William Freeland

He was born in the Township of Trafalgar, County of Halton, October 19th, 1832, and was the eldest son of Henry Freeland, a native of Ireland, who emigrated thence and settled in Trafalgar about the year 1820.

Mr. Freeland was brought up to agricultural pursuits, in which he has always been engaged until 1868.  He settled in the Township of Houghton in the spring of 1855, where he purchased and still owns a farm.  In 1863 he was appointed Assessor of the Township.  In 1868 the offices of Clerk and Treasurer, formerly filled by Mr. Bridgman, became vacant, and the Council selected Mr. Freeland to succeed him, and the positions have been worthily filled by Mr. Freeland since that date.  It is not, perhaps, within the province of this sketch to note the many permanent improvements made by the municipal authorities of Houghton during the past eight or nine years, suffice it to say that many of the concession and side lines have, during that time, been opened for travel, and bridges and drains have been constructed, and other works of public importance been carried to completion, until at the present time the Township, in spite of its comparatively recent settlement, is crossed in every direction with well-built and level roads; albeit, running in such perverse and unintelligible directions and at such unexpected angles as to effectively bewilder the unwary and inexperienced traveller.  To the care and judgment displayed by Mr. Freeland in his official connection with the management and construction of these works the Township owes much for the substantial and economical manner in which they have been completed.  The financial position of the Township is extremely creditable to its municipal management.  It is out of debt and it is said to have intact its share of the surplus fund distributed by the Ontario Government.

Mr. Freeland lives near the south-west corner of the County of Norfolk, on lot 2, south of the Lake Road of Houghton.  He was married 1st June, 1857, to Jane Louisa Davis, daughter of Daniel Davis, Esq., of the Township of Saltfleet, Ontario.  He became a member of the Masonic body in 1870, by uniting with Oriental Lodge, No. 181, at Port Burwell.