i) Occup. 'the freeman,' one who is not a serf, one with peculiar privileges.

John le Freman, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Geoffrey le Freman, Buckinghamshire, ibid.

Richard Freman, Lincolnshire, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

Robertus Freman, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

(a) Bapt. 'the son of Fremond.' German Freimund, the French Fremont Terminatives in -mund or -mond become -man by corruption; compare Osman, Wyman, Tesseyman, &c. Of course (1) must be looked upon as the chief parent.

Fremund de Erdington, Salop, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Arnold Fromont, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Robert Fromund, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Fremund Inge, Bedfordshireord, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

Jordan fil. Fromund: History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham.

1627. Married — John Morse and Dorathy Freeman: St. Michael, Cornhill.

1630. Baptised — Isabel, d. Symon Freeman: St. Peter, Cornhill.

More likely to be from Old English freomann (liber homo) than from the Old English personal name Freomund. Freomann (Freomon occurs in the Liber Vitae Dunelmensis. Jacob Freman del counte de Pebbles rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, II, p. 207).

(English) 1 Free Man (of lowly condition) [Old English freó- man(n, -mon(n] Freomon occurs in the Liber Vitae Dunelm.

John le Freman.—Hand. Rolls.

2 a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon Freómund = Free or Noble Protector [Old English freó + mund]

(English) The free man, one whose status was just above that of a serf, one who owned land but was not of noble birth.

Fremond is an Anglo-Saxon personal name; but this surname is more probably derived from the social condition. "A Freeman (liber homo), is one distinguished from a slave; that is, born or made free." Jacob, Law Dict. In the early days of feudalism two neighbours bearing some common Christian name would be distinguished by epithets denoting their respective conditions, as John le Freeman and John le Bonde, and these epithets would often become family names. In the H.R. we have not only many Le Fremans, but also one Matilda Frewoman, and an Agnes Frewif, or free wife, probably the wife of a bondman. The name also occurs there in the forms of Franchome and Fraunchomme. Also one who has received the freedom of any corporation.

One who enjoys liberty, or is entitled to a franchise, or peculiar privilege, as the freeman of a city or state.

Corresponds to Franklin, and meant a free tenant. It is sometimes used for Forman (Robson). Some families bear fleur de lys, and their name is a form of De Fremond, Fremont, or De Frigidomonte, of whom Radulfus de Frigido Monte occurs in Normandy 1180 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae); Matthew and Simon de Friemont 1198 (Ib.). The arms of Fremond in England are preserved by Robson. The name doubtless is borne by Saxon, Danish, and Norman families. In Yorkshire, 1259, Nicholas Freeman, son of Margery, daughter of Walter de Belun of Winkesley, made a grant to Fountains Abbey; and Nicholas De Bellun was a benefactor (Burton, Mon. Ebor. 105). Alicia, widow of Gilbert F. of York, occurs 1267. Thomas F. of Walton, York, 1259 (Roberts, Excerpt.). The name of De Bellon occurs in Normandy t. Philip-Augustus. The fusils in fesse borne by various branches appear to have originated in Yorkshire.

From the Danish, Frieman; from the Swedish, Friman; from the German, Friedemann; from the Flemish, Freyman; from the French, Frémont; a personal name.

Freeman. —This name is confined to the centre of England and to the adjoining eastern and western counties. Two lines drawn west from the Wash and the Thames to the Welsh border will roughly include the principal area of this name, which for au area of its size is remarkably well defined. It is at present most numerous in Suffolk and in Worcester; and likely enough the Freemans of the west and of the east may owe their surname to different events in the history of our country. Not improbably "Freeman" early appeared as an appellation in the counties bordering Wales, since we learn that in the 10th century the Welsh captives, reduced to slavery, were so numerous in the English shires on the border that the proportion of slaves to freemen would seem to have been unusually large. Freeman's "Norman. Conquest," vol. 1, p. 365 (1867). It is singular that the surname of Fry (Old English for Free) is confined to the south of England, occurring chiefly in Wilts.