Looking for information on Matt Freeman

[Jeff Young]

First of all I am new to this board and came across it trying to find out information on a passenger of the Lusitania by the name of Matt Freeman. He was suppose to be a boxing champion but I cannot find any information on him. If anyone knows anything about Matt Freeman I would like to hear it as I am thinking about writing an article on him for a boxing website I write for if I can find enough information. Thanks.

Jeff Young

 

[Mike Poirier]

Hello Jeff
as of 1955- Matt Freeman was living in Miami Beach, Florida at 1042 Michigan Avenue. He was 59 in 1955. Hope that helps
Mike

 

[Jeff Young]

Is it possible that he may have went by a different name. The reason that I ask is I found a passenger list that did not have his name on it. Also I cannot find any information if he was considered as a professional boxer. There is a great boxing site that does not have him listed, so that also made me think that he may have went by another name.

Unfortunately for internet searches there is a punk rock bassist named Matt Freeman, so that is all that ever comes up on the searches.

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hello Jeff,

I recently came across this Lusitania web-site.
http://www.rmslusitania.info/pages/index.html
I do not see a Matt Freeman listed as being a passenger.

 

[Jeff Young]

It also brings me to another question and that is how accurate is Diana Preston's book Epic Tragedy. That is where Freeman's name was mentioned and that he was a boxing champion. I have read two other books on the Lusitania when I wrote a paper on the sinking for a college class and after reading Preston's book it was the first time I had heard of Freeman.

 

[Lester Mitcham]

I have just looked and he is in the index of the Hoehling & Hoehling book: The Last Voyage of the Lusitania. (1956/57) Page references 93, 110, 113, 130.
Matt Freeman, amateur lightweight boxing champion of England.
With quite a bit of detail about his survival. He struck his head on a lifeboat as he dived overboard.

 

[Jeff Young]

You know what, I have that book. It has been a while since I have looked at it. Thanks for the information.

 

[Lester Mitcham]

You could e-mail Hildo Thiel. He is one of the authors of the web-site I mentioned and has also posted frequently on E-T about the Lusitania. There is a thread Lusitania Passenger List. Hildo may know why Matt is not on the Passenger List.
I would be interested in the answer.

 

[Jeff Young]

Does anyone know when he passed away. I am assuming that he has passed if he was 59 in 1955.

 

[Mike Poirier]

Jeff
Matthew Freeman was a crewman- that is why he is not on the passenger list. I've havn't actively sought his date of death. Perhaps you could call the Miami Beach Library to see if he is in their death index from 1955-1960?
Good luck!

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hello Jeff,

Thanks to the information supplied by Michael, I found Matt on the web-site I listed above:
FREEMAN, Mr. Matthew. He is listed as a Waiter.

 

[Jeff Young]

I e-mailed Hildo Thiel and he gave me that information. You guys are being very helpful. Thanks.

 

[Mike Poirier]

Jeff
There is also the possibility that Freeman may have moved back to England and died there. As of 1955, he had only lived in the US for 8 years. There were a number of survivors that decided to move home and then died.

 

[Jeff Young]

I contacted a boxing commentator that was Muhammed Ali's fight doctor. He lives in Miami Beach, so maybe he has some information on Mr. Freeman. If he does I will tell you what he says.

 

[Jeff Young]

Just an update. Mr. Pacheco did not know anything about him, but he did give me a number for a boxing historian that knows a lot about the professionals and amateurs of that time frame named Hank Kaplan. I will be giving him a call tomorrow. Mr. Kaplan also lives in Miami Beach.