One of their ancestors had been the friend and the physician of the talented, though not very amiable, Queen Elizabeth. One of two brothers emigrated to Virginia, where the family still exists." The late venerable and Rt. Rev. William Meade, Bishop of Virginia, was of this line. The other, John Mead, with his two sons, came to New England about the year 1642. The name is spelled Meade as well as Mead. Many claim that they emigrated from Greenwich, Kent County, England. There were, we know, two families of this name settled at an early period -- the one in Essex, the other in Leicestershire.* "John Mead and his two sons, John and Joseph, having tarried awhile in Massachusetts, first settled at Hempstead, Long Island, where they remained until October, 1660, when the two sons came to Greenwich and bought land of Richard Crab and others, which was deeded to John Mead, he being the elder. Either John, the father, never came to Greenwich -- or if so, he took no active part in life, now having become quite an old man."

John Mead the second died 1696, married Miss Potter, of Stamford,

a Mr. Mead was settled at Salem from 1752 to 1800, just 48 years, ne explains this himself by the following minute endorsed on the back of the old book of Record," ordained May ye l'Jth, A. D. 1T5-2, Dismist September, 1800.''

b Rec. of Presbvterian church. South Salem, vol. n.

c The arms of both these families (who spelt their name Meade) were alike, viz., Sa a chev hetw three pelicans or, vtilned (rules. The arms of Mead were also Sa a chev, eriniiiois, betw, three pelicans valuing themselves or,-- Burke's Gen. Armory.