Kentucky:  A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 3rd ed., 
1886. Allen County.

WILLIAM HENRY READ was born in Barren County, near the site of the 
present village of Cave City, July 10, 1841.  His father, Samuel J. 
Read, Sr., was a native of Virginia, born in Culpeper County, April 24, 
1808, and when three years of age came to Kentucky with his parents.  In 
1830 he married Eliza Jane, daughter of Thompson C. Berry, who at an 
early day removed from Virginia to Kentucky, and settled at a place 
called Pruitts Knob, in Barren County, where Eliza J. was born September 
18, 1817; her age is now sixty-eight years, and she has resided on the 
farm since 1812.  Of her seven children six are living, of which number 
our subject, William H., is the eldest, followed by Catherine (Page), 
Eugenie B. (Rodgers), Mary L. (Welch), Joseph A. and Samuel J., Jr.  
Samuel J. Read, Sr., has during life been engaged in agricultural 
pursuits, in which he has been very successful; his farm of 450 acres is 
well kept, and is said to be the best in the section in which it is 
located, being well iimproved with good buildings, orchards, etc.; it 
has also excellent water privileges, and is well adapted to stock 
raising, and supports an average of $3,000 worth of live-stock.  Mr. Read 
is now seventy-seven years of age; he is a son of Theopholis Read, who 
was a Virginian by birth, and of Scotch parentage; he married Margaret 
Duncan, in 1797, and fourteen years later, removed to Barren (now Allen) 
County, Ky., and located on Bay's Fork Creek, on the farm now occupied 
by his descendants; he was born February 21, 1775; his death occurred in 
Bourbon County, Ky., October 3, 1821.  His widow, Margaret (Duncan) Read 
- who was a direct descendant of Winford Favier, a French nobleman of 
distinction - died February 14, 1856, aged eighty-one years.  Our 
subject, William H. Read's early life was passed amid the scenes and 
labors incident to farm life; he received a good common school 
education.  In 1861 he joined the Confederate Army; enlisted in Company 
F, of the Sixth Kentucky Confederate Infantry; was in the engagements of 
Shiloh, siege of Vicksburg, Baton Rouge, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga and 
many others from Dalton to Atlanta, and thence to Columbia, S. C., and 
the fall of the Confederate Government was paroled on the 6th of May, 
1865; he prides himself on the fact that while a soldier he never 
avoided a duty, never was sick, and never was wounded; he returned home 
and attended school one year, and taught one session, after which he 
engaged in the mercantile business three years, in Simpson County; then 
removed to Allen County and engaged in agriculture for two years; then 
sold drugs until 1882, when he was elected to the office of clerk of the 
Allen County Court, in which office he has continued until the present 
time (1885).  On the 4th of October, 1870, he married Martha J., 
daughter of Erasmus Porter, of Allen County.  To this union were born 
three sons:  Porter, David and Albert.  Politically Mr. Read is a 
Democrat.  He and wife are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, in 
which he holds the office of clerk; he is also a member of the Masonic 
fraternity, and is a Master Mason; his membership is with Graham Lodge, 
No. 208.

Read Berry Page Rodgers Welch Duncan Favier Porter Graham
=
Cave_City-Barren-KY Culpeper-VA Pruitt_Knob-Barren-KY Bourbon-KY 
Simpson-KY

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/allen/read.wh.txt