Biography

Probably Maria Freeman. Maria Freeman, a young black girl, was somehow left in Frances Seward's care as a child, and worked for the Seward family for decades. She eventually married another Seward servant, James Freeman. She appears to have already had a daughter, Mary Freeman (b 1843) , and she and James had Lafayette (1844) Augustus (11850) Frances (or Frankie, 1852) and Frederick (1855.) The daughter, Mary, also does work for the Sewards, and Frances regards her as highly capable and intelligent in spite of her parents apparent alcohol problems and financial difficulties. Her full name appears to have been Frances Maria Freeman (have not yet determined maiden name,) but she is called Maria and possibly Mary in numerous letters, making her identity difficult to discern from other numerous Marys and Maria's over the years. She died in 1858, possibly of suicide or alcohol-related illness. Frances wrote her sister Lazette on December 8, 1858- "I received your Saturday letter yesterday the day Poor Maria was to be buried -I suppose we shall never know much more about her death. I do not think she had any intention of killing herself That now is less important than who is to take care of her children Let a mother be what she will her place is not often supplied to her children & I very much doubt the capacity of Mary to take charge of them if she can & James will provide for them all will be very well I have thought of little else since Maria’s death yet I see no clear prospect- Henry says the Orphan Asylum or the Alms house—The 1st will not be likely to take a family and the 2d is but one avenue to a life of crime —When is there to be a place provided for destitute children where they may be made comparatively industrious Until such a place is furnished vice & crime must abound I hope you drew money on Henry’s account for the funeral expenses ." Frances wrote Lazette on December 5 1858, "My dear Sister I have your letter of Thursday — Poor Maria has gone to render an account to “Him who sees not as man seeth” who knowing our temptations and the strength given to resist them judgest not with mans judgement -Just and mindful always in what he gives and in what he requires, the most feeble and the most wayward when they appeal to Himwill be “lifted up & strengthened” It is sad to look back 35 years to the time when the helpless baby was left without a mother and it seemed tome then, thrown upon mycare —that I have failed to do my duty by her in someway I doubt not — though the darkness in which we grope does not now enable me to mark the deficiency -May God take care of her now. Mary has so long shared the care of the children that her duties will not materially increase -still she is but a child herself and I fear will not be able to manage them very well." "It is certainly a difficult question what uis to be done with Jim and Maria-I suppose their final destination with their present habits will sooner or later be the almshouse if no worse-the time when they will go depends on us-I will say nothing to Henry about it as it was the understanding that I should give them no more money after the house was built for them I cannot say what I would do were I there but I doubt whether it is the duty of anyone to support them without work- I know it is now when they are able to work." 18520214FMS_LMW Fanny Freeman shows up in census data for NSY 1855, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/interactive/7181/005207172_00283?pid=1653811517&backurl=https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DZJF147%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26qh%3DqFD8kqGIDEZ1yPyRpAvwMg%253D%253D%26gss%3Dangs-g%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26gsfn%3DFrances%2520Maria%26gsfn_x%3D0%26gsln%3DFreeman%26gsln_x%3D0%26msypn__ftp%3DAuburn,%2520Cayuga,%2520New%2520York,%2520USA%26msypn%3D10206%26msbdy%3D1820%26msddy%3D1855%26msdpn__ftp%3DAuburn,%2520Cayuga,%2520New%2520York,%2520USA%26msdpn%3D10206%26mssng%3DJames%26mssns%3DFreeman%26mscng%3DFrances%26mscns%3DFreeman%26mscng1%3Dmary%26mscns1%3DFreeman%26mscng2%3DFrederick%2520freeman%26catbucket%3Drstp%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Dif4%26pcat%3DROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3D1653811517%26dbid%3D7181%26indiv%3D1%26ml_rpos%3D52&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=ZJF147&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true A Fanny Freeman is also listed l(as a mulatto woman) living in Aurelius in the US Census of 1850, with Mary and Augustus, who are the correct ages if she is the same woman. https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=ZJF157&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&qh=MpghZitMpN6fVuAI20Z4SA%3D%3D&gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=Fanny&gsfn_x=0&gsln=Freeman&gsln_x=0&msypn__ftp=Auburn,%20Cayuga,%20New%20York,%20USA&msypn=10206&msbdy=1825&msddy=1855&msdpn__ftp=Auburn,%20Cayuga,%20New%20York,%20USA&msdpn=10206&mssng=James&mssns=Freeman&mscng=Frances&mscns=Freeman&mscng1=mary&mscns1=Freeman&mscng2=Frederick%20freeman&catbucket=rstp&MSAV=1&uidh=if4&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=11366559&dbid=8054&indiv=1&ml_rpos=2