History of the Reed family in Europe and America

PREFACE.
The author began this work ten years ago, principally
for his own edification ; but, as he proceeded in his
labors, his manuscript was sought after by many per-
sons, who persuaded him to prepare it for the press.
There are, doubtless, some mistakes in the work ; as
it is impossible at this late day to prepare genealogical
statistics with perfect accuracy. There are many
omissions ; but he has done his utmost to include all
by the name of Reed, with the collateral branches,
so far as they could be obtained. He has written
hundreds of letters of inquiry, to which he never
received a response ; and many others, to which the
answers were so meagre, that little information could
be obtained from them. He has spent much time
and money in travelling to search old records, and
has done all in his power to make them as full
and complete as possible. Not a few, both ladies and
gentlemen, were unable to give the Christian names
of grandparents, — showing the deplorable neglect
of many of their forefathers in preserving records of