Excerpt from Records and Memorials of the Speed Family The records and memorials in this volume were collected by me during the past twenty years. I was moved to begin the work by the interest I felt in the family. While a young man there were a number of households in which I was always welcome and at home. That of my father, of course, and his brother, Dr. John J. Speed; those of the four brothers in Louisville, James, Joshua, Philip and Smith Speed; also those of their sisters, Mrs. Breckinridge, Mrs. Peay, Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Adams. In all these homes I found that kindness which wins affection, and that high degree of intelligence which wins admiration. It was but natural to desire to have some published memorial of these most excellent families, and also of their immediate ancestors, Major Thomas Speed and Judge John Speed. Then appeared the striking fact that the father of these two, Captain James Speed, was one of a family of six brothers worthy of all praise, four of whom certainly, and perhaps all, having served their country in the Revolutionary war. They were sons of an honored father who was born in Virginia and died, then an old man, 1785, he being the son of James Speed, who came to this country from England. To gather all that could be discovered about these became a work of real interest. It was a work, however, which I could not prosecute with any zeal, on account of the more pressing engagements of business. Gradually, the material I have came to my hands, and it is believed to be sufficiently extensive to justify publication. The sketches of individuals are not intended to be as full as the subjects deserve, for the limits of a volume will not so admit. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Records and Memorials of the Speed Family It will be observed that this book contains the history of the Speed family during the entire period it has been in America - a period of two hundred years. With this past history now furnished, all who desire to do so can, from this time, preserve their own respective descent on the lines given. The plan of the book is such as to enable the reader to find what it contains even without the use of the index. Each one of the children of John Speed and Mary Taylor, his wife, is regarded as the ancestor of a separate branch, and the descendants of that branch are given connectedly before another is taken up. It is, perhaps, proper to explain that the space occupied by the Louisville family is naturally considerable, for the reasons that it is numerically large and the acquaintance of the author with all its members. The publication is solely for private circulation among the members of the familv. This fact justifies the remark that, as a general thing, the Speed people have possessed many excellent and worthy characteristics They have stood well in every community where they have lived, and, by industry and integrity, have made the name respected everywhere, so that all who bear it have a good passport and are presumed to be worthy. They are generally inde pendent and self-reliant, and depend more upon substantial qualities than upon display. Some of the family have achieved more than ordinary distinction, but ostentation is unknown. There is an evident partiality for the name shown not only in words spoken and written, but in the noticeable frequency it appears as a given name. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Vols. 28-30 accompanied by separately published parts with title: Indices and necrology.