in public affairs, and has to this day been regarded as one of the fathers of Eastham.' 'He was deputy from 1654, eight years.; selectman from 1663, ten yrs.; assistant in the Government from 1666, several yrs., and Dec. 7, 1692, was appointed to the Bench of the Court of Common Pleas. Was a deacon of Eastham church many yrs. and was somewhat conspicuous in the military, doing service in the Indian wars. Through life he was a large land holder.'

Children born at Eastham, Massachusetts include^[1]:

1. John Freeman, b. Feb. 2, 1650; d. inf.
2. John Freeman, b. Dec. 1651; d. 27 July 1721 in Harwich; m. 1st, Dec 18, 1572, Sarah, daughter of Ensign William and Rebecca Merrick, b. at Eastham, Aug. 1, 1654; d. at Brewster, Apr. 21, 1696; m. 2d, 1701, Mercy Hedge, widow of Captain Elkanah Watson, of Plymouth. She d. Sept. 27, 1721, age 63. Res. Harwich, now Brewster, Mass. 'He was one of eight persons who constituted the original church in H., Oct. 17, 1700.' 11 children.
3. Deacon Thomas Freeman, b. Sept 1653, d. 9 February 1715/16; m. at Harwich, Dec. 31, 1673, Rebecca, daughter of Captain Jonathan and Rebecca (Bangs) Sparrow, of Eastham, b. at Yarmouth, Oct. 30, 1655; d. at H., Feb. 7, 1740. Res. Harwich, now Brewster, Mass. He was a deacon of First chh. of H.; was the first town clerk, also treasurer and selectman. 10 children.
4. Lieut. Edmund Freeman, b. June 1657; d. at Eastham, Dec. 10, 1717; m. Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Thomasine (Lumkin) Mayo. Res. Eastham. 'He was a man of distinction, and many years selectman of E.: 12 children.
5. Mercy Freeman, b. July, 1659; d. 1744 (g.s. at Eastham); m. Dec. 16, 1679, Samuel Knowes, Esq., son of Richard and ruth (Bower) Knowels, of Plymouth, b. there Sept. 17, 1651 (T. Rec.); d. June 19, 1737 (g.s. at E.). Res. Eastham. He 'was a deacon of the chh. in E., and some time selectman and rep.' 10 children. ^[6]
6. William Freeman, b. abt. 1660; d. before 31 May 1687; m. abt. 1684/5, Lydia, dau. of John Sparrow. 2 children.
7. Hannah Freeman, b. 1664 d. Feb. 15, 1743/4 in Harwich at age 79: (g.s); m. Apr. 14, 1681, John Mayo, bro. of Warah, who m. her......(continued on page 24, which needs to be copied. ) ^{[7] [5]}
8. Prence Freeman, b. 3 February 1665. ^[1]
9. Patience Freeman, b. c 1667, d. Feb. 15, 1745; m. Jan. 31, 1682/3, Lieut. Samuel Pain, son of Thomas and Mary (Snow - g.dau. of Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower) Paine, of E. He d. Oct. 13, 1712. Res. Eastham. 'He was a prominent citizen, and from 1697 selectman several years.' 9 children. ^{[1] [8]}
10. Nathaniel Freeman, b. 20 March 1669; m. Mary Howland ^[1]
11. Bennet Freeman (daughter), b. February 1670/71; d. 30 May 1716 in Eastham. Married John Paine son of Thomas and Mary (Snow - g.dau. of Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower) Paine ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Roser, Susan E. Mayflower Births and Deaths: From the Files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Volumes 1 & 2. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1992.
2. ↑ Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Applications for Membership. Microfilm. Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
3. ↑ U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Author: Yates Publishing Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. [1]
4. ↑ Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Heritage Consulting. The Millennium File. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: Heritage Consulting.
6. ↑ Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
7. ↑ Source: #S403 Page: p.23
8. ↑ Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

See also:

• Winsor, Justin. A History of the Town of Duxbury, Massachusetts, With Genealogical Registers, published online by Ancestry.com, The Generations Network, Inc., Provo, UT, 2007. Originally published Boston, 1849, reprinted for Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1995. [2]
• Freeman, Frederick, Periodical: The History of Cape Cod: The Annals of The Thirteen Towns of Barnstable County, Volume II, Publication: Boston, 1862 [3]
• Munsey-Hopkins Genealogy, being the ancestry of Andrew Chauncey Munsey and Mary Jane Merritt Hopkins Abbreviation: Munsey-Hopkins Author: Lowell, D.O.S. Publication: author, Boston, 1920. [4]
• Mary Walten. Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines Ferris Publication: 1931
• Brewster, Lewis W Elder William Brewster and the Brewster Family of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Press of A.G. Brewster, Portsmouth, 1908 [5]
• Roser, Susan E. Mayflower Births and Deaths: From the Files of George Ernest Bowman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. Volumes 1 & 2. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1992.. Google Books
• "Records from Old North Cemetery, Truro." Mayflower Descendant, Vol. XII
• Title: Anna Lea Lloyd Spencer, compiler, "Edmond Freeman - Bennett Hodsole"; ancestral file number(s) G477-GT and G477-H1, Ancestral File, Family History Library [FHL], Salt Lake City, Utah
• Thurtle, Robert Glenn (ed.), Assistant Genealogist General. [Lineage Book of] Hereditary Order of Descendants of Colonial Governors, Ann Arbor: Edwards Brothers, Inc., (Published by the Register, Society of the Hereditary Order of Descendants of Colonial Governors, Our Members and Their Colonial Governor Lineages), 1980, p. 116 [Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 80-67264.]. [Repository: Ancestry.com: https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/48084/DescColonialGovs-007425-116/189429?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.ancestry.com%2ffamily-tree%2fperson%2ftree%2f48668506%2fperson%2f322031318471%2ffacts&ssrc=&backlabel=Return] (dates/places of births/deaths/marriage)
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Ancestral File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:9SKW-5FR : accessed 2016-08-02), entry for Mercy Prence.