Rachel (Porter) Read (1769 - 1834)

Born 1769 in Prince Edward, Virginia, British Colonial America

Ancestors

Descendants

Died Jan 1834 at about age 65 in Butler, Kentucky, United States

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Biography

The children of Moses Read and Rachel Porter follow. They are not necessarily in the order in which they were born. Much of the information came from Kentucky: A History of the State, 2nd edition (Battle, Perrin and Kniffin: Butler County, KY, 1885), submitted by Glenda Dodson and from James M. Porter, "History of our family connection (1872)". Both of these publications contain errors. The latter has been annotated by several family researchers. 1. James Read was born about 1785 in Prince Edward County, Virginia and died before 11 January 1834 in probably Butler County, Kentucky. (J. L. Lamken says, "A James Read died in Logan County, Kentucky in 1803 and there is an order for the division of the estate in October 1805 and January 1806. There was also a James Read listed in the 1810 Butler County census.) He married on 13 October 1800 in Prince Edward County, Elizabeth "Betsy" Shepperson. She was born about 1780 in probably Prince Edward County, Virginia and died after19 March 1830 in Butler County, Kentucky. James Read's will was probated on 11 January 1811 at McCauley, Logan County, Kentucky, but his spouse remarried in 1805, so his death was before that event. Francis Porter was appointed guardian for his son, Degrafton Read. But note that there is some doubt about the death date. James Read was buried in the Caney Fork Cemetery-Read Cemetery near Berry, South Lick, Butler County, Kentucky. . . Was one an uncle (brother of Moses) and which one was the husband of Betsy Shepperson?" J. L. Lamken says, "I believe she [Elizabeth (Shepperson) Read] might have been married to Moses A. Read's brother, James Read. There is the issue of the oft cited death date for James Read (the son) and the probate of his will. I also wonder why Degrafton Read had a guardian if his mother was still alive?"

2. Susannah Read was born about 1786 in Prince Edward County, Virginia. She married Francis "Frank" Grinter on 16 April 1808/11 May 1808/21 or March 1813 in Logan County, Kentucky. (See the Francis Grinter Family for the ancestry, descendents, and history of the Francis Grinter Family.) He was born in March 1787 in Prince Edward County, Virginia and died in 1864 or after 1870. Susannah died in May 1841 or 1842 in Butler County, Kentucky. She was buried in the Caney Fork Cemetery in Butler County, Kentucky, Smith Cemetery, Upper Logan County, although her name does not appear in the listing of burials for that cemetery - Small Cemeteries of Kentucky, LDS Family History Library 976.975, nor did Tom and Nathalie Hahn locate the grave on their visit to the Smith Cemetery in April 2003.

3. Nathaniel "Nat" or "Nattie" Read was born on 7 December 1787 [The date of 21 July 1787 has been cited elsewhere] in Prince Edward County, Virginia. He was blind. On 1818, in Butler County, Kentucky, he married first, Elizabeth "Betsy" Moore, on 13 October 1818 in Butler County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Samuel L. Moore and Ann Rattikan/Rattiken. He married second, in 1831, on 6 or 16 May 1831 in Butler County, Kentucky, Charlotte "Lottie" Hamilton. She was born on 5 February 1803 in Prince Edward County, Virginia. Nathaniel Read died in 1864 [but on 19 December 1863 as cited elsewhere] in Logan County [Butler County cited elsewhere], Kentucky. He was buried in the Read Cemetery near Berry Lick Road 626 on the old Hullet Place. (Porter, "History of our family connection, p. 2.) The children of Nathaniel Reed were: 1. James Hugh Reid 2. Nancy Cunningham Read 3. Moses Hamilton Reid

4. Mary "Polly" Read/Reid was born in December 1788 about 1790 in Bedford or Prince Edward County, Virginia. She died on 30 June 1861 in Butler County, Kentucky and was buried in the Read Cemetery near Berry's Lick, Kentucky. Mary Read married on 5 February 1828 in Butler County or Logan County, Kentucky, John Read, the possible son of Robert Read/Reed. He died in March 1833 in [Butler County], Kentucky. She was blind. John M. Porter in "History of or family connection," p. 1, said," I well remember when she lived at our house when I was a boy."

5. Cunningham Read/Reid was born about 1790 in Hanover County, Virginia. He died on 30 August 1834 in Butler County, Kentucky. He may have gone to Kentucky from Virginia with his father, Moses A. Read, about 1800, when he was ten years old. Cunningham Read was a farmer. He married first Mrs. Margaret "Peggy" Ewing, in 1814, in probably Butler County, Kentucky. She was born in Virginia or Tennessee [?], the daughter of William Ewing and Florence Porter. She died on 17 September 1842 in Butler County, Kentucky. They may have had five children. She died on 17 September 1824. He married second on 1 January 1829 (or 1824) in Logan or Butler County, Kentucky, Eliza Moile [Mollie?] McReynolds, the daughter of Alexander A. McReynolds and Sarah Talbot. She was born on 21 August 1803 in Logan County, Kentucky and died on 13 May 1873 in probably Logan County. They may have had three children.

The children of Cunningham Read and Margaret Ewing: 1 . William Washington Read was born in Butler County Kentucky on April 24, 1819 in Butler County, Kentucky. After the death of his father, who died in 1834, when William Washington Read was about 1, he remained with his mother and supported the family until he was eighteen years of age. Then for one year he was overseer on a plantation, after followed the river trade, flat-boating and rafting for three years, until 1840, when he married, on 14 May 1840, his cousin, Servary/Saranah/Savannah Ewing of Butler County. William Washington Read was also a tanner. According to Kentucky History: After the marriage, Mr. Read removed to Todd County where he learned the tanner's trade, which he has followed in connection with farming up to the present time. In December, 1857, he bought 500 acres of land on Mud River, in Butler County, where he now resides. His farm is one of the best in his section. 100 acres of it being well fenced and in fine state of cultivation and improved with good, comfortable dwelling, large barn, also a tan yard and shoe maker's shop, and an orchard of 150 fruit trees. Mr. Read gives most of his attention to raising of grain. He had few advantages for school education but has acquired a fair business education, through his own efforts. He is practical, and manages his business with tact and success. He is a Master Mason in Rochester Lodge #270, also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and favors the temperance cause by example as well as precept. He is a Republican and during the Rebellion was a strong Union man. Mr. Read is a public spirited citizen and does much for the improvement of the county around him. (Glenda Dodson notes: "Warner Reid's research states that WW operated the ferry at this place for years and that it was known for years as Read's Hill. According to Kentucky: A History of the State. 3rd. ed, 1886, William Washington Read supported the Union as did many of his neighbors. He died not earlier than 1885 in Todd County, Kentucky. William Washington Read and Servary Ewing had five children: 1. Mary B. Read was born about 1844 and died not later than 1885. 2. Sarah "Sally" A. Read was about about 1847 and died not later than 1885. 3. Minerva I. Manerva J., was born about 1849. She married on 14 October 1868 in Butler County, Kentucky, Harvey W. Woods. They moved to Coffey County, Kansas. Of the five, she survived in 1885.) 4. John C. Read was born about 1852. 5. Who was the fifth child?]

6. Nancy Read was born about 1790 or in December 1788 in Bedford or Prince Edward County, Virginia, and died on 22 September 1836 in probably Butler County, Kentucky. She married on 10 June 1805, in Logan County, Kentucky to John Ferguson. He was born in 1760-1785 in the Camden District of South Carolina, or Pennsylvania and died about 1820 in probably Butler County, Kentucky. He was the son of Paul Ferguson and Elizabeth Sutton.

7. Rebecca Read was born on 16 October 1797 in probably Prince Edward County, Virginia. She died in April or May 1847 in probably Butler County, Kentucky. She married on 30 January 1815 in Butler County, Kentucky, Francis L./M. Berry. He was born in on 7 September or 11 September 1788 or 1790 in Prince Edward County, Virginia and died on 11 January 1851 or in December 1788 in probably Butler County, Kentucky. He was the son of Enoch Berry and Margaret ______. The children of Rebecca Read and Nathalie Berry were: 1. James R. Berry was born about 1819. He married Cathrine ______ , She was born about 1791. 2. Francis M. Berry was born about 1819. He married Jane ______ . She was born about 1821. 3. Nancy Berry was born about 1822.

Anna H. Read was born about 1791 in Prince Edward County, Virginia..

Elizabeth "Betsy" Reed was born in Virginia. She died in Butler County, Kentucky and was buried in was buried in the Read Cemetery near Berry's Lick, Kentucky.

From Find A Grave website: Burial place unknown.

• Fact: Burial Caney Fork Cemetery, Davis Crossroads, Butler, Kentucky, United States

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 27 November 2021, 00:14), entry for Rachel Porter (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LHQL-X7Q ); contributed by various users.
• http://lenapedelawarehistory.net/mirror/read_family.htm

• "Kentucky: A History of the State", 2nd edition.

(Battle, Perrin and Kniffin: Butler County, KY, 1885.

• "History of our Family Connection" (1872), by James M. Porter.

• Find A Grave website: Memorial #184915060.

Acknowledgments

Added by Kirt Fetterling thanks to the hard work of Thomas Swiftwater Hahn.