William Freeth was the second child of Edward Freeth & Sarah Gray christened March 7th, 1730 at All Saints, West Bromwich, Staffs.
William was the favoured grandson of William Freeth [fh] who inherited his grandfather’s estates (including the Big House) in & around Oldbury on reaching his maturity in 1751.
William married Mary Wright on December 22nd, 1760 at All Saints, West Bromwich. Dr Terry Daniels, chair of the Oldbury History Group, believes that William lived in the Big House where he & Mary had 3 daughters, Mary, Elizabeth & Phebe.
The children of William Freeth & Mary Wright were:
fh.4.2.1 Mary Freeth christened November 8th, 1761 in Worcestershire; died at Moseley & buried September 21st, 1833 at St Nicholas, Curdworth, Warwickshire
fh.4.2.2 Elizabeth Freeth christened January 9th, 1762 at Halesowen, Kidderminster; buried April 4th, 1811 at Coleshill
fh.4.2.3 Phebe Freeth christened April 17th, 1765 at Christ Church, Oldbury; died March 16th, 1838 at Wake Green, Moseley, Warks
William died between 1765 & 1770. On December 19th, 1770 widowed Mary married John Mayo(u) at Coleshill, Warks. John was a widower of Coleshill & Mary’s abode was the Parish of Halesowen, Shropshire. Witnesses at the wedding were Hannah Wright, Elizabeth Wright & James Cooper. After the marriage Mary & her 3 daughters came to live at Coleshill.
William & Mary’s daughters came into their inheritance in the early 1780s. All 3 married at Coleshill. Mary married Rev Edward Palmer on December 21st, 1789 & witnesses were her sister Elizabeth Freeth & Chas. Palmer. Elizabeth married William Woods, a surgeon, on January 14th, 1790 & witnesses were sister Phebe Freeth & Chas. Palmer. Elizabeth’s brother-in-law Edward Palmer conducted the ceremony. Edward Palmer again officiated when Phebe married Benjamin Parker, an ironmaster, on November 12th, 1792. Witnesses were sister Mary Palmer & brother-in-law William Woods.
Mary Mayou, noted as widowed, lived until at least 1795 when there was a certificate issued to her for the use of hair powder in the parish of Coleshill! Also listed as granted a certificate were her daughter Elizabeth & her husband William Woods, and daughter Mary & husband Rev Edward Palmer, the latter residing at Curdworth.
Daughter Mary died at Moseley & was buried on September 21st, 1833 at St Nicholas Curdworth. Her husband the Rev Edward Palmer had died in 1826 at Moseley & was buried on May 23rd at Curdworth. Their large family included William (1790), Philip Freeth (1792), Edward (1793), Mary (1794), Ann (1795), Elizabeth (1797), Phoebe (1798), Henry (1800), Phoebe Parker (1802), Emma (1804), & Eleanor (1806). Their 2 sons, William & Edward, were both clerks in Holy Orders. Their daughter Emma married John King Lethbridge, a landed proprietor & magistrate, in 1835 in Egloskerry, Cornwall. Emma & John came to live at Tregeare, Laneast, Cornwall where they had a large family & many servants, & in 1861 Emma’s sister, Mary Palmer, a fundholder, was visiting them.
Daughter Elizabeth died & was buried on April 4th 1811 at Coleshill & on April 20th sisters Mary Palmer & Phebe Parker (wife of Benjamin Parker) stated that Elizabeth had been dead for 14 days & died intestate without parent or child. Therefore they were entitled to letters of administration of her goods & personal estate which did not amount to £800. This was granted under the oath of Rev Edward Palmer, Benjamin Parker of Dudley, Charles Palmer of Coleshill & Richard Laufman of Lichfield who were obliged to guarantee £1,500 to oversee that the sisters carry out an inventory of Elizabeth’s estate.
Phebe’s husband Benjamin was a coal & iron master. On his death in 1817 he generously provided for his nephews & nieces, especially those of his brother Abraham Parker & sister Esther Parker. His widow Phebe died in 1838 at Wake Green, Mosely after a short illness & her nephews, Rev William Palmer & Rev Edward Palmer administered her estate. Phebe & Benjamin appear not to have had any living heirs. In her will written in 1834, Phebe left to her niece Elizabeth Palmer her large organ built by Hill & Elliott as well as her clothes, jewels, trinkets, watches & other personal ornaments. Other linen plate china & household furniture was to be divided between nephews & nieces Edward Palmer, William Palmer & Elizabeth Palmer. To her niece Mrs Ann Saurot? she gave 10 guineas, to Mrs Sarah Wood of Coleshill she gave £5 & to John Mayou, surgeon, of Appleby, Leicester she gave £50. To Benjamin Mayou of Athelstan, Warks, mercer & draper, she also gave £50. Her servant, John Pitt, received £300 & his bedding & belongings as did her servant Sarah Wilcox. To the Treasurer of the Foreign & British Bible Society she left £100 & the same amount to the Treasurer of the Missionary Society for Africa & the East. To the Treasurer of the General Hospital in Birmingham she left £200. Her carriages & horses she left to her executors. Phebe’s freehold & copyhold estates in Oldbury & the mines & minerals she allocated to Rev William Palmer of Polesworth & Rev Edward Palmer of Deritend to be administered, from the proceeds of which was to be paid yearly £20 to both John Pitt & Sarah Wilcox. Other endowments were also made to her sister, Mary Palmer & Mary’s children – William, Edward, Mary , Elizabeth & Emma.