Reeves, Elijah
Summary
Father: William ReevesMother: Hannah ( Rhodes?)
Birth: c
Birth Source: 1816 Will of William Reeves, Wilkes County, Georgia and age from 1830 census 50-59 years old
Death: 17 Feb 1849, Upson County, Georgia
Death Source:
Spouse1: Lillie Ann Moore, m. 8 Jan 1798 in Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Narrative
Elijah Reeves was first taxed in Wilkes County, Georgia, in 1802, indicating that he was born in or before 1781. He was taxed in nearby Lincoln County, Georgia, in 1805, near William White. He was taxed in Wilkes County in 1809 and 1816 (and perhaps in other years that have not been examined).
Based on the first appearance of Elijah in the 1802 tax digest, one might conclude that he was born in 1781. It seems likely that he was, in fact, older than this. The 1830 Upson Co., GA, census suggests that he was born between 1770 and 1780, as does the 1840 census. On 21 July 1791, he witnessed a deed from Richard Burton, Jr., of Guilford Co., NC, to William Reeves of the same, for $100, 270 acres on Fishing Creek in Wilkes Co., GA, that had previously been granted to Burton (Wilkes Co., GA, DB II, 1792-1794, p. 267). Lucretia Reeves and Quinton Nicks also witnessed the deed. Later, on 27 January 1795 in Wilkes County, one Charles Harris testified that "he did report, that he said he believed that he saw Elijah Reeves one night last fall at the house of Reuben Ballard in acsen with a mare which I do acknowledge is false & that I only reported it thorugh spite & malice to him the said Reeves." Eusteus H. Rhodes, William Curry, James McLean, Thomas Low, Roger Greene, Balaam Rafferty, and John Nowland witnessed the statement. (Wilkes Co., GA, DB MM, 1794-1795, p. 375.) These two references place Elijah Reeves in Wilkes County between 1791 and 1795 and indicate that — while possibly not yet at his legal majority — he was probably born significantly earlier than 1780, perhaps about 1774 or 1775 (since he did not appear in the 1794 Wilkes Co., GA, tax digest).
If so, Elijah would have turned twenty-one by about 1796 and should have appeared thereafter in Wilkes Co., GA, tax digests paying at least poll tax had he remained in the area. But he does not. This supports the identification of him as the Elijah Reeves who married Lilley Moore in Rockingham Co., NC, by bond dated 8 January 1798 with John Rhodes as bondsman. (Rockingham is just north of Guilford County, and the Rhodes association and the fact that Elijah had at least three granddaughters named Lillie also support the identification.) He may have remained in North Carolina until about 1801, returning to Georgia in time to be taxed in Wilkes County in 1802. Elijah was living in Lincoln County when he was taxed in 1805 and at the time that he had drawn in the 1805 land lottery; the three year residence requirement and his land lottery registration both place him as the Elijah in Wilkes County in 1802. Elijah has not been located in the 1820 census, but, since he was taxed in Wilkes County in 1816, he may still have been living there at census time. Some portions of the 1820 Wilkes census are illegible, and Elijah's enumeration could be among those. Elijah paid poll tax in Captain Hattox's District of Upson County in 1825; he was taxed near one Coleman Reeves, who owned land in the district. He was taxed in Captain Myrick's District, GMD 588, near his brother and brother-in-law William Reeves and Robert Graham, in 1826. Elijah was a resident of Ezell's District, Upson Co., GA, by 1827, when he drew LL 113, LD 12, Troup County, in the 1827 Georgia Land Lottery. He was taxed in GMD 537 of Upson County in that year, at which time he owned 85 acres of land.
After settling in Upson County, Elijah Reeves and family lived in GMD 537, in the upper portion of the district, near the boundary with Pike County.
The 1830 Upson Co., GA, Census, p. 104, showed Elijah's family: 1 male 10-15, 1 male 15-20, 1 male 20-30, 1 male 50-60, 3 females 10-15, 1 female 40-50.
The 1840 Upson Co., GA, Census, p. 42, showed Elijah's family: 1 male 5-10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 20-30, 1 male 60-70, 1 female 5-10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 20-30. In adjoining households were Martin Reeves, Bloomer W. Reeves, and Alexander Irwin.
Many members of this family were still living in Upson Co., GA, GMD 537, in 1850, as evidenced by tax records and other legal documents. They were omitted from the 1850 Upson Co., GA, census, however.
Three of Elijah Reeves's children married siblings. The 8 April 1850 Upson Co., GA, will of Nancy Mann named son Jeremiah Rabun Mann (husband of Sarena Emeline Reeves) and daughters Nancy Mann Reeves (wife of Bloomer White Reeves) and Elizabeth Mann Reeves (wife of Eustace H. Reeves).
Elijah has not been located in the 1820 census; it seems possible that he had children born between 1798 and 1806 who have not been identified.
Little is known about Elijah's wife Lillie; she seems to have been born about 1780 (based on her age at the time of the 1830 census) and to have died in Upson County between 1830 and 1840. Moore researchers indicate that she was the daughter of Thomas Moore who wrote his will 5 January 1804, probated May 1805, in Rockingham Co., NC, and his wife Sarah, but that identification has not been verified. However, a Thomas Moore, possibly his brother-in-law, served as a witness on an 1806 deed from Pitt Milner to Elijah Reeves.
The following are probable children of Elijah Reeves and Lillie Ann Moore:
- Armenia Reeves, born c. 1806, m. Andrew C. Williams on 19 Nov 1827 and Isaac Dickinson on 24 January 1850.
- Martin Reeves, b. c. 1806, m. Winney Walker on 5 Feb 1832.
- Eustace H. Reeves, b. 10 Dec 1807, d. 4 Jul 1886, m. Elizabeth E. Mann on 19 Feb 1837.
- Bloomer White Reeves, b. 18 Nov 1809, m. Nancy J. Mann on 18 Dec 1838.
- Nicey Caroline Reeves, b. c. 1814, m. Alexander Irwin on 3 Feb 1838.
- Mary Ann H. Reeves, b. 1818, m. William Deloach on 24 Jan 1838.
- Sarena Emeline Reeves, b. c. 1819, m. Jeremiah Mann on 1 Dec 1840.
- John A. Reeves, b. c. 1819, GA, m. Martha Matthews on 23 Dec 1841.
Sources
1805 GA Land Lottery1827 GA Land Lottery
1830 Census - Upson County, Georgia
1840 Census - Upson County, Georgia
Wilkes Co., GA, Tax Digests