| Born: | 29-Apr-1835 | Henry FREEMAN | Bridlington, North Yorkshire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parents: | William FREEMAN Margaret PRIESTLEY | ||
| Married: | 24-Oct-1861 | Elizabeth BUSFIELD | St. Mary's, Whitby, North Yorkshire |
| Married: | 05-Feb-1901 | Emma WATSON | Primitive Methodist Chapel, Hartlepool, Co. Durham |
| Died: | 13-Dec-1904 | Whitby, North Yorkshire |
Henry Freeman was the sole survivor of the 1861 Whitby lifeboat disaster when a freak wave drowned all his companions. He was the only member of the crew wearing the newly developed cork floatation jacket.
Henry was a lifeboatman for more than 40 years, 22 years as coxswain. He paticipated in many rescues and saved many lives and became a respected ambassador for the lifeboat cause and a prominant spokesman for his fellow fishermen.
Late in life he married his desceased wife's widowed sister - an action that was illegal at that time.
An essential biography of Henry Freeman is Storm Warrior by Ian Minter and Ray Shill, 1991, ISBN 0-9517755-0-2.