George Reade

George Reade, a native of London, came to Virginia 1637 in Sir John Harvey's party.  Harvey was returning to Virginia to assume the office of Governor of the Colony.  Reade was appointed Secretary of State, pro tem of the colony in 1640 and served as Acting Governor in the absence of Governor Harvey.  He was a member of the House of Burgesses and a member of the Colonial Council until his death.  His will, no longer extant, is documented in a York County 18th century land transaction. 

York Co, VA Deeds & Bonds Book 5 pp 3 - 6
This Indenture made the sixteenth day of May in the fortieth year of the Reign of our Sovernge Lord George the Second King of Great Britain and in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred & forty one between James Mitchell of the Town & County of York and Janet his wife of the one part and Richard Ambler of the same Town & county aforesaid . Whereas George Reade late of the sd county of York Esq decd being siezed in fee of a certain tract or parcel of land lying & being in the said County of York containing by Estimation Eight hundred & fifty acres did by his last Will and Testament in writing bearing date the twenty ninth day of September in the Year of our Lord One thousand six hundred & Seventy devise the same by the name of all that Tract of Land wherein he lived to his wife during life and after her decease to be equally divided between his sons, George & Robert and the heirs of their bodies but and fault of such heirs in either or both of them or in case either or both of them should dye during their minority then he gave and devises his and their parts of the land aforesaid to his sons Francis and Benjamin and the heirs of their bodies with other remainders over as by the said Will duly proved in the General Court of this Colony being thereunto had may more at large appear and whereas the said George Reade one of the sons of the Testator dyed many years ago without issue and after his death the said Francis & Benjamin Reade intend into one ninety or half part of this premises to as afore devised and afterwards the said Robert Reade, Francis Reade & Benjamin Reade by Deed bearing date the twelfth day of November in the Year of our Lord one thousand and six hundred & eighty eight made partition of the premises aforesaid .........

George Reade married Elizabeth Martiau, daughter of Nicolas Martiau (Father of Yorktown).  Their daughter Mildred, wife of Col. Augustine Warner, was the g-grandmother of George Washington.

George Read, the son of Robert Read of London and his wife Mildred Windebank, was one of the about one hundred colonists, who emigrated to the colonies from England and Wales before the end of the 17th century, known to have legitimate descent from a Plantagenet King of England. 

The illustrious ancestry of George Reade is documented nicely in Colonial Records during the period of 18 January 1638/9 - 11 December 1641.  The file includes letters from the Colonial Governor, Secretary of State and George Reade to Sir Francis Windebank and/or Windebank's personal secretary Robert Reade (George Reade's brother.)  The correspondence file is quite interesting, alluding to the politics behind George Reade's appointment as Secretary of State during Richard Kemp's sojourn in England.  It also includes personal requests from George Reade to his brother for servants and money.  Earlier correspondence puts a personal face on George Reade's life.  "Sir John Harvey to Robert Reade, 17 Nov. 1637.  Hopes to employ Reade's brother against the Indians.  He is well and stays at the writer's house."  "George Reade to Robert Reade, his brother, 26 Febr. 1637/8.  Does not think much of Mr. Hawley.  Thanks to the support of the Governor and Mr. Kemp, the writer has survived.  Mr. Menephe has brought many servants.  Mr. Hawley has promised the writer that the next lot of servants coming to Virginia would be for him but he does not believe it as Hawley is in Maryland."

"Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607 - 1624/5 and Their Families" published by the Order of First Families of Virginia, indicates in a footnote (pp. 419-420) the discrepancy between the dates inscribed on his Grace Church tablets and the filing of the wills for George Read and his wife Elizabeth as follows:  "His and his wife's gravestones were discovered during street excavations in Yorktown in 1931.  The inscriptions on both were recut with errors.  George Reade's stone now states he died Oct. 1674, "he being in the 66th yr of his age."  Since the date should be 1671 (per his will), either the age shown, or his year of birth, is in error as well....The gravestone of Elizabeth (Martiau) Read now states she was born in 1625 and died in 1696, "being in ye 71st yeare of her age."  Since the year of death should be 1686 (per her will), again the age or year of birth is in error.  Since Nicholas Martiau claimed...his daughter Elizabeth as headrights...it would appear Elizabeth was born prior to his arrival in Virginia in 1620...and that Elizabeth's birth occurred in 1615 rather than 1625."

The graves of George Reade and his wife Elizabeth were discovered while excavating on Buckner Street in Yorktown.  In 1931, descendant Letitia Pate Evans had the tablets restored and moved to the church yard of Grace Episcopal Church.   The Reade tablets sit adjacent to the plots of Gov. Thomas Nelson (Declaration of Independence signer), his father, and grandfather (who married a George Reade descendant.)

Descendants of Col. George Reade

Generation No. 1

1. Col. George1 Reade, Col. (RobertA, AndrewB) was born Bet. 1605 - 1608 in Linkenholt, Hampshire, England1,2, and died Bef. 21 Nov 1671 in York Co, VA3,4. He married Elizabeth Martiau Abt. 16415, daughter of Nicolas Martiau.  She  died Bef. 24 Jan 1686/87 in York Co, VA7,8.

Children of George Reade and Elizabeth Martiau are:

+ 2 i. Elizabeth2 Reade, died 18 Nov 1717 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA.

+ 3 ii. Mildred Reade, died 1694.

4 iii. George Reade.

+ 5 iv. Robert Reade, died Bef. 16 Mar 1722/23 in York Co, VA.

+ 6 v. Thomas Reade.

+ 7 vi. Francis Reade, died Abt. 1694.

8 vii. Benjamin Reade. He married Mary (Gwynn?).

 

Generation No. 2

2. Elizabeth2 Reade (George1, RobertA, AndrewB) died 18 Nov 1717 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA9,10. She married Captain Thomas Chisman, son of Edmund Chisman and Mary. He was born Abt. 1651 in Virginia11, and died Bef. 18 Jul 1715 in York Co, VA11.

Children of Elizabeth Reade and Thomas Chisman are:

9 i. Thomas3 Chisman, Capt., died 11 Dec 1722 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA12,13,14. He married Anne15.

10 ii. Mary Chisman, died 22 Jan 1719/20 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA16. She married Edward Athey.

11 iii. Mildred Chisman, born 19 Feb 1675/76 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA17,18,19. She married Lawrence Smith, Col; died 27 Feb 1738/39 in York Co, VA20,21.

12 iv. Elizabeth Chisman, born 08 Nov 1681 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA22,23. She married Unknown Lucas24.

13 v. Col. John Chisman, born 04 Mar 1682/83 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA25,26; died 19 Sep 1728 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA26,27. He married Ellinor Hayward28 22 Dec 1708 in York Co, VA29,30; born 25 Jul 1690 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA31,32; died 08 Feb 1767 in York Co, VA33.

14 vi. Jane Chisman, born 21 Mar 1686/87 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA34,35,36.

15 vii. George Chisman, born 05 Jan 1688/89 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA37,38,39; died 06 Oct 1710 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA39,40.

16 viii. Sarah Chisman, born 02 May 1690 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA41,42,43.

17 ix. Anne Chisman, born 20 Dec 1692 in Charles Parish, York Co, VA44,45,46.

 

3. Mildred2 Reade (George1, RobertA, AndrewB) died 1694. She married Col. Augustine Warner, son of Augustine Warner and Mary Towneley. He was born 03 Jun 164247, and died 19 Jun 168147.

Children of Mildred Reade and Augustine Warner are:

18 i. George3 Warner.

19 ii. Robert Warner.

20 iii. Mildred Warner, died 1701 in Whitehaven, England48,49. She married (1) Laurence Washington. She married (2) George Gayle.

21 iv. Elizabeth Warner. She married John Lewis.

22 v. Mary Warner.

23 vi. Isabella Warner, born 24 Nov 1672 in Chesake, Virginia50; died 06 Feb 1719/2050. She married John Lewis, Major; born 30 Nov 166950; died 14 Nov 172550.

 

5. Robert2 Reade (George1, RobertA, AndrewB) died Bef. 16 Mar 1722/23 in York Co, VA51,52. He married Mary Lilly53, daughter of John Lilly. She died Bef. 20 Nov 172254.

Children of Robert Reade and Mary Lilly are:

24 i. John3 Reade.

25 ii. Margaret Reade. She married Thomas Nelson; born 20 Feb 1677/7855; died 07 Oct 174555.

26 iii. Robert Reade.

27 iv. Thomas Reade, died 171956.

28 v. George Reade.

29 vi. Samuel Reade, died 20 Nov 175857. He married Mary Schlater.

30 vii. Mildred Reade. She married (1) James Goodwin Bef. 1719; died 16 Nov 1719 in York Co, VA57,58. She married (2) Lawrence Smith, Col Bef. 172059; died 27 Feb 1738/39 in York Co, VA60,61.

31 viii. Francis Reade.

 

6. Thomas2 Reade (George1, RobertA, AndrewB) He married Lucy Gwynn, daughter of Edmund Gwynn and Lucy Bernard.

Children of Thomas Reade and Lucy Gwynn are:

32 i. Thomas3 Reade, died 17 Apr 173962. He married Ann Booth; born 170662; died 09 Jan 177562.

33 ii. John Reade, Rev., born 169962; died Bef. 13 Mar 1743/4463,64. He married Frances Yates 02 Feb 1737/3865.

34 iii. Lucy Reade, died 22 Nov 173165. She married John Dixon.

35 iv. Mary Reade. She married Mordecai Throckmorton, Capt.; died Bef. 09 Nov 176765.

36 v. Mildred Reade. She married Philip Rootes, Maj..

37 vi. Joyce Reade, born 08 Mar 1701/0265; died 08 Aug 1771 in Caroline Co, VA65. She married Christopher Tompkins; born 17 Oct 1705 in Gloucester Co, VA65; died 16 Mar 1779 in Caroline Co, VA65.

 

7. Francis2 Reade (George1, RobertA, AndrewB) died Abt. 169466. He married (1) Jane Chisman, daughter of Edmund Chisman and Mary. He married (2) Anne Bef. 169366.

Children of Francis Reade and Jane Chisman are:

38 i. Mary3 Reade. She married Edward Davis67.

39 ii. Elizabeth Reade. She married Paul Watlington Bef. 170768.

Children of Francis Reade and Anne are:

40 i. George3 Reade.

41 ii. Anne Reade.

42 iii. Benjamin Reade. He married Lucy Bef. 169268.

Endnotes

1. Tombstone.
2. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 419.
3. Tombstone Picture.
4. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 420.
5. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 419.
6. Adventures of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1625, FFV., 420.
7. Tombstone Picture.
8. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 420.
9. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 172.
10. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 208.
11. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 172.
12. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 97
13. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 173.
14. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 208.
15. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 97
16. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 208.
17. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 97
18. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 64.
19. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 173.
20. Colonial Americans of Royal & Noble Descent p. 108
21. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 173.
22. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 97
23. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 63.
24. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 97
25. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 63.
26. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 173.
27. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 208.
28. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 102.
29. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 98
30. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 173.
31. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 173-174.
32. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 102.
33. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 174.
34. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 97
35. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 63.
36. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 173.
37. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 97
38. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 63.
39. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 172.
40. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 208.
41. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 97
42. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 64.
43. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 172.
44. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 97
45. Landon C. Bell, Charles Parish York County, Virginia History and Registers, (Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA, 1932, 1984, 1996), 62.
46. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 172.
47. Tombstone.
48. Some Prominent Virginia Families by Louise Pecquet du Bellet p.9
49. Plaque - Warner Hall Graveyard.
50. Tombstone.
51. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 422.
52. York Co, VA Orders, Wills Book #14 pp 241-242.
53. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 1 No. 2, October 1892 p. 90
54. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 422.
55. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 423.
56. Some Prominent Virginia Families by Louise Pecquet du Bellet p.9
57. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 423.
58. York Co, VA Deeds, Orders, Wills Book 15 p. 517.
59. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 423.
60. Colonial Americans of Royal & Noble Descent p. 108
61. Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5, (Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 173.
62. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 423.
63. William & Mary Quarterly Vol 3 p. 40.
64. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 423.
65. Edited by Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5 and Their Families, (Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987), 424.
66. William & Mary College Quarterly, Vol 3, 40.
67. William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers Vol. 3 1894-95, p 40.
68. William & Mary College Quarterly, Vol 3, 40.

Does anyone know of any direct male descendants to George Reade who would be willing to participate in a DNA project?  Thanks for your assistance.  David Williams

 

Home

03/24/2008 08:03:31 AM