Reeves, Isaac Newton

Summary

Father: Probably John Reeves
Mother: Probably Sarah MNU

Birth: 1802, Pendleton District, South Carolina
Birth Source: Census

Death: 1871, Bartow County, Georgia
Death Source:

Spouse1: Unknown Farmer, dec'd before 1840 in Henry County, Georgia
Spouse2: Caroline Victoria Brock, m. c1840

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Narrative

By the 1820 census in Gwinnett County, Georgia, eight Reeves male individuals are found - John Reeves, 26-44; Frederick Reeves, 26-44; Jonathan Reeves, 26-44; Loftin Reeves, 26-44; Malachi Reeves, 26-44; Isaac Reeves, 16-25; Burgess Reeves, 16-25; and Thompson Reeves, 16-25. After 1850 when census records include place of birth, the older of these individuals list their birth place as North Carolina while the younger list South Carolina.

Isaac Newton Reeves' first wife is presumed to be the daughter of an unknown individual named Farmer who died prior to 1838. There is a deed dated 1 Jan 1838 recorded in Newton County Georgia Deed Book F, page 42 wherein what appear to be several Farmer siblings along with brothers-in-laws which include Isaac Reeves sell 160 acres of land in an area that was originally Henry County but was Newton at the time the deed was written and recorded.

Isaac Newton Reeves and his first wife, probably with the surname Farmer, are said to have had eleven children; however in the 1830 and 1840 census only nine (9) are listed.

Children of Isaac Newton Reeves' first marriage (only Isaac Newton Reeves, Jr., Mary and Henry Reeves are proven):

1. Unknown Son, b. c1821-1825
2. Lucinda Reeves, b. 18 Jan 1822, d. 11 May 1892, m. Romulus Sanders Cates
3. probably Lawson A. Reeves, b. 1825
4. probably William L. Reeves, b. 1828
5. Unknown Daughter, b. 1825-1830
6. probably Ira E. Reeves, b. 1832
7. Isaac Newton Reeves, Jr., b. 1834, m. Sarah A. Warren on 3 Dec 1854, Stewart County, Georgia
8. Mary Reeves, b. 1836
9. Henry Reeves, b. 1840

Children of Isaac Newton Reeves and Caroline Victoria Brock:

1. Sarah A. Reeves, b. 1841
2. Alonzo Reeves, b. 24 Sep 1844, d. 17 Nov 1910
3. Cicero Reeves, b. 1844
4. Ransom Thompson Reeves, b. 4 Jun 1846
5. Amos S Reeves, b. 1849
6. Martha "Mattie" Emaline Reeves (Twin), b. 1 Sep 1851
7. Hiram H. Reeves (Twin), 3 Nov 1852
8. Warren Bird Reeves, b. 4 Aug 1853, d. 26 Jun 1907
9. Pinkney Reeves, b. 1854
10. Joseph Reeves (Twin), b. 21 Sep 1857, d. after 1870
11. Josephine Dolly Reeves (Twin), b. 21 Sep 1857
12. David Columbus Reeves, b. 27 Jan 1864

Research Notes

The parents of Isaac Reeves are undocumented but with John Reeves and his wife Sarah considered the most likely candidates. John is recorded in the 1790 census of Pendleton County, South Carolina with 1 male over 16, 5 males under 16 and 4 females. Again in the Pendleton County census of 1800 John Reeves' household is listed as - Males: 4 under 10; 2 10-15; 2 16-25; 1 over 45 (total of 8 sons) and Females: 1 under 10; 1 10-15; 1 16-25; 1 26-44. The family bible of Frederick Reeves who appears to be a brother of Isaac lists his father as John and mother as Sarah. A transcription of that bible is attached to Frederick Reeves page.

That theory may be questionable based upon the fact that in DNA Group 3, since known descendants of John Reeves have a value of 15 at SNP DYS456 and 37 at SNP CDY b. That anomaly would appear to indicate the patriarch of those individuals since other testers in that group show different results at those markers.

Various researchers attribute Sarah and Alonzo Reeves to Isaac's first wife; however, she is deceased by the time that the 1840 census was taken so she could not have been their mother. If they are not the children of Caroline Brock, then it is possible that there was another wife who Isaac married before Caroline.

There is a tombstone in the New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery at Acworth in Bartow County, Georgia where several of these children are buried, with the name Ann M. Reeves and the inscription "Mother of Alonzo, Bird, Joseph and Pinkney". Isaac Newton Reeves was married to Caroline Brock by 1850 per the census of that year, so this must not have been placed at the time of death and by someone who did not have accurate information. An Anna Reeves, born 1805 in South Carolina, was living in the home of Alonzo Reeves in 1870 and may be the source of the confusion about his mother having been Anne or Anna. If she is his mother, not an aunt or other family member, much of the accepted history of this family is inaccurate.

There is also a tombstone in that cemetery for Joseph Reeves with a death date of 1858, however he is listed in the 1860 census so that is also incorrect. This cemetery may have numerous gravestones that were not original and were added in later years which may make the accuracy of those stones questionable.

Sources

1830 Census - Henry County, Georgia
1840 Census - District 525, Henry County, Georgia
1850 Census - Division 15, Cherokee County, Georgia
1860 Census - Bells, Cherokee County, Georgia
1870 Census - District 22, Bartow, Georgia