Reeve, Thomas
Summary
Father: Thomas ReevesMother: Mary Wells
Birth: 20 Apr 1739
Birth Source: Southold Town Records
Death: 1 Apr 1822
Death Source: Headstone
Spouse1: Elizabeth Cleaves, m. 14 Jan 1762
Narrative
Children of Thomas Reeve and Elizabeth Cleaves:- Nathaniel Reeve, b. c1764
- Deborah Reeve, b. c1764
- Martin Luther Reeve, b. c1765, d. 28 Dec 1765
- Mary Reeve, b. c1769
- James Reeve, b. c1769
- Elizabeth Reeve, b. c1771
Thomas, like his brothers, appears to have switched to using Reeve instead of Reeves. He apparently moved to Orange County area by the late 1770's as he appears next to his brother James in some tax lists in 1779 in Goshen.
He appears not far from his brother Elijah in 1790 in Mamakating. He had 2 other males 16 and up and one under 16 with him, along with three females.
From there, he appears to have moved to Wallkill by 1800 where he appears in the census. Based on the numbers and ages, he may have had one of his children's family with him.
He had a headstone placed in the Loree Cemetery in Westtown according to Wesley Baker. It was later taken and put into a curio shop in New York City. Several references to it appear below.
From Wesley Baker's Study of the Reeve Family:
He died April 1, 1822 in his 85rd year and was buried in Loree Cemetery on the road from Westtown to Pine Island, Orange County, N. Y. His gravestone was removed during a highway project and found its way to the Biru antique shop at 1255 First Ave., near 67th St, New York City. There it was found, a small red stone, in 1966 when our attention was called to an article about the Biru antique shop and Thomas Reeve's gravestone, in the New York Daily News of March 6, 1965. It incorrectly gave his age as 85 we examined the stone and found it is inscribed 83.
Daily News, Mar 06, 1965
Many things in their implausible little curio shop on First Ave. and 67th St. aren't for sale. They'll never part with a huge metal pretzel used as a store sign; a 19-foot spiral staircase they got from a lighthouse; or a tombstone on which is engraved: "In Memory of Thomas Reeve Who Departed This Life April 1, 1822, In the 85 Year of His Age."
The Yesteryears publication has an article on the Reeve family which states the following concerning Thomas:
Recently his stone was taken from an Orange Co., cemetery and was in the possession of a curio shop in N Y C. He died 4-1-1823 in his 83rd year.
Wesley Baker concludes that this is the Thomas Reeve, Jr. who married Elizabeth Cleaves at Mattituck and whose children were baptized there. This seems to fit as his death is not recorded there. His wife died in 1771 and he was in Goshen by 1779, so it appears he moved with the children not long after her death.
Marriage from Mattituck Presbyterian Church Records:
- Thomas Reeve, Jr. | Elizabeth Cleaves | Both of this Town | Jan 14, 1762
Baptisms from Mattituck Presbyterian Church Records:
- Nathaniel Reeve | Thomas & Elizabeth | Sept 30 1764
- Deborah Reeve | Thomas & Elizabeth | Sept 30 1764
- Martin Luther Reeve | Thomas & Elizabeth | Nov 17, 1765
- Mary Reeve | Thomas & Elizabeth | Sep 17 1769
- James Reeve | Thomas & Elizabeth | Sep 17 1769
- Elizabeth Reeve | Thomas & Elizabeth | June 20, 1771
Deaths from Mattituck Presbyterian Church Records:
- Martin Luther Reeve | Dec 28, 1765 | Son of Thos & Elizabeth
- Elizabeth Reeve | July 1, 1771 | Wife of Thomas
- Elizabeth Reeve | Aug 17, 1771 | Daughter of Thomas
Research Notes
Sources
Marriage1: Mattituck Presbyterian Church Records - 1751-1809 Record BookBirth: The New York genealogical and biographical record, vol. 39, p58
1790 Census: Mamkating, Ulster County, New York
1800 Census: Wallkill, Orange County, New York
1779 April Tax List - Goshen, New York
1779 October Tax List - Goshen, New York
Baker, Wesley L. (1970). Study of the Reeve Family of Southold, Long Island, N. Y...', p426
Daily News, Mar 06, 1965
Yesteryears, Vol. 9, No. 35, Mar 1966, p124