Cragg, Scotland

[Currie]

Back again Jim,

Thought I might follow up on this entry Ellen found on the IGI.
Male Christening, Elington Read, 01 Oct 1714 @ Elsdon, Northumberland. Father: Gabriel. Extracted entry.

Went looking for Gabriel and found Elrington Reed. Looks like when you go to Scotland you’ll have to make a detour to Elsdon in Northumberland, England.

http://books.google.com/books?id=00cBAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA287

“The Reeds of Cragg, co. Northumberland, probably took their name from Redesdale, in which they have been immemorially located, or rather from the river which gives name to that dale. On a mural monument in Elsdon church, erected in the year 1758, to the memory of Elrington Reed, the family are stated to have been resident in Redesdale for more than nine hundred years. This Sir Walter Scott calls an " incredible space " of time, and so it is ; though the high antiquity of the family is unquestionable.”

There’s more about the Reed’s on Pages 247-248 of this book. You can extract the text by clicking “View plain text’ at the top right.

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=-Rt ... J&pg=PA248

If you search Google Books “Full view” for "gabriel reed" you’ll find a few more possibly relevant results. If you Google “elsdon church” you’ll find lots of interesting results including a picture of the Church.

Alan