Noah Freeth [fh.4.6.1.2.12.2]

Our thanks go to Adrianne Vickers, great granddaughter of Noah, for photographs on this page.

Noah Freeth was the second child of George Henry Freeth & Margaret Riley born January 16th, 1872 at Warrington, Lancs.

In 1881 Noah was living with his widowed father George & brothers & sister at 253 Warwick Road, Warrington.

Noah was still living at home in 1891 with his father & step mother Martha, & brothers & sisters at 27 Oxford Lane, Warrington. Noah was an engine driver.

In July-September 1894 Noah married Bridget Jeffers at Warrington, Lancs. Bridget was born Jan-March 1870 at Warrington, Lancs, the daughter of Mary Clancy & Michael Jeffers.

In 1901 Noah & Bridget were living at 71 Oxford Lane, Warrington & Noah was a wagon shunter. They had 3 children – George Bertram (5), Mary Frances (4) & Gertrude (2).

Noah, Bridget & children c1902, just prior to emigrating to USA

On June 15th, 1904 Noah’s father George set sail from Liverpool to Philadelphia, USA aboard the SS Westernland to visit his son Noah, whose address was given as: 256 Mayfield St, Philadelphia.

According to the 1910 Philadelphia census, Noah had emigrated to the USA in 1903 with his wife Bridget and 3 children. They were living at Lawrence St, Philadelphia & Noah was an engineer at a hardware foundry. Son George was a messenger at the pawn office & daughters Mary & Gertrude were still at home. They had a lodger John Gleason, a bartender at the beer saloon. The census noted that Noah owned his house.

Bridget & daughter Gertrude

Bridget, aged 41, died on June 3rd, 1915 at 2718 N. Lawrence St, Philadelphia & was buried on June 4th, 1915 at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham, Montgomery County, Philadelphia.

The children of Noah Freeth & Bridget Jeffers were:

fh.4.6.1.2.12.2.1 George Bertram Freeth born December 12th, 1895 in Warrington, Lancs; died 1962 in Dade, Florida
fh.4.6.1.2.12.2.2 Mary Frances Freeth born April-June 1897 in Warrington, Lancs; buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Philadelphia, USA
fh.4.6.1.2.12.2.3 Gertrude Freeth born April 8th,1899 in Warrington, Lancs; died November 1981 in Philadelphia, USA

In 1920 widowed Noah was still living in Philadelphia with the 3 children. Noah was an electrical engineer at a factory, son George was a salesman of welding apparatus & daughters Frances (Mary) & Gertrude were telephone operators. All the family were naturalised in 1910.

Later in 1920 Noah married Genevieve McGuigan in Philadelphia.

Daughter Gertrude married George Vickers in the 1920s & they were to have 2 sons – George Henry & James Noah.

Noah's grandchildren, George Henry (back) & James Noah Vickers, c1944

In 1930 Noah & Genevieve (38) were living at Fairhill St, Philadelphia. Genevieve’s mother Martha McGuigan, aged 78, was living with them. Noah’s employer was given as the Government, & the value of his house was $4,500.

Son George Bertram married Agnes M Woollam in 1935 in Philadelphia.

Noah & Genevieve were still living at 4834 Fairhill St, in 1940 when Noah gave his age as 58 & Genevieve’s as 53. Noah was working as an engineer for the post office.

There is a 1942 WW2 draft registration card for Noah Freeth which gives his date of birth as January 16th, 1882 – making his age 60, when in fact he was 70 years old. His place of residence was given as 4834 N. Fairhill St, Philadelphia & next of kin was his wife Mrs Gen Freeth. Son George Bertram also enlisted in 1942 & gave his address as the same as his father’s. He was working at the Philadelphia Naval Yard at the time.

WW2 draft card for Noah Freeth - 1942

In 1945 daughter Mary Frances married Francis J English in Philadelphia.

Noah died in 1954 & was buried alongside his first wife, Bridget. Also commemorated on the headstone is daughter Mary Frances (no dates) & her husband Frank who died in 1957 & son-in-law George Vickers who died in 1964.