FREEMAN, Archibald Withycombe
Archibald Withycombe Freeman was born at Ely, Cambridgeshire on 1 November 1887 and baptised at Stretham, Cambridgeshire on 5 February 1888, son of Charles Freeman (1854-13 January 1914), a schoolmaster, and his wife Florence Kate née Edwards (19 April 1858-1939), who married at St George's, Hanover Square, London in 1880. By 1891 the family was living at Sproughton School, near Ipswich and in 1901, Archibald was a 13-year-old, living at The Schoolhouse, Sproughton with his parents, 47-year-old Charles and 42-year-old Florence and his 15-year-old brother Roland. He studied at the Ipswich School of Art passing his perspective examinations in 1906 and model drawing the following year. In 1911, a 23-year-old assistant teacher, boarding at Fairfield, Upper Grange Road, Beccles, Suffolk. He served in the army during the First World War gaining the rank of sergeant and being awarded the Military Medal on 2 April 1918 and was demobilised the following year. He married at Samford, Suffolk in 1919, Gladys Roberta Turnbull (27 July 1889-11 August 1950). In 1939, an elementary school headmaster, living at 31 Lattice Avenue, Ipswich with his wife Gladys, an assistant teacher. A watercolour artist and a member of the Ipswich Art Club 1954-1963 and exhibited from 31 Lattice Avenue, Ipswich in 1953 'Mayday on the Gipping' and 'Cavendish', in 1954 'The Finn, Tuddenham', 'Below Flatford' and 'The Turn of the Tide, Melton' and he exhibited every year until 1963 when he had on show three watercolours 'Great Street Farm, Trimley', 'Pakenham Mill, Ixworth' and 'Valley Farm, Langham'. Archibald Withycombe Freeman was still of 31 Lattice Avenue, Ipswich when he died at Stow Lodge Hospital, Onehouse, Stowmarket, Suffolk on 12 July 1963, aged 76.