Saturday, July 21, 2012

Will the real Ann Freeman step Forward?

On June 13, I wrote about Jesse Freeman and my failure to proved that he served in the Civil War. Today I want to discuss the two Ann Freeman's in Jesse life and the mystery of these two women. To refresh your memory, the first Ann Freeman is the alleged wife of Jesse mentioned in this entry from a local family history compiled by Minnie Sanders Rivers (Mrs. Robert E. Rivers). The second Ann is Jesse sister, Ann Elizabeth Freeman born March 1850.

The following paragraph is from the family history booklet:

85. Jesse; b. 1838; d. abt, 1863; in service in C.S.A. War; m. 1860,
Ann _______; b. S.C. 1845; d._____. Issue:
1. Jesse A. Freeman, b. 1862. No further record.




If this information is true,  before signing up for the war and enlisting, Jesse Freeman married Ann (LNU) and had a son named Jesse A. Freeman in 1862. 


Jesse Freeman was a son of Jesse Freeman and Sarah Jane Davis. 

Census data shows that Jesse Freeman was 12 years of age in the 1850 Population census and age 20 in the 1860 Census. Also in the 1850 census is Ann E. Freeman, Jesse baby sister, age 2/12. Ann E. is not listed in the 1860 census but there is a Sarah, age 11, now in the household that was not there in 1850, could Sarah and Ann E. be the same person?[1] [2]
Information from these two censuses suggest that Jesse Freeman was born between 1838 and 1840.

1850 CENSUS: Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina;  Roll  M432_851; Image: 273, Page: 134B/135A; Line 33, Dwelling 560, Family 560;  Jesse FREEMAN, age 46, farmer, born in SC; Jane FREEMAN, age 45, born in SC; Lewis FREEMAN, age 18, born in SC; Jane FREEMAN, age 16, born in SC;  William FREEMAN, age 14, born in SC; Jesse FREEMAN, age 12, born in SC;  Christian FREEMAN, age 11, female, born in SC; John FREEMAN, age  8, born in SC; Effa FREEMAN, age 2, female, born in SC; Sarah A. FREEMAN, age 2, female, born in SC; Ann E. FREEMAN, age 2/12, born in SC.

From the available  census data there is no absolute proof that Jesse married before the war. If he did marry it was after the 1860 Population census were enumerated on the 21st of August 1860.  No document has been found to proved this marriage.

After an extensive search of Military records no record has been found that would prove that Jesse Freeman, b. 1838, served or died in the Civil War.[3] [4] 

The family history states that Jesse Freeman married Ann (LNU) in 1860 and had a son by Ann named Jesse A. Freeman, b. 1862.

With no data to substantiate a marriage I went looking for information on the son -  Jesse A. Freeman

I found a death certificate for Jesse A. Freeman, son of Jesse & Ann. I learned that Jesse A. Freeman is really Jesse Coleman and his death certificate show his parents was Will Freeman & Anne Freeman.  [5]


Follow-up here did prove somewhat fruitful. In the 1880 census[6] for Chesterfield we have Ann married to Joseph Hall and Jesse A. Freeman is listed as a Step-son age 14 in the Joseph Hall household.

1880 CENSUS: Cole Hill, Chesterfield Co., SC, FHL Film 1255225, National Archives Film T9-1225, Page 303C; Joseph HALL, Farmer, 20, born in SC, parents, born in SC, Ann HALL, Wife, age 30, born in SC, parents born in SC, Jesse A. FREEMAN, SSon, age 14, born in SC; Wesley FREEMAN, SSon, age 7, born in SC, Barney HALL, Son, age 4, born in SC; Nancy HALL, Daughter, age 2, born in SC, Calvin HALL, Son, age 1, born in SC.

Still we do not know Ann's last name but we can say that the Mother of Jesse A. and Wesley Freeman is now married and/or living with  (1880) to Joseph HALL, age 20. We can further state that either Joseph's age is misrepresented or he was very young when he married Ann Freeman.  Another problem is the father of John Wesley Freeman. If Jesse is the father of Jesse A. he absolutely CANNOT be the Father of John Wesley if he did in fact died in the Civil War. So who is the Father of John Wesley Freeman born March 1873?

We only have the short paragraph in the family history stating that Ann was married to Jesse Freeman and had son Jesse A. Freeman.  There is no mention of Wesley Freeman in the paragraph.
Next we have a "COMPLAINT for RELIEF"[7] dated July 16, 1885 brought by two of the children of Jesse Freeman against their siblings. (Only a portion is displayed to consume space)

Before we read the Complaint; let's lists the Children:

Jesse Freeman and Sarah Jane Davis had the following children:

i. Sarah Ann Freeman, born 14 Jul 1827; married John D. Odom, abt 1856, Chesterfield County, SC.
ii. Mary Ann Freeman, born 2 Oct 1829; married Lewis H. Wadsworth, 28 Dec 1849, Chesterfield County, SC.
iii. Lewis L. Freeman, born 1832; married Mary A. Parr, 24 Mar 1853, Chesterfield County, SC.
iv. Jane Freeman, born 1834; married Benjamin Brock, abt 1854, Chesterfield, SC.
v. William M. "Bill" Freeman, born 9 Aug 1836; married Sarah Ann Davis, 1860, Chesterfield County, SC.
vi. Jesse Freeman, born 1838, Chesterfield County, SC.
vii. John F. Freeman was born in 1842 in Chesterfield, SC. He died on 21 Jun 1864 at Ft. Monroe, VA. [8] [9]
viii. Christine Freeman, born 15 Apr 1843; married Robert Bennett Turnage, abt 1855, Chesterfield County, SC.
ix. Rosa Effie Freeman, born 1848; married Stephen David Purvis, abt 1865; Chesterfield County, SC.
x. Ann Elizabeth "Annie" Freeman, born Mar 1850; married ??  Poston.  

NOTE: I have added the Roman Numerical in Brackets for each child in the Complaint matching List above. 
COMPLAINT FOR RELIEF [10]

Mary Ann Wadsworth (ii) and her husband, Louis H. Wadsworth, Effie Purvis (ix) and her husband, Stephen D. Purvis.
PLAINTIFFS
Against

William Freeman (v)
Louis Freeman (iii)
Mary Freeman (Wife of Jessie Freeman, Sr.)[Second Wife]
Sarah Ann Odom (i)
Christine F. Tumage (viii)
Ann Hall (vi) (wife of Jesse or John F. Freeman)
Temple Par (iv)(daughter of Jane Freeman)
Elizabeth Poston (x)

                            Defendants

The Plaintiff Complaining of the Defendants to this Court Allege:

That Jessie Freeman, a late citizen and resident of the county and state aforesaid, died at his residence in said county and state on the___ day of July, Year of Our Lord, One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-One. Having first executed his Last Will and Testament----- A copy whereof is hereto annexed…[11]


As I added numeric numbers beside the defendants/children in this case it was obvious with Ann Hall listed as a defendant that she was either the wife of Jesse Freeman or John F. Freeman.

As we look over the children list above and compare it with the "Complaint for Relief"  we see Jesse and Anne E. in the household of Jesse Sr. and we see Ann Freeman and Elizabeth Poston named in the lawsuit. 

 I know John F. died in the Civil War; but I could not find any information proving that Jesse served and died in the Civil War.    

Ironically, both are said to have died in the Civil War; yet, Ann, the wife, had a second son- John Wesley in March of 1873 before marrying Joseph Hall about 1873.

Ann and Joseph Hall first born was William Calvin Hall born 15 August 1874. 

The 1880 Census[12] shows that Ann married or lived with Joseph and in 1880 had two son by her first husband (Jesse & Wesley) and 3 children by Joseph (Barney, Nancy & Calvin).

1880 CENSUS: Cole Hill, Chesterfield Co., SC, FHL Film 1255225, National Archives Film T9-1225, Page 303C; Joseph HALL, Farmer, 20, born in SC, parents, born in SC, Ann HALL, Wife, age 30, born in SC, parents born in SC, Jesse A. FREEMAN, SSon, age 14, born in SC; Wesley FREEMAN, SSon, age 7, born in SC, Barney HALL, Son, age 4, born in SC; Nancy HALL, Daug., age 2, born in SC, Calvin HALL, Son, age 1, born in SC.

No further record of either Ann (LNU) or Joseph Hall has been found after the 1880 census with one exception – the death certificate of Ann (LNU) Freeman Hall.  

Ann LNU married Jesse Freeman and that union resulted in Jesse C. Freeman; the census now supports that she married and /or lived with  Joseph Hall.

Death record shows that son Jessie was really Jesse Coleman Freeman[13]. His  South Carolina Death certificate #51 011358 lists his parents was Will Freeman and Anna Freeman. 

The other son, John Wesley Freeman died 19 July 1933 in Marlboro County, SC. No death certificate has been found for John W. Freeman.   

Jesse Freeman also had a baby sister named Ann Elizabeth Freeman, b. in Mar 1850.  In the “Bill of Complaint”  Ann Elizabeth  is listed an Ann Poston. A search of the Census resulted in negative result in finding Ann (Freeman) Poston. 

Ann Elizabeth Freeman sister of Jesse Freeman has not been located since she was mentioned in the July 1885. 


A South Carolina Death certificate #10325 for Annie Freeman shows she died 18 June 1925.The Father of this Annie Freeman is listed as Jesse Freeman; the informant is listed as Henry T. Freeman also known as Henry T. Hall. This is the death certificate for the young  Jesse Freeman with wife Ann LNU Freeman. 


This certificate presents several problems. Because of the errors on this death certificate, the two Ann Freeman’s mentioned in this article has been confused and data mixed between the two individuals. If you look at Public Trees on Ancestry you will see how prevalent this misinformation is and the resulting “junk information” presented as genealogy. 

In summary:
No marriage has been found for Jesse or his sister Ann Elizabeth Freeman. The "Bill of Complaint" suggest that Ann E. Freeman married a "Poston" and that Ann Hall is the wife of Joseph Hall and widower of either Jesse or John F. Freeman. 

Jesse Freeman married (?) Ann (LNU) and they had 2 boys Jesse Coleman & John Wesley. Ann (LNU) Freeman then married Joseph Hall and had 4  additional children, three by 1880 – Barney, Nancy & Calvin (1880 census) and later Henry T. Hall. Ann (LNU) Freeman Hall died in 1925 and her death certificate is filed as Mrs Annie Freeman. Her son, Henry T. (Hall) Freeman was the informant on her death certificate. Henry was wrong and Jesse Freeman is not her father; he was her Father-in-Law.

Ann Elizabeth Freeman, daughter of Jesse & Sarah; sister to Jesse, b. 1838 is named in the “Bill of Complaint” as Ann Poston. I have a note, no source, that her husband was Elisha Poston. No record has been found for Ann Elisabeth Freeman Poston after the July 1885 “Bill of Complaint” 

Several questions remain unanswered. 

      1) Where is Ann Hall between 1880 and her death in 1925 in Marlboro County, SC?
      2) Why are the Hall children going by the surname Freeman?
3) Why is Annie going by the surname Freeman instead of Hall? 

If you know anything about this family contact me at my e-mail.










[1] 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 134B/135A; Line 33, Dwelling 560, Family 560, Household of Jesse FREEMAN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 June 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[2] 1860 CENSUS: Chesterfield County, South Carolina; Roll: M653_1217; Image 350; Family History Library Film: 805217, Page 173B; Line 27, Dwelling 1123, Family 1122; Jesse FREEMAN, age 54, farmer, born in SC; Jane FREEMAN, age 50, born in SC; Jesse FREEMAN, age 20, born in SC; John FREEMAN, age 18, born in SC; Effie FREEMAN, age 13, female, born in SC; Sarah FREEMAN, age 11, female, born in SC; Jane Brock, age 04, born in SC.
[3] National Park Service, "Soldiers" database, Civil War Soldiers & Sailor System (http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm : accessed 12 June 2012), entry for Freeman, Jesse, Corporal; 21st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry; Confederate. Does not show him dying in the Civil War.
[4] Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 12 June 2012), entry for Jesse Freeman, Corporal; Company E, 21th SC Infantry; Confederate.
[5] Jessie C. Freeman, death certificate # 51- 0111358 (15 May 1951), Vital Records, Department of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina.
[6] 1880 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cole Hill, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 004, Page 303C; Line 43, Dwelling 73, Family 73, Household of Joseph HALL; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 June 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T9-1225.
[7] Old Darlington District Chapter S.C.G.S., "Anson County, NC – Darlington District, SC Connections;," Darlington Flag, Vol. XV, No. 3 (Summer 2003): pages 21-23.
[8] Randolph W. Kirkland Jr., Broken Fortunes: SC Soldiers, Sailors and Citizens Who Died in the Service of Their Country and State in the War for Southern Independence, 1861-1865 (Columbia, SC: University of SC, 1997), John F. FREEMAN, page 119. MILITARY: CSA - Co. E, 21st. Regiment, Infantry. Died of wounds suffered during Civil War at Ft. Monroe, VA. Buried at N. C. Hampton, Va. "Broken Fortunes", Page 119,Randolph W. Kirkland, Jr., 1995, The SC Historical Society, Charleston, SC.
[9] Johnson Hagood, Memoirs of the War of Succession (Camden, SC 29020: Jim Fox Books, 1997 (Reprint)), John FREEMAN, page 403, 1st Column. John FREEMAN also listed in Hagood's Book. page 403.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Chesterfield County, SC, Probate Files & Loose papers, Jesse Freeman; digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org: Viewed 4 July 2012); Probate File #320.
[12] 1880 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cole Hill, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 004, Page 303C; Line 43, Dwelling 73, Family 73, Household of Joseph HALL; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 12 June 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm T9-1225.



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