Reeves_James_1784

Summary

Father:
Mother:

Birth: c 1757
Birth Source: estimation from service records and ship list

Death: fl 1818
Death Source:
Spouse1: Temperance Carter

Narrative

Private James Reeves served in the revolutionary militia. His service ended in May-June 1780. Then Loyalist militia (1780 June) Camden District. Under Colonel Robert English - 1st Regiment Camden Militia. Captain Jasper Rogers Company (1 August to 12 September 1781 - Charleston SC (pay abstract Camden District) Attested by Alexander Stewart Lt Col Commanding the Army. James is registered as a Patriot serving in the militia before the fall of Charleston.

He is listed as unaccompanied during the excavation of Charleston in October 1782. Evacuates to St. Augustine East Florida. After Florida became part of US James was evacuated with other loyalists to Nova Scotia, Canada on the ship ARGO which landed in NS in the autumn of 1784.
On the passenger list he is a single male (bachelor) with a land grant of 100 acres (the minimum).They were landed at Red Head on the space now know as Cape Argo. The ship's company was granted land that originally been assigned to Capt. Brownrigg. There is a Reeves Lake. The land grants are long and thin. Some are still in the Reeves family too this day (2025) He settled near Melford as the burials of his family and wife happen at the Melford church.
There was a Reeves family bible. James entered all the information (dated it 1808) about Temperance and the children - with all dates except his own. He likely died before 1858 (his wife died in 1858, we have her burial records, not his). He is not in the later census.
Died sometime between 1819 and 1858 near Melford, Nova Scotia.
Temperance was born Oct 13, 1773. TRP member KathrynO has information about her parents who were also Loyalists on the ARGO) James and Temperance were married between 1785 and 1790 (likely 1790)

They had 13 Children
1. John (2 May 1791)
2. Mary (1793)*
3. Elizabeth (24 June 1794)
4. Lydia (1795)*
5. Nancy (13 August 1796)
6. Rodah (27 Sept 1798)
7. James (11 April 1801)
8. Susanna (14 May 1803)
9. Temperance (18 October 1805)
10. Richard (27 Sept 1807)
11. Sarah (Sally) (17 May 1811)
12. William (6 Nov 1813)
13. George (9 April 1818)

• did not survive infancy

James listed his occupation as farmer and his origin as St. Augustine Florida; religion Church of England

Research Notes

The list in the family bible begins with Temperance's birth date written our in full: Temperance Reeves was born October the 13th in the Year of our Lord 1773---
This is followed by the children
e.g John Reeves the son of James & Temperance Reeves was born May the 21 in the Year of Lord 1791
the next seven who survived infancy are listed (Elizabeth_ Nancy_ Rodah_James_ Susanna_ Temperance_ Richard)
and then the whole list is dated at the bottom December 21 (24?) 1808
Then on a separate page are listed the last three Children in the same hand writing.

Sources

Family Bible (photocopy of the end pieces of the bible - End of the book of Revelation and a blank page).
Loyalists in Southern Campaign of Revolutionary War (Vol. 1)pp 115-116 Pay abstract Camden District
A.A.6319; S647
Jost, Arthur C. Guysborough Sketches and Other Essays (Kentville, 1950)
Hart, Harriet Cunningham History of the County of Guysborough, Nova Scotia (Belleville, 1975) HCG p124

PANS (Public Archives Nova Scotia):
Melford Church Records
Manchester and Guysborough Township Records (MM57, 58) MG4 vol.109
Guysborough County's Genealogies (NN51)

"Loyalists in East Florida 1774 to 1785" William Henry Siebert. Vol 1 (Deland, Florida State Historical Society 1979)
The Migration of Carolina and Georgia Loyalists to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick Carole Watterson Troxler. (PhD Thesis Chapel Hill 1974)
"Loyalist Refugees and the British Evacuation of East Florida 1783-1785" Carole Watterson Troxler. The Florida Historical Quarterly July 1981 pp. 1-27