My 5th Great Grandfather, Nathaniel Freeman - My DAR Patriot

My DAR patriot is Dr. Nathaniel Freeman of Sandwich, Massachusetts who is my 5th great grandfather.  He was born on Cape Cod in North Dennis, Massachusetts in 1741.  He was a Harvard educated physician and surgeon that settled in Sandwich, Mass where he established a medical practice.  He went on to study law and became a lawyer.  He eventually became a Judge of Court of Common Pleas in Barnstable County Registrar of Probate in Massachusetts and was a Brigadier General in the Revolutionary War.  




On September 27, 1774 at 6:00 am, Dr. Freeman, who was the chosen leader by the town’s people, led 1,500 Patriots to the Barnstable County Court House to protest an unfair British-imposed method of juror selection and to stop the Court, the Sheriff and the Militia from acting in the King’s name.  By 10am that day, Dr. Freeman was on the steps of the Courthouse surrounded by the large crowd of well over 1,000.  During the day and into the following morning all thirteen Justices signed agreements defying the Acts of the English Parliament, and the Sheriff resigned.  Eight days later on the evening of October 5, 1774 Dr. Freeman received a somewhat suspicious message that a patient required his attendance.  He set out on foot and passed by a tavern that was a well-known Tory tavern.  On his return, he was beaten by six men, all Tories.  They dragged him into a pond and cut him with a knife.  He was able to escape.  The six Tories later acknowledge their intent was to kill Dr. Freeman.  The Sons of Liberty found out who was responsible for the attack on him and those men received their own justice from the Sons of Liberty. The leader of the gang, Benjamin Bourn, served his time in jail for the attempted murder.

Dr. Freeman recovered and went on play a prominent role in Massachusetts politics.  He gave both civil and military service to the close of the Revolution and was good friends with General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Also was friends with John and Samuel Adams.  He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1775 and again from 1778-1780.   In 1795 he was a Congressman in Washington, DC and a US Representative from Massachusetts from 1795-1799.  He held many civil offices of trust during his long life.

Dr. Freeman was married twice.  First to Tryphosa Colton of Connecticut and then to Elizabeth Handy Gifford of Sandwich, MA.  In all Dr. Nathaniel Freeman had 20 children in which 18 lived to adulthood.  He eventually retired from medicine at the age of 63 and died in Sandwich, MA in Sept of 1827 and is buried in Old Town Cemetery in Sandwich.

Dr. Freeman's Grave

The Freeman name has remained in our family for 100’s of years.  My father’s middle name is Freeman - John Freeman Wade.