History of the Reed family in Europe and America

AND HISTORY OF THE CLANS. 33
the churchyard in Norwich, in which many of their arms
remain. There was also a Peter Rede in Boston, in 1332,
who probably belonged to this family ; but I find no account
of his pedigree. Thomas, the son of Edmond and Alice, had
a son William, who inherited great estates from his father.
He married Alice for his first wife, Margaret for his second,
and Anna, the daughter of William Fernley, Esq., of West
Creeting in the county of Suffolk, for his third wife. He
provided obits to be observed annually for himself and his
three wives at the Feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross.
He died in 1453. His widow married Sir Thomas Gresham,
a wealthy London merchant, who died in 1579, having made
over a large portion of his estate in fee-simple to his wife.
After her death, which took place in 1596, that portion
passed to her son William Reade, who was born in 1538,
and was afterwards known as Sir William of Rockingham
Castle in the county of Northampton, one of the ancient
seats of the Read Family. He had a son Thomas, who died
without male issue ; a daughter Anne, who married Sir
Michael Stanhope ; Jane, who married Lord Fitzwater, and
afterwards Sir William Wetherpole ; Elizabeth, who married
Lord Berkley ; and Bridget, who married George, Earl of
Desmond. Sir William died in 1621 ; and his widow mar-
ried Sir Edward Spencer, of the Sunderland Family, who
held the Burelston Estate many years in the right of his wife ;
he having willed it to her, with remainder over to his three
grand-daughters, the children of his son Thomas. Rocking-
ham Castle is now a ruin.
Robert, the son of Edmond, married Christiana Lapole, a
descendant of Robert James Lapole. She lived at Wrangle
after the death of her husband.
Robert, the son of Edward, was executor of the will of
Hemy VII. He was Justice of the Common Pleas, and
afterwards Chief-Justice of the King's Bench, in the reign
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