Reeve, Francis

Summary

Father: John Reeve
Mother: possibly Elizabeth

Birth:
Birth Source:

Death: aft 1702
Death Source: Land Patent

Spouse1:

Narrative

Francis Reeve lived in Henrico County, Virginia and appears frequently in the early record books for the County. He is almost certainly the same Francis Reeve who is mentioned in Cavaliers and Pioneers as being transported by Mr. Giles Webb on 29 Apr 1692. Interestingly, the entry notes that Mr. Webb received 344 acres of land in Henrico County joining Mr. Francis Reeve and others. This would indicate that Francis Reeve had been there for some time previous and likely was returning from a visit to England. Although Francis Reeve is mentioned frequently in the Henrico records, there is no indication there were multiple men of that name in the County.

Francis appears on almost every other page of book 2 and 3 of the early Henrico County Records books. He appeared to have frequently sued and been sued by others in relation to debts, accusations stealing, and other issues. What follows are summaries of some sample entries concerning him:

• Feb 1689: Fra Reeve brought suit against Samuel Birdgewater accusing him of not honoring his lease as Reeve's tenant
• Aug 1689: "Charles City County. Judgement is granted sd Francis Reeve plt agt Zacheus Ellis defendt for three pounds seventeen shillings & ten pence sterling as ye bill of an acct swore to by the plt on open court wh costs al exc. - Hugh Davis DCC (Recorded 23 Sep 1689) (3, p12)
• Aug 1690: "Fra Reeve" arrested Nathaniel Cardall and brought him to court to answer charges of hog stealing. Details of time and place of the crime were not provded and so the case was conceded. (2, p339)
• Oct 1690: Statement by William Cattling aged about 30 years - "That some time on or about ye 22d of July last the Depont being at work at ye house of Mr. Fra Reeve & coming unto his Blence? about his lawfull occasions ye sd Reeve did tax ye deft with stealing hoggs & called him hoggstealer rogue &c; to wch ye depont retorting. Bid him look at home or ye like words at wch sd Reeve did fall upon ye depont & beat him in the face with his fist severall times; by wch he was prejudiced five shillings paid to ye Decotor for curing his eye then damaged & did also lose six days work thereby." (5, p156)
• Oct 1690: "This day being ye first of October Ad 1690 Mr Fra Reeves did in open Court acquitt release & discharge Ralph Mason & Edward Webb his servts from all & all manner of accon or informacon wch he now hath or might have agt them or either of them for or concerning theyr or either of their unlawfully killing or stealing any hogg or hoggs or their or either of their consenting or being accessory thereto - Teste Hon Randolph Cl Cur" (5, p161)
• Jun 1691: Mr. Fra Reeve was sworn in as foreman of the Grand jury for the County for 1691 (5, p209)
• Oct 1691: Francis appears to have had a number of servants. There was a court case between "Michl Turpin plt & M Fra Reeve deft for four hundred pds of tob & carg for the cure of a servt belonging to ye sd deft who in some short time after his recovery again fell sick of another disease & thereof dyed." (2, p288)
• Dec 1691: Francis Reeve of Henrico, Gent. to William Byrd Esq of the same - for 1953 pds of tobacco & 5 lb 17 shillings & ten pence sterling - and also 7000 pds tobacco to Capt Tho Cocke Jun & Capt William Farras who have seized & levyed execucon on ye estate of ye sd Reeves... 1200 acres - which Francis Reeve purchased of Rowland Place Esq (5, p277)
• Although not chronological, the first mention appears under the Aug 1692 Term Court with an entry that is not very clear: "Fra Reeve & Will Puckett...according to law" (Record Book 1, p483)
• Aug 1692: "Mr. Fra Reeve and Will Puckett enter themselves securityes for Mr Tho Chambuleyne's prosecution of his appeal according to law from ye order now past? agt him for an ? to their ma?tus" (1, p482)
• 20 Jan 1693/4: An agreement in which William Arrington was to raise a crop of tobacco upon the land of Francis Reeve (5, p578)
• Dec 1694: Edward Chilton arrested Francis Reeve and brought him to court for fourteen hundred and sixty pounds of tobacco etc due by bills he held. (3, p34)
• 2 Apr 1695: "Ffra" Reeve and Susanna Marrin witnessed a deed from James More to his "cousin John More sone of my brother Anthony More" (5, p575)
• 1 Aug 1695: Francis Reeve of Henrico County sold to Allandon Clarke of the same two hundred acres of land in Henrico on the north side of James River. This was part of some land Reeve had bought from Rowland Place Esq and known as the Almonds plantation. There was a dispute about the boundaries of the land that had to be decided by Capt. William Randolph, Capt. Peter Field, and Capt. Francis Epes. (5, p589)
• 3 Aug 1698: Signed a power of attorney to a friend (name unreadable). It was proven in Court in Aug 1702. (1697-1704, p293)

Francis was also mentioned frequently in the Charles City County Court Order books as early as 1688. This entry incorrectly refers to Thomas Reeves, but the name Edward Tuffin indicates this also is a reference to Francis as the Henrico County records also refer to a case concerning Edward Tuffin. (Court Order 1687-1695, p162). The case with Zaccheus Ellis is also mentioned (Orders, p200).
Petition of Tho. Reeve agst Tho. Smith and Edward Tuffin, his servants, referred to next court, in regard it is very dubious whether or not a hired servant shall be equally punishable as an indentured servant if he strikes his master, for which offense Reeve complains.

The only other Reeve(s) mentioned in the early Henrico County records was Susanna Reeve who stated in 1692 that she planned to go back to England. It is doubtful that she was his wife as he doesn't appear to have ever left Virginia and apparently had significant assetts.

An article published in Tidewater Virginia Families covers more extsensively the early record entries concerning Francis Reeve and others in Henrico County. Included is a summary on a record entry from 1 Aug 1698:
Francis Reeve signs a pledge to give an annuity of £10 for every year after 1703 during the life of Susannah Marrin, which was given her by her decd father, John Reeve, and to pay £90 to her on Oct 31 1703; if she died before 1703, Gilly Gromma Marrin will release him from payment.

This entry is cited from Weisiger's Henrico Deeds, Vol. 1, p104. The available digital images of the relevant records are unreadable. Th will of Wiltshire Reeve, from Essex, England, mentions his sister "Susan Mareen...now or late residing in Virginia aforesaid, all my plantations...personal estates at or near the James River or elsewhere in Virginia." The will of John Reeve, father of Wiltshire, mentions that his son Francis is to pay his sister Susan £10 each year of her natural life. These records solidly tie together Francis Reeve to this Reeve family in Essex, England.

A Francis Reives, presumably this same individual, received a patent of 896 acres in Henrico County in 1703 for transporting six persons to the colony.

Research Notes

Sources

FamilySearch - Henrico County, Virginia Record Books
FamilySearch - Henrico County, Virginia Deed Books, etc.
1689 Case - Reeve vs. Bridgewater - Henrico County, Virginia Record Book 2, p322
Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol. II, p378
Charles City County, Virginia Court Orders, 1687-1695
Betty M. Harris, "Tidewater Virginia Families", Gromarrin? How Do You Spell That?: A Chronology of the Life of Gilly Gromarrin, His Wife, Susanna Reeve, and His Friend, Derby Enroughty, 219
FamilySearch - 1703 Patent To Francis Reives - 896 acres Henrico County - Virginia Land Patents Vol. 9, p574