Reeve, Robert

Summary

Father:
Mother:

Birth:
Birth Source:

Death: c1681, Connecticut
Death Source: Will, Probate

Spouse1: Ann Skinner
Spouse2: Elizabeth Nott

Narrative

Children of Robert Reeve and Ann Skinner:

1. Sarah Reeve, b. 25 Dec 1663
2. Mary Reeve, b. 31 Jul 1665

Children of Robert Reeve and Elizabeth Nott:

1. Elizabeth Reeve, b. Dec 1668
2. Hanna Reeve, b. Oct 1670
3. Nathaniel Reeve, b. Oct 1672, d. bef 10 Jan 1683
4. Robert Reeve, b. Apr 1675
5. Ann Reeve, b. Apr 1675, d. bef 10 Jan 1683
6. Abraham Reeve, b. Sep 1677
7. Mehitable Reeve, b. Mar 1679/80, m. John Peck, Nov 1707

The will only names his wife Elizabeth, but the probate record names the children who received distributions. The will is dated in Dec 1680 and the inventory is dated 11 Feb 1680, a few weeks later. See Research Note 1 below.

The probate record records the ages of the children as follows:

his children
Sarah Dece: 25. 82 is 19 years old
Mary July 31. 82 is 17 y
Eliz Decemb: 1682 is 14 y
Hanah Octob 1682 is 12 y
Natha: Octob 1682 is 10 y
Robt Aprill 1682 is 7 y
Ann Aprill 1682 is 7 y
Abraham Septr 1682 is 5 y
Mehetabell March 1682/3 is 3 y

One of the entries in the estate record from 10 Jan 1683 state that Nathaniel and Ann had died. (Records, p354)

In the estate of John Skinner, the wife of Robert Reeve (unnamed) received a share as an heir (Records, p150). This was either his daughter Ann or Mary. An analysis of John Winthrop, Jr.'s medical journal shows that young John Skinner, Mary Skinner, Ann Skinner, and John Colt (the other son-in-law of the elder John Skinner) were employed by the elders in Hartford. Several entries show that (contrary to what was previously held), Ann was the wife of Robert. The dates imply she was the mother of his first two children.

Research Notes

(1) Britain and its Colonies (which at this time included substantial parts of the eastern seaboard of what is now the United States of America) did not adopt the (current) Gregorian calendar until 1 January 1752. Under the earlier Julian calendar in Britain and the British Dominions, the first day of the new calendar year was Lady Day, 25 March. At this time 31 December 1680 was followed by 1 January 1680 and 24 March 1680 was followed by 25 March 1681. Scotland had already adopted 1 January as the start of the calendar year in 1600 and some contemporary documents will reflect both years, for example 11 Feb 1680/1.

See Wikipedia - Calendar (New Style) Act 1750 and
and Wikipedia - Gregorian calendar - Adoption

Sources

1681 Will - Robert Reeve - Hartford County, Connecticut, Probate Book 5, pp. 57, 58
Robert Reeve Estate File - Hartford County, Connecticut (Ancestry)
A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records, p354 (Vol 4, p82)
A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records, p150 (Vol 2, p32)
Harris, Gale I. "The Skinner Wives of Robert Reeve and John Colt of Hartford and Windsor, Connecticut. An Old Mix-Up." The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT