Ralph Freman (1666–1742), of Aspenden Hall and Hamels,

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

, was an English politician who sat in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

for 30 years from 1697 to 1727. Freman was the eldest son of Ralph Freman, MP of Aspenden and his wife Elizabeth Aubrey (died 1720), daughter of Sir John Aubrey, 1st Baronet of Llantrithyd, Glamorgan. He was educated privately under the pious James Bonnell and Daniel Duckfield, and travelled abroad in Holland, France and Italy from about 1678 to 1684. He married Elizabeth Catesby, the daughter and coheiress of Thomas Catesby of Ecton, Northamptonshire with £4,000, under a settlement dated 17 February 1700. Freman was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for

at a contested by-election on 30 December 1697 and again at the general election of 1698. He was very active politically, tightening his grip on his own constituency, and speaking and participating in parliamentary business in the House. His particular speciality was in dealing with electoral disputes. He was returned unopposed at the two general elections of 1701 and in

1702 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Wednesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 2 – A total solar eclipse is visible from the southern ...

and won contests at the general elections of

1705 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Sunday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 8 – George Frideric Handel's first opera, ''Almira'', is p ...

and

1708 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Wednesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 1 – Charles XII of Sweden invades Russia, by crossing the ...

. He was returned unopposed at the 1710 general election and chaired the Committee of privileges and elections from 1710 to 1713. He was returned unopposed at the 1713 general election. In 1714 he succeeded his father. Entrance to Hamels Park - geograph

Freman was re-elected MP in a contest at Hertfordshire at the 1715 general election. He was a Tory who supported the Hanoverian succession, and was said to have refused the offer of a seat on the Admiralty Board. He was re-elected at the 1722 general election, but defeated by his brother-in-law

Charles Caesar Sir Charles Caesar (27 January 1590 – 6 December 1642), of Benington in Hertfordshire, was an English judge who served as Master of the Rolls in the period leading up to the outbreak of the English Civil War; his father, Sir Julius Caesar, ...

at the 1727 general election. He subsequently colluded with the Whigs in promoting

William Plumer William Plumer (June 25, 1759December 22, 1850) was an American lawyer, Baptist lay preacher, and politician from Epping, New Hampshire. He is most notable for his service as a Federalist in the United States Senate (1802–1807), and the sevent ...

to defeat Caesar at the following election. Freman commissioned the building of Hamels mansion in

Braughing Braughing is a village and civil parish, between the rivers Quin and Rib, in the non-metropolitan district of East Hertfordshire, part of the English county of Hertfordshire. Braughing gave its name to a county division in Hertfordshire, kno ...

, Hertfordshire in 1713. He died on 8 June 1742, aged 76 leaving three sons.

References

1666 births 1742 deaths People from East Hertfordshire District Members of the Parliament of England for Hertfordshire English MPs 1698–1700 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 English MPs 1705–1707 British MPs 1707–1708 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 {{18thC-England-MP-stub