Reeves, Henry

Summary

Father: Francis REEVES
Mother: Jane EYLES

Birth: 1869, Chute Wiltshire
Birth Source: Baptism and Census

Death:
Death Source:

Spouse1: Margaretta COCK

Narrative

Henry Reeves is the fourth of eleven known children of Francis REEVES and his wife Jane (nee EYLES). He was baptised at the Parish Church of St Nicholas, Chute, Wiltshire during August 1869.

On the 1871 census, Henry is living in his parents home at Upper Chute, Wiltshire. He is one year old and his place of birth is given as Chute.

A decade later on the 1881 census Henry's circumstances are little changed. He is again to be found at his parent's home in Chute and his now 10 years old and again Chute is given as his place of birth. His occupation is shown as Agricultural Labourer (Plough Boy).

On the 1891 census the best candidate for this Henry is a Lodger in a Boarding House on the Marylebone Road, Marylebone, London. His age is shown as 21 years and his place of birth as Chute, Wiltshire. His occupation is given as Draper's Assistant; the same as some fifty other individuals enumerated at the same address.

It is stronly suspected that Henry Reeves married Margaretta COCK in the East Stonehouse Registration District of Devon during the fourth quarter of 1895. See Research Note 1 below.
The known children of Henry REEVES and Margarette (nee COCK) are

1. Francis William Percival Reeves, b.reg. 1896
2. Ernest Henry Victor Reeves, b.reg. 1897
3. Albert Edward Reeves, b.reg. 1900
4. George Lindsay Reeves, b.reg. 1905
5. Frederick Leopold Reeves, b.reg. 1908

The births of the eldest two children were registered in Plymouth, Devon and the younger three in Reading, Berkshire. At the time of the 1911 census, Margaretta notes she has had seven children, five of whom were then surviving.

It is likely Henry enlisted in the Royal Berkshire Regiment very shortly after the 1891 census, since a decade later, his occupation is shown as "Sergeant Infantry" and he is living in the Oxford Road Military Barracks, Reading, Berkshire. He is 31 years old, married and again claims birth in Chute, Wiltshire. His wife and children are not enumerated at the same location. Their eldest son Francis is enumerated as Percival, a visitor in the household of Alfred Bolton and his wife Rhoda (nee Reeves, Henry's sister). Henry's wife plus sons Ernest and Albert are in Plymouth enumerated in her parent's home.

On the 1911 census Henry is again in barracks on Oxford Road, Reading. Although not shown as a family unit, Henry and Maggie are enumerated in the same Military Establishment enumeration book. Henry is now a Colour Sergeant at the Depot of the Royal Berkshire Regiment; he is 41 years old, married and claims birth in Chute, Hampshire (sic). His wife Maggie notes they have been married 15 years and that she has borne seven children five of whom were then still surviving.

Henry's son Ernest Reeves died during WW1 and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that at the time Henry requested the inscription on his son's gravestone he was living in Stoke Newington, London N18. This record is likely to date from around 1921.

It is probable that Henry's wife predeceased him. FreeBMD notes that the death of Margaretta Reeves (age 47) was registered during 2q1919 in the Hackney Registration District, which includes Stoke Newington.

Given Henry Reeves is a frequently occurring name, it has not yet been possible to identify a probable death registration entry for this Henry without additional information.

Research Notes

(1) Determining when and who Henry Reeves married has been problematic. On neither the 1901 nor 1911 census returns do they appear as a married couple. On the 1911 census Maggie Reeves indicates she has been married 15 years, pointing to marriage in/about 1896. (However, this might just be conveniently one year more than the age of their eldest surviving child.) The birth of their two eldest known children were registered in the Stoke Damerel Registration District, a part of the City of Plymouth.

It is therefore highly probably the marriage of Henry Reeves during the fourth quarter of 1895 fits our man. Confusingly there are two such marriages during 4q1895 both recorded in Stoke Damerel Registration District in Devon.

The first (ref 5b/671) pairs Henry Montague REEVES or George LUSH with either Mary COCK or Ellen FRYER. Ellen & George LUSH have been identified on the 1901 census (RG13, Piece 2096, Folio 92r, page 38). They have also been found on the 1911 census (RG14, Piece 12960, Reg.Dist. 276 (Plymouth), Sub Dist. 2 (Plymouth SE), Enum.Dist. 2, Schedule 19) where they claim to have been married 15 years. By elimination, that happily confirms the pairing of Henry Montague REEVES and Mary COCK. The image of the GRO Index Pages clearly show Mary (sic) COCK and Henry Montague (sic) REEVES.

The second (ref 5b/701) pairs Henry REEVES or John Banister ECCLES with either Magie COX (sic) or Rhoda Jane Twomey. Rhoda Jane and John Banister ECCLES have been identified on the 1911 census (RG14, Piece 22459, Reg.Dist. 455 (West Derby), Sub Dist. 6 (Kirkdale), Enum.Dist. 15, Schedule 208. They claim to have been married 16 years, but other factors point to confirm this is the same couple. Having eliminated John & Rhoda, we have the second pairing confirmed as Magie COX and Henry REEVES and again the GRO Index Page clearly shows Magie (sic) COX (sic).

Sources

Birth:        FreeBMD 1869, September quarter, Andover Registration District
Baptism:  FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7DN-Q6B
Marriage: See Research Note 1 above.
Death:     
                 
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 1244, Folio 3 reverse, Page 6
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 2061, Folio 43 reverse, Page 2
1891 Census: RG12, Piece 0100, Folio 45 reverse, Page 16
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 1147, Folio 141 face, Page 3, Row 1
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 6759, Reg.Dist. 121 (Reading), Sub Dist. 1 (St Mary), Emun.Dist. 25, Page 1, Row 9

Wife Margaretta/Maggie Reeves
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 2097, Folio 31 face, Page 53
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 6579, Reg.Dist. 121 (Reading), Sub Dist. 1 (St Mary), Enum.Dist. 25, Page 11, Rows 13-18