Reaves, Jane (nee unknown)

Summary

Father: Unknown
Mother: Unknown

Birth: probably circa 1720-30
Birth Source: Estimation only

Death: Unknown, after 1763
Death Source: Executed deed 8 Nov 1763

Spouse1: Unknown possibly Thomas Rives/Reaves UNDOCUMENTED

Narrative

POSSIBLE child of Thomas Rives (Reaves) and Jane: (UNDOCUMENTED)

1. Hardy Reaves

Jane Reaves is named as the grantor in a deed on page 185 of Deed Book 6 (April 1758 to April 1765) recorded in the index of that book in Dobbs County, North Carolina. The index lists the grantor as Jane Reaves and grantee as Charles Miller. There are no other listings for Jane in the extant deed indexes of Dobbs County; however she is listed as of Dublin County in a 1763 deed recorded in that county.

The deed, for 200 acres conveyed to Jane Reaves on 8 Nov 1763 by William Richeson is for a tract of land in Duplin County on John Young's path. The deed mentions that the property was originally granted to Patrick Stewart by patent (patton) dated the 29th of September, 1750. Additional research for Patrick Stewart found that a history of this Stewart family stated that "On Sep. 29, 1750, Patrick (Stewart) was granted 200 acres on John Young's path between Six Runs and Goshen swamp in Sampson [then in Duplin] County." This information places the property between the Black River and the Northeast Cape Fear River and not in the area where the Reaves family later of Wayne County settled.

Research Notes

Jane may have been a spinster or she could have been the widowed mother of Hardy Reaves who was a resident of Duplin County by 1770. Descendants of Hardy Reaves are still found in the Mt. Olive area close to the location of Jane's 200 acres. If Jane had a family connection to the Richeson family it is also of interest that a Hardy Richeson was found in a deed in this same area of Duplin County.

A Thomas Reaves is listed in the Deed Book 5, 1757-1758, deed indexes of Dobbs County (Extinct), North Carolina and in the index of Deed Book 6, 1758-1765, a Joseph Reaves who is very likely his brother Joseph Rives is also listed.

Thomas Reaves does not appear in the Dobbs deed indexes again after the 1757-1758 entry; however in Deed Book 6, 1758-1765, a Jane Reaves is found as a grantor in that index. In 1763 Jane Reaves is again found in the deeds of adjoining Duplin County. Jane was undoubtedly a widow and since she appears in the area deeds immediately after the disappearance of Thomas Reaves, it is highly likely that she may have been his widow.

The land that Jane Reaves purchased in Duplin County was in the area of Mt. Olive based upon landmarks and watercourses related to the area of the property conveyed to her as described above. Mt. Olive, North Carolina was the location of the family of Hardy Reaves . Recently three descendants of Hardy Reaves have participated in the Reeves DNA Project and are matches to members of the Rives family all of whom are found in DNA Group 8.

Although this does not constitute proof that Hardy Reaves is descended from Thomas and Jane Reaves, it adds to an accumulation of evidence in support of such a family connection.

Sources

Index, Deed Book 6 - April 1758 to April 1765, Dobbs County NC
1763 deed, Duplin County NC Deed Book 1, pgs 359-360