David Weaver
gone but not forgotten
Does anyone know what happened to Billy Freer. His family were killed in the 1942 blitz. They lived in Church Lane, Aston? Thanks.
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Freer Billy
- Thread starter David Weaver
- Start date
David Weaver
gone but not forgotten
Re: Help find Billy Freer
Sorry Lloyd, I'm still getting the hang of this and once again I left out important details. Old age does that to you. In 1942 his wife was forty two years old so I presume he would have been that age or roundabouts and now long dead. Billy was helping to dig out another family from the bombing and a direct hit killed his wife and three children in the air raid shelter. He worked for my father as a coalman and I was there when he came around home in 28 Gladstone Street, Aston to tell Mum and Dad. I see that scene today as I did then, very, very sad. The children were 17,13 and 9. Doreen the youngest was my friend. Thanks for your trouble, regards, David.
Sorry Lloyd, I'm still getting the hang of this and once again I left out important details. Old age does that to you. In 1942 his wife was forty two years old so I presume he would have been that age or roundabouts and now long dead. Billy was helping to dig out another family from the bombing and a direct hit killed his wife and three children in the air raid shelter. He worked for my father as a coalman and I was there when he came around home in 28 Gladstone Street, Aston to tell Mum and Dad. I see that scene today as I did then, very, very sad. The children were 17,13 and 9. Doreen the youngest was my friend. Thanks for your trouble, regards, David.
Lloyd
master brummie
Re: Help find Billy Freer
A quick search (of incomplete records) only gives 4 suitable candidates:
William Alfred Freer, born 29/3/1900 died 3/1985 in Hull:
William Harry freer, Born 26/7/1900 died 8/1985 in Worthing:
Thomas William Freer, born 19/5/1901 died 1/1985 in Market Harborough:
Richard William W. Freer born 29/12/1901 died 4/1996 in Bangor, Caernarvonshire.
None of the records state where born, either.
There are probably others, but online that's all I can see. All other similar names born 1899-1901 died in infancy, so they are ruled out.
A quick search (of incomplete records) only gives 4 suitable candidates:
William Alfred Freer, born 29/3/1900 died 3/1985 in Hull:
William Harry freer, Born 26/7/1900 died 8/1985 in Worthing:
Thomas William Freer, born 19/5/1901 died 1/1985 in Market Harborough:
Richard William W. Freer born 29/12/1901 died 4/1996 in Bangor, Caernarvonshire.
None of the records state where born, either.
There are probably others, but online that's all I can see. All other similar names born 1899-1901 died in infancy, so they are ruled out.
David Weaver
gone but not forgotten
Re: Help find Billy Freer
Lloyd, an old Australian thanks you very much for taking the trouble. Thanks, regards, David.
Lloyd, an old Australian thanks you very much for taking the trouble. Thanks, regards, David.
Re: Help find Billy Freer
I think that Billy was just a nickname.
His wife was Isabella on the death index.
Found the childrens births mothers maiden name Smith.
Isabella Smith married Frank Freer, Birmingham 1925 January.
Frank had no second christian name.
2 Frank Freer births Aston 1892 and 1904.
Nothing found in deaths since 1984-2005
I think that Billy was just a nickname.
His wife was Isabella on the death index.
Found the childrens births mothers maiden name Smith.
Isabella Smith married Frank Freer, Birmingham 1925 January.
Frank had no second christian name.
2 Frank Freer births Aston 1892 and 1904.
Nothing found in deaths since 1984-2005
David Weaver
gone but not forgotten
Re: Help find Billy Freer
Thanks again that's him for sure. It most probably was a nickname but I knew him as 'Snowy' so there you go. I'd love to think he married again and had another family, but that may be the rambling of an old man dreaming his dreams of perfection for things long gone. Thanks again to everyone who helped settle a few ghosts. Regards, David.
Thanks again that's him for sure. It most probably was a nickname but I knew him as 'Snowy' so there you go. I'd love to think he married again and had another family, but that may be the rambling of an old man dreaming his dreams of perfection for things long gone. Thanks again to everyone who helped settle a few ghosts. Regards, David.
I
inrichmint
Guest
Re: Help find Billy Freer
I am at the moment building my family tree, my name is Jacqueline Freer and I have traced back 5 generations (including my son, who is the main motivation, amongst others, for my desire to complete this project) to where I believe my family were settled in Birmingham before moving onto South Africa. The first of my family was to settle in the country in the early 1900s, I was born and raised South African along with my mother and her parents, and yet still trying to bridge a gap of about 100 years in order to link genealogy as far back as Edward III in the early 1300s. I am looking for any information on Freer descendants in the UK from Birmingham and prior/post that with links across England. Specifically a "Jack" Freer who married an "Olive", they were born around 1920 and as far as I understand in Birmingham, although I stand under correction. I am looking for any information, documents, photographs of their parents and grandparents on the Freer side (which were most certainly from England). Please let me know if you have anything that might help me bridge this gap in my family history and uncover some of my linage. I am missing the links in my family from the mid 1800s through to approx 1940 with the birth of my grandfather Stuart Beresford Freer (SA born) and then his daughters. I have recently begun to research more into my family name and of course the coat of arms which we have that goes with it. Reading up on the coat of arms and the history of where it comes from with the knights of old has become of great interest to me along with English history which has led me to look at how the Freer name found itself worthy of the honor. With over 1 million family names in use and only 75000 of those linked to a coat of arms I found my interest extending from that into wanting to complete my genealogy and family tree and thereby linking it to the English courts, presuming that's where the coat of arms would have been presented from and considering that my family come from England. I can trace my name back to England although I am 3rd generation South African, aged 30. I was born under my mother's married name at the time and when I fell pregnant in 2004 I decided to change my name to my mother's maiden name so to give my son a more fitting family name and myself also obviously, I will spare you the personal history that motivated the choice (haha) and would much rather focus on the more interesting stories that my blood can tell. I of course have done so much reading over the past couple of years out of interest sake but seem to be stuck at the point my family left England for South Africa. I have a gap and I am not sure I am even trying to bridge it with the right line at all to be honest, although, I figure it should all link in together at some point. I found this page to be really helpful https://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~sfreer/blaby.html. It goes into the complete history of the Freer name through the 1800 with the Royal Decent of Freer from King Edward III at which point the diagram there shows the marriage of William Leacroft Freer to Anne Marie Hickman and then it shows and goes into a fair amount of detail about their children, grand children, wives and second wives. As I am sure you have heard quite a few times before since I image it to be a common problem is bridging the gap between my information and that which is out there. However I have no information about Jack's mother and father, brothers and sisters nor do I know how we are linked as explained above to the Royal Decent of Freer from King Edward III with the marriage of William Leacroft Freer to Anne Marie Hickman. The 100 or so years missing in between are what I am trying to work out before I try and extending my research to cover the family history of that prior to William Leacroft Freer which I believe will come from European decent with mention of Vikings, France, Holland and Belgium all in the history of the name. I have various Freer links in terms of family connections throughout the mid 1800s but need to know where exactly we would fit in there. Any information at all would help and be much appreciated. I am also looking for the earliest record of the Freer coat of arms/family crest, if at all we where enlisted to take part in a the joust and where I would be able to come by those documents. Name was Freer/Frere depending on how it was spelt at the time and as per attached crest.
Regards and Thanks
Jacqueline Freer
jax@inrichmint.org
I am at the moment building my family tree, my name is Jacqueline Freer and I have traced back 5 generations (including my son, who is the main motivation, amongst others, for my desire to complete this project) to where I believe my family were settled in Birmingham before moving onto South Africa. The first of my family was to settle in the country in the early 1900s, I was born and raised South African along with my mother and her parents, and yet still trying to bridge a gap of about 100 years in order to link genealogy as far back as Edward III in the early 1300s. I am looking for any information on Freer descendants in the UK from Birmingham and prior/post that with links across England. Specifically a "Jack" Freer who married an "Olive", they were born around 1920 and as far as I understand in Birmingham, although I stand under correction. I am looking for any information, documents, photographs of their parents and grandparents on the Freer side (which were most certainly from England). Please let me know if you have anything that might help me bridge this gap in my family history and uncover some of my linage. I am missing the links in my family from the mid 1800s through to approx 1940 with the birth of my grandfather Stuart Beresford Freer (SA born) and then his daughters. I have recently begun to research more into my family name and of course the coat of arms which we have that goes with it. Reading up on the coat of arms and the history of where it comes from with the knights of old has become of great interest to me along with English history which has led me to look at how the Freer name found itself worthy of the honor. With over 1 million family names in use and only 75000 of those linked to a coat of arms I found my interest extending from that into wanting to complete my genealogy and family tree and thereby linking it to the English courts, presuming that's where the coat of arms would have been presented from and considering that my family come from England. I can trace my name back to England although I am 3rd generation South African, aged 30. I was born under my mother's married name at the time and when I fell pregnant in 2004 I decided to change my name to my mother's maiden name so to give my son a more fitting family name and myself also obviously, I will spare you the personal history that motivated the choice (haha) and would much rather focus on the more interesting stories that my blood can tell. I of course have done so much reading over the past couple of years out of interest sake but seem to be stuck at the point my family left England for South Africa. I have a gap and I am not sure I am even trying to bridge it with the right line at all to be honest, although, I figure it should all link in together at some point. I found this page to be really helpful https://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~sfreer/blaby.html. It goes into the complete history of the Freer name through the 1800 with the Royal Decent of Freer from King Edward III at which point the diagram there shows the marriage of William Leacroft Freer to Anne Marie Hickman and then it shows and goes into a fair amount of detail about their children, grand children, wives and second wives. As I am sure you have heard quite a few times before since I image it to be a common problem is bridging the gap between my information and that which is out there. However I have no information about Jack's mother and father, brothers and sisters nor do I know how we are linked as explained above to the Royal Decent of Freer from King Edward III with the marriage of William Leacroft Freer to Anne Marie Hickman. The 100 or so years missing in between are what I am trying to work out before I try and extending my research to cover the family history of that prior to William Leacroft Freer which I believe will come from European decent with mention of Vikings, France, Holland and Belgium all in the history of the name. I have various Freer links in terms of family connections throughout the mid 1800s but need to know where exactly we would fit in there. Any information at all would help and be much appreciated. I am also looking for the earliest record of the Freer coat of arms/family crest, if at all we where enlisted to take part in a the joust and where I would be able to come by those documents. Name was Freer/Frere depending on how it was spelt at the time and as per attached crest.
Regards and Thanks
Jacqueline Freer
jax@inrichmint.org
David Weaver
gone but not forgotten
Re: Help find Billy Freer
The Freer family I knew were products of England in the 30's. They were tough, kind, gentle and full of fun. I loved them dearly and still feel the pain when four of them were killed in the bombing of Aston. I still remember, most vividly, the father standing in my house telling mom and dad about how they died. This was the next morning. I fear the Freer family you are searching for is not the one I knew, but had they been you would have been very proud to have belonged to them as I was proud to be their friend. David Weaver, Aston and now Australia.
The Freer family I knew were products of England in the 30's. They were tough, kind, gentle and full of fun. I loved them dearly and still feel the pain when four of them were killed in the bombing of Aston. I still remember, most vividly, the father standing in my house telling mom and dad about how they died. This was the next morning. I fear the Freer family you are searching for is not the one I knew, but had they been you would have been very proud to have belonged to them as I was proud to be their friend. David Weaver, Aston and now Australia.
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