5656 Sapper
Cornelius Freeman
Royal Sappers and Miners
(subsequently the Royal Engineers)  

by

Lieutenant Colonel Edward De Santis, MSCE, PE, MInstRE

Figure 1.  5656 Sapper Cornelius Freeman, R.E.
(Photograph in the author’s collection)
NOTE: This is an unverified photograph of Sapper Freeman, c. 1865.  

1.  INTRODUCTION  

            Unless otherwise noted, the details supplied in this narrative were obtained from the soldier’s service papers (WO97/2835) at the Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond, Surrey.[1]  Freeman enlisted in the Army using the given name Cornelius.  Research indicates that his name may have been John Cornelius Freeman or Charles Cornelius Freeman.  It appears that for some reason he chose to drop the use of his first name, if indeed he had one.  The names John Cornelius Freeman and Charles Cornelius Freeman appear in family trees produced by other researchers, but as one looks into these family trees in depth, one eventually arrives at the same individual; that is, a man with the name Cornelius who served as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers.  The use of a given name in addition to Cornelius has made the tracing of this man’s life story rather confusing at times.  For simplicity, Sapper Freeman will be referred to as Cornelius Freeman throughout the remainder of this narrative as this is the name that appears in his military service papers.  

2.  EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION  

            Cornelius Freeman was the son of Charles Cornelius Freeman (1805-1849) and Mary Ann Freeman, née Marshall (1805-?).  He was born on Berisford Street in the Parish of St. Mary’s in the town of Woolwich, in the County of Kent on 7 July 1844.  St. Mary’s Parish is located east south east of the Royal Dock Yard, north of the Royal Infantry and Royal Artillery Barracks and northwest of Woolwich Arsenal in the heart of the Woolwich naval and military complex.[2]  It may be safe to assume that Cornelius Freeman could have been the son of a serving soldier or an ex-soldier who was posted to or working in the Woolwich area, although this could not be verified by records or family-tree searches of the Freeman family.  The place of his birth and the fact that he would later enlist in the Army as a Boy Soldier are two pieces of evidence that may validate this assumption.

1851 Census of England

NOTE:  The dates of birth and death for each individual are not shown on the original census.  These have been added by the author.

            Mary Ann Freeman started out life as Mary Ann Marshall.  In 1822 she married one John Beech[3] and she and John had the three children shown in the census table above.  In 1841 they resided on New Road in Charlton-Next-Woolwich, Kent.  John Beech died sometime in the 1840s and Mary Ann married (Charles) Cornelius Freeman on 23 October 1843 in the parish church at Charlton, Kent.[4]

            The 1851 Census of the British Isles shows that a Cornelius Freeman, age 7, was born in Woolwich, Kent and he is listed as a “scholar” in the census return.  The address shown in the census, 23 Colefields, Plumstead, apparently no longer exists.[5]  Mary Ann Freeman is listed as a widow and head of the family, as Charles Cornelius Freeman had died at 2 Upper Burrage Place in Plumstead on 13 October 1849.[6]    

            By the time of the 1861 Census of England Mary Ann Freeman, still working as a laundress, was living at 48 Fitzroy Terrace in Plumstead.[7]  Young Cornelius was no longer living at home with his mother and siblings.  He had joined the Army in 1858 as a Boy Soldier and was serving at Brompton Barracks in Gillingham, Kent.  He is shown in the census for that institution (RG 9/480) as a 17-year old Private in the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners.

3.  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION  

The following is a description of Cornelius Freeman, taken from his Attestation papers, at the time he enlisted in the Army in 1858:

 The following is a description of Cornelius Freeman at the time he was given a medical examination in 1860:

 4.  ENLISTMENT AND TRAINING  

Enlistment

            Cornelius Freeman enlisted in the Royal Sappers and Miners as a Boy Soldier[8] at Brompton Barracks, Chatham, Kent at 10:30 a.m. on 26 July 1858.[9]  He was enlisted by 1995 Sergeant James Douglas, R.E.[10] with the promise of a free kit.  As mentioned previously, the fact that he enlisted as a Boy Soldier is substantial evidence that he may have been the son of a soldier (or ex-soldier).  The fact that he enlisted at Chatham, the home of the Royal Sappers and Miners, is evidence that his father may also have been a Sapper, although no documentation verifying this was found during the course of this research work.

            Young Cornelius was required to answer a number of questions normally put to recruits on their enlistment into the Army.  He indicated that he had no trade or calling and that he was not an apprentice.  He was, of course, not married; he had no physical disabilities and had never been previously rejected for naval or military service.  He also indicated that he had no prior naval or military service in the Militia, Regular Forces or the East India Company.

            Following a cursory medical examination by an Army medical officer, administered on the same day as his enlistment, Cornelius Freeman was found to be fit for military service.  All that remained now was for him to swear the Oath of Attestation.

            Cornelius Freeman swore the Oath of Attestation before a Magistrate at 11:45 a.m. on 28 July 1858 at Rochester, Kent.  His enlistment was for a period of 15 years and 275 days.[11]  Since young Cornelius could not write, he had to make his mark on the attestation paper (an “X”) that was witnessed by 2^nd Captain T. Herbert, R.E.[12]  Final approval for Freeman’s enlistment was given on this same date at Chatham by Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Augustus Yorke, R.E., the Assistant Adjutant General.[13]  

Training

            Cornelius Freeman remained at Chatham where he underwent training as a Boy Soldier until 26 April 1859 when he was posted to Portsmouth to serve as a Bugler[14] with the 36^th (Service) Company, Royal Engineers.

            On 1 October 1859 the gallant services of the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners were rewarded at the close of the Crimean War by the grant of the title Royal Engineers.  In the London Gazette of 17 October 1856 the change was thus announced--

“The Queen has been graciously pleased to direct that the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners shall henceforth be denominated the Corps of Royal Engineers.”

This reorganization put the non-commissioned officers and other ranks in the same Corps as the officers.  As a consequence of this royal grant the men of the rank and file were no longer known as Privates, but Sappers; hence, Freeman would be a Sapper when he entered the ranks at age 18.

5.  ASSIGNMENTS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE  

Portsmouth (1859-1861)

            The 36^th (Service) Company was a relatively new unit, having been formed in July of 1858.  The function of the service company was to control a number of men who were undergoing instruction and training prior to assignment to a field unit.  As with most companies of the Royal Engineers at the time, the service company had two buglers on its establishment.

Chatham (1861-1862)

            On 1 April of 1861 the 36^th (Service) Company moved from Portsmouth to Chatham and was redesignated the 36^th (Depot) Company.  Bugler Freeman continued to serve in the 36^th Company until 1 October 1861 when he was posted to the ranks as a Sapper in the 26^th Company, R.E. at Chatham.[15]^,[16]

Weymouth (1862-1869)

            The 26^th Company left Chatham on 19 December 1862 and moved to Weymouth in Dorsetshire.  The 26^th Company was a field company with a mission much different than Freeman had experienced in the service and depot companies.  His job now was to undertake field engineering tasks in support of cavalry, artillery and infantry units when on campaign.

Malta (1869-1872)

            The 26^th Company remained at Weymouth until 29 December 1869 when it sailed to Malta on board HMS Simoon.  The company, 93 men strong, arrived at Malta on 18 January 1870 and replaced the 27^th Company, R.E.  The unit was billeted at St. Francis Barracks in Floriana.  During the time that Freeman served at Malta there were many health problems in the ranks of the Royal Engineers.  Hospital admissions were high due to the men not be acclimatized to the weather, as well as numerous cases of enteric fever and illnesses due to drunkenness. 

            Sapper Freeman served on Malta until 1872 when it appears that he was reassigned to the 9^th Field Company, R.E.[17]  On 1 June 1870 while on the island of Malta, Sapper Freeman re-engaged to complete 21 years of service with the Colours.[18]

Bermuda and Nova Scotia (1872-1880)

            Freeman left Malta on 18 October 1872 to join his new company.  He arrived on the island of Bermuda on 30 November 1872.  His service for the next 8 years consisted of alternating postings to Bermuda and Halifax, Nova Scotia, depending upon the season of the year.  The company appeared to spend the winter months on Bermuda and the spring, summer and autumn months in Halifax.

            On Bermuda the Royal Engineers were an important part of the Garrison, improving pre-existing fortifications and batteries, like Fort St. Catherine's, building new ones, surveying the island, building a causeway to link St. George's Island to the Main Island, a lighthouse at Gibb's Hill, and various other facilities. A system of military roads was built, also, as the rudimentary roads that had existed before had been used by islanders primarily to take the shortest route to the shore, with most passengers and wares moved around the archipelago by boats.  

Shorncliffe (1880-1883)

            On 19 June 1880 Sapper Freeman was posted back to England where he rejoined the 26^th Field Company at Shorncliffe in Kent.[19]  He served at home until 1883 when he took his discharge from the Army. 

6.  PROMOTIONS AND CONDUCT  

a.                  Promotions:  Sapper Cornelius Freeman received no promotions during his time in service.  This may be explained by his lack of education and perhaps an intelligence deficiency.

b.                  Conduct:  In January 1860, while still serving as a Boy Soldier, Cornelius Freeman’s habits were described as “regular” and his conduct as “very good.”  He was posted to the ranks as a Sapper upon reaching his 18^th birthday and he remained a Sapper during his entire time in the Army.  He received the following Good Conduct Badges during his time in service:[20]

Although he received the Good Conduct Badges and medal indicated above, his conduct was not always above reproach.  His name appears five times in the Company Defaulter’s Book for the infractions indicated in the table below.

             It would appear that Sapper Freeman may have had a drinking problem.  Not only was he found drunk on two instances, but his absence from duty also may have been attributable to excessive drinking.  During the Victorian period the British Army was rather forgiving of a soldier’s minor infractions.  He could commit the offenses shown in the table above and yet still be awarded Good Conduct Badges if a significant period of good conduct followed such offenses.  

7. EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

a.  Education:  Sapper Freeman earned no Certificates of Education during his time in service.  This lack of education is probably the reason that Freeman was never promoted above the rank of Sapper.[22]  He was not able to write in 1858 when he enlisted and probably could not read.  This certainly indicates that his designation as a “scholar” in the 1851 census surely was an exaggeration.  Apparently his education as a child was lacking and he made little, if any effort, to improve himself while in the Army.

b.      Qualifications:  Sapper Freeman earned the following qualifications during his time in the Army:

 8.  MEDICAL INFORMATION  

The following medical information was taken from Sapper Freeman’s service records during his time in the Arny:

NOTE:  He was treated for gonorrhea only five months before his first marriage.  See Section 9 below.  

9.  MARRIAGE AND PERSONAL INFORMATION  

First Marriage (1864)

            Sapper Cornelius Freeman married Louisa Jane Hansford (1844-1877) at the Register Office in Weymouth, Dorsetshire on 19 December 1864.[23]  He was only 20 years old when he married and he married without leave; that is, without the permission of his commanding officer.[24]  As a young soldier earning Sapper’s pay, this would have put considerable stress on him and his young wife.  Marrying without the permission of the commanding officer meant that he and his wife would not have been put on the unit’s married rolls and therefore they would not have been entitled to any benefits normally given to soldiers on the married rolls.  Normally a 20-year old Sapper would not have been given leave to marry as this was normally granted to non-commissioned officers.

            The Freeman’s first child, Florence, was born at Fort Nothe in Weymouth on 15 September 1869.  Fort Nothe was part of the coastal defenses built between 1860 and 1872 by the 26^th Company of the Royal Engineers to protect Portland and Weymouth Harbours, with Portland then becoming an important Royal Navy base. Shaped like the letter D, the fort was built with bomb-proof casemates and deep magazines.  

Figure 2.  Fort Nothe, Weymouth, Dorsetshire.
(Photograph courtesy of Nothe Fort)

            Louisa Freeman and their children accompanied Sapper Freeman from England to Malta in 1869 and thence to Bermuda in 1872.  The Freemans second child, Kate, was born in Bermuda in 1873 and their third child, Robert, also was born there in 1875.

            In 1876 the Freemans went with him to Halifax, Nova Scotia where the Army finally recognized their marriage and Mrs. Freeman was placed on the married rolls on 14 August 1876.  After all the hardships she endured while living in the barracks with her husband and caring for their small son, Louisa Freeman was not to enjoy her new-found place on the married rolls for very long.  She died at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 6 April 1877; not even eight months after the Army formally recognized their marriage.  It is not known how Sapper Freeman cared for his children as he continued to serve in Bermuda and Canada until 1880.  It is likely that they were sent home to England to live with relatives.

Second Marriage (1880)

            Sapper Freeman returned to England in 1880 and in that same year he married a second time, and again without leave.  His bride was Miss Rebecca Falkner of Weymouth, Dorsetshire.  The certificate below clearly shows that the groom was a Sapper Charles Cornelius Freeman, a widower, aged 34, the son of a deceased Mason by the name of Charles Cornelius Freeman.  Although his service papers only show his name as Cornelius Freeman, he chose to use the name Charles Cornelius Freeman on this marriage certificate.  What his true name was is a mystery that only gets more complicated as more documents are uncovered.    

Figure 3.  The Marriage Certificate of Charles Cornelius Freeman and Rebecca Falkner, dated 24 August 1880 at Weymouth, Dorset.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)  

            The 1881 Census of England, taken at Shorncliffe Camp, provides the following information regarding the Freeman family:

1881 Census of England

            All of the children shown above in the 1881 census were the children that Cornelius Freeman had with his first wife, Louisa Jane.  Cornelius and Rebecca had five children: Arthur Carter Freeman (1881-1971); Walter Freeman (1883-?); Amy Mary Freeman (1884-1975); James Freeman (1886-1941) and Benjamin Frederick Victor Freeman (1887-1981).  These children appear in the 1891 Census of England, after Freeman had left the Army.

1891 Census of England

NOTES:

(1)   After leaving the Army in 1883 Cornelius Freeman took a job as a Canteen Steward probably at or near Brompton Barracks.

(2)   Robert Freeman, the son by Cornelius’s first wife, Louisa, was still living with his father and his step-mother in 1891.  Florence and Kate would have been 21 and 18 years old, respectively, in 1891.  They were no longer living with their father and step-mother.

(3)   Arthur’s full name was Arthur Carter Freeman.

(4)   Amy’s full name was Amy Mary Freeman.

(5)   Frederick’s full name was actually Benjamin Frederick Victor Freeman.

10.  DISCHARGE

            Sapper Cornelius Freeman was discharged from the Army on 1 May 1883 on the termination of his second period of limited engagement.  His total service was reckoned as shown in the tables below:

 

             Sapper Freeman did not have any campaign service, therefore his only medal entitlement is the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

   

Figures 4 and 5.  The Obverse and Reverse of Freeman’s
Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
(Photographs from the author’s collection)  

            The medal is named to Freeman in upper case engraved script as follows:  5656.SAPPER C. FREEMAN.R.E.

11.  POST SERVICE LIFE  

            Cornelius Freeman’s family and post service life can be traced by examining the census returns for 1901 and 1911.

1901 Census of England

NOTES: 

(1)   Robert Freeman, 26 years of age in 1901, had left the household and was out on his own. 

(2)   The birthplaces of some of the children had been changed, but in reality Chatham, Gillingham and Old Brompton were contiguous and the names probably were used interchangeably.

(3)   Cornelius Freeman had given up his job as a Canteen Steward and had taken a position as a Stonemason, a trade in which he was qualified as a result of his military training.

(4)   Arthur and Walter had acquired trades and James was in the process of acquiring a trade by virtue of his apprenticeship.  As they were unmarried and living in their father’s home, they undoubtedly were providing additional income for the family.

1911 Census of England and Wales  

NOTES:

(1)   Cornelius had left his position as a Stonemason and had returned to his job as a Canteen Steward.

(2)   Only Amy and Benjamin (Frederick) remained with their parents in 1911.

(3)   The address, 4 Britton Farm Street, could not be located on Google Earth in Gillingham.

            Freeman was a Mason and a member of the Brownrigg Lodge of Unity (Lodge Number 1424) located in Chatham, Kent.[25]  He became a member of that Lodge on 10 December 1884 after transferring from Royal Standard Lodge Number 398 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Cornelius Freeman died in Medway, Kent in September of 1930 at the age of 86.

Benjamin Frederick Victor Freeman

            When the Great War broke out in 1914 Freeman’s son Benjamin was 26 years old.  Benjamin was serving as a Private (Regimental Number 3605) in the 8^th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), Territorial Force when the war started.  When his unit was called up for active service his Regimental Number was changed to 37410.  He was sent to France and Flanders on 19 December 1916 and returned home on 13 September 1917, presumably due to ill health.[26]

            Benjamin’s Great War Medal Index Card (MIC) indicates that he was awarded the British War Medal, Victory Medal and a Silver War Badge.  The Silver War Badge roll shows that Benjamin Freeman enlisted in the Army on 18 April 1915 and that he was discharged on 19 February 1918.  The reason for the award of the badge and the cause of his discharge is shown on the roll as sickness.  His badge number was 321.324. 

            Benjamin is the only one of Cornelius Freeman’s sons that could be identified as serving in the Great War of 1914-1918. His brother James would have been 27 years old in 1914 and of an age eligible to serve.  However, too many men by the name of James Freeman served in the war and this research project could not determine which man might have been the son of Cornelius Freeman, assuming that James did serve during the war.   

Figure 6.  The Medal Index Card of Benjamin Frederick Victor Freeman.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

            The Post Office Rifles served with distinction in the Great War. They arrived in France on 18 March 1915. By the end of the war, 1,800 men from the Post Office Rifles would be dead and 4,500 more would be wounded.

            After the outbreak of the war, the existing units of the Territorial Force each formed duplicate (or "second line") units. The existing Post Office Rifles was redesignated as the 1/8th Battalion, London Regiment when a second Post Office Rifles battalion, the 2/8th London, was formed in September 1914 In 1915 a third line battalion, the 3/8th was formed.  Between them, the three battalions earned 19 battle honours.

            At the Capture of Wurst Farm, in September 1917, the 2/8th lost over half its fighting strength, dead or wounded, but its men were awarded a total of 40 gallantry medals. These included a Victoria Cross won by Sergeant A. J. Knight, making him the only Post Office Rifleman to win this honour.

            The battle honours awarded to the 8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles) for the Great War were announced in March 1924. Ten honours (shown in bold type) were selected by the regiment to be displayed on the King's Colours:

Festubert, 1915; Loos; Somme 1916, '18; Flers-Courcelette; Le Transloy; Bullecourt; Messines, 1917; Ypres, 1917; Menin Road; Passchendaele; Cambrai, 1917; St. Quentin; Bapaume, 1918; Amiens; Albert, 1918; Hindenburg Line; Épehy; Pursuit to Mons; France and Flanders 1915–'18.

             The whereabouts of Benjamin Freeman’s medals are badge are unknown.

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ADDENDUM NO. 1

 

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ADDENDUM NO. 2

Descendants Of John Freeman
[The following information was kindly provided by Mrs. Pamela Wooley, a fourth generation descendent of Cornelius (John) Freeman]

First Generation

1. John Freeman was born about 1803 in Huntingdonshire.

John married Elizabeth about 1830. Elizabeth was born about 1809 in Bridge, Yorkshire.

They had the following children:

2M i. William Henry Freeman was born in 1833 in Bermuda, West Indies.

3M ii. George Freeman was born in 1837 in Woolwich, Kent.

+ 4M iii. John Cornelius Freeman was born on 27 Apr 1844.

5 F iv. Mary Ann Freeman was born in 1846 in Charlton.

6M v. Charles Freeman was born in 1848 in Woolwich, Kent.

7 M vi. Arthur Freeman was born in 1850 in Woolwich, Kent.

Second Generation

4. John Cornelius Freeman (John) was born on 27 Apr 1844 in Woolwich, Kent.

John married (1) Louisa Hansford in 1864 in Weymouth, Dorset. Louisa died on 6 Apr 1877 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

They had the following children:

8 M i. Charles Cornelius Freeman was born in Weymouth, Dorset. He was christened on 24 Dec 1865 in Holy Trinity Church, Weymouth, Dorset.

9 F ii. Emily Louisa Freeman was born in Weymouth, Dorset. She was christened on 5 Sep 1867.

10 F iii. Florence Freeman was born in Weymouth, Dorset. She was christened on 30ct 1869.

11 F iv. Kate Freeman was born in 1873 in Bermuda.

12 M v. Robert Freeman was born in 1875 in Bermuda.

John married (2) Rebecca Falkner in 1880 in Weymouth, Dorset. Rebecca was born in 1849 in Weymouth, Dorset.

 They had the following children:

+ 13 M vi. Arthur Freeman was born in 1882.

14 M vii. Walter Freeman was born in 1884 in Old Brompton, Gillingham, Kent.

 15 F viii. Amy Freeman was born in 1886 in Old Brompton, Gillingham, Kent.

 16 M ix. James Freeman was born in 1887 in Gillingham, Kent.

 17 M x. Fred Freeman was born in 1888 in Gillingham, Kent.

Third Generation

13. Arthur Freeman (John Cornelius, John) was born in 1882 in Sandgate, Kent.

Arthur married Florence Kate Walters about 1908 in Gillingham, Kent.

They had the following children:

+ 18 M i. Donald Freeman was born on 16 Dec 1909. He died on 15 Jan 1976.

Fourth Generation

18. Donald Freeman (Arthur, John Cornelius, John) was born on 16 Dec 1909 in 91 Imperial Road, Gillingham, Kent, England. He died on 15 Jan 1976 in All Saints Hospital, Chatham, Kent, England.

Donald married Ida Lucy Staniland on 1 Sep 1930 in St Mark's Church, Gillingham, Kent, England. Ida was born on 7 Nov 1908 in Gillingham, Kent. She died on 9 Jan 2002 in Corby, Northamptonshire. She was buried on 16 Jan 2002 in Kettering Crematorium, Northamptonshire.

They had the following children:

19 F i. Maureen Freeman was born in Nov 1930 in Gillingham, Kent.

20 F ii. Ruth Freeman was born in Aug 1932 in Gillingham, Kent.

21 M iii. Douglas Clifford Freeman was born in Nov 1933 in Gillingham, Kent.

+ 22 F iv. Sylvia Shirley Freeman was born in Nov 1934.

23 M v. Ken Freeman was born in Mar 1937 in Gillingham, Kent.

Fifth Generation

22. Sylvia Shirley Freeman (Donald, Arthur, John Cornelius, John) was born in Nov 1934 in Gillingham, Kent.

Sylvia married (1) John William Roberts in 1955. John was born in 1934.

They had the following children:

24 F i. Yvonne Ann Roberts was born in Oct 1956 in Gillingham, Kent, England.

25 F ii. Yvette Roberts was born in Dec 1961 in Slough, Buckinghamshire, England. She died in 1977 in Scotland.

26 F iii. Michelle Roberts was born in Mar 1966 in Chiswick, London, England.

Sylvia married (2) Geoffrey Arthur Springett never married. Geoffrey was born on 5 Nov 1947 in County Hospital, Pembury, Kent, England. He died on 28 Mar 1991 in Rainham, Kent, England. He was buried on 11 Apr 1991 in Medway Crematorium, Chatham, Kent, England.

They had the following children:

27 F iv. Jennifer Springett was born on 8 Dec 1970 in All Saints Hospital, Chatham, Kent, England. She was stillborn in All Saints Hospital, Chatham, Kent, England.

28 F v. Pamella Jane Springett was born on 30 Sep 1971 in All Saints Hospital, Chatham, Kent, England.

Pamella married Tony Woolley on 13 Jun 1992 in St Margaret's Church, Rochester, Kent. Tony was born on 6 May 1962 in Rochester, Kent.

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REFERENCES:

1.      Books

a.       COCKERILL, A.W.  Sons of the Brave: The Story of Boy Soldiers.  Leo Cooper, London, 1984.

 b.      CONOLLY, T.W.J.  Roll of Officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers From 1660 to 1898.  The Royal Engineers Institute, Chatham, Kent, 1898.

 c.       FARWELL, B.  Mr. Kipling’s Army: All the Queen’s Men.  W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1981.

 d.      GRIERSON, J.M.  Scarlet Into Khaki: The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War.  Greenhill Books, London, 1988.  

e. PORTER, W.  The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers.  Volume II.  The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1952.  

f. SKELLEY, A.R.  The Victorian Army at Home: The Recruitment and Terms and Conditions of the British Regular, 1859-1899.  McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal, 1977.  

2.  Census  

a.       1851 Census of England (H.O. 107/1590).  

b.      1861 Census of England (R.G. 9/480).  

c.       1881 Census of England (R.G. 11/897).  

d.      1891 Census of England (R.G. 12/666).  

e.       1901 Census of England (R.G. 13/734).  

f.        1911 Census of England and Wales (R.G. 14/3942).  

3.  Documents  

a.       Certified Copy of a Marriage Certificate, General Register Office, MXD 248450, 24 October 1843.  

b.      Certified Copy of a Marriage Certificate, General Register Office, MXD 434111, 19 December 1864.  

4.  Family Trees  

a.       First Generation: Descendants of John Freeman (1803), LDS Church.  

b.      Second Generation: Descendants of John Freeman (1844), LDS Church.  

c.       Third Generation: Descendants of John Freeman (1882), LDS Church.  

d.      Fourth Generation: Descendants of John Freeman (1909), LDS Church.  

e.       Fifth Generation: Descendants of John Freeman (1934), LDS Church.  

f.        Harris-Flitcroft Family Tree.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/14583600/person/18014629218/facts?_phsrc=iWN5131&_phstart=successSource  

g.       Freeman Family Tree.

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/2202314/person/-1854317928/facts

5.  Genealogical Sources  

a.       Vital Records Index, British Isles, Christening, 1538 to 1876, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1998.  

b.      Vital Records Index, British Isles, Christening, 1836 to 1880, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2001.  

c.       Pallot’s Marriage Index for England, 1780-1837.  

6.  Internet Web Sites  

a.       UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Admissions and Discharges, 1715-1925  

2. Nothe Fort

https://nothefort.org.uk/

c.       Regiments of the Malta Garrison (Royal Engineers)
https://www.maltaramc.com/regmltgar/royalen.html  

d.      d. Lane’s Masonic Records

https://www.dhi.ac.uk/lane/record.php?ID=2953  

7.  London Gazette  

     a. London Gazette, 10 July 1855.  

      b. London Gazette, 17 October 1856.  

8. Maps  

a.       BARTHOLOMEW, J.  Reference Atlas of Greater London.  John Bartholomew & Son Ltd., Edinburgh, 1957.  

9.  Medal Rolls  

1. Roll of Individuals Entitled to the “War Badge.”  6^th, 7^th and 8^th London Regiment, 13 February 1918.

2. Roll for the British War Medal and Victory Medal, 8^th London Regiment, 1 September 1920.

10. Miscellaneous Sources  

1. GASE, S.  Movements of Royal Engineer Companies.  West Drayton, Middlesex, 2001.

b.      England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 for Cornelius Freeman, 1930, Q3-Jul-Aug-Sep.

3. Marriage Certificate: Charles Cornelius Freeman and Rebecca Falkner, 24 August 1880.

4. Great War Medal Index Card of Benjamin Frederick Victor Freeman, 3605 (371410) Private, 8^th London Regiment.

 11.  Soldier’s Service Papers  

 Soldier’s Papers (WO97/2835) consisting of:

(1) Attestation Papers

(2) Medical History

(3) Troop and Company Defaulter’s Book

(4) Record of Service