Read family papers

The Read Family Papers contain papers to three members of the Read family of New Castle, Delaware, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: George Read (1733 – 1798), a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and two of his sons, United States District Attorney for Delaware, George Read, Jr. (1765 – 1836), and first Treasurer of the United States, John Read (1769 – 1854). The papers of George Read and George Read, Jr., consist primarily of drafts of legal documents written for the New Castle County Courts. Most of the documents are complaints seeking repayment of debts. The papers of John Read, which comprise the majority of this collection, reflect his legal involvement in the estates of George Clymer, Reese Meredith, and Samuel Meredith. Additional topics raised in the letters written by or received by John Read include taxation in Delaware, land speculation, road and bridge construction, locks and canals on the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Rivers, funeral expenses, the Asylum Company, the Coal Lands Company, banking, and schooling.