Reeves Origins in Chesterfield, Virginia

The book Pioneer Settlers of Grayson County, Virginia by Benjamin Floyd Nuckolls, pub. 1913 in its mention of the Reeves' family early settlers states that George Reeves and his family came to the New River area from Drewry's Bluff in Chesterfield County, Virginia.  This incorrect history is also included in Foot Prints on the Sands of Time:  A History of Southwestern Virginia and Northwestern North Carolina by Dr. A. B. Cox, pub. 1900 which states that the family came from eastern Virginia.  That misinformation has been perpetually repeated in countless Reeves's pedigrees and history.  A thorough search of the records of Chesterfield County produced no historical records of this family with the only Reeves found there a John Reaves who was a taxpayer in 1757.  Both of these books were published more than 130 years after George Reeves is known to have settled on the Peach Bottom tract of the New River in 1767 and 100 years after his death.

George Reeves' mark registered in Orange County

This Reeves' family actually first appeared in the records of Orange County, North Carolina in the 1750's.  A young George Reeves' registered his mark (cattle brand) in Orange County Court in February 1761.  His apparent brother based upon Y-DNA results, William Reeves, Jr., had likewise registered his mark there in August of 1760.  Over the next five (5) years, George Reeves is recorded in numerous deeds which named Richard Burton and William Reeves in Johnston County in the mid 1760's as either witnesses or adjoining landowners. 

Jane Burton who married George Reeves, was the daughter of Richard and Ann Burton originally of the Henrico County area and finally residents of Augusta County Virginia before their appearance in Cumberland County, North Carolina in November of 1760 when Richard Burton entered 150 acres there on the east side of Drowning Creek which separates the present day counties of Montgomery and Moore.  Ann whose maiden name is unknown, was named in various Virginia deeds and is included in the deeds involving Richard Burton in Cumberland and Johnston counties of North Carolina.

A 1763 Johnston County, North Carolina deed from Richard & Ann Burton of Johnston County to Samuel Peek of Buckingham County, Virginia describes the 314 acre tract on the Neuse River as starting at William Reeves' corner.

1763 Deed for 314 acres in Johnston County

Ann Burton died sometime prior to April 1765 when the widow of James Farmer who had died in Johnston County in January of 1761 was named as Mary Burton when the sale and inventory of the estate of James Farmer was exhibited in Johnston County Court.  This record indicates that Richard Burton had married the widow of James Farmer after Ann's death.

Oral family history connecting the family of George Reeves, Sr. of Grayson County, Virginia to Chesterfield County is undoubtedly based upon Burton family history, not Reeves.  A letter written by George Reeves, Sr.'s grandson George W. Reeves before his death circa 1896 stated the following:

"My grandfather's name was George Reeves whose birthplace I am unable to give, but was principally raised in eastern North Carolina. He was born about the year 1704 or 1705 (sic) and came from Neuse River, N.C., to New River, Grayson County, Virginia, about the year 1725 (sic) bringing his wife with him..."

This letter is a complete treasure even though the dates all appear to have been misread when transcribed.  The letter mentions two cousins,  William Reeves and Jeremiah Reeves, who had come to visit in his remembrance, and gives his grandmother's name as Jane Burton.  The letter disproves recent incorrect theories that George's wife was an Epps from Halifax County, Virginia as well as the Chesterfield County, Virginia origins.  A post with more information on this letter can be found at New Data on George Reeves of Grayson County.

Many thanks to excellent Burton researchers like Bob Burton and Anne Burton Washburn who shared their expertise regarding these families with me many years ago.  See post from the Genealogy Forum of years ago with details for the two Richard Burtons (cousins) who settled in Orange and Johnston counties of the Neuse River basin at https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/burton/7193/.

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' Research of Mrs. Helen Trent Hobbs

Map with Indiana Counties
 Greene and Lawrence

Some years ago, I happened upon a posting to the Reeves Forum at Genealogy.com which referred to biographical statements made by George Washington Reeves of Ashe County, North Carolina. George was the son of John Reeves and Phoebe Osborne of Grayson County, Virginia and grandson of George Reeves of that county.  The message contained the following:

From: Smithb13@aol.com
Subject: MORE FROM MRS. HOBBS
Date: Thu, 8 Jul 1999 04:23:47

ONE GEORGE REAVES WAS BORN IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA ABOUT 1704 AND LEFT DESCENDENTS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.IN 1897 ONE GEORGE W. REAVES WROTE "MY GRANDFATHER WAS GEORGE REAVES...PRINCIPALLY REARED IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...CAME FROM THE NEUSE RIVER, NORTH CAROLINA,TO NEW RIVER, GRAYSON COUNTY,VA. ABOUT 1725 (sic), BRINGING HIS WIFE WITH HIM.  HE CONTINUES WITH THE STATEMENT THAT HIS FATHER WAS A COUSIN OF THE EDWARD REEVES OF BLADEN COUNTY, N.C.  EDWARD REEVES OF BLADEN COUNTY WAS A SON OF WILLIAM REAVIS (SO SPELLED IN HIS WILL) OF NORTHAMPTON COUNTY,NORTH CAROLINA. HIS OBITUARY,EDWARD REAVES OF BLADEN COUNTY WAS PUBLISHED IN THE RALEIGH REGISTER 8/20/1829 AND AHOWS (sic avows?) THAT HE WAS BORN 1724 AND DIED IN BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. 8/3/1829, BEING 105 YEARS OF AGE...

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW EXCEPT THAT I HAVE FIGURED OUT WHO IRENE AUTRY IS OR MUST BE,THE DAUGHTER OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN REAVES AND DORA RACKLEY MARRIED 4/15/1890.

THERE IS AN IRENA REAVES BORN 8/14/1902. SHE COULD BE THE HOLDER OF THE REAVES BIBLE.

The statement that Edward Reeves of Bladen County was named as a son of William Reavis in his will is completely incorrect since the two were approximately the same age and William named no son Edward in his 1784 will. Although there are numerous errors especially the parentage of Edward Reeves of Bladen and most of the dates mentioned, it still has merit and contains many true statements. I have been intrigued by the post primarily because the Y-Chomosome DNA of descendants of George Reeves of Grayson VA is a genetic match to that of the descendants of my ancestor William Reeves of the Neuse River basin.  At the time I happened upon this post, I had previously never found statements eluding to George Reeves' origins in eastern North Carolina. This theory is supported by deed and court records of Orange and Johnston counties of North Carolina which have numerous references to George Reeves and Richard Burton who is believed to have been George's father-in-law. Previously it was believed that George Reeves had come from Chesterfield County, Virginia based upon Dr. A. B. Cox's book Foot Prints on the Sands of Time: A History of Southwestern Virginia and Northwestern North Carolina published in 1900. I have personally been unable to locate any historical record that would place this Reeves' family in Chesterfield County prior to their arrival in the New River area.

Attempts to locate the individual who had submitted this post to the Reeves Genforum list were unsuccessful. Emails to their address as well as to the list administrator were fruitless. I did eventually find that Mrs. Hobbs was Helen Trent Hobbs of Indianapolis, Indiana, the wife of Henry W. Hobbs. Since Mrs. Hobbs included the Grayson County VA and Ashe County NC Reeves in her research, I assume that she had a family connection to them through descendants of George Reeves of Grayson's son William who migrated to Indiana after leaving North Carolina. Most of William's older daughters married and settled in Lawrence and Greene counties in Indiana raising their families there.

Mrs. Hobbs reportedly submitted all of her genealogical research to the Indiana State Library which was said to include a family bible for one of the families included in her research. Most of the individuals who posted to the Reeves Genforum and were searching for Mrs. Hobbs research were unsuccessful in locating it at that library. Hopefully at some point in the future, her research that pertains to the Reeves' family will be located and shared.

December 2017 UPDATE:
After years of searching for the source of Mrs. Hobbs information regarding the statements made by George W. Reeves regarding his grandfather's origins, I recently discovered the source of this information on the Ancestry tree of a distant Reeves' cousin.

Apparently LeRoy Reeves, a descendant of Edward Reeves of Bladen County, North Carolina published a volume titled Ancestral Sketches - Ancestry of William P. and Peter M. Reeves in 1951 which contained information from a letter written by George W. Reeves. New blog post to follow before the end of 2017.

Those Places Thursday - The Cumberland Gap

The Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains section of the Appalachians located just north of the point where Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia meet. Native Americans had used this pass through the mountains long before the American colonists became aware of it. After a team of loggers led by Daniel Boone widened the path and made it more accessible to settlers migrating westward, it became a major passageway through the lower central Appalachians and an important part of the Wilderness Road.

The Cumberland Gap Looking Toward Kentucky

Around the age of 65, my ancestor William Reves left Wake County, North Carolina which had been his home for most or possibly all of his life and migrated to Madison County, Kentucky around 1806.  His youngest sons, George and Jeremiah, had made this trip several years before along with other settlers from the Granville-Wake County area.

William Reves lived most of his life on a 400 acre tract granted to his father William Reves, Sr. in what had been Orange County in the 1750s, Johnston County in the 1760s, then Wake County and is now Durham County.  In her book Durham County - A History of Durham County, North Carolina, Jean Bradley Anderson states "Among the first to take up land in present Durham County were William Reeves, who received 400 acres where Ellerbee Creek runs into Neuse River (1746)".

In August of 1760, as William Reaves, Jr. he registered his cattle brand in Orange County.  He is found listed in the minutes of the Wake County Court from the county's inception in 1771 through 1803. He is recognized as a Revolutionary War Patriot based upon his civil service as a tax assessor in Wake County during the revolution by the DAR. From the 1770's, he served on juries, was overseer of roads, assessor and tax gatherer in Captain Woodson Daniel's district and from 1787 to 1803 was a Magistrate Justice of the Wake County Court.

Many of the documents that refer to him spell his name Reeves, but he and his sons who were all literate, always spelled their name Reves which tends to set them apart from the many other Reeves families of North Carolina.  DNA of several of his descendants also establishes that they were unrelated to the other Reeves families in the Neuse basin but to date no records have been found with clues to their origins.

His final appearance as a justice of the Wake County Court is recorded in 1803 and on Sept. 16th, 1806, his son William Jr. sold his 130 acre tract south of Ellobey's Creek. These were the last records for either of them in Wake County and by the 1810 census, both are recorded in Madison County, Kentucky.  

Several years ago my cousin and I made a trip to North Carolina by way of southern Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap into Virginia and drove a two lane highway through the Appalachians from Virginia into North Carolina. Even in a modern vehicle on modern roads, it is apparent what an accomplishment it was for my 65 year old 4th great grandfather to make such a trip through the Cumberland Gap in 1806.

George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia

It was previously believed that George Reeves who settled in the New River area of Virginia and North Carolina around 1767 was descended from Henry Reeves of Essex County, Virginia through his son Thomas and came to the New River area from Chesterfield County, Virginia. After DNA tests on several of the descendants of George Reeves matched descendants of William Reeves of Wake County, North Carolina, research of that area has produced numerous deeds and other court documents which appear to pertain to this George Reeves.

There are countless Johnston County deeds circa 1762 to 1765 with references to both George Reeves and Richard Burton, believed to be the father of Jane Burton Reeves, such as: Richard Burton, Johnston County, to Samuel Peek, Buckingham Co, Virginia, 314 Acres in Johnston County, the plantation whereon said Burton now lives beginning at Wm. Reeves corner red oak on the bank of Neuse river, running thence on his line S23½º W crossing Ellobies creek several times 98p to his corner pine: S23½ W 160p to a corner pine: S65 E210p to a pine: N24 E184p crossing Gut several times to a blazed White Oak on Neuse River, just above the mouth of said Gut: up said River by several meanders to 1st sta…houses, orchard &c…Ann Burton∗ wife to Richard Burton examined privately by Lod. Tanner Esq. Wit: John Alston, Thomas Webb, Wm. Bradford, Johnston County, October 13, 1763.

The exact family relationship between George Reeves and William Reeves of Wake County is currently undocumented but the genetic match is close enough that they may have been brothers. Among the many details that connect these two families is their use of the name REVES rather than the many other variations - Reeves, Reaves, Rives. William Reeves and his father William, Sr. both signed their name "Reves". George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia and his heirs also used the Reves spelling of the name. In subsequent generations, many descendants of both families changed to the more commonly used spelling of Reeves while some descendants maintained the original spelling of Reves.

It appears as though both Richard Burton and George Reeves sold their property in Johnston County around 1765 which would coincide with the appearance of both men in the New River area around 1767. Additionally a Johnston County court order of July 15, 1766 wherein Timothy Shaw was replacing George Reeves as overseer of the road would presumably be a result of George Reeves' removal from Johnston County.

From The Virginia magazine of history and biography, pub 1922 by the Virginia Historical Society - "...It was originally surveyed in 1753 for Peter Jefferson, Thomas and David Meriwether and Thomas Walker. It was the Peach Bottom tract. John Cox settled there the same year. George Collins and George Reeves settled there in 1767."

In George Reeves' deposition for Beavins (Blevins) vs. Newell — O. S. 174; N. S. 62 — Bill, 27th September, 1805, he stated that he was present in the New River area as early as 1767.

George Reaves was on the 1771, 1772, 1773 and 1774 tithables lists of Cornelius Roberts in extinct Fincastle County, Virginia.

He appears on the 1787 tax list of Montgomery County with 100 acres. In 1789 he was living in Grassy Creek/Fox Creek area of Grayson County near Daniel, Elisha and John Blevins, Robert Osborne and Ezeiel Young. The New River area changed state and county designations several times and by 1793, George and his son, Jesse, are listed in the tax lists of Wythe County, Virginia.

As George "Reaves", he received a grant for 200 aces on the waters of the New River in Montgomery County on May 18, 1796 and another for 100 acres on the north side of that river adjoining his own line on the west on May 30, 1796.

The children of George and Jane Burton Reeves were Jesse, William, Anne who married Bartholomew Austin, Mary who married Joseph Doughton, Susanna who married William Tolliver, George Jr., Lucy who married David Cox, Jr., Prudence who married Andrew Cox, Charity who married Zachariah Osborne, John and Elizabeth who married Samuel Phipps.



∗ The wife of Richard Burton was previously believed to be Mary; however all records for Richard Burton prior to around 1765 list his wife as Ann. In Apr 1765: Exhibited into court, a sale and inventory of the estate of James Farmer, decd, by Mary Burton, Executrix. Recorded in Johnston Co, NC County Court Minutes. Research by Burton Family researchers indicates that Ann Burton died sometime before 1765 after which Richard Burton married Mary, the widow of James Farmer who had died in 1761 in Johnston County.

The family of George Reeves, Sr. at The Reeves Project

Other posts in this blog about George Reeves of Grayson County, Virginia

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New Data on George Reeves of Grayson County
Wilkes County's George Reeves Mystery
The Rest of the Story
Another Episode of the Epps Wife Fantasy
More Reeves Signatures

Who was Eli Reeves?

Eli Reeves origins are unknown as well as the date of his arrival in Johnston County, North Carolina, but by 1778 he was recorded there in the following deeds:

Deed from William Pitman to Eli Reves, 50 acres on south side of the Neuse River, April 25 1778. A second deed, dated the same day, conveyed 60 acres to Eli Reves on the Neuse River, beginning at the Neuse to Watery Branch down to the mouth of the River.

Eli Reves sold 40 acres on the south side of the Neuse River, to James Lockhart on February 22, 1779, beginning at the mouth of the first small branch.

Eli Reves, planter, sold 50 acres on the Neuse River, part of 2 tracts, to James Lockhart, January 10, 1780. The land began at the mouth of Wartery Branch on the Neuse, up the Branch and then due east to Deep Branch. Eli Reaves signed by a mark.

(Source: ''Weynette Parks Haun, Johnston County, North Carolina, Abstracts: Deed Books H-1, I-1, K, L-1, 1771-1782, vol. 13, Durham, NC'')

Early in 1781, Eli died in Montgomery County, North Carolina at the home of a Capt. Chiles. On the 25th of February 1781, Capt. Chiles gave a statement regarding Eli's death and his final wishes regarding his estate which was recorded in Johnston County as a nuncupative will in May of 1781. Capt. Chiles' statement includes no explanation of Eli's presence in Montgomery County, but considering the date, it's possible that Eli was serving in a militia unit during the Revolution.

Nuncupative Will of Eli Reeves
Original in NC Archives, Raleigh

A search of the extant Johnston County records has produced no guardian records for the children Eli mentioned in his spoken will. The only information regarding his wife is the given name Elizabeth which was recorded in the Johnston County Court Orders when she presented the will for probate in May of 1781.

Reverse Side of Will

Since there were no other Reeves' families living in Johnston County at the time of Eli's death, it is very probable that the Elizabeth Reeves who married Samuel Baldwin on 13 Jan 1783 was his widow. It is also likely that the following Reeves children recorded in marriage records of Johnston County were his children - Molley Reeves who married William Rainwater on 16 Nov 1787; Betsy Reeves who married William Roberts, Jr. on 12 Oct 1793; and Levi Reeves who married Elizabeth "Betsy" Norris nee Britt on 23 Aug 1802.

A large portion of the records of Johnston County were destroyed in a fire at the Lenoir County Courthouse along with the records of Dobbs County, making it doubtful that any of these assertions could ever be proven but hopefully someday a few more tidbits of information will be found to fill in some of the missing details of Eli Reeves' life and the lives of his children.

(Photos of original statement of Capt. Chiles recorded as Eli Reeves' will in North Carolina Archives in Raleigh.)