Coppyright 2001, Esther Doyle Read
Updated 16 October 2003
READ FAMILY CONNECTIONS
ISAAC READ/REED, IV4
94. ISAAC READ/REED, IV4 (Richard3, Isaac, Sr.2, Joseph1), was born 30 September 1808 in Sussex (now Warren) County, New Jersey and died 1 August 1888 in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He married Mary Allen on 11 March 1830 (Warren County Marriages). Mary was born 30 September 1812 in New Jersey and died 4 November 1886 in Luzerne Cunty, Pennsylvania. Isaac and Mary Read are buried in Carverton United Methodist Church Yard, Kingston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Carverton Methodist Church Yard; Kern 1938; Warren County Marriages).
CHILDREN OF ISAAC READ, IV AND MARY ALLEN:
369. (i.) ELIZA REED5, was born circa 1831 in New Jersey and died unknown (1850 United States Census). She married First Name Unknown Smith.
370. (ii.) SARAH M. REED5, was born 1833 in New Jersey and probably died between 1854 and 1860. Sarah married (First Name Unknown) Myers. She is buried in Carverton United Methodist Church Yard, Kingston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, there is no death date cut in her stone. She is buried next to her brother Elijah A. Reed (1850 United States Census; Carverton Methodist Church Yard).
371. (iii.) JOHNSON H. REED5, was born December 1836 in New Jersey and died 16 October 1918 in the Borough of Dallas, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He married Almira Snyder. She was born July 1840 in Pennsylvania. (1850 and 1900 United States Census). 372. (iv.) ELIJAH A. REED5, was born 1837 in New Jersey and died 27 April 1917, in Miners Mill Borough, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He is buried in Carverton United Methodist Church Yard, Kingston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Carverton Methodist Church Yard; 1850 and 1860 United States Census; Luzerne County Probate Records, hereinafter LCPR, Wills Book 37, page 154). In 1910, Elijah was a border in the home of Isaac H. Coursen. Isaac lived in Luzerne County. He and Elijah were third cousins, Isaac's granmother was Hannah Read Coursen, the first cousin of Elijah's grandfather Richard Read. Other members of the Coursen family included Isaac's wife Louisa and their children - Carrie, Ruth and Rachel. Lloyd Frances was another boarder in the house. And, Anna Sweny was a live-in domestic servant. The Coursen family probably lived near Carverton as their family burial plot is in Carverton Methodist church yard (1910 United States Census, ennumeration district 62, visit 171; Carverton Methodist Church). Elijah died on 27 April 1917. In his will, Elijah directed "That my body be buried in the old part of Carverton Cemetery beside my sister Sarah Reed Myers." The will further directed "that a monument be put on my grave by the executor of this will, said monument to included the name of my sister Sarah Reed Myers said monument to cost $300.00 Three Hundred Dollars". Elijah also left a $25.00 legacy to his neice "Carrie Ryman, wife of J.C. Ryman." The rest of the estate was divided as per his will: "I direct that the balance of my property be divided equaly [sic] between Frank Barber John Smith Emma Sutton and Mary Smith, share and share alike" (no ending punctuation) (LCPR, Wills Book 37, page 154). Frank Barber was probably the grandson of Elijah's sister Sarah Myers Reed (and therefore his great-nephew). Emma Sutton and John and Mary Smith were probably the children of Elijah's sister, Eliza Read Smith (and therefore his neices and nephew). Witnesses to the will were John and Kate Crispell. The executor of the will was Isaac G. Leek of Dallas, he was granted Letters of Testamentary by the court on 27 April 1917, the same day that Elijah died (LCRR Wills, Book 37, page 154). Issac Leek forefilled Elijah's wish to have a stone erected fo both himself and his sister, he and Sarah share a joint tombstone in Carverton Methodist Church Yard. The tombstone was field checked on 2 November 2001, it reads as follows: R
ELIJAH REED
1837-1917
MY SISTER
SARAH M. REED MYERS
1833
373. (v.) LEVI REED5, was born February 1841 in Pennsylvania and died after 1900. He married Ura (Last Name Unknown). She was born July 1846 in Pennsylvania. In the late 1860s they may have resided in Indiana. They were residents of Dallas Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylania in 1900 (1850, 1860 and 1900 United States Census).
374. (vi.) MARTHA A. REED5, was born 6 February 1847 in Pennsylvania and died 3 May 1868. She never married. Martha is buried in the same plot with her parents and sister Mary Jane in Carverton United Methodist Church Yard, Kingston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Carverton Methodist Church Yard; 1850 and 1860 United States Census). Martha's tombstone was field checked on 2 November 2001, it is on one panel of a obelisk dedicated to her, her parents and her sister Mary Jane. It reads as follow:
MARTHA A REED
BORN
FEB 6, 1847
DIED MAY 3, 1868
375. (vii.) MARY JANE REED5, was born 17 June 1852 in Pennsylvania and died 10 April 1879. Mary Jane is buried in the same plot with her parents and sister Martha in Carverton United Methodist Church Yard, Kingston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Carverton Methodist Church Yard; 1850 and 1860 United States Census). Mary Jane's tombstone was field checked on 2 November 2001, it is on one panel of a obelisk dedicated to her, her parents and her sister Martha. It reads as follow:
MARY J REED
BORN
JUNE 17, 1852
DIED APRIL 10, 1879
After their Marriage, Isaac and Mary settled on a farm in Oxford Township, Warren County, New Jersey. The 1830 United States Federal Census indicates that there were three individuals living in Isaac Read's household: a male between 20 and 30 years of age (Isaac), a female between 15 and 20 years of age (Mary, who was actually 22) and a male between 10 and 15 years of age. The latter may be Isaac's younger brother, Richard Read, who was 15 years old. The household of Issac's father, Richard Read, included 3 males other than Richard. They were a boy under 5 years of age (Ira Read, age 2), a boy between 10 and 15 years of age (Samuel Read, age 14) and a young man between 15 and 20 years of age (Levi Read, age 19). There should have been another male between 10 and 15 years of age if Richard, Jr. was living at home with his parents. It is possible that Richard went with Isaac to help him on the new farm.
Isaac and Mary may have lived in Oxford for 7 to 10 years. They had at least seven children: Eliza, Sarah M., Johnson, Elijah, Levi, Martha and Mary Jane (United States Federal Census 1850, 1860). The four older children were born in New Jersey (
ibid.). The last birth in New Jersey occurred in 1837. Between 1837 and 1840, Isaac moved the family to Pennsylvania. The 1840 census places Isaac and his family in Northmoreland Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. The family was living next to Amos Howell. Three of Isaac and Mary's children were born in Pennsylvania: Levi, Martha and Mary Ann (United States Federal Census 1850, 1860). Five of the children grew to be adults: Eliza, who married a Smith; Sarah, who married a Myers; Johnson, who married Almira Snyder; Elijah, who lived until 1917; and Levi, who married Ura (Last name unknown). Martha and Mary Jane died as young women. Martha was 21 and Mary Jane was almost 27 (Carverton Methodist Church Yard). Neither of them appear to have married.Isaac Read was one of six brothers and six sisters. Four of sisters grew to adulthood. They all stayed in either Warren or Sussex Counties New Jersey (
viz. Sarah Ann Read, Levinah Jane Hibler, Azubah Read and Rebecca West). However, Isaac and five of his brothers left Warren County. Issac and Ira Read settled in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Levi and Richard Read settled in Lapeer County, Michigan, and Jonah Read settled in Ohio (then later in Kansas and Colorado). However, the next generation (Isaac's children) did not wander across the United States. Only one son, Levi Reed, left Luzerne County. He settled in Indiana, and was living there in 1869, when his daughter Carrie Reed was born. However, by 1900, he had returned to Luzerne County (United States Federal Census, Dallas Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania). The other children, who grew to be adults, all appear to have stayed in Luzene County. Sarah Myers and Elijah Reed, and Martha and Mary Jane Read were buried in Carverton Methodist church yard in the county. Johnson Read appears on the 1900 United States Federal Census as a resident of Dallas Township. Where Eliza Read resided is unknown.What should be appearant from the foregoing discussion is that the last name is spelled as both R-E-A-D and as R-E-E-D. In the 1900 Census, Johnson appears as R-E-A-D. However, his probate records are under J.H. R-E-E-D. Johnson died in 1918 (Luzerne County Probate Records, hereinafter LCPR, Book 38, page 236). Elijah and Levi appear as R-E-E-D in the Census. Elijah's probate records are under Elijah A. R-E-E-D (LCPR, Book 37, page 154). His tombstone at Carverton spells his last name R-E-E-D. Sarah's tombstone at Carverton states that she is Sarah R-E-E-D Myers, sister of Elijah R-E-E-D. Martha and Mary Jane are buried under R-E-E-D. Isaac and Mary are buried in Carverton, under R-E-E-D (Carverton Methodist Church Yard). The 1830 United States Federal Census for New Jersey spells the last name R-E-A-D, while the 1840 United States Federal Census for Pennsylvania spells the last name R-E-E-D. It appears that the family changed the spelling of the last name when they moved to Pennsylvania.
The 1850 United States Federal Census places Isaac and Mary Reed in Franklin Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (page 51). Isaac was a farmer who owned real estate valued at $2,000. When Isaac arrived in Pennsylvania he had four children. In 1841, these children were Eliza (about 10 years old), Sarah (about 9 years old), Johnson (age 4 years) and Elijah (about 3 years old). They were joinned in early 1841, by their brother Levi, and in early 1847, by their sister Martha. The 1850 Census lists these six children (page 51). By the time the 1860 Census was enumerated, one more daughter, Mary Jane, had been born (1852). In 1860, the Reads were still living in Franklin Township. Isaac's real estate was valued at $3,500 and his personal property at $600 (page 169).
Issac's father, Richard Read died on 31 March 1867, in Warren County, New Jersey. Probate papers for his estate indicate that he owned land in both Warren County, New Jersey and Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. On 9 January 1868, Isaac and Mary quit claim to all of Richard's real estate in Warren County, New Jersey. In return, Isaac's siblings signed over their share in the Luzerne County lands:
Isaac's siblings listed in the release were: "Levi H. Read and Richard H. Read of the County of Lapeer and state of Michigan; Samuel Read, Jonah Read, Sarah Ann Read, Jane Hibbler, wife of Wm. C. Hibbler, Azuba Read, Rebecca Maria West, wife of John West all of the County of Warren and State of New Jersey and Ira K. Read of the County of Luzerne and state of Pennsylvania" (
ibid.). The 1873 Beers Atlas of Luzerne County Pennsylvania shows Isaac's farm as located in Carverton in Kingston Township. Isaac was the Post Master of the Carverton Post Office. His house was located in Carverton, on the main east/west road to the west of the Methodist Church (Beers 1873). In this context, the last name is spelled R-E-A-D. A check of the neighborhood on 2 November 2001 failed to locate a building dating to this period in the Carverton Methodist Church vicinity. The stain glass window above the entrance of the current Carverton Methodist church gives the date of 1854 as the founding of the congregation. Issac and Mary appear to have spent their lives in the Carverton area. Two of their daughters died in the area as young women. Martha died in 1868 at the age of 21. Mary Jane died in 1879, she was about two months short of her 27th birthday. Mary Allen Reed died in Luzerne County on 4 November 1886, she was 74 years old. Isaac died almost two years later on 1 August 1888, he was 2 months short of his 80th birthday (Carverton Methodist Church Yard; Kern 1938). Isaac and Mary were buried in the Carverton Methodist church yard. Their son, Elijah Reed, and three of their daughters, Sarah Reed Myers, Martha Reed and Mary Jane Reed, are also buried there. It is probable that several of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren are also buried in the same cemetery. Their tombstone was field checked on 2 November 2001, it is on one panel of a obelisk dedicated to them and their daughters Martha and Mary Jane. It reads as follows:ISAAC REED
BORN
SEP. 30 1808
DIED AUG 11, 1888
MARY
WIFE OF
ISAAC REED
BORN SEP 30 1812
DIED NOV 4 1886
PRIMARY
Cemetery
Carverton Methodist Church Yard, Carverton, Kingston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Census
1830 United States Federal Census
1850 United States Federal Census
1860 United States Federal Census
1900 United States Federal Census, Pennsylvania
1910 United States Federal Census, Pennsylvania
Land Records
Maps
Beers, D.G.
Probate Records
SECONDARY
Howell, Janel Marie and Jeannette Phethean
Kern, William MacKellar
This web site was produced by Timothy Doyle 5/5/98, <edrtjd@charm.net>