Rebecca Freeth was the second known child of Samuel Freeth & Rebecca Smith born September 10th, 1781 at Harborne & christened October 28th, 1781 at the New Meeting House, Moor Street-Unitarian, Birmingham & also at Presbyterian Church, Oldbury by Halesowen, Shrops.
Rebecca married James Neal on December 25th 1801 at St Philip, Birmingham. (b.1780). Witnesses at the wedding were William Freeth & Mary Neal. James was christened November 5th, 1780 at Smethwick, the son of Martha & William Neal.
In 1828 daughter Elizabeth married John Hollyhead on January 14th at Tipton. In 1841 they were living at Old Meeting St, West Bromwich with daughters Mary Ann (6) & Sarah Jane (1). John, a miner, was aged 50 & born c1790. He died on December 18th, 1841 at Old Meeting St.
Elizabeth married again in 1842 in West Bromwich. Her second husband was William Horton who was born c1813 & in 1851 she & William, a bolt forger, were living at Over End, West Bromwich with Elizabeth’s daughters, Mary (Jane) & Sarah Hollyhead & their own children, Edmund (3), John (6) & William (2). Elizabeth & daughter Mary were described as market travellers as was Joseph Cox (18) who was visiting.
Daughter Mary Jane married John Newby, a hairdresser, in 1857 in West Bromwich & mother Elizabeth Horton was a witness at her daughter’s wedding.
In 1861 Elizabeth & William Horton were living in Paradise St, W. Bromwich with 3 sons & William was a broker. Elizabeth died before the next census & widowed William, now an old clothes dealer, was still living in Paradise St in 1871 with son Edmund, a cover maker. They had a housekeeper, Sarah Lawrence, & several lodgers. William Horton was still in Paradise St in 1881 & Sarah Lawrence was still the housekeeper. He was now described as lodging house keeper & there were a number of lodgers.
Son Edmund Horton had married Jane Stokes in 1878 at West Bromwich & in 1881 they were living at Mt Pleasant St with 1 year old son, John. Edmund died in 1885. Son William Horton married Elizabeth Wilkes in 1870 & by 1881 they were living at Taylors Lane, West Bromwich with a son & daughter & William was an iron moulder.
Son John Horton, a widower, married Ann Holloway (nee Ashton) in 1891 in West Bromwich. John was an enameller & lived at 44 Paradise St. Widowed Ann, a coal dealer, was living in Paradise St in 1881. By 1911 John & Ann were living at 44/46 Paradise St & John was now a lodging house keeper.
In 1841 Rebecca & James (Nail in census) were living at Oldbury Rd, Smethwick, Harborne & James was a nail forger. Children at home were Samuel (35) a chemical worker, James (30) a glass blower, Rebecca (Keen) aka Sarah (25) independent, Martha (20), Henry (15) a glass polisher & Thomas, (15) a glass maker. With them was 2 year old John Keen. Daughter Rebecca had married John Andrew Williams Keene, a merchant’s clerk, on September 17th,1837 at St Peter’s Harborne. There is a death for John Williams Keene in Jan-March 1841 in Lambeth Surrey.
James died in Oct-December 1848 at Kings Norton.
Rebecca died in Jan-March 1850 at Kings Norton.
Son William married Hannah Gilbert in Loughborough in 1840 & by 1841 William, a brewer, & Hannah were living at Rolfe St. Smethwick. William died in March 1851 & the 1851 census shows widowed Hannah & sons James (8) Samuel (5) & Thomas (2) living at Rolfe St, Smethwick & Hannah was a beerhouse keeper. On March 25th 1851 Hannah, widow of Rolfe St, stated that William, retail brewer of Smethwick had been dead for 14 days & had died intestate. She was granted administration of his estate.
In 1851 son Thomas, shot glass blower, was head of the household at Oldbury Rd & with him was brother Samuel, sulphate & soda maker, & sister Martha, wrapper up of hardware. Also with them was widowed Rebecca Keen, sister, & her son John, now aged 12. Son Samuel appears not to have married & was still living with his sister Rebecca Keene in 1861 at Club Building, Smethwick. In 1871 Samuel was still a labourer at the chemical works & head of the household in Oldbury Rd with 2 lodgers.
Son Thomas married Hannah Neal, his brother William's widow, in 1852 at St Peter’s, Harborne, witnesses being brother Henry Neal & sister Rebecca Keen. By 1871 son Thomas & wife Hannah & 2 sons were living at Dudley Rd, Wolverhampton & Thomas was a sheet glass blower. Hannah & Thomas were living in Birmingham at Great King St in 1881 with no family at home. Thomas was a glass blower, unemployed.
In 1851 son Henry Neal & wife Maria (nee Birch) who married in 1844 & family were living in Oldbury Rd. & with them was Eliza Freeth (10) listed as general servant born in Smethwick. This was in fact the daughter of Henry’s cousin Thomas Freeth [fh.4.6.1.2] The family were still at Oldbury Rd in 1861 & there were now 4 sons & 2 daughters. Henry was still working as a glass blower in 1871 & the family were now at Church St, Smethwick.
By 1851 son James had moved to Newton in Makerfield, Lancashire & was living at Crown Glass Works, Crow lane with his wife Jane (26) & their young family – James, Elizabeth, Rebekah & Mary. James was still a glass maker.
On January 16th, 1853 daughter Martha married John Whitehouse at Harborne. By 1871 they & their 3 daughters & son were living in Sams Lane, West Bromwich & John was a coffee mill fitter. The 1881 census describes John as a fitter in iron & pawnbroker with all 3 daughters assisting in the pawnbroker business. In 1891 they were living at Grove Lea, Bearwood Rd, Smethwick & John was now a manager.
The children of Rebecca Freeth & James Neal were:
fh.4.6.2.1 Samuel Neal (Nail) born March 25th at Smethwick & christened July 25th 1802 at Presbyterian Church, Oldbury by Halesowen, Shrops; died Oct-December 1879 at Kings Norton
fh.4.6.2.2 Mary Ann Neal born June 10th, 1805 at Smethwick & christened September 22nd, 1805 at Presbyterian Church, Oldbury by Halesowen, Shrops
fh.4.6.2.3 William Neal born July 11th, 1807 at Smethwick & christened August 5th, 1807 at Mares Green Independent, West Bromwich; died at Smethwick & buried March 12th, 1851 at Christ Church, West Bromwich
fh.4.6.2.4 Elizabeth Neal born July 22nd 1809 & christened August 15th, 1809 at Mares Green Independent, West Bromwich
fh.4.6.2.5 James Neal born September 4th 1810 & christened November 14th at Mares Green Independent, West Bromwich; buried June 27th, 1856 at Newton, Lancaster
fh.4.6.2.6 Rebecca (Sarah) Neal born November 19th 1816 & christened December 22nd, 1816 at Mares Green Independent, West Bromwich (father mistakenly named as William Neal); died Oct-December 1865 at Kings Norton
4.6.2.7 Martha Neal born January 10th, 1818 at Smethwick & christened February 20th, 1818 at Mares Green Independent, West Bromwich; died Oct-December 1893 at Smethwick
4.6.2.8 Henry Neal born September 30th, 1821 at Smethwick & christened 1821 at Mares Green Independent, West Bromwich; died Oct-December 1874 at Smethwick
4.6.2.9 Thomas Neal born December 12th, 1823 at Smethwick & christened 1823 at Mares Green Independent, West Bromwich; died July-September 1881 at Wolverhampton