Reeves, John

Summary

Father:
Mother:

Birth: c1781
Birth Source: Census

Death: c1867
Death Source: FreeBMD

Spouse1: Sarah mnu (most probably MILLARD)

Narrative

Little is presently known of John's early life. It is possible his is the baptism in August 1802 at Droxford, Hampshire.   The Hampshire Genealogical Society's Baptism index records the individual as John REEVES aged 21 years, naming his parents as Peter and Anne. On the other hand FamilySearch has the same date and parents but records his surname as RYVES and offers no indication that this was an adult baptism. (See Research Note 1 below.)  The HGS Marriage index notes the marriage of John REYVES (sic, see Research Note 2 below) to Sarah MILLARD in November 1802 also at Droxford and the adult baptism prior to marriage suggests this may be the same individual.

Known children of John Reeves/Ryves/Reyves and his wife Sarah (nee MILLARD) are ... ...

1. John Reeves, bapt July 1803
2. Elizabeth Ryves, bapt March 1805
3. Thomas Ryves, Bapt May 1807
4. John Ryves, bapt Mar 1808, died June 1808 (but see Research Note 3)
5. Anne Ryves, bapt June 1810
6. William Ryves, bapt April 1812
7. Mary Ryves, bapt February 1815
8. Henry Ryves, bapt June 1817
9. Eliza Ryves, bapt October 1819
10. Jane Ryves, bapt November 1822
11. Caroline Ryves, bapt February 1826

All the above baptisms took place at the Parish Church of St Mary and All Saints, Droxford and the family surname is recorded as RYVES on all but the first occasion.

On the 1841 census taken on 6 June, John and Sarah are living in Swanmore within the Parish of Droxford, Hampshire. The family surname is recorded as REEVES. Their children Thomas (30), William (27), Henry (24) and Eliza (22) complete the household. John is 60 years old and employed as an Agricultural Labour. He was born in county, that is to say, in Hampshire. Their recently married daughter Jane (18) and her husband Henry AYRES (but recorded here as HAIRS) are sharing the same dwelling but are enumerated separately.

At the time of the 1851 census, on 30 March, John Reeves plus his wife Sarah and their son Thomas are living in Upper Swanmore. Their grand-daughter Fanny TUTTON completes the household. John is 69 years old, claims birth in Droxford and is employed as an Agricultural Labourer.

A decade later and the 1861 census shows John Reeves and his wife Sarah still living in Upper Swanmore. He is now shown as 81 years old and working as a Labourer, with Droxford again given as his place of birth. Their son Thomas (52), and grandsons William Reeves and Francis PINK complete the household.

Neither John nor Sarah have been identified on the 1871 census. It is probable John's is the death noted by FreeBMD in the first quarter of 1867, in the Droxford Registration District, aged 86.

Research Notes

(1) An Elizabeth Reeves was also baptised on the same day as John, which FamilySearch records at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NKP3-TYJ. Again based on information for the Hampshire Genealogical Society's Baptism Index, it would seem this is also an adult baptism; they note Elizabeth is 36 years (old and the family were) Anabaptists. The names recorded for their parents are not the same.

(2) There is another instance of the variant REYVES in the Droxford parish registers during this period, a baptism in 1796

Parents			Child		Date of Bapt	Surname
William & Ann		Sarah		1788, July	RYVES
William & Ann		Ann		1792, January	RYVES

William & Ann		John		1796, July	REYVES

William & Ann		Maria		1799, November	REEVES

There were a number of couples baptising offspring in Droxford in the period 1785 to 1830 and both Reeves and Ryves name variants appear. Some couples seem to be consistent with their choice of surname variant, others seem to switch from one to the other and back again. After July 1830, the Reeves variant is exclusively used by all couples regardless of previous preferences.

(3) FamilySearch notes both a baptism and a death for this John RYVES in March and June of 1808 respectively. See https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NKP3-6Z4. However the HGS Baptism Index has no such entry in March 1808. It is possible the March 1808 Christening date is a transcription error for March 1803, which would fit with the probable birth of John & Sarah's first born son John REEVES who was baptised (per HGS & FamilySearch) in July 1803. https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JQFZ-XR7

Sources

Birth:       
Baptism:   FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NKP3-6ZQ - as John RYVES
Marriage: Hampshire Genealogical Society's Marriage Index
Death:      FreeBMD, 1867 March quarter, Droxford Registration District
                 
1841 Census: HO107, Piece 387, Book 1, Folio 16 face, Page 2
1851 Census: HO107, Piece 1676, Folio 230 face, Page 2
1861 Census: RG9, Piece 0698, Folio 78 face, Page 9