THE READ (REID) (REED) FAMILY
The Josiah Read Family

Josiah was the first Read known to have settled in the Versailles-Mt Pleasant area of Rutherford County, TN. Born in 1768, a dative of Virginia, he probably was accompanied by brothers and other relatives to Tennessee as connections with families in other counties are indicated. Josiah Read and Mary Carson were married 10 Nov 1791 in Campbell Co., VA, and had at least seven children beginning with Robert in 1796, Clement, William, Nancy, Vernale, Polly and Elizabeth.

Williamson County tax records show that Josiah owned 70 acres of land at the head of Harpeth River in 1807, after migrating to Tennessee in 1802. Josiah died 12 March 1842. Mary died 11 Nov 1860, at age 87. Both are buried in the Read Cemetery located on the now Earl McKnight farm, formerly the Read farm.


The Clement Thomas Read Family

The Clement (Clem) Thomas Read lived in the Versailles area for a number of years and then purchased 78 acres near the head of Overall Creek. A teacher and farmer, he later bought the "North Place", the Ogles Woodland, the Primm Lot, and Sims landing along Overall Creek, and other properties, some in Kingdom Road in Bedford County. Clement married Rebecca Lytle Jackson, oldest daughter of Williams Jackson and granddaughter of Francis and Elizabeth Childress Jackson. The "Childress" name came from the wife of President James K Polk. (See Williams Jackson family). Clem and Rebecca Lytle had eleven children:

1 Drucilla Elizabeth Read (1847-1930) married John W.A. Haynes (1844-1918), and had four children: Walter Eugene Haynes (a doctor), Beatrice Haynes,.Julien Haynes, and W.T. Haynes.

2 Robert William Read (1850-1918) married Mary Jane Hill (1850-1920). A doctor, he attended medical school in Nashville. They had four children: Mary Anna Read, Robert A Read, William Aclin Read, and Ena S Read.

3 John Childress Read(1852-1919) married Julia Ann Snell (1859-1922) and had six children: Hardy Thomas Read, Richard Bland Read, Clemon T Read, Martha Lytle Read, John Childress Read, Jr, and Alzada Read.

4 Indiana Marcella Read (1854-1920) married Richard A Harris, his second. A son became a doctor.

5 Richard Thomas Read (1855-1879) was killed in a conflict over wages for work.

6 James Theophilus Read (1857-1912) married Judith Ann Morton Lamb (1861-1923) daughter of William Martin Kelby Lamb.

7 Mary Emily (Millie) Read 1860-1882) married G.W. (Wash) Burns (1849-1910), his second. (See Burns family.)

8 Martha Curtis Read (1862-1883), twin of George, married Joe Wray.

9 George Washington (Bud) Read (1862-1886), twin of Martha, married Mary M Renshaw and had two children: Lillian Read and James Arthur Read.

10 Cassa Anna Read (1865-1885) married G.W. Burns after her sister's death and they had one son, Roscoe Burns.

11 Sammie Lee Read (1867- ? ) married Lizzie A Burns and had two children: Bessie Read and Rebecca Read--both moved to Nashville.


James Theophilus Read

James (Singing Jim) Theophilus Read was a farmer and school commissioner in Bedford County. The family lived on a farm on the now Kingdom Road west of Caders Crossing, A church leader and song director at Mt Pleasant Baptist in Versailles, Jim T became "Singing Jim" and held many singing schools in Bedford and Rutherford Counties. Soon after death a poem was published in honor os "Singing Jim" entitled "God's Singer". It pictured his as both a writer of music and a singer with a wonderful and powerful voice. Many of his offspring have music talents. He was transported the twenty miles to the hospital in Murfreesboro in a two-horse wagon, died with a ruptured appendix and returned in his coffin for burial.

Singing Jim Read and Judith Ann Morton Lamb had 14 children:

1 William Clemon Read (1880-1881)

2 Childress Washington Read (1881-1957), married Ora Taylor and had three children: Herman Anthony Read, Mary Agatha Read, and Margaret Parie Read.

3 Robert (Bobby) Theophilus Read (1883-1893).

4 Clarence Lee Read (1885-1885).

5 Richard lamb Read, a twin of Clarence, died at birth.

6 Parie Anna Read (1887-1939), first married Frank Nance and the two children were: Otho F Nance and Bennie Franklin Nance. She next married Vincent Powers and their two children were: Cathryn Powers and William Read Powers. (See both Nance and Powers.)

7 Thomas Harrison Read (1889-1969) married Annie May Powers. (See further.)

8 Basic Dewitt Read (1890-1947) married Ruth Heath and had two boys: James Samuel Read and Harold Wayne Read.

9 Jenny Rebecca Elma Read (1894-1948) married Grover Brannon and had three daughters: Mary Elma Brannon, Parie Cleveland Brannon and Audrey Estelle Brannon. (See Brannon Family.)

10 Nettie Vaughn Read (1897-1972) married Jesse S Shearin. Their four children: Glen Shearin, Sarah Shearin, James Edmond Shearin and Jesse S Shearin, Jr.

11 Otis O Read (1899-1919).

12 James (Jim) Morton Read (1902-1959) married Alla D Smotherman. Their two children: Judith Ann Read and James Morton Read.

13 Selma Tennessee Read (1904-1975) married William (Bill) Yarbough. Edith was the only child.

14 Edwin Aldine Read (1907-1928).


Thomas Harrison Read

Tom Read, seventh child of "Singing Jim" Read, was a farmer in Versailles for many years. Afterwards he worked for Veterans Administration for 15 years in Murfreesboro. Tom Read was one of the early school wagon drivers to Rockvale High School in the early 1920's, when Jenette King was Superintent of Schools. The family lived in the house behind the Versailles store. In 1940, he purchased the home place of Vincent Taylor, an early settler and great-grandfather of his wife, Annie May. The farm now belongs to Hollis Read (son) and Mary Read Crick (daughter) and her son Ronnie whose family now lives there.

Tom H Read and Annie May Powers (see Powers family) had four children:

1 Tom Hollis Read married Lillian Guy Gordon, and they have three children: Thomas Gordon Read, Lillian Delgay Read and Pettus Lee Read. Hollis drove a school bus for 42 years.

2 Frances Lou Morton Read (1917-1923).

3 William Eris Read married Mary Ida Dunaway. Eris was coach, teacher and Principal at Rockvale H.S. for 23 years and is now Assistant Principal at Riverdale H.S.

4 Mary Lorene Read married William Earnest Crick. They have two children: Rodrick (Ronnie) Read Crick, who lives on the family farm, and Peggy Jane Crick.