William Freke

Documented gentry line. Baptised 24 Apr 1577 at Iwerne Courtney (Shroton Manor), Dorset - register headed "1577, anno Eliz. 19": "mr Robert freke had a son baptized by the name of william, 24 Aprilis" (Dorset CofE register). Son of Robert Freke (1543-1592) and Alice Swayne of Gunville, who was buried at Iwerne Courtney 29 Apr 1577, days after this birth, aged 34. m. Anne Swaine, dau. of Arthur Swaine; their children incl. Elizabeth (our line), Arthur Freke of Rathbarry Castle, Co. Cork (the route the Frekes reached West Cork), William, Robert, Thomas, John, etc. Authority: Burke's-derived pedigree (thepeerage #580370; corroborated WikiTree Freke-3, Geni, Stirnet, FamilySearch). CORRECTION (June 2026): an earlier pass mistakenly preferred a separate 1586 Iwerne Courtney baptism of a "William Freke son of Robert Freke OF FARMINGTON" (anno Eliz. 28); that is a different family. OUR William is the 1577 baptism, per Burke's and the death of his mother Alice in 1577. The Visitation of Dorsetshire 1623 (Harleian MS 1166, fo. 31) lists him as a younger son of Robert Freke x Alice Swaine and brother of Sir Thomas Freke, Knight (son and heir, d. aged 70, monument in Shroton Church): 'Will'm ffreke mar. Anne da. of Arthure Swaine in com. South't.' COMPETING BAPTISM DATE (open, June 2026): John Hutchins, History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset (1861-73), Pedigree of Freke of Shroton (from the Heralds' Visitations of Dorset 1623, Harl. 1166 f.29 (signed Ro. Freake) & 1141 f.116, and the Shroton/Hinton St Mary parish registers) dates the William who married Anne Swayne and 'removed into Ireland' to bapt. at Ewerne Courtney 3 Oct 1568 (a younger brother of Sir Thomas b.1563 and Robert bur.1566, all born before their mother Alice died 1577). The 1577 register entry we currently use shows a William baptised 24 Apr 1577 with mother Alice buried days later. Both cannot be the same baptism; either the 1568 William died and a later son was re-named William (1577 = ours), or Hutchins's 1568 is correct and 1577 is a different/earlier entry. RESOLVED June 2026 to 24 Apr 1577: the 1577 baptism coincides with mother Alice's burial (she died bearing her last child), and two living sons could not share the name William - so the 1568 William was an elder brother who died young, and Hutchins's marriage/Ireland facts belong to the 1577 survivor (ours). The only alternative (the 1577 boy by a different mother) is ruled out, since Alice was demonstrably Robert's wife in 1577. He was 'of Sareen, in Hampshire' and, per Burke's pedigree of Freke of West Bilney (Extinct & Dormant Baronetcies), 'removed with his son Arthur into Ireland' - the documented arrival of this Freke line in West Cork (see Arthur Freke). Backfilled from the family chart, June 2026. [DIRECT ANCESTOR OF THE COMPILER: flag added 24 Jul 2026 by walking the tree from Aynsley, so that this marker is reliable and can be searched.]

Baptism: Baptised 24 Apr 1577, Ewerne Courtney; his mother Alice (wife of Robert Freke) was buried days later, so William was her last child. An elder brother also named William was baptised 3 Oct 1568 (Hutchins) but must have died young - two LIVING sons could not share the name - so the survivor who married Anne Swayne and removed to Ireland (ours) is this 1577 child.

Marriage: William Freke x Anne Swaine (dau. of Arthur Swaine).