Reeves, Ann (nee GRUNCELL/Grunsell)

Summary

Father: Moses GRUNCELL
Mother: Elizabeth MATHEWS

Birth: c1774 at King Somborne, Hampshire
Birth Source: Baptism & 1851 census

Death:
Death Source:

Spouse1: probably Stephen Reeves

Narrative

Aside from her appearances on the 1841 & 1851 census enumerations, very little is known with certainty about Ann. However, it is possible to make many inferences.

On the 1841 census taken on 6 June, Ann REEVES appears as head of household in King Somborne Hampshire. She is 60 years old and was a School Mistress. The only other member of the household is Mary Reeves (age 15). Both claim birth in county (that is in Hampshire).

At the time of the 1851 census, on 30 March, Ann REEVES appears as a member of the household of Hugh GODDARD and his wife Mary. Ann is 76 years old and claims birth in Kings Somborne, Hampshire. Her occupation is again given as School Mistress and her relationship to the head of household is Mother-in-Law.

FreeBMD's marriage index has an entry for Hugh GODDARD marrying Mary REEVES in the second quarter of 1848 in the Stockbridge Registration District, which includes Kings Somborne, adding credence to the relationship between Hugh and Ann. Mary Goddard (nee Reeves) is 29 years old and claims birth in Kings Somborne.

Also present in the same household are two visitors. The second is Mary Ann GRACE (or similar, the surname is difficult to read) who claims birth in Brampton, Huntingdonshire and is therefore unlikely to be directly related to this REEVES family. The first visitor is Harriot (sic) TAYLOR, age 55, born Kings Somborne, a Gardener's wife. On the 1861 census Harriet appears with her husband Charles TAYLOR, from which it is possible to find the marriage of Charles TAYLOR to HARRIET REEVES in May 1816 in Crawley, Hampshire¹ It is then possible to back track to the 1841 census and find the same Harriet TAYLOR in the household of Charles TAYLOR, a Gardener².

Harriet REEVES, the daughter of Stephen REEVES and Ann, was baptised³ at the end of April 1795 at Kings Somborne, which neatly fits Harriot/Harriet TAYLOR on the 1851 & 1861⁴ census returns.

Stephen REEVES married Anne GRUNSELL (sic) in early April 1795 at Kings Somborne⁵.

Ann GRUNCELL (sic) the daughter of Moses and Elizabeth GRUNCELL was baptised in August 1774 at Kings Somborne⁶, which fits the date and place of birth of our subject Ann REEVES on the 1851 census.

Inconveniently, there seems to be no further baptism's of children by Stephen and Ann Reeves recorded in the Hampshire Genealogical Society's index, which means Mary GODDARD (nee REEVES) is not tightly tied to Stephen & Ann. Do you have a copy of the marriage certificate of Hugh GODDARD and Mary REEVES, which shows her father's name & occupation?

It would be feasible for Stephen & Ann to have strayed a few miles into nearby Wiltshire but on all the census returns reviewed Mary GODDARD claims birth in Hampshire (1841) and specifically Kings Somborne, Hampshire. Perhaps they were non-conformists, Kings Somborne had a non-established church. The idea that Mary Goddard (nee Reeves) was on fact her grand-daughter raised as her daughter should also not be discounted in the absence of any other information supporting the relationship stated on the 1851 census. At the time of Mary's birth Ann would have been aged 48 and Harriet aged 28.

Ann Reeves' maiden name and the blood relationship between Mary to Ann is perhaps reinforced by the registered name of Hugh & Mary's son Hugh Gruncell GODDARD⁷.

Ann Reeves has not been identified on the 1861 census. She was not living with Hugh & Mary GODDARD nor Charles & Harriet TAYLOR and it is presumed she has died in the preceding decade. It is possible hers is the death registered in Stockbridge Registration District in 2q1851.

Research Notes

The surname name Gruncell/Grunsell is relatively rare. From the 1851 census of England and Wales, GRUNCELL is found in Hampshire just 17 times and in Yorkshire 7 times. GRUNSELL occurs in Hampshire 73 times, YKS 5, WAR 5 DEV 4, SSX 4, LDN 2, KEN 1, GLS 1, and HRT 1.

It is interesting to note other occurrences of the use of the family name Gruncell as a given name within the extended Goddard family group. In addition to Hugh Gruncell GODDARD, son of Hugh Goddard & Mary (nee Reeves) noted above⁷ in 1853, we have

• Ann Grunvell (sic) GODDARD daughter of Michael & Sarah GODDARD, who is sister of Hugh GODDARD, Mary's husband. Ann Grunvell (sic) GODDARD by was baptised in December 1829⁸.
• William Gruncell GODDARD, son of the same Michael & Sarah GODDARD baptised in November 1831⁹.
• Hugh Gruncell GODDARD son of Hugh & Sarah GODDARD baptised in March 1818 in Stockbridge¹⁰.

These are the only three individuals with a given name of Grun*ell in the period 1813-1841 in the HGS Baptism Index perhaps pointing to an earlier link between Goddard & Gruncell families. All are the grandchildren of Hugh GODDARD and his wife Ann (maiden name unknown). There are no such occurrences in the 1752-1812 HGS Baptism index.

Note also Hugh GODDARD's younger brother Edward (born c 1835) is shown on the 1851 census with occupation of "Pupil Teacher (at) King Somborne School".

Sources

Birth:       
Baptism:   Hampshire Genealogical Society - Baptism Index
Marriage: Hampshire Genealogical Society - Marriage Index
Death:     Perhaps FreeBMD Death Registrations 2q 1852 in Stockbridge Reg. Dist.
                 
1841 Census: HO107, Piece 0401, Book 11, Folio 7 reverse, Page 11
1851 Census: HO107, Piece 1672, Folio 235 reverse, Page 29
1861 Census:

¹     Hampshire Genealogical Society - Marriage Index
²     HO107, Piece 0392, Book 3, Folio 38 reverse, Page 17 - Charles & Harriet TAYLOR
³     Hampshire Genealogical Society - Baptism Index
⁴     RG9, Piece 0712, Folio 71 face, Page 15 - Charles & Harriet TAYLOR
⁵     Hampshire Genealogical Society - Marriage Index
⁶     Hampshire Genealogical Society - Baptism Index
⁷     FreeBMD Birth Registration 4q1853 in Stockbridge Registration District
⁸     Hampshire Genealogical Society - Baptism Index in 1829 at Houghton
⁹     Hampshire Genealogical Society - Baptism Index in 1832 at Houghton
¹⁰   Hampshire Genealogical Society - Baptism Index in 1818 at Stockbridge