from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY PA, by Futhey and Cope

Thomas Read, the great-grandfather of Thomas Buchanan Read, had 4 sons - John, William, James and Davis.  JaMes, his grandfather, was a school-teacher, and married first Sarah, daughter of John and Elizabeth Steel, of Newtown.  His second wife was Hannah Buchanan, hence the middle name of the poet.  By this second wife James had 7 children - John, Davis, James, Sarah, Sidney, Elizabeth and Jane.