History of the Reed family in Europe and America

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Ezekiel, Sept. 16, 1772 ; Zebulon, 1774 ; Hannah, 1776 ;
Olive, 1777 ; Jesse, 1778 ; Charles ; Abraham ; Briggs Rogers,
May 2, 1784. The following, from Hayward's " Gazetteer of
Massachusetts," will do justice to the memory of Mr. Ezekiel
Reed better than I can by any effort of my own : —
" The making of tacks by hand commenced very early in Alding-
ton. The first attempt was to cut up old iron hoops into points by a
very imperfect kind of shears, and take them up one by one and
place them in a common vice, and screw up and unscrew for the
purpose of heading each tack with a hammer. From this process
they were called cut tacks : but the mode of making by hand was
much improved by movable dies placed in an iron frame, in the
shape of an ox-bow ; the two ends, in which were placed the dies,
being brought together by a lever pressed by the foot. In the first
process, a man might make one thousand tacks per day ; in the lat-
ter, eight thousand. This was a great improvement ; and the in-
ventor, Mr. Ezekiel Reed, was entitled to a patent. He made some
attempts to conceal the operation ; but it was so simple, and so easily
applied, that others soon got it, and it came into general use. With
machines, or tack-tools as they were called, thus improved, from
three to four hundred men and boys were employed in making tacks
in the town of Abington and vicinity."
6. Ezekiel, son of Ezekiel and Mary, born Sept. 16, 1772 ;
married Rebecca Edson in 1794, and settled in West Bridge-
water. Married Hannah Littlefield in 1807. Children, —
Emma, born Aug. 17, 1795, married Jacob Tirrel in 1813 ;
Lydia B., born May 30, 1797 ; Josiah, March 2, 1799 ; Ed-
win B., Jan. 20, 1804 ; Charles B., May 21, 1806, died
May 3, 1836. His wife died Jan. 23, 1845 ; and he married
Polly Luddens, Dec. 10, 1845.
7. Josiah, son of Ezekiel, born at West Bridgewater,
March 2, 1799 ; married Jennet Heath. Child, — Ann,
born Sept. 10, 1848.
7. Edwin B., son of Ezekiel, born Jan. 20, 1804; married
Furosina Glass of Duxbury, and they live in Kingston. Chil-
dren, — Edwin Theodore, born Sept. 26, 1823; Alphonso,