Various sources have interpreted the date of death on Harriett's gravestone as 1817; however, the 1820 census of Orange County records both of George Reeves' children, one male age 0-10 and one female age 0-10 as having been born between 1810 and 1820. Based upon the inscription of the tombstone that she was 28 years old at her death, she was apparently born in 1819 which agrees with the census data. The inscription on the tombstone is apparently meant to be 1847 but the four has degraded over time and appears as a one.Harriett and her brother, Spencer Stuart Reeves, were the children of George Reeves, Jr. and Sarah whose maiden name is said to have been Stuart. George died in 1825 and in 1832 his widow Sarah married Thomas Durham. In 1838 the land of George Reeves, Jr., deceased, - 530 acres, was divided between "Spencer S. Reeves and Harriet Reeves his only heirs-at-law." (Deed Book 28, page 208) The documents also mention the widow's dower line in this division indicating that Sarah Reeves Durham had already received a one-third share of George Reeves' land.
Harriett's murder wasn't the first time Spencer Reeves had committed an offense for which he was tried. In an earlier court case of 1841, Spencer was charged with having stolen the horse of two men named Bynum. In that case, Spencer's mother, Sarah, and Harriet pleaded with the court to show mercy to Spencer and forgive his crime. The Bynums agreed to drop the charges and Spencer was allowed to go free and receive no punishment.
Spencer's mother Sarah Durham's will written in 1847 mentions that a minimal amount from her estate was to be used for his support and maintenance if he should be acquitted from the charge alleged against him. According to Orange County local history, Spencer Reeves was hanged for the crime and buried outside of the family cemetery.
Information regarding Spencer Reeves trial from the research of Victoria Bynum, Department of History, Texas State University, San Marcos as posted to the Reeves GenForum.
(Photo submitted to Find A Grave by Lost History.)
Sarah Stuart Reeves Durham wasn’t my blood relative, just a Great Aunt by marriage but once I stumbled upon her story I was obsessed. It mesmerized me. So compelling for me, I put aside researching my direct ancestors and probed for any and all information I could find about her life. Of interest is a newspaper article published in "The North Carolinian" on 30th October 1847 that can be found at the following link: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38801701/the_northcarolinian/?xid=637&_ga=2.264789775.1471291264.1578254846-533479752.1573999658
ReplyDeleteHow tragic to find the body of your only daughter murdered by her brother and then have to testify at your son's hearing. Reading between the lines of her Last Will and Testament one can see her heart is broken. It is no wonder she dies just a few short months after her son is hung for the murder. As a loving mother, she made provisions for her murdered daughter's to be remembered requesting a tombstone and stone fence for her Harriet's last resting place. And, her mother instincts are to make certain her son's most basic needs are provided for even after he has broken her heart. As for Spencer, 'The Raleigh Registry' reported on 13th May 1848 that at his hanging, "He stepped off from the cart, before it could be driven from under him-thus of his own will accelerating his exit into eternity."
Cathy,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comments and giving more information about this sad story. I initially began researching this family because my own Reeves ancestor and his family lived in neighboring Wake County on land that was originally in Orange County when his land on the Neuse River was granted him in 1746. Because of the close proximity, I've always tried to resolve the mystery of which Reeves were related and they don't appear to be although no one who descends from George Reeves, Sr. has ever participated in the Reeves Y-DNA Project. I'm still hoping that someday one will.
Again, thank you for adding this additional information to my post.
Beverly