The Curious Biography of John Reeves

I recently came across a biography published in 1884 in a history of Morgan, Monroe and Brown counties of Indiana for a John Reeves of Mason County, Kentucky. The biography contains some worthwhile genealogical information but also raises numerous questions.

From: History of Morgan, Monroe & Brown County, 1884
by Charles Blanchard, Pg 333

"JOHN REEVES is a native of Mason County, Ky., and was born February 20, 1802, and is a son of James and Sarah (Holton) Reeves, the former a native of Ireland, and the latter of Maryland. John Reeve, Sr., emigrated with his parents, Isaac and Margaret Reeves, to America previous to the Revolutionary war, and when sixteen years of age entered the army under Gen. Washington, serving the seven years. He then married and settled in Mason County, Ky., where he and wife ended their days. John Reeves, our subject, is the only child of his father living. In 1823, he moved to Monroe County, Ind., and in 1824 to Owen County, where he married, in 1828, Mrs. Eleanor Hayward. In 1829, he removed to this county, where Mrs. Reeves died in 1861, the mother of eight children - James, Nancy, Abigail, Austin S., Sarah, Samantha, Benjamin and Julia A. In 1863, he married Mrs. Ann Edwards. Mr. Reeves is an excellent gentleman, and he and wife are members of the Christian Church, of which Mr. Reeves has been an active worker for fifty years."

The first, and most obvious question, is in regard to the statement "John Reeve, Sr., emigrated with his parents, Isaac and Margaret Reeves, to America". Does the author mean James Reeves, Sr., simply James Reeves or John Reeves? There is no John Reeves, Sr. referenced anywhere else in the biography.

There is no mention in the information regarding John Reeves' parents of a connection to the other Reeves' families of Mason County, Kentucky who were in large part descendants of George Reeves and Ann Doggett of Prince William County, Virginia. Yet, among the names of his children are Austin S. (Smith?) and Benjamin - names used repeatedly by descendants of the Prince William, Virginia Reeves' family.

Finally and most intriquing of all is the inclusion of an Isaac and Margaret Reeves in his ancestry. Is it possible that this family could be connected to Isaac Reeves and his wife Margery of Wilkes County, North Carolina?

See a follow-up post regarding James Reeves and the family of Isaac Reeves of Wilkes County, North Carolina.

(Photo by Bill Mason for Find A Grave.)