Francis “Frank” FREKE, Esquire, From whom our documented history begins.
Frank was a man of note, living in Thorncombe, Somersetshire and he also had property in Crewkern, Somersetshire.

In 1538, Francis FREKE, Esquire was vicar of Crewkerne.

In 1558, Francis FREKE, Esquire was doing business with Queen Mary, better know as Bloody Mary, for whom the modern day drink is named. Mary was the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII. She was also a devoted Roman Catholic. When her father died, the throne went to her teenage younger brother, who was Protestant, as was his father. He died young and Mary became queen. She went through the kingdom having Protestant ministers murdered and many of their followers imprisoned. The exact religious affiliation of Francis is not truthfully known, which is probably why he remained alive, or the fact that Queen Mary needed his help in certain matters.

Frank’s brother, Edmund FREAKE (1516 - 1591), became Archdeacon of Canterbury, Canon of Westminster and nominated by Queen Elizabeth I as Bishopric of Worcester, which would obviously suggest that the Freke family was Protestant. (Edmund’s children: was John FREAKE, Archdeacon of Norwich.; Edmund FREAKE; and Martha FREAKE, wife of Nathaniel COLE, Vicar of Marsworth, Buckinghamshire.)

Frank's other brother, Thomas FREKE, was vicar of Mountague (Montacute).

All of Frank’s sons went to Crewkern Grammar School, a long established school which still exists today, although the name was changed in the late 1980’s to Wadham, after the Oxford University college of that name. The original building still exists.