IZOD READ
Of your cherite, pray for the soul of Izod Read, late wyffe of Edward Read, Alderman of this City of Norwich, which died the XIII of September, in the yere of our Lord MCCCCCCXXIIII. on whos soul Jesus have mercy.
Izod is an ancient Keltic name and signifies "fair." One authority defines it as meaning "a person of glory," also "a fine formed person." Children were:
i.
John READ(186) died on 14 Jun 1572.
Eldest son, Sheriff of Norfolk, 1568, and afterwards Alderman of Norwich, died
in the Council Chamber at 9 A.M., June 14, 1572, while attending a meeting of
the Board of Aldermen.
105760 ii.
Rev. William READ(E).
iii.
Peter READ(186) died on 29 Dec 1566
in Norwich,Norfolk,England. Youngest son, gave his houses in St. Giles from
which his son's name was perhaps derived (who died previous to his father, Sir
Peter), to pay for ringing the great bell at four in the morning and eight in
the evening. His portrait hangs in the Council Chamber of the Guild Hall, Norwich;
he is holding a falcon on his wrist, and a silken cord attached to its leg is
wound around the fingers of his left hand. He holds a spear or lance in his right
hand, and a coat-of-arms is portrayed in the upper right-hand corner which puzzled
me greatly for a time, as it was not the "griffin segreant" of the
Redes; I first thought it to be the "Order of Barbary" conferred on
Sir Peter by the Emperor Charles V. It seems however that some of our remote
ancestors adopted this as a more modern coat than the griffin, -- just when,
I cannot determine -- but I find it was used by Bishop William Read, who died
in 1385. Again we find it used by our Norfolk ancestors as late as Sir Peter's
time (1566), but evidently soon after that, the universal sentiment prevailing
among armorial families of that period caused them to revert to the ancient arms
whose antiquity undoubtedly greatly antedated the former. We find a similar occurrence
also in the Read family, viz.: Thomas Read, who founded the Barton Court Line
in the early part of 1500, having acquired that estate and great wealth through
his wife, adopted a coat-of-arms on which was depicted four sheaves of wheat;
but when his grandson, Sir John Reade, Baronet, of Bromhill Castle and Brocket
Hall, accepted a fresh patent of baronetcy from Oliver Cromwell, having succeeded
to the title and estates on the decease of his grandfather and father, he discarded
the modern coat and reverted to the ancient coat of the family, the griffin segreant,
showing that the descendants of the Barton Court Line claimed kinship with Sir
William.
With the portrait is an account of the donation for ringing the bell, and of a large charity to be distributed to the poor of the city. Throught the courtesy of the Norwich City Clerk, from whom I obtained it, I am enabled to show you to-day a copy of this portrait. The original was executed about the year 1535, and the copy before you was lithographed and printed as long ago as 1836. This portrait shows how our ancestors looked three centuries and a half ago, and I think you will all agree that there is a strong family resemblance in the features of Sir Peter Read to those of the Reeds of the present day. The records of Norwich abound with allusions to the charities and bequests of "Sir Peter Rede."
The following quote is from an ancient writing regarding the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Cathedral of the Bishop of Norwich:
"In the South ile of this Church, is a monument for the continuall remembrance of that Valient souldier, Commander Peter Read, who was knighted by Charles the Fift, Emperour, at the winning of Tunis, in the yeare of our God, 1538, as appears by this inscription following, upon his Tombe: Here underlieth the corps of Peter Read, Esquire, who hath worthily served, not only his prince and Country, but also the Emperour, Charles the Fift, both at the Conquest of Barbary, and at the siege of Tunis, as also in other places, who had given him by the said Emperour for his Valliant deeds the Order of Barbary, who died the 29th. day of Dec. 1566."
iv.
Margaret READ(186).
v.
Elizabeth READ(186). 
Return to Table of Contents