DNA Group 08 - Home Page
The Current Story for Group 08
Group 8 is a rather large group primarily comprised of descendants of Timothy Rives, an early resident of Virginia. This family is covered in the book Reliques of the Rives by James Rives Childs in which the author traces Timothy's lineage back to Robert Ryves of Randleston and Damory Court in Blandford Forum, England. Most members of Group 8 can trace their lines back to George Rives, John Rives, or Timothy Rives sons of Timothy Rives of Charles City County, Virginia. However, one member traces his lineage back to Robert Ryves's grandson Robert of Randleston, who was a brother to Timothy's ancestor Richard. This proves that the Rives of Virginia and the Ryves of Dorset are indeed connected.This group contains a descendant of Jonathan Reeves who was living in Hickman County, Tennessee in the mid-1800s. His exact connection to Timothy's family has not been determined, although he is thought to be a son or close relative of Jordan Reeves Sr.
Additionally, this group contains a descendant of Green Rives who moved from Dinwiddie County, Virginia to Tennessee in the early 1800s.
It must be noted that over the years, a myth has arisen to the effect that everyone of the Reeves surname descends somehow from Robert Ryves of Damory Court. This was propagated by the popular book The Reeves Review but has been proven categorically false by The Reeves DNA Project. No historic United States Reeves families besides the descendants of the Timothy Rives family found in Prince George, Brunswick and Surrey counties of Virginia are known to descend from the Ryves of Dorset.