Reeves, John

Summary

Father: probably Malachi Reeves - Undocumented
Mother:

Birth: before 1755, probably Granville, North Carolina
Birth Source: Census of 1800 Pendleton SC lists age as over 45 years

Death: before Sep 1818, Jackson County, Georgia
Death Source: Burgess Reeves and Andrew Boyd were granted letters of administration in Jackson County for the estate of John Reeves on 7 Sep 1818

Spouse1: Sarah MNU (Source: 1804 Pendleton SC Deed, Sarah Reeves relinquished her dower rights and Frederick Reeves Family Bible)

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Narrative

John Reeves was recorded as an adult living in a residence separate from his parents by 1780 when he was listed on the Fishing Creek tax list of Granville County where Malachi Reeves and most of his sons who had married by that date were recorded. He was listed again in 1782 on the Granville County NC tax lists on the Beaverdam Creek list. Sometime between 1782 and 1789 he migrated to South Carolina as he was present in Pendleton District by 1789 when he and Blake Mauldin witnessed the will of John Hanks (WB 1:22).

The 1790 census of Pendleton District, South Carolina records John Reeves with 1 male over 16, 5 males under 16 and 4 females.

Again in Pendleton District, the census of 1800 lists John Reeves' household as: Males - 4 under 10; 2 10-15; 2 16-25; 1 over 45 (total of 8 sons); Females - 1 under 10; 1 10-15; 1 16-25; 1 26-44.

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.

It may be mere coincidence that eight Reeves' males left South Carolina before 1820 and eight Reeves' males arrived in Gwinnett County, Georgia before that date, but the records of both Pendleton, South Carolina and Gwinnett, Georgia need to be researched in the most minute detail in order to either rule out or establish a connection between these Reeves.

The 1809 Tax List of Jackson County, Georgia lists John Reeves and an unidentified Thomas Reeves is listed on the same page. That individual has been found to be Thomas Rives the son of Thomas Henry Rives and Mary Edwards of Chatham County NC. Thomas Rives' son Rev. John Edwards Rives family history and narrative of his own life furnishes many details of the family's move to Georgia and documents their early presence there.

John Reeves appears to have received a land warrant for 300 acres in Jackson County, Georgia in February of 1815.

Fanny Reeves who married Andrew Boyd in Jackson County, Georgia in 1811 is likely one of John Reeves' daughters as they are found in the same neighborhood of Gwinnett County in 1820 only a few households from John, Burgess and Jonathan Reeves. In 1818 Andrew Boyd was also one of the administrators of the estate of John Reeves along with Burgess Reeves.

The family bible of Frederick Reeves lists his father as John and mother as Sarah. A photograph of that bible page is attached to Frederick Reeves page.

Undocumented family lore suggests that John Reeves was killed by indians.

Probable children of John Reeves and Sarah:

1. Malachi Reeves, b. c1780
2. John Reeves, b. c1790
3. Frederick Reeves, b. 15 Sep 1784
4. Jonathan Reeves, b. 10 Oct 1788
5. Fanny Reeves, b. c1790, m. Andrew Boyd 27 Sep 1811 in Jackson, Georgia
6. Loftin Reeves, b. 1792
7. Burgess Reeves, b. 1794
8. Thompson Reeves, b. 1799
9. Isaac Reeves, b. 1802

NOTE: There are also 3 unidentified daughters as listed in the census of 1790 and 1800. There were 3 daughters born before 1790 and 1 born between 1790 and 1800. The only known daughter to date is Fanny who married Andrew Boyd.

Research Notes

It has been suggested that one of the three as yet unidentified daughters of John Reeves may have been Nancy, wife of Benjamin Fuller. Benjamin Fuller was living in close proximity to this Reeves family in Pendleton, South Carolina and is involved in several deeds with John Reeves such as the 1804 deed which identifies John's wife as Sarah, and the following from an unknown volume of abstracted Pendleton deeds:

John Reeves for $400 sold to Benjamin Fuller for 101 acres on W. side of Rocky River, part of 640 acres granted Peter Bremar, Esq. by Wm. Moultrie, 6 Feb. 1736, recorded Bk. HH (sic), p. 292, bd. - E. by Rocky River, S. by Estate of John Morris, dec’d., W. and N. by part of original survey conveyed by Bremar to David McCoy, then to John Reeves. Date: 19 Nov. 1804. Wit: John Mauldin, John Garner. Sarah (X) Reeves, wife of John Reeves, released dower to E. Browne, Q. U., 19 Nov. 1804. John Garner made oath to E. Browne, 19 Nov. 1804. Rec: 25 Feb. 1804

Sometime before 1820, Benjamin Fuller also moved to the Gwinnett County, Georgia area where John Reeves and family had migrated before John's death in 1818. The 1820 Gwinnett County GA census lists Benjamin Fuller in the same neighborhood with several of the probable sons of John Reeves. Currently nothing has been found to document Nancy Fuller's maiden name as Reeves or the exact nature of the connection to John Reeves' family.

Sources

Family Bible of Frederick Reeves
Tax Lists of Granville County, North Carolina
1790 Census - Pendleton District, South Carolina
1800 Census - Pendleton District, South Carolina
1804 Deed, Pendleton (Anderson), South Carolina naming wife, Sarah
1809 Tax List - Jackson County, Georgia
1815 Land Warrant, online at Family Search
Jackson County, Georgia Court Records, administration of estate granted 7 Sep 1818