Elmina (Easton) Reed (1809 - 1857)

Born 30 Apr 1809 in Frederick, Virginia, United States

Wife of William James Hall — married 21 Apr 1825 in Jefferson, West Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 8 Sep 1857 at age 48 in Newark, Licking, Ohio, United States

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Biography

7. The Reed Family

Having placed James W. Hall in historical context, we now need to take a look at the records pertaining to his younger half-brother, Edward J. Reed. Back in about 1980, I corresponded briefly with Elizabeth McBride of Honolulu, HI. She was a granddaughter of Edward Jay Reed and told me that Edward Jay Reed was born Aug. 18, 1848 in Newark, Licking Co., OH, the youngest son of Thomas Henry Barnesby Reed and Elminah McCormick. Edward J. Reed died on Jun. 24, 1931 in Stockland, Iroquois Co., IL. His death certificate confirms this (image to the right).

Edward J. Reed’s father was identified as Thomas Henry Reed. His mother was identified as Elminah Hall. One can surmise that the informant, Ernest Reed, had seen a marriage record, perhaps in a family Bible or perhaps in Licking Co., OH that showed the marriage of Thomas Henry Reed and Elminah Hall. The record must have omitted the fact that this was Elminah’s second marriage.

Elizabeth McBride also stated that Thomas Henry Barnesby Reed was born on Apr. 27, 1801 in Maryland and died on Sep. 26, 1879 in Milford, Iroquois Co., IL. Elminah McCormick was born Apr. 30, 1809 in Jordan Springs, near Winchester, VA and died on Sep. 8, 1857 in Newark, Licking Co., OH. Her notes stated that Elminah McCormick married first to a Mr. Hall and had a son, James Hall, who died in Rich Hill, Missouri. Elizabeth McBride identified five children of Thomas Henry Barnesby Reed and Elminah McCormick:

1. Ann Amelia Reed born Jan. 14, 1836 Newark, OH
2. William Thomas Reed born Aug. 8, 1838 Newark, OH
3. George Baker Reed born 1843 Newark, OH
4. Jerome Bonaparte Reed born Nov. 25, 1845 Newark, OH
5. Edward Jay Reed born Aug. 18, 1848 Newark, OH

The 1850 census of Newark, Licking Co., OH contains the following:

• Thomas Reed...49...Farmer...Md
• Almira...............42..................Va.
• J. W....................22..................O.
• A. M..................14 ...................“
• Jennet...............18...................“
• W. T..................12....................“
• Geo....................7....................“
• Jerome...............5....................“
• Edward..............2....................“

The census entry prompts one to ask if maybe Elminah was really Almira. The male reported as J. W. Reed was of the right age to have been J. W. Hall. The identity of Jennet remains undetermined. Her position between A. M. Reed and W. T. Reed is puzzling, since her age is out of sequence. Jennet might be a daughter of Thomas Reed by an earlier marriage. The notes of Elizabeth McBride state that Thomas Reed’s first wife was a Miss Coffman.

The 1840 census of Licking Co., OH shows the Thomas Reed household as consisting of one male born 1800-10 [? Thomas], one female born 1800-10 [? Elmina], one male born 1825-30 [? James W.], one female born 1830-35 [? Jennet], one male born 1835-40 [? William T.], and one female born 1835-40 [? A. M.]

Elizabeth McBride sent me an abstract of a letter written by Elminah Reed. The letter was sent in June [year unknown] from Licking County, Ohio. The letter stated:

“Dear Mother: “I received your letter April 26. I am glad to hear from you. The letter I sent you was written by James William. He went year ago 26 of last March to learn the coopering business. His boss for some change in business removed some 40 miles distance from us and I have had no intelligence from him for some time. It was by accident I got your letter. I was looking for one from him and got yours. It had been so long since I wrote that I had given up all hopes of ever getting an answer. I believe I have said enough about this part of my story. “As respects the husband, I believe I have the best of the bargain, that I mean he is a better husband than I be a wife. He is one of your clever Fellows whose delight it is to please the women. “Now for the children I have four living, and one buried since my second marriage. Their names Annamelia, William Thomas, Lucy Mariah, she died at two weeks old. –George Baker, Jerome Bonaparte. Those are the names of my children since my second marriage. “I believe I haven’t much more to say. I am such a poor scribe or I might say a good deal more. I should like to hear the particulars about the girls, their present and future prospects. Please to write soon and give me the particulars in general about my old acquaintances. “No more at present. I would here state that I never received your first letter. “I remain your affectionate daughter, “Elminah Reed”

This letter was written after Jerome’s birth in 1845 and before Edward’s birth in 1848. If one reads between the lines, the letter is jam packed with data:

1. Elminah’s mother was still living as late as 1845, if not much later.
2. If Jennet was her daughter, she was from her first marriage.
3. “the girls” could refer to sisters.
4. she must have married Thomas Reed before the birth of Annamelia, who must have been the A. M. born in 1836.
5. Elminah’s first husband must have died before 1835.
6. James William was no doubt a reference to Elminah’s oldest son, James W. Hall.

Now we have to address some discrepancies. Edwin Hall recalled that his grandmother was named Mary McCormick. One has to wonder if he remembered the grandmother he knew, Mary (Wickham) Horr, and inadvertently stated that his father’s mother was Mary. If Elminah really was Elmira, or Almira, she may have went by “Mira”, which may have sounded a lot like Mary.

The 1850 census shows that Almira was 42. Elizabeth McBride reported Elminah’s birthdate as Apr. 30, 1809. This birthdate conflicts directly with that of Cyrus Hall McCormick. Robert McCormick did NOT have a daughter named Elminah or Almira. We can put to rest the notion that we are descended from an older sister of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the reaper.

Since Elizabeth McBride stated exact dates of birth and death for Elminah, we can conclude that these must have been derived from either a tombstone inscription or a Family Bible. I have seen neither. Her birthdate is within a year of her reported age in the 1850 census. The fact that Elminah was gone by 1860 makes the 1857 death date plausible.

The 1860 census of Licking Twp., Licking Co., OH says:

• Thomas Reed.....59...Farmer...$1,000...$250...Md.
• Jenett Reed........28...Housekeeper...................O.
• Ann Reed...........24.............................................“
• Jerom Reed........14.............................................“
• Edmund Reed....11............................................“

The Licking Township residence, coupled with the fact that Peter Woolard lived next door, makes it likely that the entire Thomas Reed family moved to near Fleatown in Licking Co., OH prior to 1860. When James W. Hall sold out in 1870, his deed of sale stated that his lot adjoined the lot of Peter Woolard. The 1860 census showed Thomas Reed’s older sons, Thomas Reed (age 21) and George Reed (age 16) living in different households nearby, all in Licking Township.

By 1870, none of the Thomas Reed family was left in Licking Co., OH. At least one son, William T. Reed appears on the 1870 census of Stockland Twp., Iroquois Co., IL.

The following is the death certificate of Jerome B. Reed, who died on Oct. 4, 1917 in Marion Co., OR (image to the right).

Jerome B. Reed died 14 years before his brother, Edward J. Reed. The informant should have had the opportunity to ask questions of the family and to have learned what the Reed family really thought Elminah’s maiden name was. They clearly thought she was a McCormick. This point might seem a bit strange, until one considers the information in the next chapter.

The following is a preliminary summary of the Elminah (McCormick) (Hall) Reed family, with questionable data in brackets. A revised summary will appear later in this book:

Wife: Elminah McCormick born Apr. 30, 1809 in [Jordan Springs (Frederick Co.)], VA married (1) 1827 or earlier to [William James] Hall married (2) 1836 or earlier to Thomas Henry Barnesby Reed died Sep. 8, 1857 in Newark (Licking Co.) OH

1st Husband: [William James] Hall born 1807 or earlier died 1836 or earlier

2nd Husband: Thomas Henry Barnesby Reed born Apr. 27, 1801 in Maryland died Sep. 26, 1879 in Milford (Iroquois Co.) IL

Children:

1. James William Hall born Dec. 29, 1827 near Harper’s Ferry (Jefferson Co.), WV married Mar. 18, 1861 in Muskingum Co., OH to Sarah Benjamin Horr died Mar. 10, 1874 in Osage Twp. (Bates Co.), MO

2. Ann Amelia Reed born Jan. 14, 1836 in Newark (Licking Co.), OH married (1) after 1860 to William Vinning married (2) Dec. 6, 1868 in Iroquois Co., IL to James T. Yates died Dec. 6, 1906 in Milford (Iroquois Co.), IL

3. William Thomas Reed born Aug. 8, 1838 in Newark (Licking Co.), OH married (1) ca. 1858 to Harriet Eichelberger married (2) Mar. 1, 1868 in Iroquois Co., IL to Elizabeth Jane Nolin died Oct. 14, 1908 in Milford (Iroquois Co.), IL

4. Lucy Mariah Reed born ca. 1841 in Newark (Licking Co.), OH died ca. 1841 in Newark (Licking Co.), OH

5. George Baker Reed born 1843 in Newark (Licking Co.), OH died Mar. 1, 1864

6. Jerome Bonaparte Reed born Nov. 25, 1845 in Newark (Licking Co.), OH married to Elizabeth Davis died Oct. 4, 1917 in Brooks (Marion Co.), OR

7. Edward Jay Reed born Aug. 18, 1848 in Newark (Licking Co.), OH married (1) Nov. 10, 1870 in Licking Co., OH to Sarah Elizabeth Lemley married (2) Oct. 11, 1924 to Margaret Holtzman died Jun. 24, 1931 in Stockland (Iroquois Co.), IL

Elmina was born in 1809. She passed away in 1857.

Sources

• 1850 census, Newark, Licking Co., OH
• family notes