Person:Reuben Reed (6)

Source:Brown, Abram English. History of the Town of Bedford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from Its Earliest Settlement to the Year of Our Lord, 1891, p. 27, says Reuben, s/o Oliver, m. Mary Wilson and had Lot, Mary, Sally, Isaac, Jesse, Louisa, Betsey d. young, Hiram, Betsey. The marriage is found in Boston in 1790 with nothing to indicate Reuben was from Bedford, but the birth of these children are attributed to Reuben and Mary in the Bedford VRs.

Source:Reed, Jacob Whittemore. History of the Reed Family in Europe and America, p. 143, says Reuben, s/o Oliver, m. 1782 Sally Burrows and had with her children Lot, Mary, Sally, Isaac, Jesse, Louisa, Betsy, Hiram, and Betsy. (I.e., same children, different wife.) Note that Bedford records do show "Reuben of Lexington" m. 1782 Sally "Barrar" ["Barrer" in int.]. Lexington records show Reuben "of Lex." and "Sally Banas of Bedford" on that date.

Source:Hudson, Charles. History of the Town of Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from Its First Settlement to 1868, Vol. 2, p. 562, it says Reuben m. 28 Aug 1782 Mary Wilson of Billerica. So Hudson appears to agree with Brown, but uses the date that goes with Sally?

How to resolve these differences? Is the Reuben of Lexington who married in 1782 the same as the Reuben who married in 1790? None of the sources suggest there were two marriage for Reuben, regardless of who they think he married. All sources show a marriage in 1782 with no explanation why there is a 10 year gap until the first child Lot in 1792. Why isn't Sally named as mother in these or any other children's birth records instead of Mary?

It appears that Reuben had two wives. The death record of his daughter Louisa (Reed) Bacon, names Reuben as Reuben Reed of Lexington. So this ties him to the Reuben Reed of Lexington that married Sally Burrows, but the marriage record in Boston, all the birth records of the children naming mother Mary, his probate documents naming wife Mary and his children, and even Louisa's death record naming her mother as "Mary --- of Billerica", all suggest he married again. No mention of his first wife is found after the marriage record, but presumably she died prior to 1790.

Exploring a related issue, Reed says (as near as can be discerned from a somewhat ambiguous passage) that Reuben's widow Sally then m. (2) Alfred Fitch. Such a fact would rule a second marriage to Mary, so must be investigated. A Sally Reed married "Alford Fitch" in 1818 according to Bedford VRs. There are two births of Alford Fitch to Jeremiah and Lydia Fitch, one in 1771 (his death is recorded in 1785), and a second one in 1786. So he is unlikely to be marrying a widow who was first married before he was born. In the 1820 Census for Bedford, Alford Fitch's household shows one male 26 to 45 (Alford was 34), one female under 10 (his daughter Sally Reed Fitch was Feb. of 1820, so only an infant at the time) and one female 16 to 24 (the Sally that married Reuben Reed in 1782 would be over 55). Alford Fitch's wife Sally d. in Bedford 23 Aug 1820, age 23, according to Bedford VRs. "The Descendants of Dea. Zachary Fitch of Reading" by Ezra Stearns, NEHGR, p. 56, p. 43, says Alford married Salley Reed, d/o Roger Reed and Sarah Webber, b. 1797. So this piece of Reed handiwork seems conclusively wrong. It was not the widow of Reuben Reed.

1. ↑ Bedford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Bedford, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1903)
   p. 48.

   REED, Reuben, s. Oliver and Sarah, [born] Dec. 21, 1759.

2. ↑ Bedford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Bedford, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1903)
   p. 135.

   REED, Reuben, [died] Feb. 1, 1815, a. 56.

3. ↑ "Some Records of Bedford, Mass.", in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society)
   vol. 62, p. 71.

   [Records of Rev. Samuel Stearns, pastor of Bedford 1796 to 1834]
   1815
   Feby 1st Mr Reuben Reed [died], suddenly, aged 55.

4. ↑ FHL film 0421500, in Massachusetts. Probate Court (Middlesex County). Probate records, 1648-1924. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1964-1967).

   Case 15594 Reuben Reed 1815
   29 Mar 1815: Mary Reed, "it being inconvenient to Administer on the Estate of my late Husband Reuben Reed, late of Bedford, Deceased" request William Webber of said Bedford.
   3 Apr 1815: Asa Reed and Lot Reed, "it being inconvenient to us to administer on the estate of our hon'd Father Reuben Reed late of Bedford in said County of Middlesex, deceased" request William Wbber Esq'r of said Bedford.
   4 Apr 1815: Bond of William Webber for "Administration of the estate of Reuben Reed late of said Bedford yeoman, deceased, intestate".
   20 Apr 1815: Inventory taken.
   1 Jun 1815: John Merriam, "Guardian for all the Minor Children of said Reuben Reed Dec'd." approve allowance to "Mary Reed, widow of Reuben Reed late of Bedford Dec'd".
   29 Feb 1816: Approve partition to sell personal estate at public sale
   4 Jun 1816: Approved accounting with consent of heirs, signed by Lot Reed and John Merriam Guardian for Sally, Isaac, Jessee, Luisa, Betsey & Hiram Reed Minor heirs of s'd Deceased" [perhaps others, covered by another paper]
   4 Jun 1817: Accounting for sale of real estate.
   24 Feb 1818: Accounting approved with consent of Sally Reed and John Merriam, "Guardian for Isaac, Jessee, Louisa, Hiram and Betsey Reed Children of said deceased" [perhaps others, covered by another paper]
   13 Nov 1818: Set off dower to "Mary Reed the Widow of said deceas'd"
   20 Apr 1819: petition for division by John Merriam "as proprietor to the rights of Asa Reed & Isaac Reed", Stephen Hartwell Jr. "as proprietor to the right of Lot Reed", and Sally Reed "an heir to the Estate". Consent of John Merriam as guardian and Mary Reed as mother to "Jesse, Louisa, Hiram and Betsey Reed, minor Children of said deceased".
   4 Apr 1820 Accounting, approved with consent of Lot Reed, Sally Reed, Isaac Reed, Asa Reed, and John Merriam, Guardian for Jesse Louisa Hiram Betsey
   
   Case 18595 Louisa Reed & al 1815
   4 Apr 1815: Memorial of subscribers that widow Mary Reed wishes John Merriam of Bedford as guardian for her children under 14, Louisa, Hiram & Betsey Reed.
   4 Apr 1815: Bond of John Meriam of Bedford as guardian of "Louissa Reed, Hiram Reed & Betsey Reed all minors under fourteen years of age & children of Reuben Reed late of said Bedford yeoman deceased".
   11 Feb 1823: "Hiram Reed, a minor above the age of 14 years, son of Reuben Reed late of Bedford ... made choice of Reuben Bacon of the same Bedford, cordwainer".
   10 Feb 1824: account of Reuben Bacon approved.
   
   Case 18596 Sally Reed & al 1815
   3 Apr 1815: "Sally Reed, Isaac Reed and Jessee Reed, minors above the age of fourteen years, Children of Reuben Reed late of Bedford Deceased ... made choice of John Merriam of said Bedford, Gentleman to be their Guardian".
   4 Apr 1815: Bond of John Merriam as guardian of "Sally Reed, Isaac Reed & Joseph Reed all minors, above fourteen years of age, & who have elected him to that trust before a Justice of peace, they being children of Reuben Reed yeoman late of Bedford".