Descendants of Captain Arthur Fenner

Freelove Fenner

 

[b ca. 1656 at Providence; d 1 June 1712 at Providence] Freelove Fenner married Gideon Crawford [b 26 Dec. 1651; d 10 Oct. 1707], son of James Crawford and Anna Weir, on 13 Apr. 1687 in Providence. They are both buried in the North Burial Ground, Providence, RI. Freelove may have been the name of the ship on which the Fenners came to the colonies. “[It is] the name of a ship which carried people from England to the Colonies. It was quite prevalent that parents named their children for the ship that had transported them.”[1]

Mrs. Freelove Crawford, daughter of Arthur Fenner, and wife of Gideon Crawford, continued the mercantile adventures of her husband for several years after his death, which occurred in 1707. She appears to have displayed much energy of character, and largely augmented the family estate. Her wealth at the time of her death, in 1712, included sixty-three books, a fur muff, with case, a scarlet cloak, a gold-headed cane, high-heeled shoes, an arm chair, fourteen chairs, six of these covered with leather, four pictures, side-saddle, silver tankard and salt-cellars, two silver porringers and seven spoons, two brass fire dogs, one wine cup of silver, one rum cup, gold, £12, besides several sloops and schooners. —Welcome Greene, Providence Plantations ().

  1. William [b 12 Apr. 1688, d 1720] m Sarah Whipple.

  2. Anne [b 13 May 1690] m Peleg Carr on 29 Nov. 1711.

  3. John [b Aug. 1693; d 18 Mar. 1718-19] m Amey Whipple 20 Dec. 1715.

  4. Mary [b 14 Sept. 1702] m James Mitchell on 12 Oct. 1724.

Lineage:
Arthur | Freelove

Sources:
1. Richard Lee Fenner, unpublished Fenner history, p. 7.
2. Eva Fenner, Notes, p. 579; historical background of the Fenner family of unknown origin.
3. Freelove’s memorial at FindaGrave.com, no. 18633047
4. Welcome Arnold Greene, The Providence Plantations for Two Hundred and Fifty Years (Providence: J.A. & R.A. Reid, 1886), p. 220: Archive.org