General Notes

Excerpts from Freeman Geneology, published by Franklin Press; Rand, Avery, and Company, 1875. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875 by Frederick Freeman, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington: "Regretting the absence of definite, positive and reliable information in regard to the place of nativity of our Ancestor, or the precise date of his birth, we can only gather such facts as remain, and submit them to the reader. Family tradition has it that "he came from Devonshire." There are circumstances indicating that he came "from Oxford." He was born, as is supposed in the year 1590." …"He came from England in the year 1635, in "the ship 'Abigail,' Richard Hackwell master." The loading of the ship was begun in May; and, "after considerable delay," The Abigail sailed from London, "arrived safely in this country, and with her came many passengers."….in May certificates were secured by those who intended to embark in her, at different periods of considerable interval. Among others, were the following bearing the name of FREEMAN: viz, In a certificate bearing date, "July 1, 1635," are the names of "Elizabeth Freeman, 12 yrs; Alice Freeman, 17 yrs; Edmund Freeman, 15 yrs; and John Freeman, 8 yrs. "Edmund Freeman, husbandman, 34," and "Elizabeth Freeman, uxor, 35," are in another certificate of the same date. Previously, "June 17," certificates were furnished embracing "Marie Freeman, 50"; Jo: Freeman, 9; Sycillae Freeman, 4." The admiralty register also, after an interval, reports: "John Freeman, 35; Thomas Freeman, 24" and "Edmund Freeman, 45." The last named, we suppose is our ancestor; the four first mentioned, viz., Elizabeth, Alice, Edmund, and John, being his children. The lists of early passengers to New England, as they appear in the admiralty office, further show that "Anthony Freeman, 22" received a certificate, "Sept. 4, 1635, to embark in the ship 'Hopewell.'" 

Thomas Tupper and his Descendants by Franklyn W Tupper, pub 1945 DPL: G929.2T839tu, page 11.
"Mr Edmund Freeman, a native of Pulborough, county Sussex, was a brother-in-law to John Beauchamp, merchant of London, to whom the leaders of the colony of New Plymouth were heavily indebted. Mr Freeman was also brother-in-law of the Earl of Warwick, whose word went a great way with the leaders of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay. He came over under power of attorney from John Beauchamp to collect monies due from Plymouth colonists, and also armed with authority to organize a colonization under his own initiative granted through the direction of his powerful kinsman. He made the collections for his principal, and opportunely, after a short residence in Duxbury, he made use of his organizing authority to promote the establishment of a town on Cape Code, the first in that section of the Colony". 

Mr. Edmund Freeman, was baptized in 1596 in Pulborough, and, as the eldest son, inherited the bulk: of his father's significant estate (800 pounds) sometime after 8 June 1623. After that date. his mother (nee Alice Coles) resided with son-in-law John Beauchamp and her daughter Alice at Reigate, Surrey county- a short distance north of Pulborough.
John Beauchamp was one of the London Merchants who provided financial assistance to Plymouth Colony until at least 1645. This assistance was mentioned frequently in William Bradford's account: Of Plymouth Plantation.
In 1635, Mr Edmund Freeman came to the Colony via the ship Abigail and landed north of Boston in Saugus, now called Lynn, MA. The next year he moved down south of Boston to Duxbury, then to Plymouth in 1637. While there, he was elected a freeman; he was also given a charter for creating the first English Colony on Cape Cod: called Sandwich, where he was the principal landowner (and the "Founder of Sandwich"). When he first arrived at Saugus, he made a gift to the Colony of "20 corseletts or pieces of armor".
From 1640 to 1646, Mr Edmund Freeman was Assistant Governor of Plymouth Colony, serving under Governors William Bradford and Thomas Prence. In 1641, he was Deputy to the Colony; in 1642, he was a member of the Council of War; later he was a judge.