Sussex County-Petersburg City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Freeman, William T., 1928 

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WILLIAM T. FREEMAN 

  Born at Coman’s Well. Sussex County, a few months prior to the declaration 
of war beween the states.  He was the son of John B. Freeman, a captain in 
the county militia, a farmer, slave owner, and at one time member of the 
Virginia Legislature; and Clara Taylor Freeman, daughter of Wm. D. Taylor of 
Coman’s Well, a merchant, farmer and slave owner.

  Coman’s Well was at that time largest general merchandise store in the 
county, which was owned by Wm.D. Taylor; a shoemakers shop, tailors shop, 
tannery, wheelwright’s and blacksmith’s shops, school church, postoffice, and 
three residence, those of John B. Freeman, Wm.D. Taylor and the methodist 
parsonage.  The minister who lived here, served Sussex Circuit, with nine 
churches several of which were 2 miles away.  The tailor shop located at 
Coman’s Well kept by Moses Vaughan, and the shoemaker shop kept by Goodman 
Rayford, turned out superior boots and clothing for the gentry of the county, 
their patrons coming from extended distances.

  Balam Freeman, grandfather of W.T. Freeman had a land grant from the King 
of England for 3000 acres located in the central part of Sussex County, then 
a part of Surry County.

  Mr. Freeman was one of 14 children; 8 of whom are now living, as follows: 
Jno. C. Freeman of Richmond; T. Ritchie Freeman and W. Stanley Freeman of New 
York city; Mmrs. E.L. Lee and Mrs. Geo. W. Eppes of Stony Creek; Mrs. J.W. 
White of Southampton County and Miss Carrie A. Freeman of Washington, D.C.

  At 16 years of age went to work for Hartley and Bro. at Coman’s Well, and 
at 20 years of age went to Richmond and was connected with the firm of 
Shelton and Monor Co.  He returned to the county two years later and 
established the mercantile business of "W.T. Freeman and Co." in 1882, which 
was incorporated in 1907 under its present name of "W.T. Freeman Co., Inc."

  He was married in 1885 to Miss Georgia Bland Edwards, daughter of Rev. F.M. 
Edwards, member of the Virginia Methodist Conference.

  Two children, Mrs. Janet L. Freeman and Philip Freeman, an attorney at law, 
both of Stoney Creek, and one grandson, Wm. Lawson Freeman.

  He was a member of Fort Grove Methodist Church and of Edwards Lodge, A.F. 
and A.M. No. 308; and member of the county electoral board; President of the 
Bank of Stony Creek, one of the strongest rural banks in the state, and 
President of the "W.T. Freeman Co., Inc."


William Taylor FREEMAN, merchant, postmaster of Coman's Well (now Yale), 
b. 18 Nov 1860, Coman's Well, Sussex Co. native, d. 4 Aug 1928, Richmond, 
interred in Blandford Cemetery*, Petersburg, 5 Aug 1928, 
donated obit, publication unknown 

*Additional information: 

D.Cert. 18401 (Richmond #1656) 

Find a Grave Mem. #74458340 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Carolyn Keen (VAHistoricHouses@aol.com) & 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/sussex/obits/f655w2ob.txt