William Reade, of Wickford

William Reade

• M, b. 11 March 1539, d. 19 July 1603
• Father Roger Reade b. c 1517, d. 17 Mar 1559
• Mother Unknown 1st wife of Roger Reade

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Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Reade-18

William Reade of Wickford was baptized on 11 March 1539/40 in Wickford, Essex, England.[1] He was the son of Roger Reade of Wickford by an unknown first wife. The will of his father makes clear that his current wife, Elizabeth, was not the mother of his sons John and William. John and William split the vast majority of their father's estate equally.

He married Martha Church, daughter of John Church, who lived in the neighboring parish of Runwell. Her parentage is proven by her father's will who names his daughter Martha Reade and his grandchildren Edmund Reade, John Reade and Margaret Reade by his daughter Martha. They had a total of eight children.

William Reade appears to have greatly expanded his families fortunes and was one of the largest tax payers in the lay subsidies of 1563, 1567, 1568 and 1600. His will mentions the manor of Fryearne which he had purchased from his brother-in-law Edmund Church.

William Reade made his will on 3 July 1603 and was buried 19 July 1603 in Wickford. His will made gifts to the poor of Rayleigh, Rawreth, Nevendon, and Runwell. His current wife was named Mary. He made bequests to his sons John and Edmund. He also made bequests to his brother[-in-law] Edmund Church and his cousin Roger Reade. His son Edmund was Executor.[2]

Marriage and Children

Married: 1st - Martha Church, daughter of John Church of Runwell, about 1562 based on their first child being born in May 1563. They had eight children. Martha was buried on 16 December 1577 at Wickford.

Married: 2nd - Mary Unknown after 1577 (death of first wife). She survived William and was named in his will. She is probably the Mary Reade, widow, who married Arthur Helhouse on 7 August 1616 at Wickford.

Children of William Reade and Martha Church:[1]

1. Edmund Reade. Baptized on 23 May 1563 at Wickford. He married first Thomasine Wallenger in 1592, and then second Elizabeth Cooke in 1594. They had nine children. Edmund was buried on 1 December 1623 in Wickford.
2. William Reade. Baptized on 22 July 1564 at Wickford. Died young.
3. Margaret Reade. Baptized on 9 January 1566/7 at Wickford. She married William Hurt on 15 February 1586/7 in Wickford. Margaret died without issue before 1603 when her father made his will.
4. William Reade. Baptized on 24 May 1568 at Wickford. Buried there on 3 March 1571.
5. Mary Reade. Born say 1569. Buried on 9 January 1570 at Wickford.
6. Mary Reade. Baptized on 2 January 1571/2 at Wickford. Died before 1577 when her grandfather made his will.
7. Richard Reade. Baptized on 24 July 1573 at Wickford. Died before 1577 when her grandfather made his will.
8. John Reade. Baptized on 25 January 1575/6 at Wickford. John was buried on 12 October 1629 in North Benfleet.

Death

Buried: 19 July 1603 in the St Catherine Churchyard in Wickford, Essex, England.[7]

Will

• The will of William Rede / Reade, Yeoman of Wickford, Essex, was dated 03 July 1603.
• Will Summary: William Rede of Wickford in the county of Essex, yeoman
• Dated 03 July 1603; proved
• To be buried in Wickford church and to the poor of that parish, £3. To the poor of Rayleigh, Rawreth, Nevendon, and Runwell, £1 to each parish
• To wife Mary, £100 and a yearly allowance of £20 to be paid out of his lands by son Edmund in lieu of her dower, six kine, a bay trotting gelding and all such household stuff and plate as she had at the time they were married, except that which she had since given to her children.
• Wife and maid to have dwelling and entertainment in the house in all honest and comely manner for a year after his (William's) death
• To son John £300;
• To brother Edmund Church £7: 13: 4
• To cousin Roger Reade, £8
• To all of the household servants, 10s apiece
• To son Edmund, all lands and houses and the lease of Fryearne manor, purchased of brother Edmund Church, and he (Edmund) is residuary legatee and executor.

Notes

There were several Reade grandchildren who immigrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration:

• Thomas Reade.
• Elizabeth (Reade) Winthrop.
• Margaret (Reade) Lake.
• Martha (Reade, Eppes) Symonds.

Common Errors to Avoid

• Incorrect mother 1: The Find A grave profile strangely calls his mother Martha Church.[7] This is clearly some sort of error related to his own wife being Martha Church. The name of his mother is completely unknown.
• Incorrect mother 2: Some websites make his mother "Elizabeth."[8] This is incorrect. Elizabeth was the name of Roger Reade's second wife, however, it is clear from his will that he had an unknown first wife who was the mother of William.

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https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/MF2V-DLX/william-reade-1539-1603

References

• Evidences of the Winthrops of Groton, co. Suffolk, England, and of families in and near that county, with whom they intermarried. by Muskett, Joseph James, 1835-1910. Publication date 1894. Page 164. < Archive.Org >
• http://www.sanders-mcarthurfamily.org/getperson.php?personID=I4142&...
• https://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p2285.htm...

1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Reade-18 cites
   1. Davis. Ancestry of Bethia Harris. (1934): page 69.
   2. Gallup. History of the Gallup Family. (1893): pages 269-271.
   3. Muskett. Suffolk Manorial Families, vol. 1. (1900): page 164.
   4. Metcalfe, Walter C. ed. Visitations of Hertfordshire made by Robert Cooke in 1572 and Sir Richard St. George in 1634. (London: Harleian Society Visitation Series vol. 22, 1886): page 162.
   5. Marshall, George W. ed. The Visitation of Northumberland in 1615. (1878): page 26.
   6. E.g. Crozier, William Armstrong ed. Crozier's General Armory: A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. (1904): page 110.
   7. Find A Grave Memorial #174201921, for William Reade d. 1603.
   8. For example, see the Our Royal, Titled, Noble, and Commoner Ancestors & Cousins website entry for William Reade. Source list:
   9. Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Bethia Harris, 1748-1833, Wife of Dudley Wildes. (Portland, ME: Southworth Press, 1934): page 69.
   10. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/174201921/william-reade : accessed 16 July 2022), memorial page for William Reade (11 Mar 1539–19 Jul 1603), Find A Grave: Memorial #174201921, citing St Catherine Churchyard, Wickford, Basildon District, Essex, England ; Maintained by John Wilhite (contributor 48140210) .
   11. Gallup, J D. The Genealogical History of the Gallup Family in the United States... (1893): pages 269-271.
   12. Muskett, Joseph James. Suffolk Manorial Families: Being the County Visitations and Other Pedigrees, volume 1. (Exeter, 1900): page 164.
   13. Trostel, Helen Cogswell. Cogswell-Haldeman: The Ancestors and Descendants of Asa Ferris Cogswell and Arobine Haldeman Cogswell. (Denver, CO: Big Mountain Press, 1966)
2. The Ancestry of Bethia Harris, 1748 - 1833, Wife of Dudley Wildes of Topsfield, Massachusetts. Page 71. < MyHeritage >