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 Reeves of Christian County, Kentucky: Part 1

The history of Christian County as published in The County of Christian, Kentucky - Historical & Biographical edited by William H. Perrin in 1884 lists Brewer Reeves as one of the earliest settlers to that county. In fact, the act creating Christian County which was passed in 1796 and took effect on the 1st of March 1797 provided “that the Justices to be named in the commission of the peace for said county” should meet at the house of Brewer Reeves and organize for business. Three weeks after the act became effective, they met, Brewer Reeves, Jacob Barnett, Moses Shelby, Hugh Knox and Jonathan Logan constituting the court and began to transact the business of the new county.

Brewer Reeves is believed to have been the son (correction - brother, see update below) of Thomas Reeves, Jr. of Augusta and Rockingham counties of Virginia where Brewer is found in the court, tax, and deed records prior to his arrival in Kentucky in the mid 1790's. Brewer died within a few years of migrating to Kentucky and his estate was entered for probate in Christian County in November of 1799. Mrs. Martha Reeves and their children remained there and Brewer's descendants continued to be actively involved in Christian County affairs where their son Benjamin, after serving in the War of 1812, became a state senator in 1812, 1814 and 1817.

Another Brewer Reeves immigrated from Augusta County, Virginia before 1830. This second Brewer was the son of the elder Brewer Reeves' nephew William. William's older brother John had also migrated to Christian County where he had married Lucretia Dunkerson in 1819.

In 1820, Todd County was formed from Christian and Logan Counties, thereafter the descendants of this Reeves family could be found in both counties.

Benjamin H. Reeves had moved to the Territory of Missouri in 1818 after his terms in the state senate. In 1821 he was elected a Delegate from the Missouri county of Howard to assist in framing a Constitution for that State, and was, a few years thereafter, elected Lieutenant-Governor of Missouri. In 1826 he was appointed by the Government of the United States a Commissioner to survey and mark out a road from Missouri to the Spanish provinces in a direction to Santa Fe. Returning from Missouri in 1836, he settled in the recently created Todd County.

The descendants of this family continued to be politically active. Brewer Reeves' son Willis Long Reeves was for many years clerk of the Todd County Court and a grandson Crittenden Reeves, son of Benjamin, was elected to the Kentucky Legislature. Brewer's grandson Reuben A. Reeves, the son of Ottway Curry Reeves, married and moved to Palestine, Anderson County, Texas where he practiced law and in August 1864 was elected associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Another grandson, Willis Long Reeves, Jr. was a judge of the Todd County Court of Appeals at the turn of the 20th century.

In Part 2 of this series I'll present the limited information available on what may be another Reeves family, or possibly two more Reeves families. The family of James Reeves seems to have migrated into Kentucky from South Carolina while there is no definite known origin of William Reeves with wife Susan Hunter.


Update: Rather than being the son of Thomas Reeves, Jr., it appears that Brewer Reeves was his brother based upon several suits in the Augusta County, Virginia Chancery records. In the suit Sevier vs. Thomas Reeves concerning 304 acres in Augusta County purchased in 1769, Brewer Reeves is named as the brother of Thomas Reeves. In another 1770 Augusta County Chancery action, Herndon vs. Thomas Reeves, a statement by Brewer Reeves mentions living in Thomas Reeves' home so it may be possible that Brewer was much younger. Thomas Reeves, Jr. with wife Sarah, formerly of Spotsylvania County, was the son of Thomas Reeves, Sr. who died in Spotsylvania County in 1760. Thomas Reeves, Sr. was the son of Henry Reeves, Jr. of Essex County. George Reeves named his nephew Thomas Reeves, Jr. as well as nephews George, Henry and John Reeves, all sons of Thomas Reeves, Sr. in his 1754 will, but did not mention Brewer.

Who really are the descendants of Henry Reeves?

Henry Reeves, Sr. is presumed to be the immigrant and first of this particular Reeves lineage to be found in the American colonies. He was granted 600 acres on Tigner's Creek on the south side of the Rappahannock River in Old Rappahannock County, Virginia (now Essex County), on January 1, 1666. In 1672, he received a land grant of 150 acres in Nansemond County. He doesn't appear to have remained long in Nansemond, returning to Old Rappahannock County where he died on April 6, 1687, naming all of his children in his 1686 will.

By 1753 when Henry's grandson George Reeves (son of Henry Reeves, Jr.) died, he named various nieces and nephews as legatees. After this 1753 will, there are few probate records for this family to aide in clearly identifying future generations. Four sons of Thomas Reeves, Sr. were mentioned in George's will, Henry, George, Thomas Jr. and John. Of those four, further records can only be found of Thomas, Jr. and John.

George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia is noted in numerous family trees and websites as being the son of Thomas Reeves of Spotsylvania County, son of Henry Reeves, Jr. Since the DNA of several descendants of George Reeves is a match to members of my own Reeves’ family, I have been searching for some documentation to either prove or disprove these assertions. Three descendants of George Reeves have been placed in Group 6 of the Reeves’ DNA Project along with three descendants of William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina.

Conversely, a participant in DNA Group 9 which is a completely different lineage, has a pedigree that extends to John Reeves, born circa 1730 in Spotsylvania County, the son of Thomas Reeves, Sr. If the research in this pedigree is accurate which it appears to be, DNA Group 9 is the lineage that descends from Henry Reeves of Essex County.

The three descendants of George Reeves of Grayson County in DNA Group 6 match 34 to 36 markers out of 37 with descendants of William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina. It is worthy of note that there was a George Reeves living in the Orange/Johnston County area (became Wake in 1771) in close proximity to William Reeves and associated with him in various deeds. Also living in this area and associated with William and George Reeves was Richard Burton, father-in-law of George.

Both Richard Burton and George Reeves sold their property in Johnston County around 1765 which coincides with their appearance in the New River area in 1767. Additionally, a Johnston County court order of July 15, 1766 records Timothy Shaw replacing George Reeves as overseer of the road which was probably the result of George Reeves’ removal from the area.

When documents with signatures by George Reeves of Grayson County or his sons can be found, their surnames are written "Reves" just as William Reeves of Wake County and his sons. This was not the case in the Henry Reeves family.

John Reeves of the Group 9 lineage was named as a legatee in the 1753 will of his uncle George Reeves in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. He is recorded in the land records of Augusta County along with his brother, Thomas Reeves, Jr. from the 1760’s to the 1780’s. After the formation of Rockingham County, he is on the tax lists there in 1792 and his death in 1799 was recorded in Augusta County.

Although George Reeves also named a nephew George, son of his brother Thomas Reeves, in his will, nothing can be found to support a conclusion that George Reeves of Grayson County is that person. From the available extant records and the results of DNA testing, George Reeves of Grayson County is of another Reeves' lineage, not that of Henry Reeves of Essex County.

Posts in this Blog with the latest research and information concerning the family of Henry Reeves of Essex, Virginia

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Essex County's Henry Reeves Family
Thomas Reeves of Woodford County, Kentucky

Up to date listing of the descendants of Henry Reeves, Sr.