William Reed (1695 - 1741)

Biography

William was born about 13 April 1695, in Somerset County, Maryland, the son of Henry and Parthenia Reed. ^[1] He married at a young age and had two sons, John and William Reed, born by 1719.

By the 1720s, William Reed had settled his family in Sussex County, Delaware. On 28 March 1728, he registered his stock mark there:

"William Reed his marke for Cattle Sheep & hogs &tc. is a Crops X Slit in the right ear & a hole & over bitt in the left recorded this 28th Day of march 1728." ^[2]

By the latter 1730s, William had married Jane, whose maiden name is not known. It is unclear she were the mother of his two sons or a second wife.

By November 1739, William Reed seems to have become concerned about his mortality, possibly due to a physical ailment. On November 1st, he wrote his will, naming his wife, Jane, and two sons, John and William. ^[3] A week later, on November 8th, William Reed, yeoman, sold a tract of land to Thomas Cary, "Laberour." For £38 "Currant Lawfull Money of amarica," Reed sold Cary 100 acres in Susses County described as

"...Lying on ye North Side of a branch Called braces branch in angolah neck which branch Runeth into Rehoboth bay in ye County afsd. bringging at a Corner marked red oak Standing Near ye Side of ye Sd. branch & Thence East one hundred Eighty poles to a marked Line tree Standing by ye Side of a Little branch Called green branch thence Down ye Sd. Branch Southe & Southe west thirty two Poles thence due Southe one hundred & Twenty Poles to ye Side of braces branch afsd. & from thence up ye Sd. brnahc on ye Several Corces of ye Same home to ye first bound..."

Reed's land belonged to a larger 800-acre tract called "Webley," originaly granted by William Penn, "then Proprietary of Pensalvania," to Robert Bracy, who gave it to his son, also Robert Bracy, who sold it to William Clark, who sold 400 acres to James Walker, who sold 100 acres to John Parsons, who sold it to Archabald Smith. The latter man had one heir, James Smith, who on 10 March 1734 sold the 100 ares to William Reed. ^[4]

Given that his executor filed his will with the Sussex County Court on 9 May 1741, it appears that William Reed's death occurred in the early months of that year. ^[5]

We have no information on what became of Reed's widow, Jane, or his first son, John Reed. His younger son, William Reed moved across the provincial line into Pennsylvania by 1744, and in 1750, he emigrated from the region to begin a new life in the Southern colonies.

Sources

1. ↑ Somerset County MD Will Book 5 (1664–1710), p. 131 (will of Henry Reed, written 16 December 1703, filed in court 7 July 1704). Worchester County MD Wills Liber M.H. No. 3 (1665–1743), pp. 203–204 (will of Parthenia Morris, written 4 January 1721, filed in court 2 June 1721). Parthenia first married John Smock, then Henry Reed, and finally, Thomas Morris. She was the daughter of William Ennis Sr., who died in 1684. For references, see Maryland Will Book 4, Liber No. G (1682–1688), Folio 61–63 (will of William “Innis,” written 7 July 1681, filed in court 28 October 1684); Maryland Will Book 6, Liber No. H (1688–1700), Folio 38 (will of John Smock, written 30 January 1792, filed in court 23 March 1793); Worchester County MD Wills Liber M.H. No. 3 (1665–1743), pp. 113–115 (will of Thomas Morris, written 22 February 1714, filed in court 3 December 1714).
2. ↑ Sussex County DE Deed Book F6, p. 269 (William Reed stock mark registered by Jacob Kollock, 28 March 1728).
3. ↑ Sussex County DE Will Book A No. 1, pp. 324-325 (Will of William Reed, written 1 November 1739, filed in court 9 May 1741).
4. ↑ Sussex County DE Deed Book GN7, pp. 317-318 (William Reed to Thomas Cary, 8 November 1739; witnesses: William Stockley, John Kollock). The deed was signed as "Willm Reed," and he appeared before the Sussex County Court in November 1739 to acknowledge the transaction.
5. ↑ Sussex County DE Will Book A No. 1, pp. 324-325 (Will of William Reed, written 1 November 1739, filed in court 9 May 1741).