Reaves, William Jr.

Summary

Father: William Reaves
Mother: Elizabeth Carraway

Birth: c1767 Wayne County, North Carolina
Birth Source: 1790 Will of William Reaves, Sr. and Family Bible

Death: 16 Apr 1826 Hancock County, Georgia
Death Source: Family Bible of Lydia Gladin

Spouse1: Elizabeth Purvis, Wayne County, North Carolina

---

Narrative

Children of William Reaves, Jr. and Elizabeth Purvis:

1. Elizabeth Reaves, b. 13 Jan 1796 (?), m. Isaac Duncan on 12 Jan 1810
2. Civil Reaves, b. 4 Aug 1795, m. David Hitchcock on 6 Sep 1821
3. Jesse Reaves, b. 7 May 1797
4. Mary Reaves, b. 28 Mar 179(9). She may have died unmarried, c. 1846, in Hancock Co., GA.
5. William Reaves, b. 16 Dec 1801
6. Lydia Reaves, b. 12 Feb 1803; m. Jonathan Gladin, 8 May 1821
7. Elizabeth Reaves, b. 12 Apr 1805
8. Anna Reaves, b. 23 Apr 1807; m. Eli McWhorter on 27 Mar 1828
9. John Reaves, b. 7 Apr 1809
10. Joseph B. Reaves, b. 27 Jan 1812
11. Benjamin Reaves, b. 18 May 1814
12. Stephen Reaves, b. 3 Sep 1816
13. Sarah Reaves, b. 18 Jan 1819

Children's birthdates from the family bible of Lydia Reaves Gladin in the Georgia Archives.

There is much dissention and debate regarding the parents of William Reaves of Hancock County, Georgia. One school of thought is that he was the son of William Reaves of Wayne County and a brother to Lee Reaves who appears in Hancock County, Georgia at the same time and is associated with William in the affairs of the Darien Baptist Church. However, there are dissenting opinions that William Reaves father was a John Reaves. This line needs much research into the extant records of Wayne County, North Carolina and Hancock, Georgia to find documentation and a resolution to the divergent theories.

William Reaves received a land warrant for 216 acres in Hancock County, Georgia in January of 1814.

Darien Baptist Church, created at Long's bridge, near Linton, Hancock County, Georgia, was constituted on 6 Dec 1794, by Elders John Henderson, John Hainey, Joseph Baker, James Sanders, John Colter, William Griggs, Cader Powell, and William Reaves.

The 1820 census of Hancock County, Georgia lists a William Reaves, Senr. along with a Lee Reaves.

From the history of Darien Baptist Church in Hancock County, Georgia , Lee Reaves, James Gladden, and William Reaves, were appointed to lay off a tract of land, and take tithes to it, for the purpose of building a meeting house in December, 1824.

Elizabeth Purvis Reaves was still living in Hancock Co., GA, in 1840. She was enumerated near her son-in-law Jonathan Gladin and near Matthew Pound, who may have been the husband of her daughter Sarah. By the 1850 census, she was the head of a household that included William Hitchcock, age 25; Mary Hitchcock, age 19; and Sarah Reeves 3 who were likely grandchildren.

Sources

1790 Will of William Reaves, Sr., Wayne County, NC
1814 Land Warrant in Hancock County GA, online at Family Search
History of Darien Baptist Church, Hancock County, Georgia
Family Bible of Lydia Reaves Gladin
Georgia, Marriages, 1808-1967 online database at Family Search