Reeves, Howell

Summary

Father: Joshua Reeves
Mother:

Birth: 11 Oct 1777, New York
Birth Source: Headstone & Family Bible

Death: 8 Nov 1853
Death Source: Headstone & Family Bible

Spouse1: Elizabeth Wood
Spouse2: Mary Corwin

Narrative

Children of Howell Reeves and Elizabeth Wood:

1. Mehetable Reeves, b. 1 Jan 1803
2. Mary Reeves, b. 17 Feb 1804
3. Charles W. Reevs, b. 1 Sep 1805
4. Sarah Reeves, b. 15 May 1807
5. George Reeves, b.11 Feb 1809
6. Kitsey Reeves, b. 15 Nov 1810
7. James Reeves, b. 24 Sep 1812
8. John D. Reeves, b. 25 Aug 1814

Children of Howell Reeves and Mary Corwin:

1. Gabriel P. Reeves, b. 21 Jan 1820
2. Elizabeth Reeves, b. 30 Mar 1824
3. Howell Reeves, Jr., b. 30 Mar 1824

Howell is named as a son in the 1796 will of Joshua Reeves who at the time was living in Romulus, New York.

According to the death record for John D. Reeves from 1901, his mother was Elizabeth Wood. All of the above children and their births are listed in the Howell Reevs Family Bible, but only the wife Elizabeth is mentioned. It states she was born 11 Oct 1783 and died 11 Jul 1816. The birth year for Mary is given as 1784 in the transcription but mist be a typo for 1804 as she appears between Mehitable and Charles's births in 1803 and 1805.

In 1850, Howell was in Minisink, Orange County, New York, age 73, with wife Mary (69), son Howell Jr. (27) and Nancy Kenykin? (25).

Howell wrote his will on 5 May 1849 and it was proved 24 Jan 1854. He mentions his wife Mary and children Charles W., George, James, John D., Gabriel P., Howel, Mehetable, Mary, Sarah, Kitsy, and Elizabeth. He also mentions son-in-law Benjamin Horton who was one of the executors along with son Charles W. The probate cites the following individuals as heirs:

To Mary Reevs, widow, Mehitable wife of Benjamin Horton, and Howell Reevs, of Minisink in the County of Orange & State of New York, Sarah J. Hulse and Gabriel P. Reevs, of Goshen in said County, Sailvanus Weed and Kitsey his wife of Newburgh, in said County, James D. Stoat and Elizabeth his wife, of Hoboken, in the State of New Jersey, James Reevs of White Oak, Ingham County in the State of Michigan, John D. Reevs, of Ingham, in Ingham County, in said State of Michigan, George Reevs of Pinckney in Livingston County in said State of Michigan, and John C. McConnell of Goshen aforesaid special guardian of Charles Wickham, Ira Wickham, John Wickham, Benjamin R. Wickham, Sarah Wickham, and Mary Wickham, of the town of Wawayanda, in said County of Orange, minors, heirs at law and next of Kin of Howell Reevs, late of the town of Minisink...

Middletown Whig Press, 16 Nov 1853
Nov. 7-Near Westtown, HOWELL REEVS, aged 76 years, and 27 days.

Howell was buried in Reeves Cemetery in Minisink, Orange County. According to a cemetery survey, he was born 11 Oct 1777 and died 8 Nov 1853. Elizabeth Wood Reeves (11 Oct 1783 - 11 Jul 1816), Joshua Reeves (10 Apr 1772 - 3 Sep 1829) and Mary Corwin Reeves (4 Mar 1780 - 3 Mar 1873) are also buried there. Based on the census, it would appear that Mary Corwin was his second wife and widow and Joshua a brother.

The Portrait and biographical album of Ingham and Livingston counties, Michigan, published in 1891, contains a biography of his grandson Ira V. Reeves which contains the following information on Howell:

Howell Reeves, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Ovid, N. Y., October 11, 1777, and married Elizabeth Wood, who was born October 11, 1783 and died July 11, 1816. After her death he was again married. By the first marriage, from which our subject is descended, there were eight children, viz: Mehitable, Mary, Charles W., Sarah, George, Kitsie, James and John D., the last named being the only survivor. Howell Reeves died November 7, 1853, having had three children by his second marriage — Gabriel P., Elizabeth and Howell - all of whom are still living.

Research Notes

Note that the cemetery survey says he died 8 Nov 1853 while the biography of his grandson states 7 Nov 1853.

Sources

Birth:          Howell Reevs Family Bible
Death:        Howell Reevs Family Bible
Burial:       USGenWeb Archives - Reeves Cemetery, Minisink, Orange County, New York

1810 Census:  Minisink, Orange County, New York
1820 Census:  Minisink, Orange County, New York
1830 Census:  Minisink, Orange County, New York
1840 Census:  Minisink, Orange County, New York
1850 Census:  Minisink, Orange County, New York

1796 Will - Joshua Reeves - Onondaga County, New York Will Book A, p9
1849 Will - Howel Reevs - Orange County, New York Will Book T, p174
Chapman Brothers. (1891). Portrait and biographical album of Ingham and Livingston counties, Michigan, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, p551
Obituary, Middletown Whig Press, 16 Nov 1853