John Read

John Read was at Weymouth in 1637, Dorchester in 1638 and Braintree from 1640 to 1644, and by 1644/5 at Rehoboth, where he was an original proprietor, taxed on £300. He was the town's constable, lived "at what was called the Rim, which is now in Seekonk," and "kept a public-house"; "There is a record that Richard Ponton was 'put' to John Read in 1644" (J. W. Reed, p. 186).

His children (Reed) include Abigail, baptized at Dorchester in the 10th month of 1638; John, born at Braintree 29 Aug 1640; Thomas, 9 Nov 1641; and twins Ezekiel and Zachariah, who died in infancy. Daniel was born at Rehoboth in March 1655.

King Philip's War. On 26 Mar 1676, the day Capt. Michael Pierce's company was destroyed near Pawtucket, his son John was killed, probably with Pierce, either in the main fight or among the nine at "Nine Men's Misery" (see Michael Pierce). "In the town record of deaths and burials, the names of four individuals are recorded, as 'slain on the 26th of March, 1676,' viz: John Reed, Jr. John Fitch, Jr. Benjamin Buckland, and John Miller, Jr." (Bliss, History of Rehoboth, p. 95; Soldiers in King Philip's War, p. 464); the burial record has "READ John, Jr., buried in Aprill, 1676" (Vital Record of Rehoboth, p. 900). "He had been quite a prominent man, and was distinguished by the appellation of 'Mr.'" (J. W. Reed, p. 222). Two days later, on 28 Mar 1676, a war party "crossing the river, laid the town in ashes, burning forty houses and thirty barns" (Bliss p. 95). In June 1676 the court granted administration "on the estate of Mr John Read, deceased" to Mr Daniel Smith and Thomas Read "together with Mistris Rachel Read, widdow" (Records of the Colony of New Plymouth 5:200).

His sons Thomas (b. 1641) and Israel (b. 1657) are on Rehoboth's list of "Those who served under Major Bradford" in the summer of 1676 (Bliss p. 117); of Thomas, Reed says "He was in King Philip's War, and his house was made a depository for arms" (p. 223). That July the colony rated Rehoboth "485:05:04" for the war (PCR 5:207), and Bliss prints what is probably the town's assessment, a "catalogue ... of those who, at one period of the war, made advances of money" (pp. 117-118). It charges "John Reade, sen." £13 18s 11d, "Thomas Read" £8 14s 4d, and "Wid. Rachael Read, with the loss of a gun" £4 3s, John's widow. Thomas's infant son John was buried on 4 Dec 1676 (Rehoboth VR p. 900).

His will of 6 Jan 1679 names sons Moses, Daniel and Israel (WikiTree, citing Bowen, Early Rehoboth 3:163).

The family story in Mollie's typescript, that he came with Winthrop in 1630 and descended from the Redes of Redesdale, belongs to another John Read, who "remained in England and died there unmarried" (Reade Society, 1907).

Open questions

• His parents and English origin.
• His will itself (Bowen, Early Rehoboth 3:163).