Edwin Freeth was the sixth child of William Freeth & Sarah Gutteridge born September 4th, 1840 & christened October 18th, 1840 at Smethwick, Staffs.
In 1851 Edwin was living at home at Roebuck Lane, Smethwick with his parents & siblings.
Edwin was still at home at 6 Roebuck Lane in 1861 with his parents & brothers & sisters. He was working as a glass flattener.
Edwin married Thomason Ann Collins on October 12th, 1868 at St Peter& St Paul’s, Harborne, Staffs. Ann was born in April-June 1845 at North Shields, Northumberland, the daughter of Mary Ann Donnison & Thomas Collins, a stone mason. The Collins family were living in South St, Smethwick in 1861.
In 1871 Edwin & Ann were living at Hawthorn St, Smethwick & Edwin was a glass packer. They had 3 children – Thomas E (4), Sarah (2) & George (4 months).
In 1881 their address was given as back of #11 Hawthorn St & Edwin was now described as a general labourer. Children at home were (Thomas) Edwin (14), an iron moulder, George, Arthur (8), John (6), Ada (4) & Harry (2).
On July 5th 1886 son John was admitted to Smethwick Central Board School & was there until January 14th, 1887. His address was back of 13 Hawthorn St, & his religion was Wesleyan.
Edwin & Thomason Ann had moved to 36 Victoria St, Smethwick by 1891 & Edwin was still a general labourer. There were 10 children at home – Thomas E, Sarah A, a frying pan polisher, George Wm, a nut counter, Arthur L, a nail packer, John, an iron healer, Ada, Harry, Herbert (9), Louisa (7) & Georgina (5).
Edwin died in Oct-December 1897, aged 57, the death being registered at Kings Norton.
In 1901 widow Thomason Ann was living at 15 Victoria St, Spon Lane, Smethwick with children Edwin (Edward on census), Harry & Herbert, all general labourers, & Louisa & Georgina, both bolt wormers! (The worm of a bolt is the spiral part.)
Daughter Louisa married Harry Harris at St Paul’s Smethwick in Jan-March 1905. In 1911 Louisa & Harry (an electrician at the wagon works) were living in Oldbury with their son Harry (3) & daughter Beatrice May (5).
Thomason Ann was living at 53 Victoria St, Smethwick in 1911 with 4 sons – Edward, a general labourer at a chemical manufacturers, John, a general labourer at a sheet glass manufacturer, Harry, a goods porter for the railway company & Herbert, a plasterer’s labourer. Herbert had previously worked as a platelayer for the L&NW railway. Living with them was granddaughter, Christabel Scarlet (7), the daughter of Georgina Freeth who had married Joseph William Scarlett in 1903. They also had a boarder, Mary Ann Grigg, a 64 year old widow who was a glass packer.
Thomason Ann died in Oct-December 1922, aged 77, her death being registered at Kings Norton.
Son Herbert married Florence (nee James) in 1914 & they & their family were living at Elizabeth Crescent, Oldbury in 1939 where Herbert was an iron foundry furnaceman.
The 1939 register shows son Harry in the County Mental Hospital Burntwood & described as a general labourer. Harry, of 53 Victoria St, died on January 29th, 1941 at the County Mental Hospital Burntwood, Staffs. Administration of his will was granted on June 14th, 1941 to his widowed sister Sarah Ann Betts & his effects were £112.9s.
The children of Edwin Freeth & Thomason Ann Collins were:
fh.4.6.1.4.6.1 Thomas Edward (Collins) Freeth born April-June 1867 at Smethwick, Staffs
fh.4.6.1.4.6.2 Sarah Ann
Freeth born March 3rd, 1869 at Smethwick, Staffs; died December 1st, 1948 at Smethwick
fh.4.6.1.4.6.3 George
William Freeth born November 9th, 1870 at Smethwick, Staffs; died June 1951 at West Bromwich
fh.4.6.1.4.6.4 Arthur
Leonard Freeth born August 11th, 1872 at Smethwick, Staffs; died November 28th, 1948 at Smethwick
fh.4.6.1.4.6.5 John Freeth born October 10th, 1874 at Smethwick, Staffs; died April-June 1938 in West Bromwich
fh.4.6.1.4.6.6 Ada Freeth born
September 16th, 1876 at Smethwick, Staffs; died Jan-March 1949 at Smethwick
fh.4.6.1.4.6.7 Harry Freeth born September 12th, 1878 at Smethwick, Staffs; died January 29th, 1941 at Burntwood Hospital, Staffs
fh.4.6.1.4.6.8 Herbert Freeth born September 22nd, 1881 & christened October 27th,1881 at Smethwick, Staffs
fh.4.6.1.4.6.9 Louisa Freeth born July-September 1883 at Smethwick, Staffs
fh.4.6.1.4.6.10 Georgina Freeth born December 22nd, 1885 at Smethwick, Staffs; died April-June 1950 at West Bromwich