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PROCEEDINGS
UF THE
READE HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL
ASSOCIATION
WITH
PAPERS ON THE FAMILY HISTORY
READ AT ITS
FIRST THREE ANNUAL MEETINGS.
^^^^ir
BOSTON :
PRINTED FOR THE ASSOCIATION.
1907.
/^^3.b;^
vv i
/
Reade Historical and Gencalooical
Association.
FIRST ANNUAL MEETING.
The "Reade Historical and Genealogical Association" was
organized at Historical Hall, Taunton, Mass., July 14, 1904,
under the auspices of the Old Colony Historical Society, in
accordance with the custom of that Society to organize each
year a family genealogical association.
At both morning and afternoon sessions there was a large
attendance of persons interested in the objects of the Associa-
tion. Many bore the family name, and almost all claimed de-
scent from the worthy pioneers of the clan who crossed the
Atlantic Ocean, in the seventeenth century to make new homes
in the Western wilderness.
During the interval between the morning and afternoon ses-
sions, a basket lunch was served, and a group photograph was
taken on the steps of Historical Hall, which included many of
the persons present at the meeting. This photograph is repro-
duced as the frontispiece of this publication.
The order of exercises was as follows : —
MORNING SESSION.
Invocation, Rev. George Hale Reed, of Belmont.
Meeting of the Old Colony Historical Society.
Address of Welcome, Henry M. Lovering, of Taunton.
4 Rcade Historical and Genealogical Association.
Temporary Organization of tiic Reade Family.
Address of the Temporary President, Silas D. Reed, of Taunton.
Adoption of Constitution and By-Laws of the Reade Historical and
Genealogical Association.
Election of Oflficers.
President's Address.
Paper, " The English Ancestry of William Reade who settled in Wey-
mouth, Massachusetts, in 1635," Edward F. Reed, of Boston.
This and other papers read at the Annual Meetings will be
found in full on subsequent pages of this pamphlet.
INTERMISSION.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Poem, Miss Anna I). Reed, of Taunton.
Address, Rev. James Reed, of Boston.
Addresses, Chester A. Reed, of Dedham, Charles F. Read, of Boston,
Hon. Milton Reed, of Fall River, William H. Reed, of Wey-
mouth, and others.
The following Ofificers were elected for the year 1904-05 : —
President.
Charles F. Read, Boston.
Vice-rresidents.
QuiNcv L. Rked, So. Weymouth. Chester A. Reed, Dedham.
Rev. James Reed, Boston. Samuel H. Emery, Quincy, 111.
Hon. Walter A. Read, Providence, Edward F. Reed, Boston.
R. I. Almon Read, Rehoboth.
Hon. Warren A. Reed, Brockton. Willl\m W. Reed, New York.
Alanson H. Reed, Wellesley Hills. Ezekiel R. Studley, Rockland.
Rev. George Hodges, D.D., Cam- Henry B. Reed, So. Weymouth.
bridge. Hon. Horace Reed, Whitman.
George F. Rekd, Boston. Colton Reed, New York.
Hon. George E. Keith, Brockton. Frederick H. Reed, New York.
Hon. Elisha T. Harvell, Rock- Lewis B. Reed, New York.
land.
First Aiimial Meeting.
Secretary.
Joshua E. Crane, Taunton.
Treasurer.
John S. C. Blanchard, So. Weymouth.
Hon. Silas D. Reed, Taunton.
F. Arthur Walker, Taunton.
James M. Cushman, Taunton.
Elliott Washburn, M.D., Taun
ton.
Execiitive Committee.
Hon. George E. Keith, Brock-
ton.
Josiah B, Reed, So. Weymouth.
Charles F. Read, Boston.
James E. Seaver, Taunton.
George F. Reed, Boston.
William H. Reed, So. Weymouth
At the close of the exercises the Association adjourned to meet
in Boston, in October, 1905.
SECOND ANNUAL MEETING.
The Second Annual Meeting of the Reade Historical and
Genealogical Association was held in Chipman Hall, Tremont
Temple, Boston, October 12, 1905, in accordance with a notice
mailed to each member.
This meeting was held in Boston, following out the custom
of holding gatherings of the Association in places where the
early settlers of the name resided.
There was a gratifying attendance at the meeting, and both
morning and afternoon sessions were full of interest to those
present.
In the interval between the sessions, many of those in attend-
ance had the pleasure of dining together at the Ouincy House.
The exercises of the day were as follows : —
Invocation, Rev. George Hale Reed, of Taunton.
Music.
Report of the Secretary, Joshua E. Crane, of Taunton.
Report of the Treasurer, John S. C. Blanchard, of So. Weymouth.
Report of the Executive Committee, Hon. Silas D. Reed, of Taunton.
President's Address, Charles F. Read, of Boston.
Music.
Registration of Names.
Report of Nominating Committee,
Election of Officers for 1905-06.
Mu.sic.
Address, Hon. Milton Reed, of Eall River.
Second Annual Meeting. 7
INTERMISSION.
2 P. M., Music.
Hymn, Miss Anna D. Reed, of Taunton.
Report of the Reade Memorial Committee, William H. Reed, of So.
Weymouth.
Paper, " Esdras Reade," Charles F. Read, of Boston.
Music.
Paper, " The English Ancestry of Avis Deacon, the wife of William
Reade," Edward F. Reed, of Boston.
The Oflficers of the preceding term were re-elected for the
year 1905-06, with the following exceptions : The place of
Samuel H. Emery, Esq., deceased, one of the Vice-Presidents,
was not filled; the Treasurer declining a re-election, Henry B.
Reed was chosen to fill the vacancy.
The Association adjourned to meet in South Weymouth, in
September, 1906.
THIRD ANNUAL MEETING.
The Third Annual Meeting of the Reade Historical and Gen-
ealogical Association was held in South Weymouth, Mass., Sep-
tember 27, 1906, in accordance with a notice mailed to each
member.
The meeting took place at the residence of Henry B. Reed,
Treasurer of the Association, who had kindly offered the hospi-
talities of his home for this gathering, at the meeting held in
Boston a year ago.
Morning and afternoon sessions were held, and between them
the company present partook, in addition to a basket lunch, of
the bountiful hospitality of the Treasurer and his accomplished
wife.
A showery day somewhat marred the pleasure of the occasion,
but those present were gratified at its success.
The exercises were as follows : —
11 A, M., Reception at the home of Henry B. Reed.
President's Address of Welcome, Charles F. Read, of Boston.
Report of the Treasurer, Henry B. Reed, of So, Weymouth.
Report of the Executive Committee,
Report of the Secretary, Joshua E. Crane, of Taunton.
President's Address, with a sketch of the Reade Historical and Gen-
ealogical Association, Charles E. Read.
Registration of Names. '
Report of the Nominating Committee.
Third Annual Meeting. 9
Election of Officers for 1906-07.
Remarks, concerning a Memorial in honor of William Reade an early
settler of Weymouth, William H. Reed, of So. Weymouth.
INTERMISSION.
2 p. M., Reception of the President-elect.
Poem.
Paper, Obadiah Read, of Boston, Charles F. Read.
Remarks, The Abington Branch, William H. Reed.
Paper, The Antiquity of Heraldry, with a Description of the Ancient
Insignia of the Reade family, Edward F. Reed, of Boston.
The following Officers were elected for the year 1906-07 : —
President.
QuiNCY L. Reed, So. Weymouth.
Vice-Presidents.
Rev. James Reed, Boston. Chester A. Reed, Dedham.
Hon.WALTER A. Read, Providence, Edward F. Reed, Boston.
R. I. Almon Read, Rehoboth.
Hon. Warren A. Reed, Brockton. William W. Reed, New York.
Alanson H. Reed, Wellesley Hills. Ezekiel R. Studley, Rockland.
Rev. George Hodges, D.D., Cam- Hon. Horace Reed, Whitman.
bridge. Colton Reed, New York.
George F. Reed, Boston. Frederick H. Reed, New York.
Hon. George E. Keith, Brockton. Lewis B. Reed, New York.
Hon. Elisha T. Harvell, Rock- Joshua E. Crane, Taunton.
land.
Secreta7-y.
Charles F. Read, Boston.
lycasurer,
Henry B. Reed, So. Wcytnouth,
lO Reade Historical and Genealogical Association.
Hon. Silas D. Reed, Taunton.
F. Arthur Walker, Taunton,
James M. Cushman, Taunton.
Elliott Washburn, M.D., Taun
ton.
Executive Coimnittee.
Hon. George E. Keith, Brock-
ton.
JosiAH B. Reed, So. Weymouth.
Charles F. Read, Boston.
James E. Seaver, Taunton.
U'lLLiAM II. Reed, So. Weymouth. George F, Reed, Boston.
POEM AND HYMN
BY
Miss ANNA D. REED.
POEM.
[Written for the Reed Meeting, July 14, 1904.]
In peace and plenty lived our English sire
In his ancestral home, long time ago ;
The landscape smiled, kinsfolk were near and kind,
And pleasant memories kept his heart aglow.
Why turned he westward when the twilight fell,
As if he liked not in his house to dwell ?
He held the faith which all his fathers loved,
Its creed and precepts he had always known.
He loved the Church, its worship and its forms,
He loved its ritual — but he felt alone.
He longed to follow that brave Pilgrim band
Who sought for freedom in another land.
He heeded not the tales of savage foes,
Of cold, privation, homesickness and toil ;
The love of freedom ever lured him on
'Till a new home was his, on a new soil.
He made the home his children have to-day.
And in strong virtue ever led the way.
12 Rcadc Historical and Gciicahnrical Association
&> '
Nor did the sharer of his English home,
Our mother Avis, linger by the way.
She left her kindred dear, to hither come
And breathe a freer air, and watch and pray.
Shall we, their children, e'er forget the cost ?
Is what they sacrificed forever lost ?
HYMN.
[Written for the Reed Meeting, October 12, 1905.]
Bright be the sun that shines to-day,
And soft the airs that blow,
And warm and true the loving hearts
That beat with kindred glow.
For we who meet are of one stock,
The same forefathers claim, —
And where we pitch our tent, the soil
Owes to our sires its name.
Our fathers, exiles from their homes,
Found here a sheltering spot ;
There dwelt the staunch old Puritans
And faithful Huguenot.
They loved the father-land they left
For bleak New England's shore.
But Freedom's priceless boon, and Faith's,
They prized and honored more.
Then let us still their acres keep,
Their homestead let us hold.
And guard the Freedom which they bought,
With blood, and tears, and gold.
And lighted by their guiding Star,
We'll trace the path they trod.
And reverence our fathers' names.
Because they walked with God.
THE ENGLISH ANCESTRY OF WILLIAM READE
OF WEYMOUTH,
BY
EDWARD F. REED.
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
The following address, " Commemorative of William Reade, the
Emigrant Ancestor," which was delivered at the First Gathering of
his Descendants, held at Historical Elall, Taunton, Mass., July 14,
1904, under the auspices of the Old Colony Historical Society, con-
tains some facts relating to the ancestry of the family in England,
selected and abridged from the manuscripts of a proposed volume
on The English and American Ancestry of the Rev. and Hon. John
Reed, D. D., of West Bridgewater.
The work itself is designed to give full details regarding the an-
cestry of the Redes, Reads and Reades, — by which orthography at
several respective periods the family name was written, — and will
contain sketches of many of the allied families, copious copies of
authentic records, and pedigrees from the Harleian Manuscripts in
the British Museum, the Heralds' College, London, and other reliable
sources, one of which is a pedigree attested by the signature of
Richard Reade of London, uncle of William Reade of Weymouth,
who also attests the Coat of Arms of the family. Numerous other
interesting historical facts and sketches relating to the family are con-
tained in the manuscripts of the contemplated volume.
14 TJlc English Ancestiy of
Tt may not be inappropriate here to state that the Rev. John Reed
to whose memory and that of his good wife, Hannah (Sampson)
Reed, the work is to be dedicated, was one of the many illustrious
descendants of the first progenitor in America of this branch of the
Reed family.
He was great-great-grandson of William and Avis (Deacon) Reade
and eldest son of the Rev. Solomon Reed of Framingham, afterwards
of Middleboro', who was a graduate of Harvard College in 1739, and
one of the most noted clergymen of his day.
John Reed was born November 11, 1751, and was graduated at
Yale College in 1772. In 1776 he was commissioned Chaplain, with
the rank of Captain, in the Continental Navy of the United States,
and was Chaplain of the fleet. To the Rev. John Reed belongs the
honor of being the first Chaplain of the United States Navy, and for
some time thereafter the only clergyman who could be induced to
enter the service and risk his life in the internecine conflict which
was impending and inevitable on the high seas. He was assigned to
the Frigate Warren, the flagship of the squadron. He was ordained
Pastor of the Congregational Church and Society in West Bridge-
water, Mass., on the 7th of January, 1780.
Soon after the adoption of the Federal Constitution, the almost
unanimous sentiment of his Congressional district pointed to him as
one eminently qualified by his ardent patriotism, his sound judgment,
and his readiness and power in debate, to serve as its Representative
in Congress, and in 1794 he was elected to fill the office, which he
held for six years, through three successive Congressional terms, at
the close of which time he declined a re-election for the sole purpose
of devoting the remainder of his life to his chosen profession, the
Christian ministry. In 1S03 he received the degree of Doctor of Di-
vinity from Brown University. He had the entire confidence and
respect of his people and performed among them, with great discretion
and faithfulness, the duties of the Christian ministry for upwards of
fifty years. Near the close of his life he became entirely blind, but
continued to preach and to perform other duties of his profession.
He died February 17, 1831.
William Reade of Weymouth. 15
ADDRESS.
" Inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the
search of their fathers." Job viii : 8.
Kinsfolk and Friends : —
I esteem it a great honor to be invited to address yoii, at this
gathering of the Reade family, upon a subject of such vital and
common interest to you all — our English ancestry ; I enter
upon the task with some perturbation, fearing my inability to do
full justice to the subject in this necessarily short address.
It has been my pleasure and my privilege, — and it has been
a labor of love, to delve into the records of the dim and distant
past, in search of authentic information relating to the English
ancestry of our first progenitor in America, William Reade of
Weymouth.
Although my research at this time is not fully complete or
exhaustive, — for I hope in the near future to obtain still further
important additions to the family history, — the result has already
proved eminently successful, and far beyond my hopes and ex-
pectations when I entered upon the work.
I am therefore enabled to give to-day for the first time, out-
side of a very few of my kinsfolk, a brief history of our English
ancestry from the year 1 1 39, down to the settlement of our pro-
genitor and progenitress, William Reade and Avis Deacon, in
America, A. D. 1635, and by inference, back to the seventh
century, and still further to Cerdic, the Saxon, who landed in
Britain, A. D. 486.
I will also describe the ancient coat of arms and crest of the
Redes, and give the authentic arms of this branch of the family,
which differs from the former, from the fact that the great-
grandfather of William Reade of Weymouth, mairied into the
Menis family, and quartered his wife's family arms with his.
Thus the ancient Rede arms quartered with l^.enis, became the
1 6 The English Ancestry of
authoritative coat of arms of his direct descendants, and by
inheritance came down to our first progenitor in America, and
thence to us.
Perhaps the most important traceable facts relating to the
great antiquity of the family will best be illustrated by the rfew
quotations following, from my gleanings :
" The Reeds were among the reigning princes of Northumber-
land, Kent, Wessex and Mercia, and seem to have been of the
same blood, and political alliances existed between them.
'* The first notice taken of any person by the name of Reed
in Kent, was Withred, King of Kent, in the seventh century.
Their seat was at Rede in the Hundred of Merdinnie, a settle-
ment under the old English laws, consisting originally of one
hundred persons. The modern name is Marden, which place
adjoins Maidstone, in the northwesterly part of the County of
Kent."
At the latter place (Maidstone) some of the kinsfolk of our
first progenitor in America by the name of Reade, resided, as
well as some on his maternal side, one of whom was created Vis-
countess of Maidstone in 1623, and Countess of Winchelsea in
1628.
There seems to be little doubt of the descent of this branch of
the Reed family from Withred, King of Kent, and consequently
our remote ancestry was Saxon, and not Celtic, as asserted by
Mr. Jacob Whittemore Reed in his " History of the Reed
Family."
Sir Walter Scott, in a note on his poem of Rokeby, alludes to
the great antiquity of the Read family, and mentions an epitaph
on a mural slab in Elsden Church, erected in the year 1758 to
the memor)^ of Elrington Reed, which described the family as
having at thai time been seated in Redesdale for nine hundred
years, which reckoned to the present day would make an aggre-
gate of 1,046 yea>-s.
William Reade of Weymouth. ly
The Reeds of the Cragg, Redesdalc, who were descended
frt)m the elder branch of the Redes of Troughend, Redesdale,
held until recent years, lands granted by the Crown prior to the
Conquest. The Cragg, a portion of the considerable estates
which that branch of the family possessed in Redesdale, has
descended from father to son from a very remote period.
The seal of one of our kinsmen, Sir Thomas de Rede, having
a chevron between two palms, was dug up many years ago on
the estate of the Earl of Tankerville of Chillingham, and dates
from about 1300; it is now preserved in the British Museum.
The grandson of this Thomas de Rede of Troughend, Redesdale,
is mentioned in the County records, A. D. 1400, as giving a
bond to William de Swinbourne, and one Humphrey de Lisle
exchanged lands with a William Rede.
There was a Roger de Rede, Master of the Mint, London, A.
D. 1297, during the reign of Edward the First.
These latter Redes were very possibly descendants of our
common progenitor Brian de Rede of Morpeth, who was living
A. D. 1 1 39. We find frequent mention of this family in old
records, one of which alludes to the descendants of Brian de
Rede as "flourishing in Morpeth in the twelfth century."
Several of our ancestors and their descendants, as well as
many of the kindred of our progenitors arc buried in and around
the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Norwich, in the County of Norfolk,
and many Redes are also buried in and around the ancient
church of St. Nicholas of that city, which is over 1,000 years
old and in a good state of preservation at the present day.
Other ancestors and their kinsfolk, of later life, are buried
in London, Canterbury, Folkestone, Sandwich and other places,
and I will later on quote a few epitaphs from their funeral mon-
uments.
It is asserted in the " History of the Reed Family," that we
are descended from the great-grandson of Noah, but I shall not
attempt at this late day to verify this pedigree. You will all,
1 8 The English A/iccsljy of
however, no doubt ag^rec with mc in the statement that wc may
with equal propriety, if not sincerity, lay claim with more posi-
tiveness to descent from a still more ancient progenitor — Adam.
I trust you will pardon this digression and not consider it a
transgression, in thus speaking lightly of subjects scriptural. I
should indeed be lacking in one of the principal characteristics
of the Reeds if the spirit of humor did not occasionally creep
out, even if at the exiiense of our reputed ancestor Adam, and
the great-grandson of that ancient mariner, Noah.
The pedigree which I will now give, starting from Brianus dc
Rede, and continuing dov/n to our first Reed progenitor in
America, 1635, I have every reason to believe correct. The
first portion was gleaned from Mr, Jacob W. Reed's research m
England, after eliminating and correcting manifest inaccuracies
ascertained through my own study of ancient English records.
The larger portion, however, was obtained through my personal
investigations.
I. Brian* de Rede was living in the year 11 39, and was of
Mor[)eth (anciently Morepath — the town by the track across
the moor) originally Moor Path, and there is evidence that the
town is situated in what was once a moorland road. It is one of
the most important in Redesdale, and is on the river Wansbeck,
hfteen miles from Newcastle-on-Tyne. It lies in a beautiful
valley and rich agricultural district, surrounded by varied and
picturesque scenery, which is seen to great advantage from a
terrace or public }jromenade tastefully formed along the banks
of the river.
As Morpeth is in Redesdale, Northumberland County, which
Mr. Jacob Whittemore has termed " the hive from which a large
portion of the Reeds originated," and particularly as it was the
home ol our progenitor Brian de Rede, the birthplace of his son
Wilham, and probably also that of his grandson Robert of Rede,
* The name not infrequent))' appears in its Latin form,- — Brianus.
William Rcade of Weymouth. 19
as well as that of his great-grandson Galfrinus, — ^all progenitors
of this branch of the Reed family, — it should have more than
common interest to us.
These ancestors of ours were evidently men of means and im-
portance in their day, for I find in ancient records, as previously
stated, allusions to the descendants of Brian de Rede flourishing
in Morpeth in the twelfth century.
Brian de Rede had three sons, Robert of Rede, William, our
progenitor, and Thomas of Redydale.
2. William, the second son of Brian de Rede, had a son
Robert, our progenitor.
3. Robert, son of William Rede, had a son Galfrinus, our
progenitor.
4. Galfrinus, son of Robert Rede, had three sons, William,
Thomas (our progenitor), and Robert.
5. Thomas of Redydale, second son of Galfrinus Rede, had
two sons, Thomas (our progenitor), and Edward.
6. Thomas, the elder son of Thomas of Redydale, living in
1429, also had a son Thomas, our progenitor.
7. The latter Thomas, son of Thomas Rede, and grandson
of Thomas of Redydale, the son of Galfrinus, had children as
follows, viz. :
1. C)ur progenitor, Hon. John Read, Mayor of Norwich.
2. Sir Bnrlliolomew Read, goldsmith of London, and Master of
the London Mint in the reign of King Henry IV ; Sheriff of London,
1497, and Lord Mayor in 1502.
3. Richard Read of Shipden, Norfolk.
4. Simon.
5. William Read, Goldsmith of London.
6. Thomas Read.
7. Sir Robert Read, Knight, and Lord Chief Jnstice of the King's
Bench. Lord Robert Read was of Buckingham, now Magdalene Col-
lege, Cambridge, and subsequently Fellow of King's, and founder of
the "Rede Lecture." He was Chief Justice 25 April, 1509; execu-
I.
O'
20 T/u- English Ancestry of
tor of the will of King Henry VII, and gimrdian of Henry YIII dur-
ing his minority. He was Autumn Reader at Lincoln's Inn 148 1,
and Lent Reader i486; Sergeant at Law 14S6 ; King's Sergeant
1494; Justice of the King's Bench 1496, and Chief Justice of the
Common Pleas 1507. He died in 15 iS. In 1516 he built a chapel
in honor of St. Katherine.
8. Hon. John Read, oin- progenitor, son of Thomas Read,
was engaged in the manufacture of woolens, and was also prob-
ably a dealer in silks in the city of Norwich, County of Norfolk.
He married Johanne Ludlow, and they had twelve children, viz.:
John Read, aflerwards Sheriff of Norfolk, oldest son.
William Read, of Beccles, Suffolk.
Hon. Edward Read, Mayor of Norwich, our progenitor.
4. Rev. Thomas Read, Rector of Beccles, Suffolk.
5. Edmond.
6. Roger.
7. Clement.
8. A son, name unknown, who probably died young.
There were also four daughters.
Hon. John Read, om- progenitor, was Sheriff of Norfolk in
1488, and Mayor of Norwich in 1496; he died Nov. 11, 1502,
and his wife died about one )'ear later, 1503. ]3oth are buried
within the Diocese of Norwich. The following epitaph is on the
monument :
JOHN REDE, I Mayrc of Norwyche, dyed the XI of Novem-
ber I in I Anno M. D. II, and | joxE his wyf.f | which had \'III
sons, and I II 1 doughters, which Jone dyed in Anno M. D. III.
9. Hon. Edward Read, our ]-)rogenitor, mercer, of Norwich,
third son of Hon. John Read, was four times Mayor of that city,
with intervals of several years occurring between each term of
service, viz.: 1 52 i-i 531-1543 ; the fourth date is unknown.
He married (i), Elizabeth Lydston, from which union there
was no issue. He married (2), Izod Stanley, daughter of
William Rcade of Weymouth. 2i
William, son and heir of Sir Humphrey Stanley, Knight. From
this latter union our branch of the Reed family is descended.
Hon. Edward Read married, thirdly, Isabel Woodlesse, of
Harwich, in Essex, by whom he had a daughter Ursula. He
married, fourthly, Ann or Agnes, whose maiden name was
Cramer, widow of a Mr. Blackman ; from this latter union there
was a son, Francis, who died young.
Hon. Edward and Izod (Stanley) Read, our progenitors, had
children as follows : John Read, eldest son. Sheriff of Norfolk,
1568, and afterwards Alderman of Norwich, who died in the
Council Chamber at 9 A. M., June 14, 1572, while attending a
meeting of the Board of Aldermen ; second, Rev. William Read,
Professor of Divinity, from whom we are descended ; and third,
Sir Peter Read ; there were also two daughters.
In the "Record of the Redes" William is called a "priest"
(clergyman) ; in the " History of the Reed Family," where he is
styled William Reade, S. T. P. [Sanctac TJtcologiac Professor,
or Professor of Sacred Theology), he is supposed to have been
born about 1450, which date is manifestly incorrect. He was
probably born about A. D. 1500.
The eldest daughter of Hon. Edward and Izod (Stanley) Read
was Margaret, who married Robert Cage ; the second daughter,
Elizabeth, married Jeffrey Loveday, Esq. The youngest daugh-
ter, by his third wife, Isabel Woodlesse, was Ursula, who had
four husbands, viz. : Thomas Garneys, of Beccles, Suffolk, by
whom she had one child, a daughter, who married Edward Croft,
son and heir of Sir James Croft, Knight, of Croft Castle ; , Ur-
sula (Read) Garneys married, second, Thomas Browne, of Attle-
borough, in Norfolk; she married, third. Sir John Brend, Knight,
and fourth, Thomas Colby, Esq. She had no children by the last
three marriages.
General Sir Peter Read, youngest son of Hon. Edward and
Izod (Stanley) Read, married, first, Jane, daughter of Sir An-
thony Lee, of Buckinghamshire, and had no issue ; and second,
22 TJic EnglisJi Ancestry of
Anne, widow of George Duke, of Brami^ton in Suffolk, and
daughter of Sir Thomas Blcinierhassett, Knight. They had a
son Giles, who married Catherine Greville, daughter of " Earl
Brooke. Sir Peter gave his houses in St. Giles from which his
son's name was perhaps derived (who died previous to his
father. Sir Peter), to pay for ringing the great bell at four iu the
morning and eight in the evening. His portrait hangs in the
Council Chamber of the Guild Hall, Norwich ; he is holding a
falcon on his wrist, and a silken cord attached to its leg is
wound around the fingers of his left hand. He holds a spear or
lance in his right hand, and a coat-of-arms is portrayed in the up-
per right-hand corner which puzzled me greatly for a time, as it
was not the "griffin segreant" of the Redes; I first thought it to
be the " Order of Barbary " conferred on Sir Peter by the Emperor
Charles V. It seems however that some of our remote ancestors
adopted this as a more modern coat than the griffin, — just when,
I cannot determine — but I find it was used by Bishop William
Read, who died in 1385. Again we find it used by our Norfolk
ancestors as late as Sir Peter's time (1566), but evidently soon
after that, the universal sentiment prevailing among armorial
families of that period caused them to revert to the ancient arms
whose antiquity undoubtedly greatly antedated the former. We
find a similar occurrence also in the Read family, viz. : Thomas
Read, who founded the Barton Court Line in the early part of
I 500, having acquired that estate and great wealth through his
wife, adopted a coat-of-arms on which was depicted four sheaves
of wheat ; but when his grandson. Sir John Reade, Baronet, of
Bromhill Castle and Brocket Hall, accepted a fresh patent
of baronetcy from Oliver Cromwell, having succeeded to the
title and estates on the decease of his grandfather and father,
he discarded the modern coat and reverted to the ancient coat
of the family, the grififin segreant, showing that the descen-
dants of the Barton Court Line claimed kinship with Sir
William.
4:
;ne cK-.pi"
William Rcade of Weymouih. 23
With the portrait is an account of the donation for ringing the
bell, and of a large charity to be dislributcd to the poor of the
city. Through the courtesy of the Norwich City Clerk, from
whom I obtained it, I am enabled to show you to-day a copy of
this portrait. The original was executed about the year 1535,
and the copy before you was lithographed and printed as long
ago as 1836. This portrait shows how our ancestors looked
three centuries and a half ago, and I think you will all agree
that there is a strong family resemblance in the features of Sir
Peter Read to those of the Reeds of the present day. The
records of Norwich abound with allusions to the charities and
bequests of " Sir Peter Rede."
I quote from an ancient writing regarding the Church of the
Holy Trinity, the Cathedral of the Bishop of Norwich.
In the South ile of this Church, is a monument for the contiiuiall
remembrance of that Valient souldier, Commander Peter Read, who
was knighted by Charles the Fift, Einperour, at the winning of Tunis,
in tlie yeare of our God, 153S, as appears by this uiscriptiou follow-
ing, upon his Tombe.
Here underlieth the corps of Peter Read, Esquire, who hath
worthily served, not only his prince and Country, but also the Em-
perour, Charles the Fift, both at the Conquest of Barbary, and at
the siege of Tunis, as also in other places, who had given him by
the said Emperour for his Valliant deeds the Order of Barbary,
who died the 29th. day of Dec. 1566.
His mother, Izod (Stanley) Read (our progenitress), died in
1524, and was buried in the Cathedral of Norwich. The fol-
lowing epitaph is on the monument erected by her husband,
Hon. Edward Read :
IZOD READ.
Of your cherite, pray for the soul of Izod Read, late wyffe of
Edward Read, Alderman of this City of Norwich, which died the
XIII of September, in the yere of our Lord MCCCCCXXI I I I.
on whos soul Jesus have mercy.
24 TJic English Ajicestry of
As the name Izod is not in use at the present day, at least in
America, it may be ol" interest to her descendants to know that
Izod is an ancient Keltic name and signifies " fair." One au-
thority defines it as meaning "a person of glory," also "a fine
formed j)ersi)n."
10. Rev. William Reade, Professor of Divinity, our progeni-
tor, the second son of Hon. Edward and Izod (Stanley) Read,
had a son, Sir William Read. I have been unable thus far to
find a record of the marriage of Rev. William Read, or the name
of his wife. I hope to do so, however, in the near future^ and
also to learn somelhing regarding his history.
11. Sir W^illiam Reade, son of Rev. William Reade, S. T. P.,
mai ried Elizabeth Menis, of Sandwich, in the County of Kent,
daughter and heir of Menis. Through this union came about
the c|uartering of the Menis arms with those of Reade, in ac-
cc^rtlancc with the unwritten laws of the English College of
Arms and the usages of Heraldry. Sir William, as was the
custom (jf armorial families of that period, impaled his wife's
family arms with his own, and his descendants quartered the two
coats ; hence these arms have been, from that date to the pres-
ent, the authoritative arms of this branch of the Reed family,
and are so recorded and certified to by the English College of
Arms, London.
The ancient original coat of arms of the Redes is described in
heraldic terms as follows : azure, a griffin segreant or rampant,
or, clawed gnlcs ; meaning that there is portrayed on the sky-
blue ground of the shield a griffin standing erect on his hind
legs, as it in the act of fighting; his color is gold, and his claws
red. This emblem is of great antiquity, and was borne upon his
banners by Cerdic, the Saxon, when he landed in Britain about
A. D. 495, and finally became King of Wessex or the West
Saxons, about 519. I think it is reasonable to suppose that
Withred, King of Kent about 690, was a descendant, and that
this emblem has come down to us by hereditament from them.
William Reade of Weymouth. 25
The crest is an eagle sable (black), with wings extended, beaked
and clawed or (gold).
The arms of the Menis family were, in heraldic terms, gules,
a chevron vaire, between three leopard's faces or; meaning
that portrayed on the red ground of the shield is a chevron
composed of furs of two colors, white and blue, and on the red
ground in each of the three spaces around the chevron is a
leopard's face, in gold, two above and one below.
The union of these two coats by quartering supplies interest-
ing information. By some authorities* it is claimed that the
dexter half only — the husband's arms — of an impaled shield is
hereditary. Arms quartered, sometimes called "arms of al-
liance," arc used when the arms of an " heiress " or " co-heiress "
(that is, a lady having no brothers) are united to those of her
husband, and then descend to and are borne by their issue ; in
this manner are preserved the arms of many illustrious ancient
families extinct in the male line, which would otherwise be lost.
Other methods are also used by some heraldic authorities, such
as "the escutcheon of pretence," which do not now concern us.
By this means the memory of great families is perpetuated, as
in this instance. The inference from these c{uartered arms,
therefore, if the claim mentioned be admitted, is that the wife
of Sir William Reade was an "heiress." I regret that time will
not permit my giving you a brief history of the illustrious fam-
ily of Menis ; suffice it to say that Sir John Menis, Admiral of
the British Navy, 1 641-1662, in an after-dinner speech once
alluded with much feeling and evident pride to his ancestry, and
particularly to his great-grandfather Andrew^ Menis, grandfather
of our progenitress Rebecca Menis, who, he stated, was living in
the time of Edward V (1483).
Our family coat of arms, thus quartered, is therefore in he-
raldic terms described as follows, viz. : Quarterly, i and 4 ; azure.
* Set; Boutell. "English Heialdry," p. 17:
26 TJie EnglisJi Ancestry of
a griffin segreant or rampant or, clawed ^^///rj- ; 2 and 3; gules,
a chevron vairc, between three leopard's faces or, for Menis.
Sir William and Elizabeth (Menis) Reade had issue as fol-
lows : —
1. Our progenitor, William Reade, of Folkestone, in the County
of Kent, who married Rebecca Menis, of Sandwich, daughter and co-
heiress of Menis.
2. Matthew Reade, who died without issue.
3. Alice Reade, who married Stephen Richardson.
4. 1-lebecca Reade, who married Stephen I-luck.
12. William Reade of Folkestone, our progenitor, eldest son
and heir of Sir William and Elizabeth (Menis) Reade, married
Rebecca, co-heiress of Menis, and flaughter of Sir Robert Menis
of Sandwich, in the County of Kent. William Reade died about
1618.
The union of the Menis arms with those of Reade, which as
previously stated, occurred upon the marriage of Sir William
Reade to Elizabeth Menis, became doubly appropriate and pecu-
liarly significant to their son William of Folkestone, and his wife
Rebecca (Menis) Reade, as their marriage would have necessi-
tated this identical quartering of arms ; lor Sir Robert Menis,
who was a kinsman of Elizabeth, had two daughters, but as in
the former case, no male issue to succeed to the estate, and to
perpetuate his name and arms.
Thus this branch of the Reeds are dually descended from
the Menis family, one of the most valiant and honorable of
that period in England, and the Menis arms having been quar-
tered with the ancient arms of Rede, have thus been perpetu-
ated, and have come down to us by inheritance, and will continue
to descend by heraldic law, to our issue, and their descendants.
William and Rebecca (Menis) Reade, had issue as follows :
I. Matthew Reade of Folkestone, eldest son and heir, who mar-
ried Alice (or Mary), daughter of Ambrose Ward.
William Reade of Weymouth. 27
2. John Reade, who died witliout issue.
3. Richard Reade of London, who married Joan, daughter of John
Dale of that city.
4. Sir William Reade, our progenitor, youngest son, I5arrister of
the Middle Temple and Gray's Inn, London, also of Canterbury in
the County of Kent.
13. Sir William Reade, youngest son of William and Re-
becca (Mcnis) Reade of Folkestone, County of Kent, married
Lucy, daughter of Michael and Grace (Honeywood) Heneage
of London. I have a copy of a very interesting rect)rd of the
births and baptisms of the children of the latter, written by
Michael Heneage, Esq., from which it appears that our progeni-
tress, Lucy (Heneage) Reade, was born in her father's house in
the parish of St. K^atherine Colman, London, between the hours
of 3 and 4 V. M., P'eb. 24, 1586.
Sir William l^eade was created Knight at Whitehall, before
the coronation of King James I, at Westminster, July 23, 1603,
at which time and place Sir Thomas Heneage, brother of his
wife, was also knighted.
Sir William and Lucy (Heneage) Reade were father and
mother of William Reade of Weymouth, the first progenitor in
America of this branch of the Reed family. They had four
children, as follows, viz. :
1. John Reade, Barrister of Gray's Lm, London, who did not emi-
grate to America, but remained in England and died there unman ied.
2. William Reade of Weymouth, our progenitor.
3. Ivebecca Reade, who married a Mr. Wansford.
4. Anne Reade, who married John Brewer, and who probably mar-
ried previously, or secondly. Thomas Hatlon, Merchant of London, ♦
14. William Reade of Weymouth, our first progenitor in
America, was, as previously stated, the second son of Sir William
Reade, Barrister of the Middle Temple and Gray's Inn, London,
and also of Canterbury, in the County of Kent. His mother
28 TJie English Ancestry of
was Lucy Heneage, daughter of Michael Heneage, Esq., who was
Keeper of Her Majesty's Records in the Tower of London from
1581 to his death, December 30 (43rd Elizabeth), A. D. 1600.
Michael Heneage, Esq., was buried in the Cathedral Church of
St. Paul's, London.
Lucy (Heneage) Reade was a descendant of two of the most
influential and respected families of that period, viz. : the Hen-
eage and Honeywood families. Her father was a gentleman of
much importance and influence in London. Her grandfather,
Robert Heneage, Esq., was Auditor of the Duchy of Lancaster,
and Surveyor of the Queen's woods beyond the Trent, a gentle-
man of note, as were also his ancestors, several of whom were
knights. We are able to trace back the period of the first set-
tlement of the Heneage family in Lincolnshire, England, to her
progenitor. Sir Robert de Heneage, which was many years pre-
vious to A. D. 1200.
Lucy (Heneage) Reade was granddaughter of Robert Honey-
wood and his wife, Mary (Atwaters) Honeywood, whose father,
Robert Atwaters, was a gentleman of great fortune, who left
only two daughters, co-heiresses, Joyce and Mary. Joyce died
after a few years, and the entire fortune fell to Mary.
Mru-y (Atwaters) Honeywood, grandmother of Lucy (J-Ieneage)
Reade, was married at the age of sixteen years. She was a lady
much celebrated for her piety, as well as for the multitude of
her descendants. She lived to see three hundred and sixty-seven
descendants, of whom sixteen were h(^r own children, one hun-
dred and fourteen grandchildren, two hundred and twenty-eight
in the third generation, and nine in the fourth. Her grandson.
Dr. Michael I loneywood. Dean of Lincoln, in King Charles the
Second's time, used to relate that he was present at a dinner
given by her to a family party of two hundred of her descend-
ants.
Lucy (Heneage) Reade's brother. Sir Thomas Heneage, mar-
ried Bridget, daughter of Edward Woodward of Lee, near Wind-
William Readc of Weymouth. 29
sor, Maid of Honor to the Queen of Bohemia, and relict of
Sir Thomas Dunchn, Baronet, and they had' a son, Sir Michael
Heneage of Hatton Gardens, London, living in 1696 — a cousin
of our first ancestor in America. He was a Barrister of the
Middle Temple and Gray's Inn, London, and was knighted at
Whitehall, July 30, 1664.
Lucy (Heneage) Reade was a niece of Sir Thomas Heneage,
Knight of the Shire for the County of Lincoln, in the Parliament
held at Westminster in the eighth year of Elizabeth's reign
(1566). He was also Captain of Her Majesty's Guards, Treas-
urer of her Chamber, Vice Chamberlain of her Household,
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and one of the Privy
Council. Sir Thomas Heneage possessed Copt Hall, at that
period the " Noblest house " in Essex, and was Lord of the
Manor of Brightlingsea, in the same County.
Lucy (Heneage) Reade was cousin of Elizabeth (Heneage)
Finch, wife of Sir Moyle Finch, Baronet, of Eastwell, in Kent.
She was created Viscountess of Maidstone in 1623, after the
death of her husband, and Countess of Winchelsea in 1628, and
from her was lineally descended George P^inch Hatton, Earl of
W^inchelsea.
It will be seen from the foregoing pedigree that William
Reade, our first progenitor in America, was descended from
allied families of wealth and note on the maternal as well as on
the Reed side. He was born probably in 1606, in Canterbury,
Kent, or in LcMidon. That he had received a fine education for
that period is manifest from many indisputable records. His
father died several years previous to his emigrating to America,
and the fact that he was the younger son no doubt influenced
him to seek his fortune in New England. His brother JU^n,
Barrister of Gray's Inn, survived our ancestor several years. I
have a copy of the will of John Reade, in which he bequeaths
to his sisters, Rebecca (Reade) Wansford, and Anne (Reade)
Brewer, all his property with the exception of a few minor be-
30 TJie EnglisJi Ancestry of
quests, among which were four pounds annual]}' to his servant
Alice Greenway, during her life, ten pounds to his cousin. Sir
Michael Heneage, to buy him a ring, and ten pounds to his cousin
Richard Reade, but no bequest or mention of his brother's widow
and children, across the sea. He died unmarried.
In the History of the Reed Family, Mr. Jacob W. Reed .states
that John Reade who settled originally in Weymouth, and after-
ward removed to Rehoboth, was a brother of our progenitor, but
this is proven an error by the foregoing authentic records. 1
am inclined to think that John Reade of Rehoboth was a son
or descendant of Elizeus Read of Norfolk, England, who was
a freeman of Norwich in 23d Elizabeth (1581), whose occupa-
tion is set down in the records as "Merchant Adventurer."
Elizeus Read was son of John Reade, eldest son of our pro-
genitor Hon. John Reade, Mayor of Norwich. As Elizeus
Read was a '-'Merchant Adventurer," this may account for the
Reed exodus to America, as undoubtedly all of the English
Reeds who early settled in this country were kinsmen, and the
success of his enterprises may have inspired the following gen-
eration of Reads to seek their fortunes in the new world.
William Reade probably resided in London, or Maidstone,
near London, at the time he emigrated to America. He sailed
from Gravesend in the County of Kent, forty miles from Lon-
don, in the ship "Assurance de Lo " \i.c. of London], Isaac
Bromwell and George Pewsie, Masters, in the early part of July,
1635. There were one hundred and eighty-one male and thirl)'-
nine female passengers, and one infant on board, making a total
of two hundred and twenty-one souls, besides the crew and
officers. Among the list of passengers appear the names of
William Reade, age 30, and Thomas Deacon, age 19, supposed
to be a twin brother of William Reade's future wife, to whom he
was married soon after her arrival. The ship kuuled at Boston,
and our progenitor at once jiroceeded to Weymouth, where he
settled.
Willi am Rcadc of WeymoiiiJi. 31
Avis Deacon did not sail in the same vessel with her future
husband, but came in the "Alice," Richard Orchard, Master,
which cleared from Gravesend later in the month of July. The
vessel carried thirty-one passengers, and one infant, six being
females : among them appears the name of Avis Deacon, age 19
years. As both ships sailed from Gravesend, during the same
month, the sailings being set down in the official records as July,
1635, and as both William Reade and Avis Deacon were of Lon-
don, or Maidstone, they were undoubtedly acquainted and inob-
ably engaged before sailing. The fact that her brother Thomas
Deacon sailed with William Reade, has also manifestly some
significance in connection with this subject. The "Assurance"
cleared a week or two previous to the "Alice," and undoubtedly
William Reade sailed in the first ship in order to arrive earlier
and secure a home for his future wife before her arrival. There
being but thirty-one passengers on the "Alice," it is reasonable
also to suppose that the accommodations for women were much
better than on the other overcrowded vessel. She may have
had friends among the female passengers of the "Alice," some
of whiMii, the records show, were on the way to America with
their children to join their husbands who had preceded them.
Of the thirty-one passengers nineteen were under twenty-one
years of age.
It will be noticed that while I have given a brief history of
our English Reade ancestry, and also that of the family of Lucy
Heneage, mother of William Reade of Weymouth, as well as the
Menis family, of which his grandmother and great-grandmother
were members, I have apparently slighted the family of his wife,
our progenitress. Avis Deacon. I beg therefore to explain that I
am about to make an exhaustive search for information in that
direction, and hope soon to be able to add to the Reed Geneal-
ogy something regarding her family.
As I have now carried this brief history along to the settle-
ment in America of William Reade, and his wife. Avis Deacon,
32 The EiiglisJi Ancestry of
I will not attempt at this time to go further into the family his-
tory, although I have some very interesting sketches of their
descendants, as well as of the allied branches, particularly the
Thomson-Cook families, through whom all the descendants of
William Reade (2d generation) derive a Mayflower descent.
In the northern part of the town of Weymouth, commonly
called "Old Spain," lies the ancient "Old North Cemetery,"
the first burial place of the early settlers of the town.
Here, somewhere in this ancient graveyard, where "the rude
forefathers of the hamlet sleep," lie the remains of all that is
mortal of our first progenitor of the name in America, William
Reade, and his good wife, A\'is Deacon, with graves unmarked,
but with memory cherished and venerated by us their descend-
ants, as our presence to-day at this family gathering attests —
they .sleep not as the dead described in Gray's Elegy, "unknown,
unhonored and unsung."
It is to be regretted that the exact location of their last rest-
ing-place cannot be located at this day, as no account of the
early burials or location of the graves was kept at that jieriod.
It is not to be wondered at that these graves are unmarked by
inscribed stones, as there were few if any stone letter-cutters in
the early days of the Plymouth Colony, and the marked head-
stones of that period, which are rare, were made and lettered
across the sea.
In writing the Reed Genealogy entitled "The luiglish and
American Ancestry of the Rev. and Hon. John Reed, D. D.,
and his wife Hannah (Sampson) Reed of West liridgewater,
Mass.," and in the consequent necessary research connected
therewith, I have almost constantly felt as if in actual com-
munion with our good ancestors, who long since passed into that
other life, and to their reward ; and the feeling of their preseiice,
as well as the impressions following, have seemed almost like
inspirations, guiding me oftentimes successfully to most unex-
William Rcadc of Weymouth.
33
pected sources for information in my research for ancient, as
well as more recent family history.
I have given so much time and thought to these investigations
that I almost feel an 'acquaintanceship with our remote ances-
tors ; as though I had known them " in the dim vistas of the
past." And I cannot help feeling that at the inevitable day, not
far distant, when I shall be summoned to "cross the river," they
will meet me and join their greeting with that of loved ones of
still closer kinship who have in recent years departed this life,
and who will surely welcome me on that other shore
N.^
THE POSSIBLE ANCESTRY OF AVIS DEACON,
The \\'ikk of William Reade of Weymouth, Mass.
BY
EDWARD F. REED
" Remember the days of old, a^isider the years of many generations :
ask thy father, and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee."
Dcut. xxxii : 7.
Mr. President and Member's of t/te Reade Historical and Gen-
ealogical Association : —
Following the organization of our Association at Historic
Hall, Taunton, Mass., July 14th, 1904, I had the honor of laying
before the members the result of mv investigations reg-ardinsr
the English ancestry of William Reade, including some of the
allied families, and particularly that of his mother, Lucy Heneage,
of London.
On that occasion — notable as having been the first organized
gathering of members of the various Reade-Read-Reed families
descended from the early settlers of that name — I apologized
for not saying anything concerning such an important personage
to us as Avis Deacon, the wife of William Reade, whose mem-
ory all of her descendants must particularly cherish and honor
as their first progenitress in America. Up to that time I had
been unable to glean, from any source, anything whatever regard-
TJic Possible Ancestry of Avis Deacon. 35
ing her family, and the Reed Genealogies which have been pub-
lished have had absolutely nothing to say on the subject. The
apology, therefore, I felt to be necessary, and I promised to
make an exhaustive search for information in that direction,
with the hope of being able in the future to add something in
regard to her ancestry.
As one of her many descendants, it is therefore, with much
gratification that I present to you the following data regarding
her probable family, which, although meagre, are important, and
it is hoped will lead to further information regarding herself and
her parentage.
Avis Deacon, the wife of William Reade of Weymouth, was,
I am convinced, a descendant of that branch of the Deacon
family which resided in Shinfield in 1587, — a parish consisting
of three villages in the county of Berks, England, — which the
following facts we think will sufficiently attest :
The records show that there resided in Shinfield, Berks,
Simonde Deacon, "husbandman," whose wife. Avis Deacon,
died in 1587.
The children of Simonde and Avis Deacon were as follows : —
Symond Deacon.
Francis Deacon.
Richard Deacon.
John Deacon.
William Deacon, and
Raphe Deacon.
Ralfe (as he signs himself) died in 1624, leaving children as
follows : —
Richard Deacon,
Edward Deacon.
Alice Deacon.
Ann Deacon.
Johan Deacon.
Avis Deacon.
36 TJie Possible Ancestry of Avis Deacon.
The latter (Avis Deacon) was not the Avis Deacon who came
to America in the "Alice " in 1635, and married William Rcade,
for she is specially named in the will of her grandmother Avis,
dated 1587, as "Avis, daughter of my son Raphe," which would
make her nearly fifty years of age in 1635, while our progeni-
tress was only nineteen years of age on her arrival in America.
Taking into consideration the fact that the name Avis is seldom
found in English records of that day, and its use so rare as to
be exceptional, and the further fact of its persistent use in this
particular Deacon family, leaves seemingly little doubt that the
wife of William Reade was a descendant of the family above
mentioned.
There are about two hundred and twenty-five wills and ad-
ministrations of the family of Deacon, between the fourteenth
and nineteenth centuries, among the records of the Prerogative
Court of Canterbury, now on file at Somerset House, London,
viz : five in the fifteenth century ; twenty-seven in the sixteenth
century ; eighty-nine in the seventeenth century, and one hun-
dred and four in the eighteenth century. The earliest will is
that of John Dekene (as the name was at one time written) of
Ipswich, 1448. So far as our research extends, there is no
record extant of an Avis Deacon save in the particular branch
of the Deacon family previously mentioned. There was a Deacon
family of Kent, a county near Berkshire, which sent many scions
to the metropolis of London.
As William Reade was also of Kent, I conjecture that his
wife. Avis Deacon, was quite probably of that branch, but never-
theless descended from the aforesaid Deacon family of Shinfield,
Berkshire.
There is a will on record, — that of a Thomas Deacon, "yeo-
man," of St. Saviour's, Southwark, county Surrey (adjoining
Kent) proved 14 October, 1652, in which he mentions "Cousin
Magdalen Causon of Enfield, Cousin Alice Crew of London,
TJie Possible Ancestry of Avis Deacon. 37
Cousin William Graves, 'chandler,' of London, and Cousin*
Thomas Deacon, 'planter,' in Virginia," — by which name New
England was then ordinarily called. The latter, I feel confi-
dent, was the Thomas Deacon, twin brother of Avis Deacon,
who sailed for America with William Reade in the "Assurance"
in 1635, Avis Deacon following on the next vessel, which arrived
two or three weeks later. This would seem to be verified from
the fact that the early records and "The Original Lists" show
no other Thomas Deacon among the early comers to America.
The Deacon family of that period in London, and also in the
adjacent counties, bore coats-of-arms which were almost identical,
and we may infer that Avis Deacon's ancestors were entitled by
hereditament to bear the ancient Deacon arms.
* " Cousin " as used at that period usually signified a nephew or neice, and it is
quite probable that Thomas Deacon was the uncle of these "cousins."
ESDRAS READE
liY
CHARLES F. READ.
Read at Uie Second Annual Meeting, Boston, Oct. 12, 1905*
Among the great company of English people who joined in
the Puritan movement which settled at the Massachusetts Bay
early in the seventeenth century, the name of Esdras Readc
finds a place, and it seems proper to publish this brief biography
of him, that coming generations of his descendants may study
the life of their first American ancestor of the name.
The earliest mention of Esdras Reade, which I have as yet
found, is in the Records of the Town of Boston, under date of
December 24, 1638. This entry reads that "Esdras Reade, a
Taylor, is this day allowed to bee an Inhabitant and to have a
great lot at Muddy River for 4 heads." Muddy River was then
a part of Boston, and on November 13, 1705, became the present
town of Brookline.
jiut evidently the conditions in Muddy River were not .satis-
factory to l^^sdras Reade, owing possibly to the fact that the
hamlet was four miles from Boston ; for we find that after a stay
* Kcpriiilcd from llie New Englaiul IJistorical and Genealogical Register for
April, 1906.
Esdras Reade. 39
of a few weeks he removed to Salem, Mass., the Records of that
town telling us, under date of February 25, 1639, that "Esdras
Reade is receaved to be an inhattant at the towne of Salem."
He received grants of land from the town, joined with his wife
Alice the First Church of Salem, and was made a freeman of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, June 2, 1641. While a resident of
Salem, his two children, Obadiah* and Bethiah, the only ones he
had, were baptized in the First Church, the record being "1640.
31.3. Two children of Esdras Reade."
It is evident that the migratory habits of our ancestors of the
seventeenth century fastened themselves upon the subject of this
sketch, for in 1644, Esdras Reade with other members of the
Salem church, including the pastor, Rev. John Fiske, founded
the town of Wenham, Mass., originally a part of Salem, and
which was called, before its incorporation (September 7, 1643),
Enon, meaning much water.
While a resident of Wenham he was a leading citizen of the
town. Having, with his wife, become a member of the First
Church of Wenham when it was organized, October 8, 1644, he
was elected the first deacon, and he also represented the town in
the General Court in the years 1648 and 1651.
A few years later brought another change of residence, for in
1655 he was one of the founders of the town of Chelmsford,
Mass. A recital of the proceedings which led to the settlement
of the new town may be interesting.
To quote from a history of Middlesex County : —
In September, 1654, propositions were made to Rev. John
Fiske and his church in Wenham to remove to Chelmsford,
Mass., and the account of the proceedings which resulted in
their removal there is preserved in the handwriting of Mr. Fiske.
It is written in the quaint diction of the time, and reads as fol-
* See page 43 below.
40 Esdras Reade.
lows: "A day was set of meeting at Chelmsford. Upon y^'
said day set divers of y° brethren accompanied y'' pastor over
unto Chelmsford where y*-' committee and divers others were
present. A view was taken of y'' place. The brethren present
satisfied themselves about their accommodations, and proposals
were then made to y'^' pastor for his accommodation and yearly
maintenance, as to be tendered unto him by consent of y^ whole
of inhabitants and in the name of y'^" committee."
Soon after their return to Wenham, the larger part of the
church, with their pastor, decided to accept Chelmsford's pro-
posals. \\\\\. at this time the proceedings were for some reason
discontinued.
We now return to Mr. Fiske's account. "Thus y'^' matter lay
dormant as 'twere all winter, until y^* first month '55 at which
time l>rothcr Reade coming over, cnformed us in such wise
here at Wenham, as thereupon y'^ paster and y*" said engaged
brethren demurred upon y*^ proceedings, and some that had sold
here at Wenham redeemed their accommodations again into their
possession and a letter was suitably sent by Brother Reade to
acquaint y'^ Chelmsford committee how things stood, and advised
to stead themselves elsewhere."
The matter was not abandoned. Several letters passed be-
tween the parties. In June, 1655, a committee went with letters
for Chelmsford, " with full power to then and there to treat and
finally to determine the business between both parties. The
matter was referred to counsel. This case thus determined on
either side, preparations were made for y" removal of y*^ church.
Accordingly about y'^ 13*'' of y'- 9^'' month '55 there were met at
Chelmsf(jrd, y'' pastor with y'- engaged brethren of Wenham,
seven in all, lo whom such of y^' brethren of Woburne and Con-
cord churches late at Wenham presented themselves and testi-
mony given, were by a unanimous vote received in fellowship."
Esdras Rcade. 41
At the first town meeting in Chelmsford, held November 22,
1655, Esdras Reade was elected one of a "committee to officiate
in ordering the publick affaires."
Three years later found him again on the move, for in 1658
he came to live in Boston a second time ; and two years later, in
1660, the Records of Chelmsford tell us that "John Webb is ad-
mitted to purchase all the rights and privileges granted by the
town of Chelmsford to Esdras Reade." He joined with his wife,
possibly a second one, the Second Church of Boston, August 4,
1661.
Nine years later he was living in Woburn, Mass., for in the
deed of a sale of land which he made in 1670, he calls himself
" Esdras Reade, Taylor of Woburn." But by the following year
he had become a resident of Boston for the third time, as is
shown in another deed, and he apparently lived there continu-
ously until his death in 1680.
It is probable that his home was situated at the corner of the
thoroughfares which we call to-day Salem and Prince Streets.
He sold this estate, January 12, 1674, to Samuel Brackenbury,
physician, for the sum of ;^I32, and the deed of .sale gives the
location as " at the intersection of a street that leads from the
Second Meeting House in Boston towards Century Haven and a
lane that leads from the said street towards Winnissimmet Ferry
Place."
Esdras Reade, and here I quote the inscription on the grave-
stone of another ancestor, " after he had served his generation,
by the will of God, fell on sleep" in Boston, July 27, 1680, at
the advanced age of eighty-five years. He lies buried in Copp's
Hill Burying Ground, Boston, that ancient cemetery on one of
the three hills which gave to Boston its early name of Tri-
mountain, and where so many of its early settlers arc sleeping.
Over his grave is to be seen to-day the double gravestone of
himself and his second wife Sarah. Unfortunately the stone
42
Esdras Reade.
has been broken in such a manner that the date of her death
has disappeared. It is inscribed in part : —
HKRE LYETH BURIED
V^ I50DDV OF
ESDRAS READE aged
85 YEARS DIED
JULY Y!' 27
I 680.
He died intestate, and his small estate was administered by his
son, Obadiah Read. The inventory of his property shows that
he was, until his death, engaged in making a living by his trade,
and he was possessed of a complement of tailor's tools.
And so we take leave of " Esdras Reade, taylor." When he
came to the now great city of Boston, in 1638, it was a hamlet of
about thirty families.
During his life the Colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Ply-
mouth were united in one, and seventy towns were incorporated
by the General Court. He saw the persecution of the Quakers,
and the havoc caused by King Philip's War. The closing years
of his life were passed amid the political disturbances which re-
sulted, four years after his death, in the annulment of the Char-
ter of Massachusetts Bay by King Charles the Second.
OBADIAH READ
BY
CHARLES F. READ.
Read at the Third Annual Meeting, South Weymouth, Sept. 27, 1906.
Obadiah Read, the only son of " Esdras Rcade, Taylor,"
the emigrant, was baptized, with his only sister, Bethiali Read,
in the First Church, Salem, Mass., on Sunday, May 31, 1640,
the records of that church containing this entry: " 1640. 31.3.
2 children of Esdras Reade."
It seems probable that he lived with his parents during their
residence in Salem, Wenham and Chelmsford, Mass. ; and indeed
we find that he was admitted to the First Church of Chelmsford
in 1657, its records of membership for that year containing the
following item: "Brother Read, Bethiah aged about 19 years
old, Obadiah aged about 17 years old."
Obadiah Read probably became a resident of Boston in 1658,
when his father also moved there from Chelmsford, and he re-
sided there until his death. He married, August 19, 1664,
Annah, daughter of Thomas Swift of Dorchester, Mass., and
granddaughter of Barnard Capen, of the same town, who died
in 1638.
44 Obadiali Read.
It is interesting' to note that the gravestone of Barnard Capen
in the Dorchester Burying-ground (which is, however, a repro-
duction of the original one, which is preserved in the Cabinet
of the New England Historic Genealogical Society) bears the
earliest record of death in New England. A photo-engraving
of this stone is given in the Annual Report of the Cemetery
Department, Boston, 1904-5, at page 84 (City Document No.
8). The inscription on Thomas Swift's stone is given on page
181 of the same volume.
Annah (Swift) Read died in 1680, at the age of 33 years, and
Obadiah Read married for his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter
of Thomas Broughton of Watertown.
He was a housewright by trade, and so called himself in his
will. He resided in Black-horse Lane, now Prince Street, Bos-
ton, and owned considerable property in that locality at his
death. He signed in 1696, as a citizen of Boston, a petition
praying that the law relating to building with brick be repealed.
Six great fires between the settlement of Boston and 1679 had
forced the citizens to enact stringent laws on the use of wood
for building purposes.
It may interest some to know that Black-horse Lane is believed
to have taken its name from an old tavern which stood on the
corner of Back (afterwards Salem) Street ; in 1698 the lane ran
from Middle, now Hanover Street, to Back Street ; it was after-
wards extended towards the Charlestown ferry, and in 1708 was
called Prince Street. In later days the old tavern was noted as
a place of refuge and concealment for deserters from Burgoyne's
army when at Cambridge, and was a favorite resort for the
British troops stationed in Boston in 1775-6, some of the com-
panies having barracks in its immediate neighborhood.
In 1680 he was chosen by the Selectmen of Boston a Ty thing-
man from Captain John Richards' Company ; and at the annual
town meeting, March 12, 1682/3, was elected one of the eight
Constaliles of Boston. He was a Fence-viewer from 171 3 to
Obadiali Read. 45
171 5, and was likewise a member of the Second Church of
Boston, his date of admission being given on the records as
September 25, 1720.
Obadiah Read signed his will January 3, 17 18, and the inven-
tory of his property, which amounted to ;^875, was made July
2, 1722, by Ebenezer Clough, Ebenezer Starr and Henry Alline.
He was buried in Boston's ancient place of interment, Copp's
Hill Burying-ground, and his gravestone is inscribed :
hear lies ye body of
Mr. obadiah read
DIED FEB YE ig 172!
IN YE 82 YEAR
OF HIS AGE.
The Stone which marks the grave of his first wife Annah, and
which is in another part of the burying-ground, is inscribed :
ANNAH READE
WIFE TO OBADIAH KEADE ACJEI) 33 YEARS
DYED YE 13 DAY OF SEPTEMBER
1680
OUINCY LOVELL RHED.
QuiNCY LovELL Reed cliccl at his home on Main Street,
South Weymouth, Mass., on April 9, 1907. His death occurred
in the house in which he was born, and in which he had lived
during his entire life.
He was the son ()f Ouincy and Lucy (Loud) Reed, and was
born in South Weymouth, April 6, 1822. He was educated
in the public schools of Weymouth, and was graduated from
Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass.
E'or some years prior to the Civil War he was engaged in the
lumber business at Weymouth Landing. Later he became
widely known as a civil engineer and conveyancer, and he also
did a large amount of probate business.
Mr. Reed was deeply interested in the study of genealogy,
and was not only conversant with his own family but knew the
history of Weymouth families probably better than any other
man (jf his day.
He held many town offices in Weymouth, and was an active
member of the Weymouth Historical Society and the Weymouth
QUINCY LOVELL REED, 1822-1907.
President Reade Historical and Genealogical Association, 1906-1907.
Qniiicy Lovell Reed. 47
Agricultural Society. He was also at the time of his death a
member of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. He
was elected President of the Reade Historical and Genealogical
Association at the last annual meeting, which was held in Wey-
mouth, Sept. 27, 1906.
Mr. Reed married Lucy E. Hall of Warwick, R. I., March 25,
i860. She died Oct. 5, 1895. They had four children: one
daughter, Harriet L., wife of Albert P. Worthen, died in 1893 ;
two daughters, Lucy H. and Abbie H., and a son, Ouincy, sur-
vive their father.
/
QUERIES.
What was the maiden surname of the wife of the Rev. Solomon
Reed, pastor of the Second Congregational Church of Framingham,
Mass. ? He was later pastor of the Titicut Parish, Middleborough,
Mass. He married, while at Framingham, Miss Abigail Stoughton,
Houghton or Horton, of Connecticut. Which surname is the correct
one?
Edward F. Reed,
Old South Building, Boston.
Information wanted regarding the ancestry of Captain William
Read, who was born in Alexandria, Va., and who settled later in
Duxbury, Mass. He married Polly Glass.
Mrs. Edward N. Darling.
442 High St., Dedham, Mass.
Authentic information wanted regarding the English ancestry of
Esdras Reade, who came to New England in 1638. Also the sur-
name of Alice, his first wife.
Authentic information wanted regarding the dates of the birth and
death of Thomas^ (Obadiah,- Esdras') Read. Also the name and
ancestry of his first wife.
Charles F. Read,
Old State House, Boston.
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
READE HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL ASSOCIATION.
CONSTITUTION.
The name of this Association shall be the Reade Historical and
Genealogical Association.
The purpose for which it is constituted is the collection, compila-
tion and publication of such data and information as may be obtained
concerning the families of this name.
Any person connected with any ancestor of the name by descent or
marriage may become a member of the Association.
Membership.
There shall be an annual membership fee of one dollar, which
shall entitle the member to a heraldic certificate of membership;
and a life membership fee of ten dollars, subject to no future dues or
assessments.
Officers.
The officers of the Association shall be a president, twenty vice-
presidents, a treasurer, a secretary, a historiographer and an executive
committee of ten members.
50 By-Lazvs.
BY-LAWS.
The president shall preside at all meetings of the Association, and
in his absence vice-presidents in order of appointment shall perform
the duties of president.
The secretary shall keep the records and minutes of the meetings,
and shall receive on behalf of the executive committee all papers,
documents or relics given or entrusted to the Association.
The treasurer shall receive all moneys of the Association. He shall
have the custody of all the funds belonging to the Association and
disburse the same under the direction of the executive committee.
The executive committee shall have the control of the affairs of the
Association and its property. It shall be their duty to make arrange-
ments to obtain all data and information concerning the descendants
of the aforesaid Reade ancestors, and to appoint an historiographer
for the purpose of compilation and publication of the same.
The officers of the Association shall be ex-officio members of the
executive committee.
The members of the executive committee present at any regularl}-
and duly notified meeting shall form a quorum. They may fill any
vacancies that may occur in the board of officers until others are
regularly elected.
ROLL OF MEMBERS.
Atwood, Mrs. Clara L.
Bates, Mrs. Nathan G.
Blackmer, Mrs. Catherine
Blanchard, John S. C.
Blanch ard, Miss Mary L.
Blanchard, Miss Susanna R.
Bonney, Mrs. N. G.
Brig-gfs, Mrs. Viola D.
Clarke, Arthur F.
Clarke, Miss Helen G.
Cook, Mrs. Annis R.
Darling, Mrs. Edward N.
Dean, P. Evarts
*Emery, Samuel H.
Farley, John W.
Farley, Mrs. Mary E. Wells
Field, Mrs. Amelia C.
Field, J. Howard
Godfrey, Mrs. Jane
Hallett, Mrs. Sarah N.
Head, Mrs. Daniel J.
Hodges, Miss Mary A.
Horton, Dexter \V.
Horton, Henry T.
Howland, Mrs. W. H.
Hubbard, Mrs. Clara I.
Kendrick, Mrs. Clara E.
Kimball, Miss Helen F.
Lefferts, Marshall C.
Lewis, James E.
Lewis, Mrs. Josephine
Matthewson, Mrs. Flora S.
Mears, Mrs. Betsey Z. D.
Mears, John
Perry, Mrs. Martha M.
Pettee, Mrs. Georgiana E.
Read, Charles F.
Read, Miss Clara A.
Read, Miss Edith B.
Read, Miss Ella H.
Read, Miss Georgiana D.
Read, Miss Harriet M.
Read, Harold C.
Read, Henry P.
Read, Robert L.
Read, William
Reade, Charles H.
Reade, Miss Emilie V.
* Deceased.
52
Roll of Members.
Reade, Philip
Reade, William J.
Reed, Alanson H.
Reed, Albert M.
Reed, Alfred F.
Reed, Miss Almira H.
Reed. Arthur
Reed, Miss A. Julia
Reed, Miss Blanche A.
Reed, Charles F.
Reed, Charles L.
Reed, Edward F.
Reed, Edward G.
Reed, Francis
Reed, Frederic H.
Reed, George E.
Reed, George F.
Reed, (juilford S.
Reed, Harold F.
Reed, Henry B.
Reed, Mrs. Henry B.
Reed, James
Reed, James H.
Reed, John D.
Reed, John L.
Keed, John R.
Reed, Josiah
Reed, Josiah B.
Reed, Lewis
Reed, Marshall
Reed, Mrs. M. A.
Reed, Miss Nettie T.
*Reed, Ouincy L.
Reed, Ralph D.
Reed, Reuben L.
Reed, S. Marshall
Reed, Warren A.
Reed, William E.
Reed, William Ebenezer
Reed, William Howell, Jr.
Reed, William Thomas
Richards, Mrs. Hannah R.
Richards, Miss Harriet E.
Russell, Mrs. Louisa S.
Scott, Mrs. Lydia E. R.
Stearns, Mrs. A. P.
Stuart, Mrs. Carlotta .^L
Wales, Mrs. B. Reed
Wales, Miss Ella S.
Walker, F. Arthur
Walker, George L.
Wa.shburn, Mrs. Grace B.
White, Mrs. Louie D.
* Deceased.
u
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