William FREE - (Abt. 1723 - 1799)

Born in Hadstock in Essex, in about 1723, William FREE was the son of John and Esther FREE. He was baptized in the parish church in 1724...

"1724
Wm the son of John Free & Esther his Wife was Baptisd Nov. 15."

Photographs of Hadstock and St Botolph's Church can be seen in the Photo Gallery > Collections > Places > Hadstock, Essex section of this website.

William's father died when he was approximately 5 years old and his mother remarried when he was about 9.

In 1746, William married Martha HAWES in St Botolph's Church, Hadstock. William would have been about 23 years old and Martha, about 16...

"AD 1746
William Free & Martha Hawes both of this Parish married by Banns Dec y 27th"

William and Martha had at least 10 children together between 1747 and 1771. Sadly Martha died in 1782 and William married again less than four years later.

Marriage banns were called at Hadstock at the beginning of 1786...

"Banns of Marriage between William Free Widower and Elisabeth Fincham Singlewoman both of this parish were published on the three Sundays underwritten:
That is to Say; On Sunday, the twenty sixth day of February 1786 by me J A Carr Curate
On Sunday, the fifth day of March 1786 by me J A Carr
On Sunday, the twelfth day of March 1786 by me J A Carr"

William married Elisabeth FINCHAM in April 1786. By now, William was aged about 62 and his new wife was thirty years his junior...

"William Free widower and Elisabeth Fincham singlewoman both of this parish were Married in this Church by Banns this fifteenth Day of April in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and eighty six by me J A Carr Curate
This Marriage was Solemnized between Us
William X Free his mark
Elisabeth Fincham
In the Presence of
Wm Collett
Joseph Stallan"

William and Elisabeth had five sons, the first, Robert, born just over a month after their wedding day.

In 1792, a Parish Census of Hadstock was recorded in a notebook belonging to the Rev. John Addison Carr containing a list of parishioners with later additions and notes, not all legible. The following entry appears on a transcript provided by a local contact in Hadstock...

"Free, William died Aug 20 99
Elizabeth
George
James 2 1/2
Henry 1/2
Charles bapt Aug 3 1794"

William FREE died just before the turn of the 19th century. The Hadstock Parish Registers noted his burial...

"1799
July 23rd William Free, farmer aged 76 was buried."

According to the two sources above, there is a discrepancy about the month William died. The parish register has an entry for July 2nd above the entry for William's burial. Below this, it simply has 23rd.

A video clip of Hadstock village and church can be seen in the 'Videos' section of the Gallery.

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