History of the Reed family in Europe and America

HISTORY OF THE REEDS.
CHAPTER I.
ORIGIN OF THE NAME, AND HISTORY OF THE CLANS.
T)EED, Read, Reid, Rede, Red, Rad, Rheade, Rheadus,
-*-*' Wrede, Whrede, Reda, Rada, Redha, Wada, Wrade,
Raad, Ried, are all derived from the word Rhea, which had
its origin in Phoenicia ; having been used soon after the
dispersion of the people in consequence of the confusion
of language at Babylon. Rhea was a name given to the
Goddess Ops, the daughter of Ccelus and Terra. She was
the sister and wife of Saturn, by whom she had Vesta,
Ceres, Juno, Pluto, Neptune, &c, whom her husband de-
voured. Her next son was Jupiter. Her residence was on
Cybele, one of the mountains of Phrygia in Asia Minor.
She was worshipped in that part of the world, and was a
ruling deity. Her name was in some form attached to
many persons and places in Phoenicia and Asia Minor,
and was identified with government and rulers. The na-
tions that were her votaries became more advanced in
commerce and civilization than those around them.
Across the corner of the Mediterranean Sea stood the
city of Tyre, the capital of ancient Phoenicia, as its name
implies ; and Ruad, or Raad, was in its neighborhood. The
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