Jean (Jan) Freer
Jean Freer was the second son of Hugo Freer Sr and his wife Jannetje. He was born in New Paltz, NY in 1682 to French parents. However, he married a Dutch woman around 1706, Rebecka Van Wagenen, and fully integrated into the Dutch community of Kingston NY as an adult. All of Jean and Rebecka's children were baptized into the Old Dutch Church. They were respected in the community and frequently recorded as formal sponsors or witnesses for the baptisms of children born to other prominent local families.
For the first 25 years after New Paltz was settled in 1677, the entire 40,000-acre patent was held in common by the original twelve families. They farmed, cleared, and managed the massive tract collectively rather than owning individual, fenced-in properties.
In 1703, the original patentees (or their direct descendants if they were deceased) decided to divide up the common land that they farmed and split it into private lands to avoid future legal disputes. Each family got 1/12th of the common land. Hugo's surviving children, Hugo Jr., Abraham, Jacob, Jean, Mary and Sarah all received a piece of his share. When the patriarch Hugo Freer Sr. died in 1698, his will stipulated that his second wife, Jannetje Wibau, held a "life estate" or shared control over the homestead properties. The children could not fully divide, settle, or clear the titles to their final shares of the physical estate until Jannetje passed away. Historical records indicate Jannetje died right around 1712–1713. Once she passed, the six siblings were finally legally cleared to buy, sell, and consolidate their inherited portions.
However, Jean decided to move to nearby Kingston NY around 1705, while his mother was still alive and about the time he married Rebecka Van Wagenen. In 1713 he was finally able to officially sell that inherited property to his brother Hugo Jr (see Deed Book, Liber BB pg 328).
