Reeves, Anne MNU

Summary

Father: Unknown - probably Peter May
Mother: Unknown

Birth: abt 1740

Death: bef 1800, Wake County, North Carolina
Death Source: 1800 US Census of Wake County NC

Spouse1: William Reeves, Jr., c1760, North Carolina

Narrative

Children of William Reeves Jr. and Anne:

1. Sarah Reeves, b. abt 1762 Johnston or Orange County NC; d. bef April 1822 in Wake County NC
2. Mary Reeves, b. abt 1763, Johnston or Orange County NC; d. aft 1835 in Wake County NC
3. Peter Reeves, b. 1768, Johnston or Orange County NC; d. 28 Mar 1858, Halifax VA
4. William Reeves, Jr., b. abt 1770 Johnston or Orange County NC; d. aft 1840 in Madison County KY
5. Charles Reeves, b. abt 1774, Wake County NC; d. 31 Jul 1833, Stokes County NC
6. John Reeves, b. abt 1777, Wake County NC; d. 1824, Wake County NC
7. George Reeves, b. abt 1780, Wake County NC; d. bef July 1827, Warren County KY
8. Jeremiah Reeves, b. abt 1782, Wake County NC; d. aft 1860, Estill County KY

The only record found thus far for the wife of William Reeves, Jr. is from the Wake County Court Minutes of December Court 1791:

Ordered that John Alston, to whom David and Hester Weaver, Children of Penny Weaver was bound apprentice, be summoned to make his Personal appearance at our next County Court & that he bring said Children with him, into Court, then and there to shew cause if any he hath, wherefore the said Children should not be removed from their apprenticeship, ordered that a summons issue for William Reeves and Any his Wife as Witnesses for the Orphans. From: Wake County Court Minutes 1787 to 1792 by Weynette Parks Hawn, 554-175

Research Notes

The wife of William Reeves was misidentified in the Reeves Review as Fortune Rhodes. See - http://usreeves.blogspot.com/2012/02/reeves-fiction-fortune-rhodes.html

Her actual name was probably Susannah since 5 of their 8 children are known to have named a daughter Susannah or Susan with son Peter naming a daughter Anna. The names of her son Charles Reeves' four children may be an important clue to his mother's identity. He appears to have named each child after one of their four grandparents, i.e. William for his father, George for Obedience's father George Tucker, Catherine for Obedience's mother Catherine Worsham and Susannah is undoubtedly for Charles' mother for whom the only clue to her name is a Wake County Court Order referring to her as Any or Ann.

There is also significance in the repeated use of the surname "May" especially in conjunction with the name Peter in this Reeves' family which with additional research could eventually provide more information on Anne Reeves' origins. Of five Peter Reeves in the next two generations of this family, 4 of the 5 have either the middle name of May or the middle initial "M". The name May is also used as a middle name in several other instances. A May family was present in the Johnston/Orange/Wake area from about 1750 where they were located on property adjacent to that of William Reeves, Jr. in the early 1760's at the time of his marriage. There are also various instances of that May family being associated with this family.

The French Huguenot Refugee
Peter Lemay was a Huguenot Protestant refugee who immigrated from France to Virginia in the early 1700’s on the Nassau, an English ship. Peter began his life in America in King William Co. VA as an indentured servant to Daniel Brabant. By 1705 he was a free but poor man and probably spent the next few years starting a new life in the new world. Such a need would make it understandable why he did not marry for ten or 15 years. He was married by 1720 when Charles Lemay Sr. is estimated to have been born. His first wife’s name is unknown, and she died in the 1730’s or earlier. Peter’s second wife, Sarah, was a young teenager when he married her in about 1734, and together they had 3 children:John, Samuel, and Sarah. Peter died prior to March 1742 at about the age of 60. The children were still very young at the time, and Sarah married Gilbert Gibson who raised Sarah’s children along with his own. Sarah died sometime after 1792. The first records of Peter Lemay are in 1742 when his land was sold by his son Charles Lemay Sr. after his death.
The question arises as to when this French Huguenot man arrived in Virginia. No records for anyone named LeMay or Lemay entering Virginia have been found. However the following record for a Peter May may well be Peter Lemay.

The Executive Journals, Council of Colonial Virginia
May ye 28th 1702...Peter May a French Refugee by his Petition to his Excellencie setting forth yt said May came into this Country in ye Ship Nasaw Capt Richd Trogian Commandr along wth sevll other french Refugees Sent heither by his Maty and that after his coming in one Mr Daniell Brabant did promise to take care of him but afterwards carried him to Court and their bound him for five yeares and then sold him, and praying redress therein. Ordered that yt Complaint of ye said May be Referred to ye Court of King William County yt Justice be doe ye Petitioner in ye Matter by him Represented…
The Nassau was an English ship that brought French refugees, who were Huguenot Protestants, to Virginia to the York River in 1700 as the following record shows. Probably the clerk at the Virginia Council was not well versed in French names. Thus it is easy to see how the clerk might have felt the “Le” on the name unimportant and not part of the name. The name might even have been shown with a small “le” and for that reason omitted.

Huguenot Emigration to Virginia by Brock
At a Councill held at the hon'ble Mr. Auditor Byrd's March 9th 1700...Whereas, severall ffrench Protestant Refugees are lately arrived in York River in the Nassau, Capt. ___ Tragian Comm'r, concerning whom his Excellency hath received no particular intelligence or Commands from his most Sacred Majesty, save only a Letter from the Lord Bishop of London concerning one Mr. Latine, who comes in the Quality of a minister, and one other Letter from Mr. Blaithwayte concerning one John Boyer, a french Gentleman; and the aforesaid ffrench Refugees making no application nor proposalls to the Government in their owne behalfe, his Excellency and his Majestie’s hon’ble Council, comisserating their poor and low condition, and willing as much as in them lies to find meanes for their present support…
Do therefore Order that such and so many of them as are willing to go and inhabit at the Manakin Towne, where severall ffrench are already settled, may and shall receive reliefe from the Contributions given or hereafter to be given towards the support and maintenance of such as shall there Inhabit; and that such and so many of them as are not willing to go thither be Lycenced and permitted to disperse themselves amongst the Inhabitants of this country, to provide for their necessary support until further order shall be therein taken. And it is further ordered that a copy of the last Briefe be sent to Capt. Tragian and ye ffrench Minister, to be published amongst them.

Sources

Wake County Court Minutes 1787 to 1792 by Weynette Parks Hawn, 554-175
Deed by Heirs of William Reeves
Huguenot Emigration to Virginia by Robert Alonzo Brock, pub 1886