Freemen of Gloucester

[Tralee]

Forgot to say that the freemen of Gloucester are still going strong.The records are kept in the Mayors Office at Gloucester Docks Tralee

[GRACELAND]

Forgot to say that the freemen of Gloucester are still going strong.The records are kept in the Mayors Office at Gloucester Docks Tralee

Thanks  Tralee thats good to know that !! 

[Tralee]

Hi Graceland Its a good twelve years since i looked at these records.I rang and made an appointment before i went and the people there were great.I remember that the records were up to date and then i went to the Glos collection at the library where they have a book on earlier freemens records.Tralee

[KeithS]

Thanks to both Tralee and Graceland for your information. I'm particularly interested in the Edward the 8th info and also that the Freemen are still  extant. I 'll have to get down to Gloucester this summer.

Keith

[Tralee]

Hi Keith I noticed on another site that your man was born during September so im now wondering if he was born on the anniversary of some charter being given to the city.Tralee

[KeithS]

Hi Tralee

Thanks for your continuing interest and suggestions. I've googled, inputting the year and Gloucester and a few other combinations without success, thinking it might be a celebration of a local event. It seems so far fetched making a baby (or babies) Freemen but grandma was always insistent. Think it is only likely to be solved by a visit to Gloucester and the Freemen records.

regards

Keith

[ccr]

I have a hand written attestation for my grandfather and great grandfather and I know that my uncle also was a freeman of gloucester. As my family seems to have the same poor background as yours and we can trace the award in our family back as far as 1730's when family still ag. labourers it must have something to do with being an original free man i.e. freed by the lordship inperpetuity. In our family it has always gone to the 2 eldest sons. Haven't found link yet but Glos Docks sounds good.Have you tried Ancestry .com they have Glos Parish and probate records giving names and dates latest 1818 but not, unfortunately reasons Let us know how you get on at Glos.docks.
CCR

[KeithS]

Hi CCR

Thanks for your email. The fact that Gloucester habitually included poorer people with honours is very interesting. The bit where same falls down for me is that your family appear to have had the honour in an heridatary fashion whereas my uncle was born during the family's brief stay in the city. My grandad was a telephone linesman at a time of immense expansion of the telephone/telegraph network and of course followed the work all over the country, probably rather like the cable TV services when they were rolled out. No, I haven't tried Ancestry yet and it will likely be some time before I get down to Gloucester. Tralee, on these pages, is hoping to put me in touch with the secretary of the present day Freemens association, that might at least give me an insight as to why my uncle was honoured in this way.  regards  Keith.

[Tralee]

Hi Keith The Mayors Office no longer hold the freemans records i suspect due to the increased interest in Family History.The records are held by the Hon Sec whose details i will send you. Good Luck Tralee
PS If you do solve this one dont forget to let us all know.