John Reed and Anna Atcheson

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Husband John Reed ^{1 2 3 4 5}

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            AKA: David Reed 6
           Born: Abt 1744 - Lancaster Co, PA
     Christened: 
           Died: 14 Apr 1817 - Cecil Twp, Washington Co, PA 7
         Buried: 

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         Father: David Reed (Abt 1700-      ) 1 3 8
         Mother: [Unk] Caldwell (      -      ) 7

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       Marriage: Bef 1777

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Wife Anna Atcheson ⁷

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            AKA: Annie Atchison,9 Anna Atkinson 5
           Born:  - Lancaster Co, PA
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: [Father] Atcheson (      -      )
         Mother: 

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Children

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1 M David Reed ^{10 11}

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           Born: 
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2 M John Reed ¹¹

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           Born: 
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3 F Catharine Reed ^{4 10 11}

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: Rev. Daniel McLean (1771-1855) 11 12 13 14

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4 F Ann Reed ^{10 11}

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: Robert Story (      -      ) 11

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5 F Jean Reed ^{5 9}

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            AKA: Jane Reed 6 10 11
           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 18 Mar 1825 9
         Buried:  - Seceders' Cemetery, near Darlington, Beaver Co, PA

         Spouse: Rev. David Imbrie (1777/1777-1842) 4 9 15 16 17 18
           Marr: 29 Nov 1804 5

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6 F Mary Reed ^{4 10 11}

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: Rev. Alexander Murray (      -      ) 4 10 11

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General Notes: Husband - John Reed

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About the year 1777 he came with a brother, David, to Washington County, Pennsylvania. They were offered settlement rights on certain conditions which they accepted, and immediately erected their cabins on the land. In the fall they returned to Lancaster County, where John's wife was awaiting him, and David's betrothed then becoming his bride, the two couples moved to their new homes in the following spring. They lived there several years in undisturbed possession, but the land being really a portion of the George Washington survey, was afterward claimed by that famous personage, while the title was being investigated. After the ejectment suit was decided, the two brothers removed to Cecil township, where they purchased land.

Col. Crogan offered him and his brother David very flattering inducements to come from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and settle in what is now Mt. Pleasant township, Washington County, which were accepted by the two young men, who went there in 1777, and settled on what afterward proved to be "The Washington Land," in Mt. Pleasant township. He lived for several years on this farm. On September 20, 1784, Gen. George Washington, then traveling through the section, came and dined with his brother David Reed. During the day Gen. Washington claimed that he owned the title to the land on which they lived, which he afterward proved, and that Col. Crogan did not have a title to the property, and had unlawfully placed the Messrs. Reed and others thereon. Gen. Washington would not allow the settlers any rights nor any compensation for the improvements. Finally he made the following offer, a transcript of which is taken from the journal of Gen. Washington, in Washington, D. C.:
September 20, 1784, dined at David Reed's, after which Mr. James Scott and Squire Reed began to enquire whether I would part with the land, and upon what terms; adding that, though they did not conceive they could be dispossessed, yet, to avoid contention, they would buy if my terms were moderate. I told them I had no inclination to sell; however, after hearing a great deal of their hardships, their religious principles which had brought them together as a society of Ceceders, and unwillingness to separate or remove, I told them I would make them a last offer, and this was-The whole tract at 25 shillings per acre. The money to be paid in three annual payments with interest-or to become tenants upon leases of 999 years, at the annual rental of 10 pounds per C per annum, etc.
The above goes on to say that the settlers decided to stand suit, and abide by the issue of the law. In the December term of court, 1784, ejectment suits were entered, and as the rights of Gen. Washington by the Virginia patents were well authenticated, the settlers did not make a claim of priority of title. The suit was decided against the settlers, who, of course, had to move elsewhere or become tenants of the land they had previously thought was their own. John Reed purchased another farm in Cecil township, a farm that was later owned by Mrs. John Cubbage. [CBRWC, 885]

For many years he served as associate judge of Washington County, Pennsylvania, and of his incumbency of this office an amusing anecdote is preserved, which showed that Mr. Reed was fully conscious of the supremacy of his power in the court room and aware of the superiority of civil over military authority. Gen. George Washington was a party in a case pertaining to a deed of land, and when some evidence was submitted detrimental to his side of the question he expressed his displeasure openly, gaining a reprimand from the court and a fine of $50 for contempt, which was collected from the great general in due order.

1 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 859.

2 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 885, 1015.

3 Joseph F. McFarland, 20th Century History of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1910), Pg 1199.

4 —, The History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner Beers & Co., 1885), Pg 997.

5 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914), Pg 878.

6 —, History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Chicago: A. Warner & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 670.

7 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 885.

8 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 882.

9 —, Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Vol. I (Madison, WI: Northwestern Historical Assosciation, 1904), Pg 495.

10 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 860.

11 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 1015.

12 —, The History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner Beers & Co., 1885), Pg 996.

13 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 268.

14 —, History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Chicago: A. Warner & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 790.

15 —, History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Chicago: A. Warner & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 669.

16 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1914), Pg 877.

17 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (R. C. Brown & Co. Publishers, 1895), Pg 1236.

18 J. T. Stewart, Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1913), Pg 828.