Reeve, John

Summary

Father: John Reeves
Mother: Unknown

Birth: 1789, Georgia
Birth Source: 1850 Census

Death: 20 Feb 1867, Amite County, Mississippi
Death Source: Probate Vol. 29 p. 190, Amite MS

Spouse1: Mattea Drane, m. 4 Jan 1812 in Columbia County, Georgia
Spouse2: Elizabeth Andrews, m. 20 May 1823 in Amite County, Mississippi
Spouse3: Elizabeth Dunn, m. 18 Nov 1833 in Amite County, Mississippi

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Narrative

Probable child of John Reeve and unknown wife, probably Mattea Drane:

1. Thomas Reeve, b. 1822 Georgia, d. before 1867

Probate documents of John Reeve's estate in Amite County, MS state that he had no heirs and names nieces and nephews as legatees, but as the 1830 and 1840 census show, he appears to have had children who may have died very young. The grandson Thomas mentioned in his father's will must surely have been his child for his brother Thomas does not appear to have married until 1831 and no son Thomas was listed in his household in census records.

John was living in Amite County, MS by around 1823 when he married Elizabeth Andrews. He consistently used the Reeve variation of the name.

In the 1830 census of Amite County, Mississippi, John Reeve age 50-59 (sic?) is recorded with a household that consists of 2 males ‹5, 1 male 5-9, 1 male 50-59 (sic? age is listed as 50-59 in the 1840 census also), 1 female ‹5, 1 female 20-29 and 6 slaves.

His household in the 1840 census of Amite County consists of 1 male 20-29, 1 male 50-59, 1 female 5-9, 1 female 30-39 and 38 slaves.

By the 1860 census, John's wife Elizabeth had died and an 18 year old Eliza Reeves, born in Louisiana, was the only other resident in the household other than the overseer.

A Randolph Reeve, who was born in Georgia in 1820, married Clementine Ewell on 17 May 1846 in Amite, MS. Randolph appeared to be a likely candidate as a child of John Reeve's but Randolph was living in 1867 and was not mentioned in probate records of the estate. Randolph Reeve is known to have migrated to Louisiana by 1860 before settling in Comal County, Texas around 1880. He died in Blanco County, Texas in 1891. The name Randolph was used several times in the family of Spencer Reeves who appears to be John Reeves' brother and may possibly be the father of Randolph Reeve.

Also of note, is John Reeve's next neighbor in the 1850 census was William Ewell, brother of Randolph Reeve's wife Clementine. This William L. Ewell also served as an executor of the estate of John Reeve in 1867.

Probate documents in Amite, MS regarding the 1867 estate of John Reeve who died without heirs, clarify the children born to his father, John Reeve's first two wives. They name the heir of his sister Rebecca Harden, dec'd, Nancy Atkins. Also named are any heirs of his sisters Susannah Baggett, dec'd and Sarah Englett, dec'd. Thomas Reeve, dec'd, is indicated as his half-brother. Thomas' heirs are mentioned as being in Louisiana and Texas. John Reeve also named Polly Harden as his half-sister. These named siblings coincide with the children named in the 1832 Will of John Reeve of Columbia County, Georgia.

Sources

1833 Will of John Reeves, Columbia County, Georgia
1830 Census - Amite County, Mississippi
1840 Census - Amite County, Mississippi
1850 Census - Amite County, Mississippi
1860 Census - Amite County, Mississippi
Amite County, Mississippi Probate Vol. 29, pgs 190, 381, 532, 550, 571
Sale of Land, Amite County, Mississippi Probate Vol 30 p. 580-581