RHEA-L Archives

Archiver > RHEA > 1997-03 > 0857948232


From: <>
Subject: Re: Family Group Sheet
Date: Sun, 9 Mar 1997 17:57:12 -0500 (EST)


Re: Sandi's family group sheet. > Where was Rev. John Rea located first that
you know of, and then his son? I think it is interesting that it was spelled
Rea first and then to Rhea. Most of the officials back in the old days
spelled things the way they sounded. Hence we get Ray, How did they get to
Rhea?

Here is something you might be interested in Sandi as well as to the group.
This is from research done by a Mr. Frank Rhea in 1913. I hold the original
letter that was written to my g.g.uncle. This is only part of the letter
which was 18 pages. He stated that there were four distinct branches of Rheas
in the U.S. which came either from Scotland, or from Scotland thru Ireland.
They were all Presbyterians of the Coventer type.

One branch settled in New Jersey before 1680. The ancestoral farm of this
family is at Freehold, New Jersey. This farm is the old battleground of the
Battle of Monmouth and contains the graves of many of these early New Jersey
Rheas. Colonel David Rhea of this branch was a participant in the battle of
Monmouth. Another member of the family was also in the Revolutionary War and
also in the War of 1812. Before his death, he was Commissioned General. He
was a distinguished lawyer of Trenton N.J., one of the founders of Jersey
City, N.J., and was buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery at Trenton. His name
was John Rhea.

Question: Was his name really spelled Rhea? or was it Rea? Does anyone
know?

Another branch, the Tennessee Rheas, are descended from Rev. Joseph Rhea , a
graduate of the University of Edinburgh who came to this country in 1770.
This man had sixteen descendants who were Presbyterian ministers. One was a
noted missionary to Syria. The annals of the Presbyterian Church South,
contain many glowing sketches of his life and character.

A third branch located in Pennsylvania. All these different branches have a
pretty well defined family history and seem to be closely related.

Our branch the Virginia> Kentucky> Illinois branch comes from William ,
Robert and Archibald Rhea, who came either directly from Scotland or through
Ireland before 1750 to this country. William and Robert settled in what is
now called Augusta Co., Virginia, and were members of the New Providence
church, near Brownsburg,. Archibald lived in what is now Rockbridge County,
Va. and was a member of Timber Ridge Church. All three were in the Great
French and Indian Wars 1754-1763, under Capt. Sayers' Company. We of
Illinois seem to be descended from William who had sons James, Robert,
Archibald and John and a daughter Ann.

The rest of this letter pertains personally to my family.

Pat

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