Reeves, Elizabeth

Summary

Father: Jeremiah Reeves
Mother: Deborah Lanham

Birth: c1818, Madison County, Kentucky
Birth Source: Consent to marriage by Jeremiah Reeves and age approximate per census.

Death: bef Feb 1896, Estill County, Kentucky
Death Source: Estill County, KY deed disposing of Elizabeth Reeves' property by heirs.

Spouse1: Jefferson T. Reeves, 8 Mar 1839

Narrative

Children of Elizabeth and Jefferson Reeves:

1. Henry Thomas Reeves
2. Ephram Reeves
3. Harvey Reeves
4. Jeremiah Reeves
5. John P. Reeves
6. Stephen L. Reeves
7. Margaret J. Reeves

The marriage records of Madison County, Kentucky include the handwritten consent by Jeremiah Reves, father of the bride, and Elizabeth's brother Stephen Reves was bondsman. This verifies that Jefferson was not the son of Jeremiah Reves as incorrectly stated in various family trees, but was the father of Elizabeth.

Research

Much research has failed to yield information as to the identity of the Jefferson Reeves who married Elizabeth. At that time, the only Reeves in Madison County were descendants of William Reeves' sons, William, Jr. and Jeremiah.

It is curious that Jefferson Reeves, the son of John Reeves of Wake County, NC sold the land left to him as part of the estates of his father and his grandfather Major Holloway in November of 1837 leaving no further record in Wake County. However, speculation that the two Jefferson Reeves may have been the same individual has been disproven based upon the introduction of additional details in Wake County. Based upon additional probate and guardian documents in Wake County, Jefferson's name was William Jefferson Reeves and it appears that he was living in Wake County as late as the 1850 census. Jefferson T. Reeves appeared in Madison County, Kentucky around 1838 and married Elizabeth. Census enumerators repeatedly list him as being born in Kentucky along with the rest of the family which may also disprove any connection to the William Reeves' family in North Carolina.

The family of Thomas Reeves, descendant of Henry Reeves of Essex County, Virginia was living in an area of Kentucky close to Madison County around the time Elizabeth Reeves married Jefferson. No probate records have even been found for him so the names of his children are unknown but Jefferson could belong to that family. There was also a large Reeves presence in counties such as Mason and Fleming which are northeast of Madison and Estill counties but currently no one with the name Jefferson has been identified.

DNA from this Reeves' line would be beneficial and could someday resolve this mystery.

Sources

1850 Census - District 2, Madison County, Kentucky (HOH - Jefferson Reeves)
1860 Census - Estill County, Kentucky (HOH - Jefferson Reeves)
1870 Census - Estill County, Kentucky (HOH - Jefferson Reeves)
1880 Census - Estill County, Kentucky (HOH - Elizabeth Reves, widow)