Wyee Pioneer - James Freeman Junior

James Freeman Jnr, 1835-1910

James Freeman, the second son of James Freeman Senior and Mary Ann Smith, was born on 10 January 1835 at Brisbane Waters.

He worked with his father as a stockman and timber getter. James and his father and their families were the only residents of Wyee in the 1860s, their huts and an adjoining stockyard were situated a short distance from Wyee Creek, and between it and Mannering Creek.

James married Soreina Mary Elizabeth Radcliffe Smith on 29th November 1859 at Wyee. Soriena was known as "Granny Freeman" in her later years.

James died in 1910 and the following obituary appeared in the Newcastle Morning Herald of 28th April, 1910.

DISTRICT NEWS. (From Our Various Correspondentsl WYEE)

The death took place on Sunday, after a lingering illness, of Mr. James Freeman, aged 75, the oldest resident of the Wyee district. He is survived by a widow, a large family of sons and daughters; many grand and great grandchildren. His interment took place on Tuesday in the Church of England portion of the Wyee cemetery, the Rev. G. D. Hillier officiating, in the presence of' over 200 persons, who came from all parts of the district to pay their last tributes of respect to the deceased. Mr. Freeman used to tell of the old days, When flour cost 2s per lb, and it had to be carried front Gosford, a distance of nearly 30. miles through bridle paths, no roads being then in existence. He used also to tell of the large earnings of pit - sawyers, shingle splitters, and timber getters, and of their never being with out their keg of "Black Jack" (rum) in their bark humpy, of the hilarious times, and occasional skirmishes with the aborigines, and of the many hardships endured in those pioneer days.

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