Union-Bucks-Mifflin County PA Archives Biographies.....Freed, Peter 1774 - 1832 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Alan Kearns alkernz@hotmail.com August 7, 2010, 4:12 pm Source: various Author: Alan Kearns Peter Freed, of Union County, PA Son of Jacob and Elizabeth Fried? By Alan Kearns Peter Freed (1822-1908), of Alfarata, Mifflin County, was the son of Peter Freed (c1774-c1832), of Union County (formerly Northumberland County,) who was probably the son of Jacob Freed and Elizabeth Heffletrager, of Richland Township, Bucks County. Since Peter, their son was unaccounted for, it was assumed by many that he was the Peter Freed who settled in York County, but it now appears likely that assumption was incorrect, as explained below. Jacob Fried and his wife Elizabeth of Richland Township (Quakertown), Bucks County, had a son named Peter, born in the mid-1770's. It has long been a mystery what became of Peter, as indicated in The History of the Freed Family, by Isaac Freed. There were two Peter Freeds, born around that time, who could have been that Peter. Peter Fried, of Hellam Township, York County, PA (1777-1854) has been widely assumed to be the Peter in question. But the York County death register indicates that his father was Henry Fried. Peter Freed, of Center Township, Union (formerly Northumberland) County, PA (1770's-1832) may be the son of Jacob and Elizabeth. Jacob Fried died before 1782, in Richland Township, and his estate documents, dated 1782, described his farm and listed members of his family. (According to tax lists, he was dead in 1779, when Widow Freed was listed in Richland Township with the same amount of land that is listed in his estate, indicating that estate documents were not always filed in a timely manner.) Based on the 1790 census, Elizabeth's three youngest sons, Henry, Abraham, and Peter were apparently living with her. In 1800, only Henry Freed was living in Richland, on the family farm on the Tohickon Creek, near Quakertown. It is not known where Abraham or Peter were at this time, although in 1807 estate documents show that Paul, John and Peter Freed were in Bucks County, at least to collect their share of their parents estate. It is not clear where Peter Freed or Abraham Freed were between the mid-1790's and 1807. Peter could have been in Virginia with his older brothers, in Northumberland, in Western Pennsylvania, or somewhere in Bucks County. His older brother Abraham settled in Northumberland County prior to 1807. The Peter Freed, who lived in Union County, was probably the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Freed, of Richland Township, Bucks County, PA. No evidence, other than circumstantial, has been found to prove this link, but it is likely. He appeared in Northumberland County at about the same time as Abraham Freed, son of Jacob of Richland. They both appear in the 1810 census in Northumberland County, in different townships. Peter Fried, of Hellam Township, York County lived near Henry Fried, the brother of Jacob, and was closely associated with him. The York County death register states that his father was Henry and that he was born in Bucks County. His son Abraham, who should have been in a position to know, gave this statement. No documents directly link Peter Freed, of Center, to Jacob's family, but his first son appears to be named Jacob, which would conform to the German naming convention often seen in early German immigrants in Pennsylvania, if his father was Jacob Freed. Germans usually named the first son after his father's father. Peter, of Hellam, named his first son Henry, which does not prove that Peter's father was Henry, but indicates that this is a strong possibility. In the book The History of the Freed Family, it is stated that his first son was Henry. Henry was born less than a year after Peter's marriage. Peter Freed, of Union Township, was married to Nancy, according to a land transfer in 1828. Peter died in 1832, and Nancy died before him. They had the following children: Jacob Freed, born 1805 Susan Freed, born about 1810, married to George Swineford, died before 1840. Rachel Freed, born 1817, married to Daniel Berger Nancy Freed, married to Jacob Berger Abraham Freed, born 1820 (not confirmed) Peter Freed, born 1822 He became a tailor, married Sarah Manbeck, settled in Alfaratta, Mifflin County, and served in the Civil War. Hannah Freed, born before 1830 Peter and Nancy may have had another son and perhaps two other daughters, according to census records. These dates are approximate and information is not complete. Statement of a York County Peter Freed Descendent That He Was The Son Of Henry Freed, Not Jacob Freed: Evidence that Peter Freed, of York was not the son of Jacob Freed, comes from a York Co. Freed researcher. It is a handwritten note, which was included in her photocopy of History of the Freed Family, when it was given to her. The note was written by a great-granddaughter of Peter Freed, Anna Mary (Freed) Wallick. ... Peter ~ Abraham ~ Samuel ~ Anna. It's not clear when the note was written as she only has a copy of pp. 115-130 of this History of the Freed Family ... the handwritten note was included with the copies. It was her immediate family who inherited the original Freed farm in Hellam, York Co. This is her statement: "In regard to Peter Freed (they are wrong). He was the son of Henry Freed who came here from Bucks County. Perhaps Peter Freed was born in Bucks County. Henry Freed bought the farm from a man named Katz and after Henry's death it was taken over by his son Peter and next my grandfather Abraham and then Samuel and so on. ..." The author of the note was Anna Freed Wallick, great-granddaughter of Peter FREED The Birth Date of Peter Freed, of Richland Township, Bucks County None of the sources available to indicate Peter's birth date define it exactly, and several provide conflicting dates. 1790 census for Elizabeth Freed, his mother indicates 3 males age 16 and over, probably Henry, Abraham and Peter Freed indicates that Peter was born 1774 or earlier Bucks Count Orphan's Court Records of 1789 Sept. 14 shows Peter Freed, under 14 and Abraham Freed past 14 years old. Indication would seem to be that Peter was born 1775 or later. But Orphans Court records for the Jacob Freed estate show documents being filed three years or more after his death, in 1782 (tax lists mentioned his Widow Freed in Richland Township, in 1779.) Henry Freed is shown as a minor in 1793, when he was apparently an adult. Orphans Court 1793 Jan. 16 Henry Fried, above 14, petitions court to appoint Adam Kearn as his guardian. The cemetery record shows that Henry Freed was born September 07, 1768. Therefore he would have been 21 in 1789. Yet a court record shows him petitioning court as a minor in 1793. It appears that court proceedings were often filed several years late, perhaps only when it became necessary to have a legal record, not necessarily when events occurred. Therefore this record of Peter's age is suspect. The census record indicates he may have been born 1774 or earlier, the court record 1775 or later. Neither appears to be highly reliable. Perhaps he could have been born within several years of these dates. One thing is known: Abraham was his older brother, and his grave stone shows that he was born in 1773, so Peter was probably born no earlier than 1774. Census records for Peter Freed, of Union County show: 1810 Peter Freed was 26-44; born 1765-1784 1820 Peter Freed was 45+; born in or before 1775 1830 Peter Freed was 50-59; born 1770-1780 Records for Peter Freed of Bucks County show: 1789 Orphans Court record Peter Freed was under 14: born 1775 or later 1790 Census record probably Peter Freed listed as 16 or over: born 1774 or earlier This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 8.2 Kb