Reeves, George

Father: John REEVES
Mother: Sarah JENNER

Birth: 1848
Birth Source: FreeBMD, Baptism and Census

Death: 1925
Death Source: FreeBMD

Spouse1: probably unmarried

Narrative

George REEVES is the eldest of six known children of John REEVES and his wife Sarah (nee JENNER). FreeBMD notes his birth was recorded during the fourth quarter of 1848 in the Petworth Registration District. He was baptised in December 1848 at the Parish Church of St Peter Ad Vincula at Wisborough Green, Sussex. See Research Note 1 below.

At the time of the 1851 census, on 30 March, George appears with his parents at Newpound Common, Wisborough Green. He is 2 years old and was born at Wisborough Green, Sussex.

On the next three census returns in 1861, 1871 and 1881, George appears in the household of his father John. His age and place of birth remains consistent and his occupation on each occasion is recorded as Agricultural Labourer. On the latter two enumerations it notes he is Unmarried.

On the 1891 census George appears at Little Millfields in the hamlet of Rowhook in the adjacent parish of Rudgwick, Sussex. He is now 42 years old, single and claims birth in Wisborough Green. His occupation is given as Manager Cooperative Stores. Although first listed on the schedule, his relationship is noted as Servant rather than Head of Household. In addition to George, two unrelated women complete the household.

By the time of the 1901 census George had moved a short distance north to Lordshill in the hamlet of Shamley Green, Wonersh, Surrey. He is now one of eleven individuals in the household with no relationship stated to the HoH, whose occupation is "Master of Stores". All those enumerated are single or widowed. There are a variety of occupations related to a general store and George is working as a Baker.

On the 1911 census George has returned to Sussex and is living a The Cross, Warnham, near Horsham. George is one of nine individuals in the household. He is now 62 years old and claims birth in Wisborough Green, Sussex. His occupation is shown as "Odd Man" (perhaps Odd Job Man) working in the General Stores of Lindfield, Luff and Co Ltd.

It is probable George's is the death noted by FreeBMD as being registered in the third quarter on 1925, aged 76, in the Horsham Registration District.

Research Notes

(1) FamilySearch appears to have three entries for George's baptism. All three agree on his parents, the place, day and month of the event, but one gives the year as 1847, the other two as 1848. There are no obvious entries on FreeBMD to suggest John & Sarah had a son George who was born and baptised in 1847, but died prior to December 1848. It is therefore likely this is an indexing error and all three entries refer to the same individual.

(2) It is likely George became a member of the Society of Dependants, see Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Dependants. They were also known as the "Cokelers", see BBC Domesday Reloaded http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-500000-129000/page/8.

The Rudgwick Preservation Society's website http://rudgwick-rps.org.uk/ has a paper The Eastern Ridge including Rowhook by Roger Nash where near the foot of page 6 the author notes "Little Millfields built on the roadside waste in c1620, survived as a shop in the late 19th century, even being for a time an offshoot of the Lindfield, Luff & Co business of the Dependant Brethren of Warnham."

Further information about the Society of Dependents can be found at http://cokelers.living.org.uk/cokelers_01.htm/. It includes a reference to a 1904 article reprinted in 1931 in the Sussex County Magazine http://scm.pastfinders.org/, which notes "the Cokelers form a third of the total population in Wisborough and Northchapel". It also notes they have stores at Norwood, Warnham, Shamley Green, Loxwood and Northchapel.

Sources

Birth:        FreeBMD   1848, December quarter, Petworth Registration District
Baptism:   FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQDP-KMG
                 FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5FL-16X
                 FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3L5-7X7
Marriage:
Death:      FreeBMD   1925, September quarter, Horsham Registration District
                 
HO107, Piece 1649, Folio 108 reverse, Page 1
1861 Census: RG9, Piece 0610, Folio 89 face, Page 3
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 1101, Folio 24 reverse, Page 18
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 1110, Folio 15 face, Page 23
1891 Census: RG12, Piece 0830, Folio 39 face, Page 9
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 0620, Folio 89 face, Page 7
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 5270, Reg.Dist. 81 (Horsham), Sub Dist. 2 (North Horsham), Enum.Dist. 24, Schedule 136