Joseph Samuel Jones Freeth was the fourth child of George Freeth & Ann Jones born July-September, 1861 at Ockerhill, Tipton, Staffs.
In 1871 Joseph & his parents, brothers & sisters were living at 2 Glad. Terr, Wednesbury where father George was a foreman at the railway.
By 1881 Joseph was a student at Worcester Lichfield & Hereford Training College, Church Rd, Saltley, Aston Manor, Staffs.
Joseph married Louisa Fletcher on October 26th, 1889, at the Old Church, Smethwick, Staffs. Louisa was born Jan-March 1861 at Smethwick, the daughter of Ann & Benjamin Fletcher, a furnaceman. Louisa, a school teacher at the time of the 1881 census, was the granddaughter of Joseph Fletcher & Hannah Stone (st.6).
In 1891 Joseph & Louisa were living at Crown Lane, Thingoe, Ixworth, Suffolk where Joseph was an elementary schoolmaster. Visiting them was Louisa’s sister Clara Fletcher (33).
By 1901 they had returned to Staffordshire & were living at 37 Lonsdale Rd, Harborne. Joseph was now a head schoolmaster. They had a 20 year old domestic servant, Alice Rogers.
Louisa died on January 27th, 1904 at 37 Lonsdale Rd, Harborne. Administration of her will was granted to her cousin Albert Edward Fletcher, schoolmaster & her effects were £78.11s.5d.
Joseph remarried on August 2nd, 1905 at Burton, Derbyshire. His second wife was Abigail Hoult Whitaker, born October 23rd, 1879 at Church Gresley, Derbyshire, the daughter of Edith & Solomon Whitaker, a tile manufacturer.
Joseph & Abigail had a son, Laurence, in 1912 who was to marry Joan Allsop in 1945 in Bakewell, Derbyshire. At the time of the 1939 register Laurence was a bank clerk living at Stour House, Bakewell.
Joseph died on July 5th, 1929 at Gilderoy, Sunny Hill, Normanton, Derby. Probate was granted at Nottingham on September 26th, 1929 to his widow Abigail & his effects amounted to £625.6s.
The 1939 register shows widowed Abigail living at 220 Musters Rd, West Bridgford, Notts. She was living with Violet & Charles Bachelor, a railway district controller.
Abigail died on March 13th1953, aged 73, at Granby Croft, Bakewell, Derbyshire. Probate of her estate was granted to son Laurence, a bank official, & her effects were £233.9s.7d.
The children of Joseph Samuel Jones Freeth & Abigail Hoult Whitaker were:
fh.4.6.1.4.2.4.1 Laurence Neville Freeth born November 25th, 1912 at Kings
Norton, Staffs; died April-June 1980 at High Peak, Derbyshire