Colonel James Read, one of the fathers of the American navy, was a son of Colonel John Read, of Maryland and Delaware, and a brother of George Read, of Delaware, the signer of the Declaration of Independence and the framer of the Constitution of the United States, and of the daring navigator and discoverer, Commodore Thomas Read, of the Continental navy. He was born at the family seat, New Castle County, Delaware, in 1743, and died at Philadelphia, the 31st of December, 1822, in his eightieth year. He was regularly promoted from first lieutenant to colonel for gallant and distinguished services at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown. He was appointed by Congress, the 4th of November, 1778, one of the three commissioners of the navy for the Middle States; and on January 11, 1781, Congress invested him with sole power to conduct the Navy Board. When his friend, Robert Morris, became agent, he was elected secretary, and was the virtual head of the marine department, while Robert Morris managed the finance department of the American confederacy. Colonel James Read married, on the 9th of July, 1770, Susanne Correy, of the Correys of Chester County, Pennsylvania, and left one son, James Read, born at Philadelphia in 1783. The latter was a great traveler in European and Oriental countries. In 1815 he visited Sweden with his friend, Sir Robert Ker Porter, and was there created a Knight of the Order of the Amaranth by the Queen of Sweden. He was a man of distinguished attainments as an amateur botanist. He died unmarried, at Philadelphia, the 29th of October, 1853. Colonel James Read also left one married daughter, Susanne Read, who married, the 27th of March, 1803, Joachim Frederic Eckard, Danish consul at Philadelphia, and brother of His Excellency Christian Eckard, Knight of the Dannebrog and honorary counselor to the King of Denmark, whose daughter married the Court Grand Huntsman Tutein, Knight Grand Cross of the Dannebrog, while his sons and grandsons were knights of the same order and superior judges of Schleswig-Holstein. Consul-General Eckard died at Venezuela the 14th of September, 1837. Mrs. Susanne Read Eckard was a woman of remarkable accomplishments and great wit, and figures, under the name of Miss Rushbrook, in a novel entitled "Justina," by Mrs. Simeon De Witt, published in 1823. It is there said: "She keeps the most literary and the most fashionable society in Philadelphia. Her manners are charming, her conversation full of mind, and her heart is noble and benevolent." Mrs. Eckard was the author of the historical account of "Washington delivering his Farewell Address." Mrs. Eckard died at Philadelphia the 3d day of December, 1861, leaving two distinguished sons,— i e., Dr. Frederick Eckard, and the Rev. Dr. James Read Eckard. The latter was born in Philadelphia on the 22d of November, 1805, and died on the 12th of March, 1887. After graduating with honor at the University of Pennsylvania, he studied law with his cousin, Chief Justice John Meredith Read, and was called to the bar. But shortly afterwards he studied theology, and graduated at the Princeton Divinity School. His long life was one of remarkable usefulness, and his work in India and China redounded to the credit of America. In 1845 he published an authoritative volume on Ceylon. Dr. Read Eckard married Margaret Esther, daughter of Dr. Nicholas Bayard, the son of Colonel John Bayard, of Philadelphia. He left one son, the Rev. Leighton Wilson Eckard, born 23d of September, 1845, who graduated at Lafayette College and at the Princeton Divinity School, and is also a distinguished clergyman.