Ried Family Origins

After searching for Matthias Ried's parents for years,
finally a breakthrough!

The clue that lead to this discovery was two Philadelphia death certificates for two of Matthias and Mary A. (Little)Ried's children.  Those children, Carles M. and Mattie Ried, are buried in the St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Hainesport, Burlington Co., NJ. The church was established in 1867.

                                  Below is a photo of Charles M. Ried's (1881-1882) tombstone.

The stone has fallen over and is hard to read, but it reads

Charles M.

Son of Matthias and Mary A. Ried

Born March 26 1881

Died March 20 1882

The passage below is not legible

From the Mt. Holly Herald published March 25 1882

"March 20th in West Conshohocken, Pa., Charles M., only son of Matthias and Mary A. Ried aged 11 months and 23 days.  Interred at Lumberton" 

There is another stone close to this one that could be for Mattie Ried, but it is not legible.  The church's records are on ancestry.com where you can see the actual pages as they were recorded in German.  I have searched about 52 pages of the 949 page ledger.  More research is needed.

The owner of the cemetery plot appears to be Wilhelmina (Bischoff) Ried, Matthias' mother.  Further research showed Matthias' father to be Karl (Charles) M. Ried, a victim of the civil war.  Charles M. Ried was killed 27 June 1862 during "the seven days fight" before Richmond, Va.  Charles was 34 years old with 5 children at the time of his death.  He served in Co. H 3rd NJ Infantry.  In a few weeks I'll travel to Washington, DC to the National Archives and take a look at Wilhelmina's widow's pension file.  More information will be gained from that collection of documents.

The following website link will lead you to letters written by Karl (Charles) M. Ried while serving our country during the civil war. Thanks to the Historical Society of NJ and two of Karl (Charles) Ried's granddaughters (Miriam E. Oatman and Rachel A. Oatman Kallen) for donating the letters in the 1960s.

Charles Ried (1827-1862) Papers

The Ried Family is long rooted in the Lumberton

and Burlington Co., NJ area

The 1860 Lumberton, Burlington Co., NJ census lists

Charles READ 33y Shoemaker born in Baden

Wilamina READ 34y born in Baden

Edmond READ 9y born in NJ

Wm H READ 7y born in NJ

Mathias READ 5y born in NJ

Wilamina READ 3y born in NJ

As an adult Matthias Ried (of Conshohocken, Pa.) always lists himself as being born in Ohio.  I have never seen proof of this anywhere.  It is possible that his mother could have traveled to Ohio while pregnant, but further research is needed to substantiate his claim. Follow up note: After acquiring Wilhelmina's widow's pension records I can say that Matthias was born in Ohio as per the reports on the census records.

Karl M. Ried (progenitor) came to America sometime before 1848.  He was naturalized in Philadelphia November 9, 1849 (ancestry.com) and married Wilhelmina Bischoff in the German Lutheran Church in Philadelphia October 7, 1850 ("New Jersey Historical Society Library," Manuscript Collection Manuscript Group #582 Charles Ried Papers (1827-62).

The couple has not been traced in the years between 1850 and 1860, but they appear to be living in NJ by 1851 when their first child, Edmund Friedrich, is born.  I have a feeling that Wilhelmina (Bischoff) Ried had family in the Burlington County area because there are many Bischoffs buried in the St. Pauls's cemetery in Hainesport, NJ.  More to come on the Bischoff Family.

1870 Lumberton, Burlington Co., census lists

Whilamina READ 40y born in Baden

Edmond READ 19y born in NJ works in a shoe factory

Whilamina READ 12y born in NJ attending school

Charles READ 10y born in NJ attending school

I'm not able to locate Wilhelmina in the 1880 census

The 1885 Lumberton, Burlington Co., NJ census lists

Wilhelmina Ried 20 to 60y age class

resident of Lumberton Female

I'm not able to locate Wilhelmina in the 1900 census

Wilhelmina died Feb 22 1903 at the age of 77 years old.

Her death is recorded in German in the records of St. Paul's church.

Her name is not legible on her tombstone, but her birth and death dates are

Wilhelmina Ried

Born March 25 1826

Died February 22 1903

Published in the Mount Holly Herald

"Feb. 22nd at Riverside Wilhelmina Ried age 77 years.  Interred at Hainesport."

Matthias Ried of West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

I have seen Matthias Ried's (of West Conshohocken, Pa.) name in St. Paul's church records between January 1871 and 1873.  I will search the records further; however, on the 1900 census it's recorded that he and Mary A. (Little) Ried were married for 25years which would put their marriage at about 1875.  He may have been living in Philadelphia after 1873.  I can not find him on the 1870 census, but I think he was probably apprenticing with a barber due to the fact that he became a barber and would have needed to learn his skill from someone in the business.  In 1870, his brother, William Henry Ried, is working as a servant at the home of a physician. Later William becomes a physician.

The first record of Matthias Ried and family is on the 1880 West Conshohocken, Montgomery Co., Pa. census

Mathew REED 25y barber born in Ohio parents born in Baden

Mary REED 24y wife born in Pa.

Lilly REED 3y daughter born in Pa.

Minie REED 1y daughter born in Pa.
 
1900 West Conshohocken, Montgomery Co., Pa. census lists
Living on Josephine Avenue
Matthias REID 44y b. Aug 1855 44y  married 25y born in Ohio parents born in Germany occup: barber
Mary 43y b. Oct 1854 had 10 children/6 living born in Pa. parents born in Pa.
Lillie 23y  occup: Mender Mill
Minnie 21y occup: __?___Mill
Effie 13y at school
Robert 11y at school
Florence 8y at school
Almira 7y at school
 
Matthias died before the next census on July 29, 1906 at Anglesea, NJ.

His obituary was published on line at ancestry.com by a Little family member.





1910 West Conshohocken, Montgomery Co., Pa. census lists
Living on Josephine Avenue

Mary A. REED 55y widowed  born in Pa
Robert REED 21y son born in Pa occup: Barber
Flora REED 18 y daughter born in Pa occup: (can't read it)
 
1920 Conshohocken Montgomery Co., Pa. census lists
R Robert RIED 31y  b. Pa father b. Ohio mother b. Pa. married occup: Barber
C Anna RIED 29y wife
C Robert RIED 7y son
A Ruth RIED 6y daughter
L Mary RIED 65y mother
R Florence Shillady 27y sister

1930 Norristown, Montgomery Co., Pa census lists
Andrew KINSELLA 45y born in Pa parents born in Pa.
Florence KINSELLA 38y born in Pa father b. Ohio mother b. Pa
Mary RIED 75y widowed born in Pa  parents born in Pa

I have not come across Mary Ried's death date, but will visit the cemetery where she is buried soon.

Please follow the next blog posting

for a continuation of the story and  

Karl (Charles) M. Ried's German roots