52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #13 Sarah Reed Hill and Her Granddaughter’s Memory of Benjamin Reed

Sarah Reed was born in Abington, Massachusetts, in 1757, married Joel Hill in Cummington, and later spent her final years in Vermont. At first, her life seems to survive only in scattered facts—birth, marriage, children, and death. But family memories passed down through her granddaughter make Sarah a much more interesting person in my search to identify the parents of her probable brother and my fourth-great-grandfather, Benjamin Reed.

Sarah Reed's Birth Record - 26 August 1757

Sarah was the daughter of Peter Reed and Lucy Hugens Reed. She was born on 26 August 1757. When Sarah was twenty-two years old, her father was said to have died on 18 February 1780. Cyril Nash wrote in his manuscript, “At the death of Peter his widow removed to the westward probably to Cummington, and Samuel to the same place, where she died.” Samuel was Sarah’s youngest brother and would have been 19 years old in 1780.

Nash did not mention Peter and Lucy’s daughters, Sarah and Joanna, in that passage. Still, his writings are important because they tell much about the families of Peter Reed and Benjamin Reed. Nash's writings were included in The Reed Genealogy: descendants of William Reade, of Weymouth, Mass., from 1635-1902, by John Ludovicus Reed. In this book, Benjamin was named a son of Peter.

On 21 October 1782, Sarah Reed married Joel Hill in Cummington, Massachusetts. That location did not surprise me. Lucy Reed was said to have moved west after Peter’s death. Sarah’s sister Joanna also married in Cummington. Benjamin Reed had been in Cummington before 1775. Sarah’s marriage there fits the movement of the family.

Over the next fifteen years, Sarah and Joel had six children: Samuel, Lucius, David, Sarah Jane called Sally, Electa, and Laura. Land records indicate that Joel and Sarah Hill remained in Massachusetts from the time of their marriage until about 1808. Before moving to Vermont, they lived in Rowe, near the Massachusetts–Vermont line. Their first home in Vermont was Marlboro in Windham County, a short distance from Rowe.

Later records place Joel and members of the family in Marlboro, Jamaica, and Dummerston. Joel died in Dummerston in 1843 and is buried there. Sarah is said to have died earlier, on 29 December 1836.

Sarah’s children help trace the family’s Vermont story. They remained in Windham County and married into other Windham County families, including Church, Blake, Phillips, Rawson, and Brown families. But the most interesting part of Sarah’s story comes from her granddaughter's memories, preserved in The Reed Genealogy.

In The Reed Genealogy, John Ludovicus Reed wrote that Sarah’s granddaughter, Mrs. John V. Evans of West Dummerston, remembered Sarah well. She also remembered Sarah’s brother Benjamin. Mrs. Evans said that Sarah had lived for a time with Dr. Braddish’s family in Bridgewater and was in Bridgewater on the Dark Day, 19 May 1780. While living in Vermont, Sarah often spoke of Abington, Bridgewater, Plainfield, Cummington, and Milford. She must have spoken of those places often enough that her granddaughter carried the memories into old age.

That granddaughter was Louisa Emeline Hill, later Mrs. John V. Evans. Louisa was born in 1816 and is identified in The Reed Genealogy as Sarah’s granddaughter, not her daughter. Some family trees list Louisa as Sarah Reed Hill’s daughter, but the records found so far indicate she was probably Sarah’s granddaughter.*

Louisa’s memories are especially valuable because they connect Sarah Reed Hill’s family directly to Benjamin Reed’s household. In 1898, Mrs. Evans remembered visiting Benjamin Reed’s old house and said she knew Benjamin and Huldah well. She described them as "fine people, of good character, and well beloved by all who knew them."

Almira Reed
East Putney Cemetery

Mrs. Evans also remembered Benjamin and Huldah’s daughter Almira, who died in 1835, and said she was with Almira at the time of her death. That detail is worth noticing. Benjamin had died six months earlier. Deed records indicate that Sarah and her family were living in Jamaica, Vermont, a full day's journey by wagon or coach. Louisa’s presence with Almira suggests that the two families were still closely connected.

Sarah Reed Hill did not leave a record trail that tells her whole story. But through her granddaughter’s recollections, she becomes more than a name in the Reed family.

* Louisa Emeline Hill’s exact parentage needs further documentation. The Reed Genealogy identifies her as Sarah Reed Hill’s granddaughter. Lucius Hill named Louisa Emeline Hill as his niece in his will, and census and deed records show a continued association between Sally Hill and Louisa.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page, where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

“Abington, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States records,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L979-W74D?view=fullText

 : accessed 30 April 2025), image 7 of 152, birth entry for Sarah Reed; Image Group Number 007009636; citing Abington, Massachusetts, Town Clerk.

“Abington, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States records,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9979-W7G7?view=fullText

 : accessed 7 January 2025), image 11 of 152, birth entry for Samuel Reed; citing Abington, Massachusetts, Town Clerk.

C. McClellan & Co. and J. Chace, McClellan’s Map of Windham County, Vermont (Philadelphia: C. McClellan & Co.; lithographed by W. H. Rease, 1856), map, digital image, Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/item/2012586226/ : accessed 18 April 2026).

Ephraim H. Newton, The History of the Town of Marlborough, Windham County, Vermont, with introduction by John Clement (Montpelier: Vermont Historical Society, 1930); digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofm00newt/page/n9/mode/2up

 : accessed 18 April 2026).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27499359/almira-read: accessed 4 July 2022), memorial page for Almira Read, Find a Grave Memorial ID 27499357, citing East Putney Cemetery, East Putney, Windham County, Vermont; memorial maintained by Cynthia Kaley, contributor 51056978; gravestone photograph by Donna G. Dunham, contributor 46871624.

“Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States records,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSVR-832H-W?view=fullText

 : accessed 14 March 2026), image 456 of 562; Image Group Number 008131623; citing Massachusetts, Court of Common Pleas, Hampshire County.

“Jamaica, Windham, Vermont, United States records,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8999-VWT4?view=fullText : accessed 9 May 2025), image 281 of 568, page 517 marriage of Luther Rawson and Electra Reed; Image Group Number 005463989; citing Jamaica, Vermont, Town Clerk.

“Jamaica, Windham, Vermont, United States records,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8999-V4MD?view=fullText

 : accessed 9 May 2025), image 287 of 568, page 526 marriage of Laura Hill and Timothy Brown; Image Group Number 005463989; citing Jamaica, Vermont, Town Clerk.

“Jamaica, Windham, Vermont, United States records,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C37V-T9V2-C?view=fullText

 : accessed 22 February 2025), image 295 of 546, deed involving Joel Hill, Louisa Hill, and Sally Hill, 1839; original source not identified in supplied FamilySearch citation.

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1635–1902, vol. 1 ([no place]: [no publisher], 1901); digital image, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/reedgenealogydes01reed/page/n11/mode/2up

 : accessed 18 April 2026).

“Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626–2001,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FH5P-Z7B

 : accessed 22 January 2025), entry for Joel Hill and Sarah Reed, marriage, 21 October 1782, Cummington, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, page 2.

“Massachusetts, United States records,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9Z8-28QY?view=fullText

 : accessed 5 June 2024), image 178 of 715; citing Massachusetts, County Court, Hampshire County.

1860 U.S. census, Windham County, Vermont, population schedule, Jamaica, page 15, John V. Evans family; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7667/images/4297354_00151: accessed 18 April 2026); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, Eighth Census of the United States, 1860.

1870 U.S. census, Windham County, Vermont, population schedule, Jamaica, page 46, John V. Evans family; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7163/records/40457539: accessed 18 April 2026); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, Ninth Census of the United States, 1870.

“Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732–2005,” database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPQ5-L9ZX: accessed 8 March 2024), entry for Joel Hill, death, 2 March 1843, Dummerston, Windham County, Vermont.

“Windham, Vermont, United States records,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BH-G349-7?view=fullText

 : accessed 6 May 2025), image 599 of 643, will of Lucas Hill; Image Group Number 007714786; original source not identified in supplied FamilySearch citation.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #3 John Reed born July 10, 1687

Even though John Reed wrote a will in March 1733, the Plymouth County probate court later settled his estate as intestate—meaning the judge treated him as if no valid will was in force. In the 1740 probate paperwork, Judge John Cushing issued guardianships for John’s minor children and then ordered the distribution of his estate under intestacy rules rather than under the terms of the will. This doesn’t necessarily mean the will never existed; it may not have been presented to the court, it may have been considered invalid, or it may not have covered the property that ended up being distributed.

John Reed is, without a doubt, the earliest ancestor I’ve ever written about. He was the father of Peter Reed, who is said to be the father of my fourth great-grandfather, Benjamin Reed. If that relationship holds, John becomes my sixth great-grandfather—exciting for me, because I’m seldom able to document a line this far back. And the best part? John wasn’t the beginning. The Reed line extends into earlier, identified generations, and ultimately reaches a Mayflower connection.

John was born on 10 July 1687 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, to William Reed and Esther Tompson (also seen as Thompson). Esther was a granddaughter of Francis Cooke, a Mayflower passenger. John is said to have moved to Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, in 1708, and The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, From 1635 to 1902 places him “opposite the burying ground” in the south part of town. He married twice—first Sarah Hersey,* with whom he had a son, John, and then Mary Wheeler in 1715. John and Mary are credited with nine children: James, Joseph, Mary, Ezekiel, Peter (my direct line), Squire, Silence, Betty, and Samuel.

This marriage record shows that John Read of Abington married Mary Wheeler of Rehoboth in 1715, a timeframe that fits well with the birth years of their children. In The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, From 1635 to 1902 by John Ludovicus Reed, John’s second wife is identified as Mary Whitmarsh—but so far I have not found any record of a marriage to a Mary Whitmarsh, or to any Mary other than Mary Wheeler, during this period.

John’s March 1733 will provides a rare and detailed look at his family and property. After debts were paid, he left his wife, Mary, all household and movable goods, and allowed her to use the homestead and a one-quarter share of a “Fourth Division” land right as long as she remained his widow. If she remarried, her rights were reduced: she would receive only one-third of the homestead’s income and would have no further right to the Fourth Division share. John intended his son James to become the principal heir of the homestead—receiving two-thirds immediately if Mary remarried and the remaining third at her death—while his other children, named in the will (John, Joseph, Ezekiel, Peter, Squire, Samuel, and Mary), were to share the remaining three-quarters of the Fourth Division right. Two children listed in the genealogy—Betty and Silence—are not mentioned in the will. Mary was also empowered to sell a small meadow lot if necessary to help pay debts.

It is still unclear exactly when John died, but the probate trail that follows his will helps narrow the timeframe. On 2 June 1740, guardians were appointed for his minor children, suggesting that John’s death likely occurred closer to that date than to the will he signed in 1733. One of the most revealing documents reproduced in The Reed Genealogy is the court order distributing John Reed’s estate, issued by Judge John Cushing and dated 12 July 1740 at the town of Scituate, which confirms that John was deceased by then and that his estate required formal division among his heirs.

*Note: So far, I have found no record—other than The Reed Genealogy—to document a first marriage for John Reed to Sarah Hersey. John’s younger brother, Jacob Reed, is also said to have first married a woman of the same name. Based on the dates involved, the most reasonable conclusion is that these were two different women named Sarah Hersey, rather than one Sarah who married both brothers. 

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page, where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

Abington, Massachusetts, Town Records, 1747–1856, vol. 2: 144, “John Read of Abington and Mary Wheeler married 1 December 1715” (recorded in section “Marriages from Leicester and Rehoboth”); digital image, image 40 of 207, Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620–1988, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com  : accessed 18 January 2026); citing Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Vital and Town Records (Provo, Utah: Holbrook Research Institute [Jay and Delene Holbrook]).

Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Court (Plymouth), Probate Files, nos. 16552–16632 (Reed, Betsey R.–Reed, Joseph), will of John Reed; digital image, image 1156 of 1409, “Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States records,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RYS-4CR?view=explore  : accessed 18 September 2024); citing Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, custodian; Image Group Number 005008236.

Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Court (Plymouth), Probate Records, 1738–1742, vol. 8; digital image, image 119 of 288, “Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States records,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-NKZ2?view=explore

 : accessed 18 January 2026); citing Plymouth (Massachusetts) Town Clerk, custodian; Image Group Number 007050977.

Reed, John Ludovicus, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1635 to 1902. Baltimore, Maryland: n.p., 1902, pages 26-28.