Thomas Read was born in Colchester, Essex, England and was baptised there in the St. Nicholas parish on Oct. 19, 1627. He was the son of Thomas and Rachel (____) Read as evidenced by his father's will.

See the Essex Co Heritage Page.

Born:  Oct 19, 1627 in Colchester, Essex Co, England.

Immigration: Sometime before 1654, possibly single, or with first wife, Katherine.

Wives:
 

1) Katherine, probable mother of Thomas, Jr, md sometime before 1654. Torrey shows first born 1651. Katherine died September 26, (1677 per Roman, 1667 per Torrey), in Sudbury, Middlesex Co, Mass. If she were born at the same time as Thomas, she would have been 40 or 50. Strangely, they only had one child that is known: Thomas Read, Jr. Torrey shows a note that she was possibly/probably the sister of Elizabeth, the wife of John Goodrich, the father of her daughter-in-law, Mary Goodrich. (This would help explain why a Wethersfield, Conn girl married a Sudbury, Mass boy.)
2) Mary [Thompson?], md Mar 7, 1677/8, in probably Sudbury, Mass, widow of Michael Wood. They had no children that I am aware of. She died before 1689. Torrey shows unknown under her Read entry, "Thompson?" under Michael Wood entry.

3) Arabella (___) Thong/Tong/Tongue, a widow of an unknown Thong, md 12/29/1689. She survived Thomas and died April 29, 1717 in probably Sudbury, Mass. No issue. Roman, Ancestry of Hattie Whitney," says: "Given the times, Arabella left an amazing will dated April 20, 1716. She gave freedom to Frank, her negro maid servant. What's more, she gave the servant all of her moveable estate and made her sole executrix."
 
 

Residence: Sudbury, Mass in 1654 until his death in 1701.

Died: 09/13/1701, Sudbury, Mass

Estate:   In Thomas' will, dated September 9, 1701 and witnessed by James Sherman, Samuel How, and Edmund Bowker, are mentioned "beloved wife Arabella Read", "only Son Thomas Read", "youngest son of my above-named Thomas", and "cousin John Bacon of Watertown".

Associations:
 

Goodrich. One wonders how Thomas' son, born and raised in Sudbury, Mass, came to marry a girl from Wethersfield, Conn. The answer appears to lie in some kind of relationship, with the Goodrich family, back in England. The Goodrich's are from St. Bury Edmunds, England, near where the Reads were from. Torrey mentions that Katherine, wife of Thomas Read, and mother of Thomas Read, Jr., was possibly/probably a sister of Elizabeth, wife of immigrant John Goodrich, father of Mary Goodrich who married Thomas Read, Jr. This would make Thomas, Jr and Mary first cousins, a not uncommon scenario in New England.

Daniel Bacon. The will of Thomas Read, the father of immigrant Thomas Read, mentions my "sonne-in-law Daniel Bacon". Daniel Bacon, of Newton, Mass, son of Michael and Alice (____) Bacon  was the husband of Thomas Read's sister, Mary Read.

Edmund Brown.    Per Torrey: "nephew of Edmund Brown." I haven't learned if this kinship comes from his father's side or his mother's side. It is also possible this kinship comes from Thomas' wife and not from Thomas. The History of Sudbury, Alfred Serno Hudson, 1889, has this to say about Edmund Brown:
 

"By the will of Rev. Edmund Brown, and depositions taken in court, Thomas Read was his nephew;  the term cousin being used for nephew (Waters). In the will of Thomas Read of Colchester, his son Thomas in America is mentioned;  also there is mention of his son in law, Daniel Bacon, who married his daughter Mary, who were also living in America.  Other relations are mentioned, but not as being in this country.

Thomas Read settled at Sudbury, in Lanhan district, on land which he purchased of his uncle, Rev. Edmund Brown, while he (Mr. Read) was in England.  This locality was probably called Lanham by Rev. Edmund Brown, from a little place in England spelled Lavenham but pronounced Lannam, near Sudbury, or between Sudbury and Bury St. Edmunds about which locality Mr. Brown and Mr. Read are supposed to have come from, and from which place Mary Goodrich, the wife of Thomas Read, the son of Thomas Read of Lanham came."


Richard Smith.    Per Torrey: "nephew of Richard Smith." I have not learned if this kinship comes from his father's side or his mother's side. Although this man had at least two children, they may not have survived as Richard Smith left his estate to Thomas Read. Pioneers of Mass, Pope, has this to say about Richard Smith:
 

"Smith, Richard, Sudbury, m. 6 Oct. 1647, Mary Kerley; ch. Hannah b. 21 (7) 1651. The wife with infant, d. 27 (3) 1654. He rem. to Lancaster. He m. 2, 2 (6) 1654, in Boston, widow Joanna Quarlis; ch. John b. 20 (11) 1655, Frances b. 26 (6) 1657. Will dated 14 June, 1680, ae. about 55 years; son of Antony Smith of Burvild [Burghfield?] in Berkshire, Eng.; lived 14 years at Watertown; served Jeremiah Norcross; rem. to Sudbury; lived with cousin Thomas Read, Sen.; refers to marriage and death of wife and child at Boston, and residence at various places at the East; returned to Sud. and was cared for by Read, to whom he beq. all his est."
 
Biographies:
 
See Michael Roman's biographical sketch of Thomas Read.

The History of Sudbury says:
 

"Thomas Read was a prominent citizen of Sudbury.  He was early appointed one of the tything-men, and in 1677 he was one of the persons to whom the town gave leave to build a saw mill upon Hop Brook.  His place at Lanham was for many years in the family, and his descendants have been widely scattered and useful citizens.

Says the historian of Rutland of the descendants of the Sudbury Reads, who settled there: "This family of Reads have been useful and industrious in habitants of Rutland for one hundred twenty years".  Asahel Read was one of the two Sudbury soldiers who were killed at the Battle of Concord and Lexington.  For the space of about two centuries the name Read is connected with the annals of Sudbury.  One of the descendants of Nathaniel Read who settled in Warren is a Alanson read Jr., a well known citizen of Chicago and one of the proprietors of Read's "Temple of Music. "  He has been lately engaged in preparing a history of the Read family."

John Glover - Revolutionary War General
 

John Glover, Revolutionary War General, is a descendant of Thomas' sister, Mary Read, who married Daniel Bacon. See a biographical sketch of General Glover.
 
 
 1   Thomas Read 1595 - 1665
..  +Rachel 1600 -
    Above were parents of Thomas and Mary (Read) Bacon, immigrants:
.... 2   Mary Read 1622 -
........  +Daniel Bacon 1622 - 1691
........... 3   Daniel Bacon 1641 -
...............  +Susannah Spencer 1643 - 1728
                Daughter of Michael Spencer
.................. 4   John Bacon 1681 - 1716
......................  +Hannah King 1683 -
........................ 5   Tabitha Bacon 1712 - 1785
............................  +Jonathan Glover 1702 - 1737
............................... 6   John Glover, General 1732 - 1797

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Immigrant Thomas Read only had one child, a son also named Thomas Read, who married Elizabeth Goodrich. He, in turn had the following family. Girls married: Sever (Seaver), Heath, Wilson, and Rice, so further downstream branches will have those names.

All descendants are also Goodrich - see the Goodrich Page.

See Register Report for first generation, with sources.
 

Outline Descendant Report:

 1   Thomas Read 1627 - 1701
..  +Katherine 1627 - 1677
.... 2   Thomas Read, Jr. 1653 - 1726
........  +Mary Goodrich 1650 - 1724
........... 3   Thomas Read 1678 - 1755
...............  +Mary Bigelow 1677 - 1708
...........  *2nd Wife of Thomas Read:
...............  +Abigail Bacon 1685 - 1755
........... 3   Mary Read 1680 -
...............  +Joseph Severs 1680 -
........... 3   Rachel Read 1682 -
...............  +Isaac Heath 1682 -
........... 3   Nathaniel Read 1684 -
........... 3   Elizabeth Read 1687 -
...............  +Nathaniel Wilson 1687 -
........... 3   Hannah Read 1689 - 1691
........... 3   Joseph Read 1695 - 1731
...............  +Sarah Rice 1695 -
  *2nd Wife of Thomas Read:
..  +Mary [Thompson?] 1627 - 1689
  *3rd Wife of Thomas Read:
..  +Arabella (___) Thong 1627 - 1717

"The History of Sudbury", 1638 - 1889, by:  Alfred Serno Hudson, published: 1889

The Stevens-Miller Ancestry - Winifred Lovering Holman, 1948 (I've not seen this material, but Holman is one of the top genealogists of the 20th century.)

NEHGR, 1881, Vol 35, Pp 218-221, "Sudbury Documents", including "Sudbury Account of Losses - 1676" (from the Indian battle) and "Sudbury's Petition to the General Court, 1676" (for relief from the 1676 battle.)

NEHGR, 1903 - Vital Records of Sudbury, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850.

NEHGR,  Vol. XXI p. 369, August 1867 - transcription/summary of English Will of Thomas Read (father of immigrant).

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 1Direct Descendants of Thomas Read

 1   Thomas Read 1627 - 1701 b: October 19, 1627 in Colchester, Essex, England
....  +Katherine 1627 - 1677 b: Abt. 1627 in England
.... 2   Thomas Read, Jr. 1653 - 1726 b: Abt. 1653 in Prob Sudbury, Middlesex Co, Mass
..........  +Mary Goodrich 1650 - 1724 b: December 15, 1650 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co, Conn
........... 3   Thomas Read 1678 - 1755 b: March 22, 1678 in Sudbury, Middlesex Co, Mass
.................  +Mary Bigelow 1677 - 1708 b: September 12, 1677 in Watertown, Middlesex Co, Mass
.................. 4   Katherine Read 1707 - b: January 31, 1707 in Sudbury, Middlesex Co,  Mass
........................  +Joseph Joslin 1699 - 1761 b: November 23, 1699 in Marlborough, Middlesex Co,  Mass
........................ 5   Abigail Joslin 1735 - b: September 05, 1735 in Westborough, Mass
..............................  +Nathaniel Whitney IV 1728 - 1776 b: July 22, 1728 in Westborough, Worcester Co, Mass
............................... 6   Abigail Whitney 1763 - 1847 b: April 11, 1763 in Grafton, Worcester Co, Mass
.....................................  +Elijah Bruce 1760 - 1835 b: January 20, 1760 in Westborough, Worcester Co, Mass
...................................... 7   Abigail Whitney Bruce 1806 - 1884 b: April 02, 1806 in Marlboro, Windham Co,  Vermont
............................................  +Nehemiah Willis Fisher 1805 - 1859 b: June 23, 1805 in Marlboro, Windham Co,  Vermont

Kansas Pioneers:
............................................ 8   Eleanor Serepta Fisher 1843 - 1924 b: October 30, 1843 in Marlboro, Windham Co,  Vermont
..................................................  +Henry Gilbert Baldwin 1836 - 1894 b: June 14, 1836 in Dover, Vermont
.............................................. 9   Arthur Willis Baldwin 1876 - 1961 b: July 06, 1876 in Ada, Fountain Twp, Ottawa Co, Kans
....................................................  +Inez Evangeline Hallock 1886 - 1976 b: October 14, 1886 in Near Milo, Lincoln Co, Kans

Related Links:

All descendants are also Goodrich - see the Goodrich Page.

On-line Cuzzins Page

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