She was a daughter of Thomas Mellen and his first wife Elizabeth Wood(s) and she was born, or baptized, in Framingham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts in March of 1741/1742. She was first married to Phineas Gibbs by whom she had three daughters and a son William Gibbs. Her father was a Revolutionary War hero in Massachusetts and a member of the First Provincial Assembly in 1774 which voted to raise money to buy guns and ammunition 'in case war with the British became necessary.' The guns and ammunition were hidden in various key points of Massachusetts including Concord. When the British sent troops out of Boston in April of 1775 to seize key members of the Provincial Assembly at Lexington and the stores at Concord, the Revolutionary War started.

After being widowed she married John Freeland at Christ Church (a Congregational church) in Hopkinton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts in 1769. John and Mary who were my ancestors had seven children together, the oldest son being Phineas Freeland, a middle son being John Freeland, Jr., and the youngest son being my ancestor Leonard Freeland, born about 1786. Leonard held some political offices in the towns of Claverack and Hudson and was Sheriff of Columbia County for one term. John and Mary spent part of their lives at Hopkinton, Massachusetts and part of their lives in Columbia County, New York and some of their children stayed in Massachusetts and some came to Columbia County, New York. Their son Phineas was married at Hopkinton as well as some of their daughters but my ancestor Leonard Freeland married Maria Van Deusen at the Dutch Reformed Church of Claverack, Columbia County, New York in 1806 and his sister Sophia Freeland married Aaron Gifford at the same church in 1800.

Mrs. Mary Mellen Gibbs Freeland died at the age of 84 years of a lung inflammation according to Volume I, Deaths, a book of records put together by Arthur Kelly from newspaper records for Hudson, New York. The book covers the years 1802 - 1811 and 1824 - 1851.