DNA Revisited

I currently have DNA experts trying to verify results and determine why first cousins twice removed have at least seven markers that are off by at least one. We can at least safely say that our Reed family belongs to the R1B1 haplogroup, confirming Celtic origins. However, we need more males (who have the Reed/Reid surname) in the family to participate in the DNA projects to help narrow in on our origins. I would especially encourage descendants of Hampton Homer Reed to participate, given the DNA discrepancies between two Hampton descendants. If you have the funds, I would recommend getting a test from FamilyTreeDNA and participating in the Reed project. If your money is tight, I would recommend the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF), which is free to participate (you just have to provide four generations of your genealogy along with swished mouth wash, which they provide. When I did it postage was also covered by SMGF. would be glad to help anyone put their four generation genealogy together.) Please note that the various DNA projects protect your identity, so please do not this keep you from participating. I am very security minded and I participated. Thanks ahead of time for your participation, which will greatly help our efforts to discover our roots. Send me any questions that you might have.

Creighton (Crayton) Connection

The above was written by Ida L. Reed, and for awhile, based on this I had thought that her grandfather William Reed's mother was named Sarah Creighton, however, I recently questioned this as it appears that William's mother was probably a Diana Rumsey. I believe, now, that what Ida meant was that Sarah was Lucinda's mother. I have seen from census records that a Sarah Crayton lived in Rockingham Co., VA in the early 1800s, where are Reed family was living. It is certain to me that Sarah is Lucinda's mother, especially since a Sarah Crayton is giving permission for Lucinda to marry in the following marriage record from Orange County Marriages, 1747-1850 by John Vogt and T. William Kethley, Jr.:

Lucinda Crayton & William Read married 15 May 1826; witnesses - P.S. Fry and Ezekiah Richards, bondsman - Ezekiah Richards, permission to marry - Sarah Craton

(Ezekiah Richards was likely related to a Richard Richards and Richard Richards, Jr. of Orange Co. This is based on the fact that all three, together, took inventory of Johnathan Lancaster's estate in 1852.)

According to a 16 Sep 1875 Harrison Co., WV marriage certificate of William Reed and "Seney" Adams, William was listed as a widower who was born to a William and Diana Reed in Orange Co., VA. Seney was listed as having been born to an Eva? Adams in Harrison Co., WV (father was unknown). Our William Reed's wife Lucinda died on 22 Feb 1873, which would allow for our William to be a widower in 1875. Additionally, William and Seney lived next door to James Harrison Reed's sister Sarah in the Elk district of Barbour Co. for awhile. This is enough for me to believe that this was our William. Based on the marriage certificate, I also believe that Benjamin Read was the brother to William, and that Diana (Dysa, Dicy) was the mother to William. I offer up the following marriage records from the same Orange Co. book as further evidence (note that Benjamin was married 5 days before William):

Benjamin Read & Sarah Payne married 10 May 1826; witnesses Francis Badger, Benjamin Hume, P.S. Fry, bondsman - Daniel Young, son of Dyannah Teal

William Read & Dysa Rumsey married 22 Oct 1802; bondsman -Henry Teel

Dicy Reed & Henry Teel married 26 Apr 1813; widow, witness - Richard Chapman, bondsman - George Herndon, performed by minister J. Goss - 5 May 1813

Based on these records I would say that Diana (Dicy) married her bondsman Henry Teel after the death of her husband William Read.

The following record, given the witness name, may be a sister or cousin to William and Benjamin Read:

Nancy Reed & William Dunaway married 17 Dec 1827; witness - P.S. Fry, bondsman - John Read. (From other records: Nancy A. Reed, born 1808 in Virginia, USA; died 09 Mar 1856 in Shelby, IL)

The witness P.S. Fry may have been a Philip S. Fry from Loudoun, Co., Va, and chief executive of Orange Co. from 1844-1859. It appears P.S. Fry witnessed many marriages in Orange Co., so it is likely that he was somehow associated with the court.

Walter Newman Reed of Augusta Co., VA

Ida L. Reed mentioned a Walter Newman Reed as being a relative that visited the family in West Virginia and had shared genealogical information with her. This post is to aid in the discovery of how he might be connected to our Reed family, and thus further the Reed lineage.

Walter Newman Reed was born to a William A. Reed (b. c1829 in VA) and Martha E. Smith (b. c1838 in VA) on 19 Feb 1858 in the Burke’s Mill area (Churchville) of Augusta Co., VA, an area just across the border from Rockingham Co., where our Reed family was living in the early to mid-1800s. William A. Reed was a carpenter, and was likely the son of a Benjamin Reid (b. c1805 in VA) and Sarah "Sally" E. (b. c1804 in VA), who was also a carpenter. Martha Smith Reed was most likely the daughter of a George Smith (b. c1803 in VA), who was living in Augusta Co. in 1850. There was a William Reed who was b. c1829 in Orange Co., VA to a Benjamin Reed and Sarah E. Paine. There was a Sarah E. Paine b. c1804 in Orange Co., VA. Benjamin and Sarah E. lived in the Burke's Mill area of Augusta Co. and then in Mt. Sydney with their son John W.

Walter was living with his wife Mary B. (b. c1869 in MO), at a home near the intersection of Spring Hill Rd and Roman Rd in Spring Hill Village north of Staunton, Augusta Co., during 1910-1920. Walter and Mary married c. 1882 and had one child, a daughter named Elva, born c.1891. Walter, listed as Newman W., was working as a farmer.

Elva may have been the Elva K. who was married to a Herbert B. Brown on Swoope Rd. in the Pastures area of Augusta Co. in 1920. The one divergent information is that her mother is listed as being born in VA instead of MO. Elva K. may have actually been an Elva Keracofs (b. c1889 in the Pastures area). At any rate, Herbert and Elva had three children by 1920: Norwood (b. c1914), Willa Belle (b. c1916), and Virginia (b. c1918). Elva Reed was not the wife to William Brown Craig, who was living in the South River area of Augusta Co. in 1920.

Benjamin Reid, the probable grandfather of Walter, may likely have been brother to William Reid, the father of James Harrison Reed. If that is correct, Walter would have been Ida’s second cousin. The following represent that which I base this conjecture. A William Reed (b. c1800/05 in VA) was living in Barbour Co., WV in the late 1800s and lived next to one of the sisters of James Harrison Reed. This William, who was remarried to a Ceny Adams, according to others’ research, was said to have been the son of a William Reed and Diana and was born in Orange Co., VA. According to others’ research, a Benjamin Reed (b. c1805 in Orange Co., VA) was the son of a William Reed and Diana Ramsey. According to marriage records, a William Read married a “Dysa Rumsey” on 22 Oct 1802 in Orange Co., VA. A Dicy Reed was a head of household in Orange Co., VA in 1830. The problem lies in that Ida says here great-grandmother's name was Sarah Creighton. So unless William was married twice, there is an error some place.

Ida L Reed also mentioned that her great-grandfather Reed fought in the Revolutionary War, so he would've probably been born in the 1760s. There was a William Read (b. c1766 in Culppeper Co., VA) who was the son of a John and Mary Read, who could be a match. His father John, descended from the Colonel George Reade who came over from England in the mid-1600s and died in Yorktown, VA. This is the same George Reade who was an ancestor of President George Washington. This would be a close match to Ida's claims that are Reed family sprung from a Captain George Reed, who came to America from Scotland in 1645. Ida had also claimed that George Washington's grandmother Elizabeth Reed was of our line. John's father's name was Joseph, and others had said that our James Harrison Reed's grandfather or great-grandfather was named Joseph.

Reed/Reid Homes in Rockingham and Augusta Co., VA

Eugene Francis Reed Home

Eugene Francis Reed married Lizzie A. Gatrell on 8 May 1882. Eugene and Lizzie settled in the Troy District of Gilmer Co., WV for a while, and that is where they had their six children. Sometime before 1910, however, Eugene had picked the family up and moved them to Elbridge Township in Oceana Co., MI. By 1930, Eugene had retired with his wife to Decatur, Benton Co., AR, while their children and grandchildren remained in Michigan. Eugene lived in Arkansas until his death on 24 February 1940.

Eugene's daughter Abbie married a Walter Kohns, the son of Eugene's neighbor Charles F. Kohns.

Another daughter, Millie, married Eugene's neighbor Otho Howard.

Nancy J. Reed Headstone

Mariah's United Methodist Chapel Cemetery, Clemtown, WV

James Harrison Reed Headstone

James H. Reed
Born
Sept. 25 1823
Died
Aug. 31 1892
----
He hath arrived into peace.
??????????? lived and died,
???????????? never cease.
For beyond earth's dark???
He hath entered into peace,
Into ????????? eternal rest.
He from ??? hath found release,
Mid the mansions of the blessed.

Mariah's United Methodist Chapel Cemetery, Clemtown, WV

Hubert E. Reid Headstone

Mt. Olivet Cemetery, McGaheysville, VA

Sarah E. Reid Headstone

Mt. Olivet Cemetery, McGaheysville, VA

Bessie C. Reid Headstone

Mt. Olivet Cemetery, McGaheysville, VA

Harry M. Reid Headstone

Mt. Olivet Cemetery, McGaheysville, VA

William Gray Reid and Sarah E Woolford Reid Headstone

Mt. Olivet Cemetery, McGaheysville, VA

Lucinda Creighton Reid Headstone

Our Mother

In this cold ground is
the remains of our Mother
Mrs Lucinda Reed
woman of Virginia
who departed this life on
22nd Feb 1873
in the 73rd year of her life

She bore her afflictions ????
??????
To her last moments???
??? peace of mind she said ??
_______

Be still our hearts for hers ???
as this ??????
And none has ??????????
With all its ??????emotions gone
Her spirit float on noiseless wing
Beyond the clouds of earth and sky
To relms in here one eternal Spring
Forever blooms no more to die.
_______

Precious in the sight of the Lord
Are the death of his saints
_______

Mt. Olivet Cemetery, McGaheysville, VA

Obituary: Departed this life on the 22nd of February (1873), at the residence of her son, William Reid in McGaheysville, Rockingham County. Mrs. Lucinda Reid, in the 78th year of her age. She received a few days previous to her death, a very severe stroke of paralysis, and seem to be unconscious at the time of what had happened; but she soon regained her presence of mind, which she retained until her final departure from the world. Her physical strength gradually gave way without any sign of recovery, until "the silver cord was loosed", and her spirit returned unto God who gave it. She had been a member of the Methodist church for a number of years, and was entirely confident that she was ready to enter into that rest prepared for the children of God. Her devoted son enquired of her during her illness if she was reconciled. Her answer was, "I feel that my work is done".She was the mother of eight children, seven of whom are still living--one in the city of New Orleans, one in Arkansas, and four in West Virginia. Weep not for her, ye sorrowing friends, as those who have no hope; for your loss is her eternal gain.

(Obituary courtesy of Margaret Kyger Miller.)

Appeal for Reed (Reid) Participants in DNA Genealogy Study

For those of you willing to share some DNA via mouth wash, please send away for a free DNA test from the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (http://www.smgf.org). As I said no charge to you, just a little bit of your DNA and at least a four generation pedigree chart. If you don't know your family tree to four generations, contact me and I will be glad to fill in any gaps that I can.

Why is this important? Well in short, it adds a new tool to genealogical research. It provides potential links that might not be discoverable otherwise. Also, it would seem that two descendants from Hampton Homer Reed would appear to have not a close of match as would be expected. If more people participate, it could help clear up this anomaly.

Thanks for your participation!

Note: There are also paid programs, such as Family Tree DNA (http://www.ftdna.com), which will mail you your results. SMGF does not provide results, and could take up to a year to post results online.

Another Unknown Girl

(Photo courtesy of Edwin Ball)

Unknown Girl

(Photo courtesy of Edwin Ball)

Unknown Boy

(Photo courtesy of Edwin Ball)

Eugene Roy Reed

(Photo Courtesy of Jack Reed)

Austin Reed, circa 1910

(Photo Courtesy of Jack Reed)

Possibly Thomas "Tot" Reed and wife Winnie Mae Weaver

(Photo Courtesy of Jack Reed)