New Data for Reeves Family of Grayson County

The Library of Virginia's Chancery Case Index continues to add more scanned documents for additional counties.  This week I discovered a 236 page Wythe County chancery case which is based upon probate records of the 1821 suit Benjamin Austin et al vs the Administrators of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County, Virginia.  The Wythe County index also includes two other cases pertaining to this Reeves' family, the 1815 "Matthew Dickey vs the Admins of George Reaves" (sic) and the 1833 case "George Reeves ETC vs James Cox ETC".

All three of these cases appear to have initially been a result of slaves inherited by the descendants of Timothy Terrell which were left to him in his father John Terrell's will.  Timothy's daughters Anne and Obedience married William and Jesse Reeves, sons of George Reeves, Sr.  The 1833 case gives a great amount of biographical information on Timothy Terrell which I had never seen documented previously.  He is believed to have been killed by Indians but I had never seen  proof; however, this 1833 case does that.  He had migrated to the area of Nashville, Tennessee during the early settlement of that area where he was killed by Indians in 1779 and this 1833 document provides proof of that information.

After Timothy Terrell's death, his widow returned to North Carolina where in 1783, she married James Cox.  At Elizabeth Terrell Cox's death, Timothy Terrell's property remained in the possession of James Cox which is the source of this legal action. The suit was filed by George Reeves, son of Jesse Reeves and Obedience "Biddy" Terrell Reeves and included as plaintiffs all of the children of Biddy Terrell Reeves as well as William and Anne Terrell Reeves.

Valentine Collins Note

The 1821 suit initially mentioned here is based primarily on the extant documents regarding the estate of George Reeves, Sr.  He died intestate, leaving no will, so this estate file includes the inventory of his estate and records of sales of his property and names all of his heirs in addition to numerous copies of notes to be paid to the estate.  

Included within those notes there is even an early note circa 1807 assigned by George Reeves to Valentine Collins which was witnessed by his nephew Jeremiah Reeves, son of William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina.  Jeremiah had migrated west of Grayson County into eastern Kentucky by that time along with his father.

These wonderful extant files can contain countless gems of important biographical information.  I have examined each of the 236 pages of the 1821 chancery case but it requires much more scrutiny to know if there are other tidbits of family data in these pages.  One item I have already found is a court document which provided the approximate date of death of Jane Burton Reeves.  There are numerous dates of death entries online but I had never found a valid source.  A Jane Reeves is listed on the Grayson County tax lists through 1816 which I believe could have been George Reeves Sr.'s widow but Jane Osborne Reeves, the widow of deceased George Reeves, Jr. did not remarry until 1818 and those tax lists may have been listing her instead.  Within the 1821 chancery case, a copy of a statement for George Reeves, Sr.'s account contains a court order which details the death of George's widow before 1 April 1813 when the sale of the property she had received as her dower was recorded.  Another document in that file explains that all of Jane Burton Reeves' personal property was given to her daughters to be divided among them.

Court Order with date before which Jane Burton Reeves died.

These three chancery cases may be able to provide much more needed information about the family of George Reeves with the necessary research.  For anyone related to this family, it would be to your advantage to spend some time searching the Library of Virginia's Chancery Case Index.  I've found some great information there.

Some Reeves Origins in Portugal or Spain?

I have spent many years searching for all the details of the life of my earliest known Reeves' ancestor, William Reeves (he, his sons and grandsons spelled it Reves). In 1746 Henry McCulloch conveyed to him 400 acres on the Neuse River which documents his residence in Johnston County, North Carolina by that date. None of those early records provide any clue to his origins. That 1746 deed simply describes him as "of Johnston County" which indicates that he was living in that county when the deed was recorded.

1746 Herman Moll Map of Carolina

This land was in Orange County in the 1750s, then back to Johnston by around 1762 and finally to Wake County at it's inception in 1771. The extant records of Orange, Johnston and Wake counties have provided all I know about my fifth great grandfather, William Reeves or Reves, Sr. I have searched court, deed, tax and probate records. He was fairly prominent in that community and served in various county positions such as tax assessor and collector as well as serving as a Justice of the County Court after the American Revolution. He has been designated by the DAR as a patriot due to his civil service during the Revolution and he also provided provisions for the American forces.

The Reeves DNA Project at FtDNA has identified thirteen individuals whose DNA matches that of descendants of William Reeves, Jr. and George Reeves, Sr. later of Grayson County, Virginia who appear to be his sons. It is possible there may have been one more son since he is listed with 4 white tithes on the 1755 tax list of Orange County. The names of those 3 sons are not included so the 4th tithe is unknown. Being a co-admin of that DNA project, I am always consistently watching for other genetic matches, but thus far have found none in the American colonies. However, as the project expands and more individuals participate, a theory is beginning to form regarding the abundance of matches to these thirteen members whose origins are in Portugal and Spain.

The prospect of his origins having been on the Iberian Peninsula had never occurred to me. My focus has always been on Great Britain. Ireland has been a primary direction of my interest due to the biography of William T. Reeves, born 1855, who migrated to Idaho circa 1885 where he served as a judge. He was a great grandson of William Reeves, Jr. and in that biography stated that his ancestor had come from Northern Ireland. However, a few years ago a new match to Group 6A at FtDNA, Seán, contacted me as he searched for his Reeves' family. His surname was not Reeves but his Y-DNA was a genetic match to the descendants of both William Reeves, Jr. and George Reeves, Sr. After some research, it became apparent that he appeared to be either an adoptee or the result of an NPE (non-paternity event) and was descended from George Reeves, Sr.'s family of Grayson, Virginia. We were unable to identify the exact male from whom Seán descended but were able to rule out the majority of that family especially those who remained in North Carolina.

Spanish Armada of 1588

In the course of Seán's search for his correct ancestor, he made contact with Frankie who was a Y-DNA match but had no known connection to the Reeves' family, instead his origins were in Portugal.  I initially didn't think this connection to a Portuguese match was particularly relevant but since there were no other Y-DNA matches in the entire FtDNA system to the members of our DNA Group 6A, recently I decided to go back through everyone's matches to see if there were any other anomalies. When I did, I found more matches, one at 111 markers, for individuals from Spain or Portugal. Of all the testers who match that group they are the only ones who don't descend from either George Reeves of Grayson, Virginia or his probable brother William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina.

In the course of making a detailed study of matches to this DNA Group by testers of Portuguese or Spanish lineage, I have found that every member of the group has a match at some level, 111, 67, 37 or even 25 markers.  The estimated time frame per FtDNA software is somewhere around 1000-1800 CE.  

My initial thought was the proximity to the time of the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the British fleet in 1588. That might have produced a connection to someone from Spain or the Iberian Peninsula. Numerous Spanish ships wrecked along the western Irish coast in 1588 when they attempted to make their way to open sea and return to Spain after the armada's defeat. Many lives were lost in Ireland and most were captured and executed but in some areas of Ireland the inhabitants were kinder and helped the Spanish sailors return home and some even are reported as having remained in Ireland. In the course of this research, I have also learned that there was much sea trade between Spanish merchants and the Irish ports which should also be added to the possible connections to Spain and Portugal.

Defeat of the Spanish Armada

At this point, after a decade of searching for Y-DNA matches to the members of DNA Group 6A, it may be a solution to the mystery. Time and much research may be able to prove or disprove the theory.

Post Script:
There has been a family legend that Elizabeth Reeves Phipps, daughter of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County, always said she was "Portuguese Indian"! Reeves’ paternal DNA isn't related to native Americans, but these recent Y-DNA matches tend to support the validity of this theory of Portuguese ancestors. A New River neighbor, Mary Hollifield, in 1929 said: ‘The Reeves are said to come from Portugal. They had brown eyes and black hair.

Maybe John Darden, not Reeves

1791 Deed
Cumberland NC

One of my friends who is also a Reeves' researcher has been searching for more historical information on his ancestor, John Durden Reeves, for many years without success.  John D. Reeves is known to have been born in Halifax County, North Carolina on the 30th of May in 1759 based upon the statement in his Revolutionary War pension application of 1833.

The 1778 Halifax County Will of Micajah Rawls left bequests to his half brothers John and Jesse Reeves indicating John D.'s mother had at some point been married to a Rawls individual in addition to the Reeves after whom John & Jesse were named.  Sadly, even after much research, no further information could be found to explain that connection.

After the Revolutionary War, John Durden Reeves is recorded in Cumberland County,  North Carolina where he married Sarah Locke Elwell as evidenced by the 1791 deed disposing of property inherited by heirs of his father-in-law Richard Elwell.  By 1800, John D. Reeves and family had migrated to Surry County,  North Carolina where they were recorded in the census of that year.

Three descendants of John D. Reeves through two of his sons are found in a group at Family Tree DNA based upon their matching Y-DNA results.  There is a fourth member of that DNA group whose known earliest Reeves' ancestor was born in Derbyshire, England in 1855 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1882; however, that match indicates a much more distant common ancestor.  After many years, no other Reeves' matches have ever appeared to provide any clue as to John's family history although there were numerous matches to other surnames, several of which were the surname "Darden".

Researchers from this line have even explored various possible immigration theories, one of which is that he may have been part of the Monmouth Rebellion in England and was transported but thus far nothing has been found to confirm that theory.

In an effort to learn more about any possible connections to these individuals of other surnames, my friend upgraded his Y-DNA test to the highest level of Y-111.  His only match at that level is a person with the surname "Darden".  He also found additional Darden matches at the 67 marker level of the Y-DNA tests.  The ancestors of the individual matching at 111 markers were also found in Halifax County, North Carolina around the time of the American Revolution.  Additionally, their descendants also migrated to the area west of Nashville, Tennessee where John Durdan Reeves' descendants settled in the 19th century.

The spelling of John D. Reeves middle name has been variously listed as Durden, Durdan, Dearden in addition to Darden, but it now appears that Darden is probably the correct variation and may have been the original surname of the family.  Hopefully someday my friend will learn much more about his newly discovered Darden ancestors.

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Post published with the permission of Billy Fred Reeves.

Reeves or Greer?

George G. Greer
 to Joshua Cox

A few years ago one of our new members at The Reeves Project shared that she believed her ancestor George Greer was somehow associated with the Reeves family. 

George is named in an 1828 deed in Grayson County, Virginia as both George G. "Greer" and George G. "Rieves" in the same document.  The deed styled "George G. Greer to Joshua Cox" had conveyed the 140 tract on Fox Creek that he had purchased from Aquilla Greer the prior year. [[DB5:p377]

Recently I saw a Reeves' name I didn't recognize in the Grayson County tax lists of 1818 and 1819.  The Reeves in that area are part of my extended family so I'm quite knowledgeable about the families and knew there were no "George" Reeves living in that area of the right age to be this person.  The name on both lists was also followed by "son of S Toliver".

S. Toliver was Susanna, a married daughter of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County.  Susanna obviously had a son born before her marriage to William Toliver who was previously unknown.  Although there is no birth record naming George Greer as Susanna's son George Reeves, there is much inferential documentation to support that belief.  Sometime after 1820, he began to use Greer as a surname.  The Greer family in Grayson County is recorded owning property along Fox Creek which is the same community where the family of George Reeves, Sr. was located.

1834 Grayson VA Tax List

As George Greer he is listed on the Grayson County tax lists until 1834 which coincides with his departure from Virginia and arrival in Indiana.  George settled in Lawrence County, Indiana and is listed there in the 1840 census.  

It is noteworthy that Susanna Toliver's sons Allen, Andrew and James Madison Toliver also migrated to Indiana around this time.  Allen Toliver also settled in Lawrence County.

It appears that the early tax lists of Grayson County with the notations "George Reeves son of S Toliver" may have finally solved the mystery of George Greer.

1819 Tax List of
Grayson County, Virginia

Heirs of Obedience "Biddie" Terrell Reeves

The children of Jesse Reeves (spelled as Reves by he and his male relatives) and Elizabeth Obedience Terrell of Grayson County, Virginia and later Ashe County, North Carolina have up until now been undocumented. Jesse Reeves names most of his older sons in his 1833 will but only two of his daughters by Biddie Terrell. None of his children with his second wife, Mary Bowers, were named. There has been much misinformation promoted about Jesse's children. The identity of the correct mother of each group of children was also questionable.

Several years ago in the course of transcribing Ashe County NC deeds by various members of the Reeves' family, I came upon an 1833 Power of Attorney by Jesse's son John Reves. In that POA, John requested that his cousin Enoch Reves appear on his behalf at a court in Wythe District, State of Virginia, where a case by he and the rest of the heirs of Biddy Reves was to be presented in court. When I read this POA, I realized that those court records would provide details of the heirs of Jesse Reves born during his marriage to Obedience Terrell Reves. At that point, I began to search for the records of that case.

The Library of Virginia had been diligently adding Chancery Cases to their online site but at the time they had not scanned either Wythe or Grayson county cases and put them online. Over the next few years I checked back periodically and was pleasantly surprised sometime during the last year, when I found they had been added. This case involves a suit filed by Jesse Reves' son George to recover legacies due the heirs of Timothy Terrell from his father John Terrell.

This Chancery Case revealed a previously unknown son of Jesse Reves, William, along with two daughters. There had been much speculation regarding the gravestone for Nancy Reeves in the Jesse Reeves cemetery in Ashe County. A theory had circulated that this was an early wife of Jesse but these documents found her to be Nancy who married Terrell Bledsoe and both are mentioned in numerous family documents and court records. Another daughter Hannah Reeves, speculated as another daughter of Jesse's brother William was revealed to be Jesse's daughter who had married John Burton and eventually migrated to Indiana where other Burton and Reeves' family members had settled.

A record dated 26 May 1829 discovered in Grayson County Court Orders Vol. 2 (1820-1829) on page 596 in a case styled George Reeves, Plts, Against William Terrell, Defts, names Hannah Reeves, wife of John Burton, Betsy Reeves, wife of William Cox and Nancy Reeves, who was deceased after having intermarried with Terel (sic) Bledsoe.

Several years of research of the various extant records of Grayson and Ashe counties have documented that the children of Jesse Reeves and Elizabeth Obedience Terrell were: Nancy who married Terrell Bledsoe, William, George who married Elizabeth Doughton, Hannah who married John M. Burton, Jane who married Robert Baker, Elizabeth who married William Cox, John Reeves who married Cynthia Baker and Eli Reeves.

This 61 page Chancery Case and the supporting records in Grayson County's court orders have been a great bonus to research of this family and served to rectify several incorrect theories that have become prevalent on the internet. The Library of Virginia is doing a great service in making these Chancery Cases available to Virginia researchers.

A complete listing of the currently documented descendants of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County, Virginia can be found at The Reeves Project.

The Fish Dam Road

A few years ago I became aware of the research in Orange County, North Carolina to locate what remains of the Fish Dam Road, a foot trail that began in the 1600's connecting two Indian villages, one on the Neuse and one on the Eno River.  The Indian village on the Neuse used the shallow water of the river to make a giant fish trap causing the road to it to be known as the Fish Dam Road.  The Fish Dam itself no longer exists since the creation of the Falls of the Neuse Lake.

I found the project really interesting and even more so when I discovered that one section of the road appears to have crossed land owned by my ancestor William Reeves.  

My ancestor, William Reves (later generations used the more common Reeves surname) had settled in 1746 on land along the Neuse River in what was at that time, Johnston County, North Carolina.  By the 1750's the land was part of Orange County, then back to Johnston, eventually to Wake County at its inception in 1771 and now part of Durham.

When I recently discovered that the website telling the story of the Fish Dam Road, previously part of the Eno River Association's site, was no longer easily  accessible, I made a point to find what was left of that information and save it.   I then decided to share it here so it won't ever be completely lost.

The following information is contained in the Eno River Associations' Fish Dam Road sites: 

Section 5: Ellerbee Creek to Fish Dam Ford on Neuse River

By David Southern

THOMAS HOLLOWAY, JOHN ALSTON, WILLIAM REEVES, SAMUEL PEAKE, THOMAS HINES, BENJAMIN ALLEN, REUBEN ALLEN, THOMAS TOMLINSON, JUDITH MATTHEWS, HENRY McCULLOH and possibly JOHN SHERRON as well.

The above grants are conjectural for having the Fish Dam Road within their boundaries. See Markham’s land grant map for Wake county... 

In the early part of the 20th century, Allan Byron Markham, a Durham County native born in 1896, out of an interest in the history of his family and related families was inspired to plot the metes and bounds of their neighboring lands in the area where his family had settled.  In the 1940's, this work involved frequent trips to the Office of the Secretary of State in Raleigh and recording notes in long hand in that office and deed vaults all over that area.  By the 1970's his research included more than 1800 grants.  His two plats of early grants in Orange and Wake counties were still available a decade ago when on a trip to Durham searching for my Reeves' family history, I purchased a copy of each map from Mr. Markham's son.  These maps are invaluable when researching families in Orange, Wake, Durham and Chatham counties and I am forever grateful that I stopped by Mr. Markham's son's house that day.  On the map below I have noted a red star on the grant of each landowner whose property is mentioned in Section 5 of the Fish Dam Road.

Orange County was formed in 1752 and the seat of Hillsborough was founded in 1754 on land where the Great Indian Trading Path crossed the Eno River.  It was first owned, surveyed and mapped by William Churton, a surveyor for Earl Granville.

Hillsborough was an earlier Piedmont colonial town where court was held, and was the scene of some pre-Revolutionary War tensions.  The War of the Regulation had its epicenter there.  Hillsborough was also used as the home of the North Carolina state legislature during the American Revolution.

Orange County played an important role in the settling of early North Carolina and was one of the most populous areas by the 1750's.  In researching the area, I am always amazed at how many families moved through this area as they made their way to other areas of the country.

Sources:
History of the Fish Dam Road

1870 Fendol Bevers Map of Wake County

Eno River Association  Map of the Fish Dam Road by Joe Liles

Reeves Rancher Dies of Covid-19

This morning I came across an article in the Texas Tribune about Raymond Reeves who recently died at the age of 91 in the Texas Panhandle. Whenever I happen upon a gravestone, photo or other interesting information about a previously unknown Reeves' individual, I usually look to see if we have recorded them or their family in The Reeves Project. Finding no Raymond Reeves born in 1929 in Texas, I decided to do a little research to learn more about his ancestry.

Raymond Reeves

After a little sleuthing, I traced Raymond's family from Texas back to Alabama, then Georgia and found his earliest known ancestor to be John Reeves who died in Craven County, North Carolina in 1790.

Raymond descends from John Reeves' son Jesse Tinion Reeves of Hancock County, Georgia. A lot of research has been done to find John Reeves' origins and his father appears to be John Reeves of St. Mary's County, Maryland who migrated to North Carolina circa 1760.  Although there is currently no documentation of the relationship, the Y-DNA of a descendant of John Reeves matches that of other descendants of that Reeves' family.

Read the article which tells much about this Texas rancher's interesting life at The Texas Tribune

Thanks to the Texas Tribune for the photo above.

A Few More Colonial Early Reeves' Families

In 2017 I wrote a post for this blog, "Early Reeves' Families of Colonial America". That post was a detailed list of known Reeves' families of completely different lineages who were present in the U.S. before the Revolution when it was under British rule. At The Reeves Project over the course of the last few years, we've identified a few more families who were present in those days of colonial rule so this post is to identify them and pinpoint their initial locations.

A - The primary Reeves' presence in Maine from some years prior to the Revolution until the 20th century descended from James Reeves. After his marriage in 1767 James settled in Jefferson, Maine and is recorded as serving in the Revolutionary army a few years later. Descendants of James Reeves are recorded as living in the area of Jefferson, Maine as late as the twentieth century. The post, James Reeves of Maine, provides more information about him.

B - John Reeves of Essex County, Massachusetts appears to possibly have been the individual of that name who arrived in New England from London on the ship Christian in 1635. John's son William left numerous heirs in the Salem, Massachusetts area but currently none from that lineage have participated in the Reeves DNA Project at Family Tree DNA so there are no known links to other Reeves' families.

C - Thomas Reeves of Roxbury, Massachusetts came from Salisbury, Wiltshire, Great Britain. He sailed from Southampton, England, in the "Beves" (sic Bevis) in 1638 and died in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1650. His son Thomas Reeves later migrated to Southampton, Long Island, where his descendants are recorded.

D - The date of Robert Reeve's arrival in the American colonies is currently unknown but he married here circa 1660 and his estate was probated in Hartford County, Connecticut in 1681.

E - John Reeves, son of Azeriah Reeves, was born about 1750 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He married Mrs. Rebecca Gaskill Huber in Burlington, New Jersey in 1770 and by around 1800, they and most of their children migrated to Mason County, Kentucky. This is another large Reeves' family with many descendants but for whom there is no evidence that any members of this family have participated in Y-DNA testing to help identify the exact Reeves' extended family to whom they belong.

F - Walter Reeve came to West Jersey sometime prior to 1682. His origins are unknown although much has been published about Walter and his family. Walter prospered in the Burlington area of New Jersey owning two plantations at his death and left many descendants there.

G - The records of Fenwick's Colony of New Jersey contain many mentions of Mark Reeve. He came to the colony as a servant of Edward Champneys, arriving in Salem on 23 Jun 1675 on the ship Griffin. Although both Mark Reeve and Walter Reeve (F above) arrived in New Jersey around the same time, there appears to be no family connection between them.

H - Among the several Reeves' families recorded in Halifax County, Virginia was George Reaves who extensive research has determined was born circa 1727 in Virginia's Northern Neck and is first found in the records of Prince William County along with his mother and step-father. George Reaves and family moved from Halifax to Wilkes County, North Carolina during the Revolution but returned to Halifax County around 1794 where George died circa 1816. No one from this family has taken part in Y-DNA testing so any relationship to other established Reeves' families is unknown. One of several posts in this blog concerning this George Reaves can be found in this post detailing the in-depth research of George and his family - The Rest of the Story.

I - For many years it was assumed that Hardy Reaves who is first recorded in Duplin County, North Carolina around 1770 was surely a member of the Reaves family of Wayne County, North Carolina. Although William Reaves of Wayne County named no son Hardy in his 1793 will, based upon proximity alone, it was believed that Hardy was part of that family. However, recent Y-DNA testing has completely disproven that theory. When descendants of Hardy Reaves participated in Y-DNA testing, it was discovered that they match the Rives family of southern Virginia as identified in the book Reliques of the Rives (Ryves). The exact member of that family from whom Hardy descends is still unknown, but DNA has established that he does belong to that family.

J - Miles Reeves (Reves) is first documented in Lancaster County, South Carolina when on 8 Mar 1788 he collected a bounty for killing a wolf, although it is believed that he had originally come from North Carolina. In later census records, several of his children are recorded as having been born in North Carolina. He and his family migrated from South Carolina to Christian County, Kentucky where Miles died after which several of his children migrated further westward into Arkansas. Several descendants of Miles Reeves have participated in Y-DNA testing but it has not solved the mystery of his origins, instead adding more to the conundrum. Rather than matching any known Reeves' lineages, they match members of the Hatcher-Burton family. The DNA has shown a close relationship to a man who is descended from Reuben Hatcher, born 1770 in South Carolina. Hopefully at some future time, this mystery can be resolved by finding the place these families intersect.

K - George W. Reeves who died in Ballard County, Kentucky is believed to have come from Chester County, South Carolina although various other records such as census and children's death records give other locations, i.e. Tennessee or Georgia. He arrived in the area of Kentucky's Jackson Purchase by 1840 where he is recorded in the census of Hickman County. There are currently no records indicating what extended Reeves family George was related to and none of his descendants have participated in Y-DNA testing, but hopefully at some point someone will test and provide some clarity. UPDATE - Additional research indicates that George W. Reeves is very probably the son of Jordan Reeves, Sr. son of George Reeves of Brunswick County, Virginia who migrated first into northern North Carolina, then South Carolina, and died in Davidson County, Tennessee in 1803.

For more extensive information for the earliest docu-

mented Reeves' families in the American colonies, see 

Part 1 of "Early Reeves' Families of Colonial America" 

for the legend identifying Reeves' populations in the various locations on the map at right.

The Reeves Project also provides more extensive information on these families.

William Reeves & Mahala Goss

According to the 1860 census of Lee County, Virginia, William Reeves was born in Ashe County, North Carolina in 1824. The Reeves' family of Ashe County as well as Grayson County, Virginia are well documented and with one or two exceptions of individuals found there briefly in marriage records, appear to all descend from George Reeves, Sr. who settled on the Peach Bottom Tract of Grayson County in 1767. Much research of Grayson and Ashe has failed to locate any Reeves' family descending from George Reeves, Sr. to which this William Reeves might belong. His parentage is currently a complete mystery.

Ashe County, North Carolina

William married Mahala Goss shortly before 1850 for they were recorded in the 1850 census of Bennett Bayou, Fulton County, Arkansas with one year old Mary Ann. On the previous page in that census, the next residence in Bennett Bayou is a Jesse Reeves born 1822 but there is nothing to connect the two families other than a child with the surname Murphy in each household.

Census records record the birth of Mahala, at times called Hallie, in 1831 in Lee County, Virginia and that is where the family is next recorded in the 1860 census.  In the 1860 census of the Western District of Lee County, William, Mahala, Mary, another daughter listed only as M. S., Andrew Johnson "Jonce" and William Shelby Reeves are  listed.

Andrew Johnson
"Jonce" Reeves

The last record of William and Mahala Reeves is in Cumberland County, Tennessee in the 1870 census and by then Julia Ann, Rebecca Jane and Lucinda Reeves have been added to the family.  The last records of William Reeves  are two entries for land dated 7 Mar 1873.  One entry for 400 acres is located on Devil Creek and the other for 650 acres is on Meadow Creek, both are in Cumberland County.  

Several undocumented theories are that Mahala died by 1878, possibly in an institution, but there is nothing to support that theory.  Whether William Reeves was also deceased is unknown but he disappears from Cumberland County and the lives of his children before 1880.  

By 1880 the children had disbursed and were living in various homes where they appear to have been working for the families with whom they are listed.  In the 1880 census, Mary Ann "Polly" had married John Washington Welch and Andrew J. "Jonce" was living in their household and working for his brother-in-law in Cumberland County.  William Shelby Reeves (listed as Shelby) was living in a boarding house in Union County, Kentucky along with other young men listed as laborers.  12 year old Lucinda was listed as a servant in the household of farmer J. H. Officer in Putnam County; 16 year old Rebecca Jane is listed as Jane Reeves  keeping house in the household of Henry Watson in Overton, Tennessee; and 18 year old Julia is listed as house keeping in the residence of a Benjamin Watson also in Overton County. 

Much research has been done on this family in North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee but at this point, there are no viable theories as to William Reeves' family origins.  However, Mahala is believed to be the daughter of John Goss and Abigail Osborne of Ashe County.  John Goss was the son of Zachariah Goss who is recorded as being hung as a tory by Colonel Benjamin Cleveland in Wilkes County, North Carolina in 1781.

The history of the New River area of North Carolina and southern Virginia records the tale of at least 3 Tory loyalists who were hung by Colonel Benjamin Cleveland in 1781.  There are numerous variations of the story online although none seem to have detailed documented information.  The 2011 post Hanging of a Loyalist named Reeves can be found on this blog where I provided all the information I was able to find about this story.  The 3 loyalists who were hung were Capt. William Riddle, Zachariah Goss and an as yet unidentified Reeves individual. 

For some time I have been puzzled as to whether this Reeves was a member of my own family who are connected with the Reeves family of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County as proven by Y-DNA, but to date, nothing has been found to document a connection.  Since there appear to be so many connections between William Reeves and Mahala Goss to the Goss and Reeves' families of Ashe and Grayson counties it seems a plausible theory that there is a connection to their family.

Anyone reading this post who descends from William and Mahala Goss Reeves and would like to help unravel the mystery, please consider taking a Y-DNA test at Family Tree DNA and joining the Reeves DNA Project.  Y-DNA testing requires a male with the Reeves surname since Y-DNA is passed through the male line unchanged for countless generations with the exception of an occasional random mutation.  Y-DNA is far more accurate for this purpose and provides results within about 6 weeks to accurately identify the Reeves lineage from which you descend. 

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Thanks to William & Hallie's descendant Heather for the use of the above photo of her ancestor Andrew Johnson "Jonce" Reeves.

Y-DNA Needed for These Reeves Families

During the years since the inception of the Reeves Y-DNA Project countless mysteries have been solved. As rewarding as that is, we still have many Reeves families for whom we have no clue as their origins and to which other Reeves' populations they may be related. Y-DNA testing by the following families would make additional great strides forward in Reeves' genealogical research.

Georgia

Little is known about the origins of Sidney King Reeves. It was recently discovered that in 1824 he was a young apprentice to tailor Charles Fowler in Raleigh. The Reeves and Reavis families of Wake County, North Carolina are fairly well documented and Sidney does not belong to either of them so he was presumably from the surrounding area. After settling in Pike County, Georgia, he had several sons and we hope left sufficient male descendants to provide Y-DNA for testing. A recent blog post concerning Sidney can provide more information, see The Elusive Sidney King Reeves.

Maine

Jonathan Reeves' recent blog post James Reeves of Maine summarizes the details currently known of James Reeves' life. At this time, there are no participants in the Reeves Y-DNA Project descending from this Reeves' lineage.

Massachusetts

John Reeves of Essex and Middlesex counties in Massachusetts. John may be the John Reeves who is recorded as coming to New England from London on the Christian in 1635 however, there is a small discrepancy in dates of birth of the two individuals. John is documented as having one son, William, who may have left descendants who could provide Y-DNA testing and information on his origins and related Reeves.

Thomas Reeves originally settled in Massachusetts but by the next generation his son Thomas had relocated to Southampton, Long Island, New York with descendants later settling in Salem, New Jersey. Much research was done by a descendant, Mrs. Emma M. Reeves (not to be confused with Emma Barrett Reeves of the Reeves Review), who self published a great amount of information for this clan. Y-DNA from members of this family would be invaluable in separating all the disparate Reeve or Reeves lineages in Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.

New Jersey

The Salem County, New Jersey Reeve clan descending from Mark Reeve is also not represented in the Reeves Y-DNA Project. Branches of this family will be found in Camden/Gloucester Counties and in Arkansas. Y-DNA testing by male Reeve descendants would provide needed information as to their origins and any connections to other Reeve family who also migrated to the American colonies.

North Carolina

The Benjamin Reeves recorded in early Rowan County is the individual most likely to be the son Benjamin named in the 1751 will of William Reeves in Granville County, North Carolina. This Benjamin Reeves is recorded on the 1762 and 1766 tax lists of Rowan County around the time William's son James and his family were listed there. He was a soldier of the Revolution and received a grant of 1000 acres in Davidson County, Tennessee which he assigned to James Cole in 1789. By the 1800 census, the Benjamin Reeves in Rowan County appears to be a different individual for he was age 26-44 and too young to be the son of William Reeves of Granville although he may have been the earlier Benjamin's son. The younger Benjamin is found later in Montgomery County. DNA from descendants of either Benjamin Reeves of Rowan or Montgomery counties would be extremely valuable to Reeves genealogy.

One descendant of Edward Reeves of Bladen County has tested but the DNA does not match any of the other Reeves' clans. Additional testers from this line would be a great benefit to Reeves' research besides to the descendant who has already tested.

George Reeves, Sr. of Orange County was first documented in that area in 1772 when he was the grantee in a deed from Ruffin McNair for 200 acres on New Hope Creek. Most of George Reeves' sons remained in the Orange County area although one, James, migrated to Hancock County, Indiana. DNA from male members of this lineage would be helpful in identifying all the different Reeves' lineages found in the Orange County area prior to 1800.

John Reeves also of Orange County is another mystery. Although John is only documented as having one son Thomas who had several sons and hopefully left many Reeves' male heirs. Their DNA would be helpful in understanding the diverse Reeves' lineages of early Orange County. After John's death, Thomas migrated to Ray County, Missouri where he died.

South Carolina

Drury Reaves who died in Darlington in 1792 may be the Drury Reaves recorded in the deed indexes of Old Dobbs County, North Carolina throughout the 1760's. There are no further clues to his origins and Y-DNA testing of any male descendants could prove extremely rewarding.

Ewel Reeves of Greenville County may have descended from John Reeves who migrated to Christian County, Kentucky before 1800 since the name Ewel was common in that family who has close family connections to Greenville SC. There is currently no information that provides clues to Ewel's origins other than his given name and proximity. It would be a great benefit to have someone from Ewel's family test.

John Reeves of the Colleten/Dorchester area. John was born in London in 1745 and died in Reevesville, Dorchester, South Carolina in 1798. His 3 sons left numerous descendants in South Carolina and Mississippi who can hopefully provide ample DNA testers to learn more about this lineage.

John Reeves of Union County. John's origins are currently unknown and the Y-DNA of descendants of his sons could provide answers to the mystery.

Lazarus Reeves served as a Revolutionary soldier in a South Carolina regiment however his RW pension statement provides no biographical information that can identify his origins. He later moved to Pike County, Mississippi where he was mentioned in a history of Pike County pioneer families. Lazarus had several sons who may have left enough male Reeves descendants to test and furnish more information on this lineage.

Virginia

George Reeves originally of Henry and Patrick Counties in Virginia left there around 1816 and after migrating to Wilson County, Tennessee died in 1817. His descendants were found in Wilson and Campbell counties of Tennessee, in Missouri initially settling along the Missouri River and in Madison County, Arkansas. George's origins and family lineage are unknown which Y-DNA testing by his descendants could resolve as well as prove his connections to his probable sons who migrated further west.

George Reaves of Halifax County in later years was referred to as Sr. indicating he had a son George in addition to sons Asher Reaves, Daniel Reaves and Elijah Reaves, Sr.. George Reaves, Jr. was born about 1790 but disappeared from the Halifax County, Virginia records after becoming an adult. George Reaves, Sr.'s other sons had several sons and presumably left enough male Reaves descendants to provide ample candidates to test in order to identify this family line and others related to it. Asher left Virginia a few years after the American Revolution and migrated to Greene County, Ohio. Daniel remained in Virginia and his children were found in Halifax and Pittsylvania counties after his death. Elijah and his two sons continued to live in Halifax County, Virginia. Y-DNA testing by descendants of George Reaves, Sr. would be invaluable to Reeves research. Another detailed post about George Reaves, Sr. and his wife Martha "Patsy" Epps is available at this blog - The Rest of the Story.

Curtis F. Reeves' Missing Children

Confluence of the Ohio & Tennessee Rivers at Paducah, Kentucky

My 2nd great grandfather's brother, Curtis F. Reeves was born on the 24th of January, 1807 in Madison County, Kentucky to George Reeves and Elizabeth Wilkerson. Curtis died in 1845 at the young age of 38. For many years Eliza Bryant who he married in McCracken County, Kentucky in 1841 was believed to be his only wife and their sons Benjamin F., born about 1843 and William H. born a year later were thought to be his only children. A few years ago I became aware of a prior marriage to Delilah Doolin of Butler County which was adjacent to Warren County where his family had moved around 1820.

Although there is no marriage recorded between Curtis F. Reeves and Delilah Doolin, in April of 1833 after the death of her father, Delilah, her mother Nancy and her siblings conveyed a tract of land on the banks of the Green River in Butler County, Kentucky to Jesse Lee. Curtis Reeves signed that deed as the husband of Delilah Doolin which establishes that they had married at some time prior to early 1833. Within the next couple of years following the death of their mother, Curtis along with his younger brothers William H. and Sidney Preston Reeves left Warren County and migrated to the westernmost area of Kentucky where they were recorded in McCracken County by 1840. A biography of his brother William Harrison Reeves states that he left Warren County as a teenager after the death of his mother and lived in the household of an older brother in the Jackson Purchase area.

Throughout the later part of the decade 1830-1840, Curtis is found in various records of McCracken County. In January of 1839 he was appointed to the county court as a Justice of the Peace. The 1840 census of McCracken County shows that Curtis and Delilah had seven children by 1840. The census of that year lists their household as including 2 males 0-5, 1 male 5-9, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 30-39, 2 females 5-9, 1 female 10-15 and 1 female 30-39. Delilah apparently died sometime shortly after that census was recorded in 1840 for in March of 1841, Curtis was remarried to Eliza Bryant in McCracken County.

14 January 1839
Court Order Book A, pg 370

By July of 1840, Curtis resigned his position as a Justice of the Peace. The court order book where it is logged gives no explanation or reason for the resignation. The two sons born during his marriage to Eliza Bryant were born in Kentucky in 1843 and 1844 after which he moved to Mississippi County, Missouri. The Goodspeed's biography of his son William H. states that "owing to the overflow of that year", he became disgusted with the country (Missouri) and returned to his native State. However, he later returned to Missouri where he died in Wayne County in 1845. By 1850 his widow with their two sons had returned to Missouri where she had remarried to an Edward Fleece and was living in Mississippi County as recorded in that census. None of Curtis' children from his marriage to Delilah Doolin are listed in the household and their whereabouts are unknown.

Over the years I have searched the households of other Reeves' family members for these children but have never found any likely candidates, other than a 16 year old George Reeves living in the household of Curtis' brother William Harrison Reeves in 1850. However, since he had another nephew of that name and age, there is no way to determine whether this was one of Curtis' orphans. I continue to search for Curtis' children and hopefully someday I'll have some success.

In the meantime, I have found one possibility in Y-DNA matches. A few years ago I found a male third cousin who was willing to do a Y-DNA test for which I paid so we would have genetic evidence of any family connections. Among those DNA matches is an individual with the surname Davis. I have written to this individual but he appears to now be deceased. Besides having Y-DNA that matches all the members of DNA Group 6A where descendants of this family are found, his earliest known ancestor is recorded as having been born in McCracken County, Kentucky in 1839. To add to the inferential evidence that this could have been one of Curtis' orphans, there are several connections with the Davis family in this area. Delilah Doolin's sister Sarah also married into the Davis family in Kentucky. Although this by no means proves that this Davis DNA match is one of Curtis Reeves' children, so far nothing has been found to rule it out. I'll just keep looking for these children in hopes of eventually finding them.

The Gatewood Girls

Patience Reeves was a daughter of Henry Reeves, Jr. of Essex County, Virginia and is named as a legatee in his 1728 will. By the time Henry wrote his will, Patience was married to Richard Gatewood for Henry mentions a debt of £14 owed him by his son-in-law Richard Gatewood in that will. Richard and Patience Reeves Gatewood had four daughters as documented in the probate records of Essex County - Elizabeth, Sarah, Patience and Ann.

By November of 1745 both Richard and Patience Gatewood were deceased. Their daughter Ann Gatewood was also deceased and her portion of their estates was divided among the three surviving daughters.

Elizabeth and Sarah appear to have not reached age 21 by the time Patience Reeves Gatewood died for both were appointed guardians to oversee their estates. No guardian was appointed for daughter Patience who was either age 21 by this time or possibly married.

Over the course of the next decade as the daughters of Patience Reeves Gatewood married, they and their families all left the Essex County area and by 1767 sons-in-laws Peter Copeland, husband of Elizabeth Gatewood, and Waters Dunn, husband of Sarah Gatewood, are listed on the tithables list of Pittsylvania County. Joseph Farguson who married Patience Gatewood also settled in Pittsylvania County where he is recorded as a juror in June Court 1767 [Court Records Book 1 p55] and having taken the Oath for Constable in Pittsylvania County at the same court in 1767.

When the 1753 will of Patience's brother George Reeves was written, her daughter Elizabeth was named as Elizabeth Copeland, one of the legatees, and her husband Peter Copeland was appointed as one of the executors of the will. Elizabeth and Peter Copeland reportedly lived for a time in Caroline County, Virginia after their marriage, then moved to North Carolina for a brief time where Peter is listed on the 1767 tax lists of Cumberland County. That same year, they returned to Virginia where by July Peter Copeland was listed as a tithable in Pittsylvania County. Peter was one of the first Justices of the Peace for Pittsylvania County and lived in that portion of the county which later became Henry. Peter and Elizabeth Copeland are recorded repeatedly in the deed records of Henry County over the subsequent years with the last mention of Elizabeth Copeland in 1780. In a deed dated the 20th of April, 1780 Elizabeth is mentioned as being unable to travel to and from the court to sign a dower release. The deed records statements by witnesses that Elizabeth did relinquish her right of dower to the one thousand acre tract being conveyed by Peter Copeland in that deed. Elizabeth and Peter Copeland both appear to have been deceased by 1790 when Charles Copland of Richmond City, Virginia as executor of Peter Copland was settling his estate.

Patience Gatewood was also a legatee in her uncle George Reeves 1753 Spotsylvania County will. In that will she is named as Patience Gatewood and it is believed that she was first married to an unknown Gatewood who was the father of daughter Ann Frazier Gatewood. A 1779 agreement recorded in Henry County documents that Patience Gatewood Farguson was the mother of Ann Frazier Gatewood. There is currently no documentation as to whether any children were born to Joseph Farguson and Patience Gatewood which indicates that much more research is needed of the records of Pittsylvania and Henry counties in Virginia.

The marriage of Sarah Gatewood to Waters Dunn apparently did not take place prior to the death of her mother, Patience, for she is named Gatewood in Patience's will; however, the marriage must have taken place shortly thereafter since their oldest child was born around 1746. Waters Dunn was also associated with the family by the time Patience's will was being probated for he gave a security bond for the guardian appointed to represent Elizabeth Gatewood. Within the next decade Sarah and Waters Dunn moved their family to Pittsylvania county along with her sisters Elizabeth and Patience and their families. Each of these families were located in the area of Pittsylvania County that became Henry County after it's formation. Waters Dunn, Waters Dunn, Jr. William Dunn and Richard Dunn are each listed on the 1778 tax lists of Henry County. Sarah Gatewood Dunn appears to have died around 1785 for Waters Dunn remarried to Ann Farguson in 1786. Waters Dunn along with all of their children migrated to Georgia after Sarah's death. Waters Dunn, Sr. died in Columbia County, Georgia in 1803 and the children of Sarah and Waters Dunn are documented in his will.

Just Supposin'

Lately I've been working on background stories for some of the different DNA Groups in The Reeves Project. DNA Group 9 is made up up five individuals, three of whom are descendants of Henry Reeves of Essex County, Virginia with documented paper trails while the two other participants descend from John Reeves of Taylor County, Kentucky who was born circa 1770 in North Carolina. John Reeves doesn't appear to have any link to Essex County or Henry Reeves, Sr., but his descendants' Y-DNA says he does!

Over the course of the last six months I've spent time weekly at my local Family History Center searching Virginia records to find more information in the extant records of Essex and Spotsylvania counties in Virginia to fill in all the gaps in the family of Henry Reeves. I've found that some of Henry's descendants did migrate to Kentucky, but not to Taylor County nor did any of them appear to have made a detour through North Carolina on their way west.

After a thorough search of all the available records in Essex County, it is clear that there are only a very few male descendants with the Reeves' surname who could be the ancestor of John Reeves of North Carolina and Taylor, Kentucky. By 1800 there were no male Reeves' individuals left in either Essex or Spotsylvania so we have to widen the search.

Jackson Reeves born around 1690-1700 was a son of Joseph Reeves, son of Henry Reeves, Sr. He has never been located after he left Essex County. He left no trail and there are no records of a Jackson Reeves of that generation who could be the son of Joseph Reeves of Essex. He was also probably too old to be the father of a child born circa 1770 although it would not have been impossible. The next possibility is Henry Reeves, son of the third Henry Reeves and probably born before 1740. When his father died in 1745 he didn't require a guardian so he may have been an adult by that time. He may have died young or simply migrated elsewhere, but he has currently not been located. Finally, Thomas Reeves, grandson of Thomas Reeves, Sr., born in 1753, was serving an apprenticeship in Spotsylvania County that began in 1768 and was only about 15 years old at the time. He was obviously not married or living in North Carolina by 1770.

That leaves only one Reeves' male outstanding from the Essex Reeves' family and he brings us full circle back to George, the son of Thomas Reeves, Sr. who was named as a legatee in the will of his uncle George Reeves in 1754. For many years Reeves' family researchers believed that this George Reeves was the individual of that name who arrived in the New River area along the border of Grayson County, Virginia and Ashe County, North Carolina in 1767, until the theory was proven incorrect by Y-DNA. Three descendants of George Reeves of Grayson, Virginia have matching Y-DNA to descendants of William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina in addition to an abundance of documentation of their connections in the Neuse River basin before George Reeves migrated to the New River area. These descendants of George Reeves and William Reeves of Wake County are participants in DNA Group 6A of the Reeves DNA Project. Two other descendants of George Reeves of Grayson County do not match these six individuals, but neither do they match DNA Group 9 where the documented descendants of Henry Reeves are located.

Oddly, I recently realized that there is one more George Reeves who is a possibility as the father of John Reeves of Taylor County, Kentucky. When I initially became aware of this George Reeves, based upon proximity and the fact that the individuals his children were apprenticed to, Woodson Daniel and Reuben Allen, were both close associates of William Reeves, I assumed he was a member of that family of Wake County.

September 1778 Court
[213]-75
Ordered that Mary Reeves orphan of George Reeves deced. be bound unto Reuben Allen unto She come to age at this time being Eight Years of Age.
Ordered that John Reeves orphan of George Reeves deced. be bound an Apprentice unto Woodson Daniel untill he come to the Age of twenty one Years being about this time the Age of three Years.

The only other information to be found in this area of the Neuse basin is from the records of the 1778 Granville County Militia. A George Reaves served in Captain James Langston's Company No. 7. He was described as 29 years old (born circa 1749), 6 feet high, thick made; of a ruddy complexion & dark hair; a Planter.

Although at the time it did seem strange that these children would have been apprenticed to neighbors rather than cared for by family members and that no tidbits of information linking John and Mary Reeves, orphans of this George, to the family of William Reeves of Wake County had ever been found. It also became increasingly more apparent that it was George Reeves of Grayson County, due to both genetic and documentary evidence in Orange and Johnston counties who was a member of the William Reeves' family, not the George Reeves who died in 1778.

Once the theory that this individual could possibly have been George Reeves, son of Thomas Reeves, Sr. of Essex and Spotsylvania counties began to develop, the one major obstacle to this line of thinking was why. I was plagued by the question of what would prompt George Reeves to leave the Rappahannock area and migrate to North Carolina when his siblings had all settled in the Shenandoah Valley's Augusta and Rockingham counties until I recalled that his Gatewood cousins had settled in Pittsylvania County, Virginia along the border just north of this area of North Carolina. Peter and Elizabeth Gatewood Copeland are said to have even settled in North Carolina for a brief time and Peter is listed on the 1767 tax lists of Cumberland County. This was apparently the same year they returned to Virginia where they are found in Pittsylvania County by 1767 and Peter Copeland is documented as one of the first justices of the county. Elizabeth's sisters Sarah Gatewood Dunn and Patience Gatewood Farguson with their families also settled in Pittsylvania County around this time. Elizabeth Copeland, like George, was also named as a legatee in the 1754 will of their uncle George Reeves. These Gatewood daughters were first cousins to George and have helped to resolve doubts as to whether George might have found his way to this locale.

Obviously, this theory still needs much more research before John Reeves of Taylor County, Kentucky could be declared a child of George Reeves, son of Thomas Reeves, Sr. of Essex and Spotsylvania counties in Virginia. For now, it's just something to ponder while we dig deeper into the historical records to solve this puzzle.

The most current listing of the descendants of Henry Reeves of Essex County, Virginia can be found at The Reeves Project.

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See recent post Just Supposin' Again with some newly discovered information regarding this theory.

Thomas Reeves of Woodford County, Kentucky

The family of Henry Reeves who settled in Old Rappahannock County, Virginia by 1666 when he was granted 600 acres on Tignor's Creek has been the subject of much interest and speculation. Thankfully the early records of Essex County, Virginia are extant for the most part. Some of the earliest record books are fragmented, but there is still a wealth of information there regarding this family.

North Central Kentucky in 1827

As Henry Reeves' descendants, beginning with his grandchildren, began to leave Essex County for other parts of Virginia and beyond, much less is known of the family. His grandson George left a Spotsylvania County will in 1754 naming as legatees the children of his brother Thomas Reeves, Sr. in addition to his siblings and other family members. That will has been an extremely beneficial document insofar as identifying many members of the family of Henry Reeves, Jr.

After leaving Spotsylvania, the sons of Thomas Reeves, Sr. were recorded in Augusta and Rockingham counties in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Another son, unlisted in George Reeves' will, is Brewer who is named as a brother to Thomas, Jr. in Augusta County court documents. Other than in the will of George Reeves, there is no mention of Thomas, Sr.'s son George and it may be that he and Brewer are the same individual. This George was previously believed to be George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia but DNA has proven that to be incorrect.

John Reeves remained in Augusta County but his brothers Brewer and Thomas, Jr. migrated to Kentucky. Their brother Henry died in Spotsylvania County in 1760 and his estate was recorded at the same time as that of their father Thomas Reeves, Sr. Brewer Reeves is documented as one of the earliest residents of Christian County, Kentucky where he was one of the first justices of the court. Until recently there was very little record of Thomas Reeves, Jr. once he disappeared from the records of Augusta and Rockingham counties but a posting to an online forum provided a clue to Thomas, Jr.'s presence in Woodford County, Kentucky.

1792 Survey for Thomas Reeves in Woodford County

It wasn't until the Woodford County records were discovered that the children of Thomas Reeves, Jr. were identified. His wife Sarah was named in numerous Spotsylvania County deeds and court records of Augusta County, but their children were a mystery. The appraisal of the Estate of Thomas Reeves is recorded in February 1799 in Woodford County Will Book B on pages 83-86. On the 4th of June in 1803, the heirs of Thomas Reeves executed a deed to James Reeves of Henry County, Kentucky for all lands belonging to Thomas Reeves in the state of Virginia and all lots in the town of Versailles in Woodford County which were taken off the land of Thomas Reeves when the town was being laid off. This deed was for compensation to James for his services in transacting and closing the business relative to the estate of Thomas Reeves decd.

Reeves Heirs to James Reeves

Those heirs of Thomas Reeves named in addition to James, were his widow Sarah, David Willson who had married daughter Milley, Elizabeth Reeves, John Samonie who married Delilah Reeves, George Cotter husband of Mary Reeves, Joseph Reeves and son Thomas Reeves.

Over the following ten years there are numerous deeds by these heirs disposing of the property they had inherited from Thomas and by around 1810 most of the family members, Joseph, Thomas and their brother-in-law David Wilson, were recorded in neighboring Gallatin County.

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Newly discovered identity of Sarah, the wife of Thomas Reeves, Jr.

The Surveyor's Book

Most of the time a surveyor's book is just about land, but today in the course of doing research for a Reeves' family who migrated to Woodford County, Kentucky, I happened upon some wonderful early American doodles. The book is dated around 1850 and the surveyor's name appears to be Herman Bowman. Just thought I'd share his artwork.