Reeves, George

Summary

Father: John REEVES
Mother: Jane JOY

Birth: c 1786
Birth Source: baptism

Death: probably between 1861-1871
Death Source: census

Spouse1: Sarah TREVATT

Narrative

George is the second known child and first born son of John REEVES and his wife Jane (nee JOY). He was baptised in December 1786 at the Priory Church of St Mary and St Blaise in Boxgrove, Sussex.

George married Sarah TREVATT at the same church in April 1812.

Known children of George Reeves and Sarah

1. Rhoda Reeves, bapt September 1812 at the Independent Chapel, Chichester
2. Thomas Reeves, bapt October 1814 at the Independent Chapel, Chichester
3. George Reeves, born c 1826

At the time of his daughter Rhoda's baptism in 1812, the family were living in the Parish of Boxgrove but by 1814 when Thomas was baptised they were in the neighbouring Parish of Aldingbourne.¹

On the 1841 census taken on 6 June, George (age 50) is living in the hamlet of East Hampnett in the parish of Boxgrove. He is the head of a household comprising Sarah (also age 50), Thomas (25, Ag Lab) and George (13). All four were born in county (that is to say in Sussex) and George is working as an Agricultural Labourer.

At the time of the 1851 census, on 30 March, George is head of household living in the hamlet of Crocker Hill in the parish of Boxgrove. He is shown as 61 years old (perhaps an enumeration transcription error since he would have been 64) and he is a widower. The household comprises three further individuals; his sister Letticia (sic, baptised as Letitia) is housekeeper along with George's sons Thomas (37, born Aldingbourne) and George (23, born Boxgrove). Our subject George is working as an Agricultural Labourer.

A decade later and the 1861 census shows George as being 74 years old and a widower still living in the hamlet of Crocker Hill in the Parish of Boxgrove. He is the head of household along with Edmund who is described as unmarried and as his brother in law and George's son Thomas (aged 52 and also unmarried). George's occupation is shown as "Works on the Roads", which given his age is perhaps an indication that he was receiving poor relief from the parish.

George has yet to be identified on the 1871 census. His son Thomas is living with his uncle James Reeves, suggesting George had probably died in the preceding decade. FreeBMD lists multiple death registration entries for the name George REEVES in the Westhampnett Registration District over this period.

Research Notes

Sarah's maiden name is also recorded as TREVET (baptism of daughter Rhoda in 1812 and of son Thomas 1814). ¹

The 1861 census showing Edmund as George's brother in law is intriguing. Perhaps this is an indication that their father had remarried and they were half or step-brothers, but George's baptism and Edmund's baptism https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N8YR-GVP suggest otherwise as both show their parents as John Reeves & Jane. It is also probable that the ages for Thomas (shown as 52) and Edmund (shown as 45) have been swapped over when the enumeration sheet was originally written up.

Sources

Birth:       
Baptism:   FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J7CQ-8RH
Marriage: FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N2MY-6YZ
Death:     
                 
1841 Census: HO107, Piece 1100, Book 3, Folio 6 face, Page 10,
1851 Census: HO107, Piece 1652, Folio 359 reverse, Page 13
1861 Census: RG9, Piece 0620, Folio 47 reverse, Page 4
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 1115, Folio 34 face, Page 3 - son Thomas
1881 Census:

¹  RG4, Piece 2220, Folio 18 face & Folio 24 reverse
    Register of Births and Baptisms at the Independent Chapel of Chichester, Sussex from 1783 to 1836