Details about John C. READ
Contact Carol Hubbell Boggs at HubbellGen@aol.com

John C. READ/REED and possibly multiple other spellings, was reputed to be a Hessian who saw a good thing in Middlesex Co., specificaly Durham, CT after either deserting or being captured in the Revolutionary War, and settled there to marry and establish a line of numerous descendants, and to have Reed's Gap at the Wallingford-Durham line named for him. Practically everything I have found about him that can be considered factual is in the form of a deed or a census report. He farmed and bought and sold much property on the Middlesex Co.- New Haven Co. line. Sixty years ago (ca 1940) a descendant wrote that he married Rebecca JOHNSTON of Branford probably ca 1780-1790, however I find no proof of this. The census shows him remaining in Durham.

He is said to have had children: John, William, Martin, Salmon, Eunice, Samuel, Amanda and Lucinda.

*John REED, Jr. was born in Wallingford and married three times; Catherine N(---), Clarissa HALL, and Huldah (---). No death records. There is evidence that he and his family moved to OH.

*William K. REED was born in Wallingford and married Jane Campbell/Camerson of Albany NY. NY records state "Son of Christopher John Martin 08 Aug 1882 of Saxony who came to this country with General Lafayette and served 7 years in the Revolutionary War. (Christopher died in Wallingford, CT in 1840). William was a veteran of the war of 1812, and died in Onieda Valley Point, NY." No more is known.

*Martin REED is largely unknown. IGI shows Martin Read, son of John Read and Rebecca, b 14 Oct 1788 in Wallingford TWP.

*Salmon REED was is the best documented of all of them. He was born in Durham, 1795, d 08 Aug 1882, and is buried in the Durham Center Cemetery with his wife Tryphosa PERKINS of Wallingford, dtr of Fletcher PERKINS and Damaris CURTIS.

*Eunice REED B. ca 1807, and if she married John HINMAN of Durham, she died 29 Apr 1881 and is buried with her family in the Durham Center Cemetery. There is no marriage record, but her family lived next door to the Hinmans on the Wallingford Road near the quarry in Durham, and the ages are right.

*Samuel F. REED was born in 1810 in Durham and may have married Sally THORPE possibly of Meriden. The family records show they had a son Samuel BURRAGE REED. No more is known.

*Amanda REED is said to have married a Mr. BEACH but the Beach family researchers have no record of the couple whatever.

*Lucinda REED is said to have been born in Durham. No proof exists.

Family fables say that John C. READ/REED married an American Indian, but there is no evidence of the fact. John could have had more than one wife, given the time he spent in the country before he died in Wallingford or Durham.

Other stories say that the American Indian was Tryphosa PERKINS who married Salmon. No evidence.

Other surnames connected with Salmon's descendants are: BEACH, BLINN, BURR, CLARK, CURTIS, EICK, FARNHAM, GASTLER, GAVETTE, GEER/GEAR, HINMAN, HORTON, HOTCHKISS, JOHNSTON, MATTOON, NETTLETON, PERKINS, REED, SANDERSON, THORPE, TIBBALS.

Some of these lines have numerous descendants living today in and around Durham, and across the country, such as CLARK, EICK, FARNHAM, GASTLER, GAVETTE HORTON, HOTCHKISS, NETTLETON, AND REED. None of these people know any more about him.

This small accounting is all I can find about John C. Reed. Who was he? Where was he really from? Was there an American Indian? Two marriages? Where did the other children go whose marriages and deaths are not recorded? This is ten years of work (part-time) in one page. John is truly a brick wall.

[posted 7 Feb 2001]