Esther Doyle Read, copyright 1999

Updated 22 May 2003

READ FAMILY CONNECTIONS

Aaron and Hannah had at least 4 children born between 1833 and 1843; at least 8 grandchildren born between 1852 and 1873; I have identified 8 great-grandchildren born between 1879 and 1916 and 5 great-great-grandchildren born between 1909 and 1917. Total identified descendants equals 25.

Children of Aaron Read and Hannah Brands
Biographical Notes
References
Probate Records

Aaron Read, II or Jr. was the eldest son and second child of the ten children of Samuel Read and Maria Freese. He was born 11 October 1806 in Sussex (now Warren) County, New Jersey, probably in Knowlton (now Hope) Township. Aaron appears to have been named after his father's younger brother, Aaron Read, I or Sr. He is named as a son of Samuel Read in his father's will, which was written 8 January 1855 and proved 14 March 1855. Samuel stated in his will that he had given Aaron, and his brothers Martin and Samuel, their share of the estate during his (Samuel's) lifetime. The remainder of the estate was to be divided between Aaron's two surviving sisters—Ann Davis and Sarah Maria Durling— and the heirs of his deceased sister Jane Drake Thompson (Warren County Surrogate Court Records, hereinafter WCSCR, Wills Book 3, page 126). He does not appear on the 1830 United States Federal census as a resident of his parents's household. There is no male of the appropriate age listed in Samuel's household. Aaron was 23 years old and was probably working out as a farm laborer, earning money to establish his own farm and family (1830 United States Federal Census, Knowlton Township, Warren County, New Jersy, page 378).

Aaron married on 9 March 1833, Hannah Brands, the daughter of David Brands and Sarah Angle. Hannah was born 29 March 1814 in Sussex (now Warren) County, New Jersey (Brands n.d.) in the final year of the War of 1812. Her family attended St. James Episcopal Church in Delaware in Knowlton Township. Hannah was baptised there on 4 June 1815 (Reuther n.d.). Hannah was the eldest of David and Sarah Brand's children. She had seven brothers and sisters: Catherine Brands Green (born 1815), Jacob Brands (1817-1898), James Brands (1818-1900), Abraham Brands (1821-1896), Will B. Brands (born 1822), Isaac Brands (1824-1899) and Rachel B. Brands DeWitt (born 1826) (Brands n.d.). Her brother Jacob settled in Wisconsin. The rest of her sibblings appear to have remained in the area. Hannah's family had been early settlers in Sussex (now Warren) County. Her grandparents were David and Hannah (Harris) Brands and Paul Angle. Her paternal great-grandparents were Jacob Brands and Dorothy Fiestler. Hannah's mother, Sarah Angle Brands died on 4 August 1852. Her father remarried Ann Green in October 1853. She was the widow of George Green. The Greens were also early settlers in the county. Aaron and Hannah had several kin connections. Hannah's third cousins, Macrina Linaberry Brands and William C. Brands (who were siblings), married Aaron's first cousins once removed. Marcrina Brands married (143) Erastus Vaughan Raub⁴ and William married Catherine Raub ⁴. They were the children of Aaron's first cousin, Mary Raub Read³ (Isaac Read, Sr.², Joseph Read¹).

Aaron and Hannah made their home in Hope Township in an area now known as Mount Hermon. According to Warren County historian Frank Dale (2003) Aaron and Hannah called their farm "Homestead Farm." Their first child, Sarah Maria was born a little over a month after her parents were married. The couple were the parents of at least four children: Sarah Maria, Catherine, Samuel and Martha. In 1840, Aaron and Hannah lived in Hope Township. On the 1840 census Aaron's name is given as Aaron Reede, Jr. The household included Aaron and Hannah, two daughters, a son and an unknown young woman. The census taker visited the house on 11 August 1840. One person in the household was engaged in agriculture. The household in 1840 was comprised of the following individuals:

Table 1: Household of Aaron and Hannah Read in 1840
(1840 United States Federal Census, Hope Township, Warren County, New Jersey, page 5)

The young woman between the ages of 10 and 15 years was not a child of Aaron and Hannah Read. She was born before the couple was married. It is probable that she was in-live hired help. Hannah had three children under the age of 7 in 1840, she would have needed help in the house to clean, cook, and make household items such as soap, candles, butter, cheese and cloth. Until Sarah and Catherine were older, Hannah needed hired help to complete all of her household tasks.

Another daughter was born to Aaron and Hannah in the summer of 1843, this daughter was named Martha. She appears on the 1850 census with her parents and her brother and two sisters. All four of the Read children were attending school. The family still lived in Hope Township. Aaron owned real estate valued at $8,350. His occupation in the census was given as farmer. The family was visited on 12 September 1850:

Table 2: Household of Aaron and Hannah Read in 1850
(1850 United States Federal Census, Hope Township, Warren County, New Jersey, page 437B)

Table 3: Household of Aaron and Hannah Read in 1860
(1860 United States Federal Census, Hope Township, Warren County, New Jersey, page 7 of township)

Although Hannah Brands Read was baptized in St. James Protestant Episcopal Church in Ramsayburg, she and Aaron were members of the Methodist Epsicopal Church. Their daughter Sarah was married in 1851 by the pastor of Zion Methodist Episcopal Church in Wolftown, Knowlton Township. The church was formed in 1832 in the home of Zenos Everitt. In 1841, David Brands and his family transferred their membership from the Methodist Episcopal Church at Green's Chapel (now Mount Hermon United Methodist) to Zion M.E. Whether this was Hannah's father or one of her cousins is not known. However, the Brands family were members of Zion, so it is likely that Aaron and Hannah Read were also attending the church in the 1840s. The year that Sarah Maria was married, there were 50 members in the congregation. They decided to build a small church in that year, having used the local school house since about 1836. Rev. R. Van Horn was the pastor at that time. Sarah was probably not married in the new church building as it was not dedicated until early in 1852. However, she and Andrew Cooke were married by Rev. Van Horn. The Reads appear to have continued their association with Zion M.E. for some years. The Rev. J.C.H. Brown who boarded with the family in 1860 was the pastor of Zion M.E. during 1860 and 1861 (Snell 1881:634). They may have remained at Zion M.E. after that date. The family was buried at Green's Chapel M.E. in Mount Hermon, Hope Township. There does not appear to have been a cemetery associated with Zion M.E. Church. Zion and Green's Chapel were sister churches, the two congregations probably used the same cemetery.

The Civil War era in Warren County was marked not only by young men leaving the community and going of to war, there was a death in the Read family which resulted in a long series of legal manuevers to settle the estate. On 14 August 1862, John H. Read³, son of James² and Mehitable (Coleman) Read died. He was about 64 years old at his death. John was incredibly wealthy. He left no immediate heirs: no wife, no children, no siblings, no parents. Nor had he written a will. The Surrogate court of Warren County appointed two of his first cousins, Martin F. Read and Samuel D. Read, as the administrators of his estate. Martin and Samuel were Aaron's younger brothers. The Surrogate court determined that the heirs to John's estate were his next-of-kin in the form of his surviving 66 first cousins—Read and Coleman. On 22 July 1865, the court ordered Martin F. Read and Samuel D. Read to divide the sum of $22,863.46 among the heirs. This was a disbursement of $346.41 per heir (WCSCR Orphans Court Minutes Book 6, page 156-158). A later accounting showed an error in the original value as presented to the court (WCSCR Orphans Court Minutes Book 6, page 231-232). It was found that the estate value was actually $23,947.44, a large sum by 1866 dollars. A second disbursement of $16.43 per heir was made on 10 June 1866. This brought the total disbursement per heir to $362.84 (WCSCR Orphans Court Minutes Book 6, page 240). Orphans Court minutes for both 22 July 1865 and 10 June 1866 list each and every heir as found by the court. Curiously, none of the children of Phebe Read Kirkpatrick, who migrated to Ohio in 1806, were located; while the children of Sarah Read Manning, who had also migrated west to Ohio (in the 1830s) were all located. The entry for 22 July 1865 orderd:

The decade between 1860 and 1870 also brought changes to Aaron and Hannah's family. Their daughter Sarah Maria and her husband Andrew Cooke had reunited by 1866. They had a son named David Brands Cooke in that year. Unfortunately the child died as an infant. Catherine Read Kirkhuff's husband Anthony died in July 1862. The couple had at least one daughter who was born in about 1858. By 1870, Catherine was living with her parents and working as a domestic servant. Her daughter (named either Sarah or Savilla) was not living with her. The child would have been about 12 in 1870. She may have been living with her Kirkhuff grandparents or uncles or aunts. By 1880, Catherine and her daughter were reunited and living in Newark (1880 United States Federal Census, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, page 263A). Aaron and Hannah's son Samuel married in the mid-1860s. He and his wife Lizzie lived a few houses away from Aaron and Hannah. They had a two year old son named Clifford. Their oldest son, Ogden, was been born in 1866 and died as an infant. Only Martha Read had not married by 1870. Aaron had also begun to divest his real estate. The 1870 census places his real estate holdings at $4,000—$6,000 less than the 1860 value. According to Aaron's will he had sold lots surrounding his farm to Charles Gibbs, Emma Loller, John Flummerfelt, Geo. G. Depue and Whitfield Swayze. He eventually sold a lot to his daughter Catherine (WCSCR Wills Book 10, page 292). The family's personal estate still stood at $1,000. Aaron's occupation in the 1870 census was given as farmer. The census taker visited the household on 15 August 1870. The family was comprised of the following individuals:

Table 4: Household of Aaron and Hannah Read in 1870
1870 United States Federal Census,
Hope Township, Warren County, New Jersey, page 181A, 15 August 1870

Martha Read married a Mr. Decker shortly after the census was taken. The couple had one child, a son named Kittle on 19 March 1873. Martha died 9 months later on 19 December. The baby lived until 4 May 1874. Martha and Kittle are buried in the family plot in the Green's Chapel or Mount Hermon Methodist Church yard (Mount Hermon Church Yard; Dale 2003). Samuel and Lizzie also had another baby, a son Arthur who was born in December 1870. He died in May 1872 and was buried in the family plot with his brother Ogden (Mount Hermon Church Yard). In 1879, Aaron and Hannah's first great-grandchild was born. Their granddaughter Alveretta Cook had married Robert Heir (or Hare). The young couple settled in Minnesota, where their daughter Bessie was born in Setpember 1879 (Windemuth Family Organization 1996:(32)I).

As a senior citizen, Aaron remained an active member of his community. In 1875, the first post office in Mount Hermon, New Jersey opened. Prior to 1870, the community went to Belvidere to get their mail. Aaron Read was appointed as the town's first post master and ran the post office out of his home. He held this position until he resigned in 1877 (Snell 1881:662). By this time he was 71 years old. Aaron's advancing age may have prompted changes in his living arrangements. By 1880, Aaron and Hannah shared a home with Andrew and Sarah Cooke. It is probable that the house belonged to Aaron and Hannah. Aaron's will describes his house lot as a 30 acre lot with garden and an old orchard adjoinning (WCSCR Wills Book 10, page 291). The 1880 census lists Andrew Cook as the head of the household and Aaron and Hannah as boarders:

Table 5: Household of Andrew and Sarah M. Cooke in 1880
(1880 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 199, Hope Township, Warren County, New Jersey, page 6)

Aaron and Hannah's daughter Sarah Maria (Read) Cooke died the following year (1881) and was buried in Green's Chapel/Mount Hermon Methodist Church yard. Aaron and Hannah continued to live in the Mount Hermon area. Their son Samuel and his family lived nearby. Their daughter Kate Kirkhuff was living in Newark. Their granddaughter Alveretta Hare resided in Minnesota. By 1887, Aaron settled a farm on his grandson James Cooke and gave his granddaughter Alveretta Heir a mortgage on the farm. Aaron placed the value of farm and mortgage at $8000 (WCSCR Wills Book 10, page 391).

Hannah Brands Read died on 7 December 1888 and was buried in the family plot in Green's Chapel/Mount Hermon United Methodist with her two daughters and three of her grandchildren. There is some confusion as to her date of death. The Brands family bible states that Hannah was buried on 9 December 1886 (Brands n.d.). This is impossible as Hannah was alive when Aaron wrote his will on 7 November 1887. He made specific bequests to his wife which provided for her housing and maintance (WCSCR Wills Book 10, page 391). Had Hannah died in 1886 this would not have been necessary. Her tombstone gives the date of 7 December 1888 and the age of 75 years. The age is incorrect. The family bible gives her age as 74 years, 8 months and 23 days. Both the bible and her tombstone give her date of birth as 29 March 1814. If she died on 7 December 1886 she would have been 72 years, 8 months and 8 days of age. If she died on 7 December 1888 she would have been 74 years, 8 months and 8 days—an age which is closer to the bible age. Therefore it appears that the year of Hannah's death was 1888 and not 1886.

Aaron's will provided for the transfer of his house and its 30 acre lot, garden and orchard to his son Samuel after Hannah's death. When Aaron died in 1898, the house went directly to Samuel. The two men who witnessed Aaron's will were John C. Flumerfelt and R.M. Van Horn. John C. Flumerfelt (1851-1928) was Aaron's first cousin once removed. John's maternal grandfather, David Read, was Aaron's uncle. John's parents were Eleanor Read and Charles Flumerfelt. John and Mary (Allen) Flumerfelt lived near Aaron on a parcel which they had purchased from him sometime before 1887. The 1887 directory lists "J.C. Flumerfelt, farmer" as a resident of Mount Hermon. R.M. Van Horn (or Richard Marshall Van Horn (1854-1912)) would become Aaron's great-nephew by marriage. In 1890, he married Ada Minerva Read. Her grandfather was Aaron's brother, Martin F. Read. Her parents were Ira C. and Margaret (Loller) Read. Richard had studied law in Belvidere in the early 1880s. According to the 1887 directory R.M. Van Horn was an "Attorney at Law and Solicitor and Master in Chancery."

By the time Aaron died in 1898, he was a great-grandfather several times over. His granddaughter by Sarah Cook, Alveretta Heir had an 18 year old daughter named Bessie. James Cooke, Sarah's son, had daughter Kathryn (age 10) and son Herbert (age 7) (Windemuth Family Organization 1996:(I)32). Kate Kirkhuff's daughter Sarah Kirkhuff Gardner had at least two daughters: Grace (age 11) and Marjorie (age 2) (1920 United States Federal Census, 4^th Ward, 2^nd District, City of East Orange, Bergen County, New Jersey, sheet 11A; Social Security Death Index). Samuel's son Clifford did not marry until circa 1903 (1930 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 12-180, Ridgefield Park, Bergen County, New Jersey, sheet 3B; Kern 1938). However, Aaron had also out lived two of his four children: Martha (died 1873) and Sarah (died 1881); as well as several of his grandchildren: David Cooke (died 1866), Ogden Read (died 1867), Arthur Read (died 1872) and Kittle Decker (died 1874). His daughters, four grandsons and Hannah were all buried in Green's Chapel/Mount Hermon Methodist Church yard. Aaron was buried with his family. A large four sided monument marks the family plot and is inscribed on each side a follows:

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