Family:Samuel Reed and Abigail White (1)

It is erroneously stated in various sources (for example, Source:Chamberlain, George Walter. History of Weymouth, Massachusetts, p. 4:572; Source:Crane, Ellery B. Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts, p. 266) that the groom is Samuel Reed, the son of Thomas Reed and Sarah Bicknell. There is a detailed refutation on the page of that Samuel, but in brief, it seems farfetched given that there was a very appropriate Samuel Reed living in Mendon, and given that the Samuel of Weymouth had no children, while there are lots of children born to Samuel and Abigail Read of Mendon plainly listed in Source:Mendon, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records to the Year 1850.

In addition to the children recorded in VR Mendon, Source:Cross, Roselle Theodore. My Children's Ancestors, p. 85, adds John b. 1704, Abijah b. 29 May 1720, and Abigail b. 1721. As no reference to a will is made, the grounds for these three children is not known.

• The son John is not recorded, but is probable, as there is a gap between marriage and first child otherwise. However, as there is a John Reed in Mendon who m. 1717/18, and another John Reed, s/o Ebenezer and Sarah, b. 1707, there are plenty of candidates for confusion, so this John has not been included here, pending more evidence.
• The 29 May 1720 birth of Abijah is labelled Abigal in the VRs, and it is suspected that Mr. Cross misread the original record. Also there is a death date for Abigail in 1721, and it appears that as a side effect of misreading the record, that she had to then provide an Abigail b. 1721 to account for that death. There is no marriage or children recorded for an Abijah Reed, so it doesn't appear such a person existed. So in this case, the VRs are believed correct, i.e., Abigail b. 29 May 1720, d. 16 Jul 1721, no Abijah in this family.

1. ↑ Mendon, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Mendon, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. (Boston, MA: Wright & Potter, 1920)
   370.

   Read, Samuel and Abigal White, Jan. 7, 1703-4