| Notes |
- Ancient Reade Family Origins
Our Read/Rede Ancestry
Reed, Read, Reede, and Rede were all derived from the word Rehea, which had its origin in Phoenicia and Greece. The mode of spelling used by the Puritan ancestors was usually Reede and Reade. Reade blood flows through all the British Royalty since William the Conqueror.
A company of merchants from Miletus, Erythr, and other confederate cities of Ionia, rather than suffer the evils of a Persian invasion, fled with their shipping, effects, and retainers. They visited the friendly colonies along their route, and made headquarters at Gades; and, from that place, an expedition was fitted out against Ireland, which they conquered, and divided into two kingdoms. The capital of one they called Ballyreda, which is in the county of Westmeath, and, in English, means Reedstown: the capital of the other kingdom was Regia Altera (now Limerick). The inhabitants of ancient Erin called the invaders Dalredas, or Dalredhas. The Caledonians called them Dalraids. On account of their intruding themselves upon the ancient inhabitants, and taking possession of their estates, they were called Scuits, or "wanderers,"--a phrase which gave name to Scotland. Surnames were not in use till about the year 1170; but clans had appropriate names, which some retained; and others took such names as had reference to their location, occupation, or some peculiarity or achievement.
The Dalraids crossed over from Ireland to Caledonia, and so annoyed the Caledonians and the Romans, that, in order to keep them back, the latter built the wall called Agricola's, running from the Frith of Forth to the Clyde. Prince Reda and his knights scaled the wall, and put the Romans to flight, AD 180. After he had got possession of that part of England and Caledonia, the Romans (AD 210) built the wall, running from Newcastle to Carlisle, called Adrian's. The Dalraids kept possession of the territory between the two walls, constituting a portion of the county of Northumberland. They finally conquered Caledonia, AD 843; and the Britons, as a sort of reproach, afterwards called it Scuitland, or a land of interlopers, or wanderers. The predatory excursions of these people were called "raids." The conquerors settled in the region now forming the barony of Redesdale. The Reads, or Reeds, of England descended from the above Raids, Reeds, or Reedhas; and the principal families of Reads can be traced to them. The present Baron of Redesdale is a relative and a prominent member of the House of Lords. The scenes in Scott's novels and poetical works are laid in this territory, rich in monuments of the past, and some of the present names of towns and parishes are derived from Reed, Redsford, for Reidsfors, Radham for Reedham, and Riddle for Redesdale.
As the line of England and Scotland was constantly changing according to the valor and the strength of parties, the Reeds have become mixed with both nations, and the barony of Redesdale, being on the border, the Reeds had the advantage of distinguishing themselves and consequently were promoted in civic government, and they were connected with the royal family of England long before the days of William the Conqueror. There was: Withred, King of Kent, in the seventh century. Ethelred, or Read the Good, in 866. Alfred, or Reed the Shrewd, in 871. Eldred, or Reed the Elder in 946. Eethelred the Second, in 978.
When William the Conqueror took possession of the English throne, the legal heir to the throne was the brother-in-law of the King of Scotland. William's heir married the legal heiress, the daughter of Edward the Confessor, who was Ethelred the Second's own son. So both houses became merged in to one family. The Reeds were among the reigning princes of Northumberland, Kent, Wessex and Mercia, and all are politically allied. Many ruins of castles and fortifications are to be found in England and Scotland along rivers, valleys, and highlands, and there are still some splendid castles occupied by the Reed descendants at the present time, as: Chipchase Castle at the junction of the Reed and Tyne rivers, which is now occupied by Sir Christopher Reed, and owned by Sir Christopher's son, who is deputy lieutenant of the county; also Ewellgrove, Ipsden House, Ashmans in Suffolk, Wood Parks in Galway, Rossenara in Kilkenny.
Brianus De Rede was born about 1139 and lived in Morpeth on Mensbach River, in the northern part of England. The line of descent from Brianus De Rede to John Read of Rehoboth, MA, is as follows: Brianus De Rede - William (1) - Robert, of Rede - Golfrinus - Thomas (1), of Redydale - Thomas (2), of Redydale - Thomas (3), of Redydale, who married Christina LaPole, sister of Michael de LaPole, Earl of Suffolk. (In 1388 Michael, Earl of Suffolk, was forced to flee to France and much of his large fortune and property passed to his brother-in-law, Thomas (3) of Redydale.) - John, mayor of Norwich in 1388 - Edward, four times mayor of Norwich, who married Isiod Stanley - William (2), a Professor of Divinity - William (3), who married Ann Menis -William Reade (4), who married his cousin, Rebecca, daughter and co-heir of Robert Menis - Mathew, who married Alice, daughter of Ambrose Wood -William (4), who married Lucy Henage - and finally John Read, who came to America.
The following sources all agree on the descent of the Read family from Brianus De Rede through JOHN READ who came to America. I will not repeat them for each person:
"Encyclopedia of Massachusetts, Biographical--genealogical"; By William Richard Cutter, American Historical Society; (inc.), 1916 ; Item notes: v.4; pg. 40.
"History of the Reed Family in Europe and America"; Author: Jacob Whittemore Reed; pgs. 28-37.
"Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut", Vol. I-IV
donnadee2010 added this on 24 Feb 2011
JudyAlberts10 originally submitted this to Winslow-Bundy-Thompson-Waters 2010 FTM on 26 Jul 2010
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1750 - 1831 (80 years)
[1, 2, 3] 
