Reeve(s), John
Summary
Father: Thomas ReeveMother: Unknown
Birth: cApr 1756, location unknown
Birth Source: Age in Family Bible; Census
Death: 23 Oct 1833, Columbia County, Georgia
Death Source: Family Bible
Spouse1: Agnes McDonald, m. 10 Nov 1777
Spouse2: Sarah McNeil Glover (daughter of Daniel McNeil, Sr.), m.
Spouse3: Allethea MacGruder Drane, m. --4-- 10 Jan 1813 in Columbia County, Georgia
Narrative
Children of John Reeve(s) and Agnes McDonald:- Susannah Reeves, b. 20 Aug 1778
- David Reeves, b. 28 Dec 1780, d. 25 Nov 1783
- Sarah Reeves, b. 31 Aug 1783
- Rebecca Reeves, b. 12 Oct 1786
- John Reeve, b. 17 Jul 1789
Children of John Reeve(s) and Sarah McNeil:
- William Reeves, b. 10 Oct 1796, d. 30 Mar 1819
- Thomas Reeves, b. 14 Dec 1799
- Mary Polly Reeves, b. 7 Jan 1802
There is a family Bible that lists the marriages of John and the births of his children and the family of his son Thomas. The relevant bits to John and his spouses are as follows:
- John Reeve was married the 10th of November 1777 to Agness McDonald
- John Reeve was married the 10th of November 1795 to Sarah Glover widow formerly McNiell
- John Reeve was married the 10th of January 1813 to Alletha Drane widow formerly Magruder
- John Reeves wife Agness died the 30th October 1794
- John Reeves wife Sarah died the 30th of May 1812
- Alletha Reeves died Saturday 19th of October 1833 wife of Jno Reeves
- John Reeves died October 23d 1833 aged 77 years & 6 months
Although the family Bible states John and Sarah were married 10th Nov, there is a bond dated 17 Nov 1795 for them. The Bible states he and Aletha married on the 10th of January. The marriage record states it was solemnized on the 11th January with license dated the 4th.
Probate documents in Amite, MS regarding the 1867 estate of John Reeve who died without heirs, clarify the children born to John Reeve's first two wives. They name the heir of his sister Rebecca Harden, dec'd, Nancy Adkins. Also named are any heirs of his sisters Susannah Baggett, dec'd and Sarah Englett, dec'd. Thomas Reeve, dec'd, is indicated as his half-brother. Thomas' heirs are mentioned as being in Louisiana and Texas. John Reeve also named Polly Harden as his half-sister.
Thomas Reeve has been established as John's father based upon the following publication of the Augusta Chronicle (published under original name, Georgia Gazette): 21 April 1787:
"Whereas John Reeve, Son, hath applied to me for letters of administration on the estate and effects of Thomas Reeve, late of this county, deceased, these are therefore to cite and admonish all and singular the kindred and creditors of the said deceased, to be and appear before me, at my office, on the 21st day of May next, and shew cause, if any there be, why letters of administration should not be granted."
John Reeves received 2 land grants in Washington County, Georgia in 1785 and 2 subsequent grants in Columbia County. Spencer Reeves of Columbia County who was undoubtedly another son of Thomas Reeve also received land grants in Washington County and in Richmond County, Georgia. Sarah Reeve, identified in as Spencer Reeve's mother in an 1822 deed, also received a grant for 200 acres in October of 1787.
John Reeve(s) must have lived in South Carolina prior to settling in Georgia. The 1850 Monroe Co., GA, census shows that John's daughter Susannah Baggett was born in South Carolina. Although the census gives her age as 66 (hence born c. 1784), the Baggett family Bible indicated that she died in 1854 aged 76 (hence born c. 1778). This would be consistent with John Reeve(s) having lived in Camden District, South Carolina, perhaps with father Thomas and uncles John and Moses, for a period prior to settling in Georgia.
John purchased land in 1789 in what became Columbia County:
- 1789, 17 January: Philip and Rachel Upton to John Rives, for 100 pounds paid by John Rives, land in Richmond County on waters of Great Kiokia, 200 acres, bounded by William Dranes (NW), William Waltons (W), Joshua Fullers (S), granted to said Upton… Wit: Waltr. Drane, William Drane, Nancy Upton. (Columbia Co., GA, DB B, p. 2236, in Lucas, Some Georgia County Records, 1: 33.)
John was in Columbia County in 1793 when he witnessed a deed with member of the Drane family:
- 1793, 22 August: John Reeve, William Hoge, and Walter Drane, JP, witness deed from James Bailey to Sarah Glover, 100 acres, Kioka Creek, 500 pounds, adj. Roger Qualls (Columbia Co., GA, DB B, 362-364, in Lucas, Some Georgia County Records, 1: 40.)
John was guardian for his two Glover stepchildren in 1797:
- 1797, 5 October: Orphans Nancy and Cassandra Glover “put in custody of John Reeves” with Walter Drane and William Hoge as bondsmen.
Mirror of the Times, 1 Jun 1812
DIED, On Tuesday morning last about 5 o'clock, Mrs. SARAH REEVES, wife of Mr. John Reeves, of Columbia County, of a lingering illness, which she bore with christian fortitude. Her loss will be severely felt by the indigent and needy, to whom she delt out with a liberal hand; but more immediately by an affectionate husband and a large family of children, whom she has left to bemoan this afflicting dispensation of Divine Providence.
Sarah's obituary indicates she died "on Tuesday morning," which was May 26th. However, the family Bible states she died 30th of May, which was a Saturday.
John also had a large family of stepchildren following his remarriage to Allethea MacGruder Drane, widow of Walter Drane, in 1813. There were no children born during his third marriage to Allethea MacGruder Drane, who was approximately 60 years old when the couple married.
John's participation in the 1827 land lottery confirms that he was a Revolutionary soldier:
REVOLUTIONARY VETERAN: Reeves, John
RESIDENCE: Columbia County
LOTTERY: 1827
FORTUNATE DRAW: (Land Lot) 242, (District) 31
COUNTY (of Land Lot drawn): Lee County
GRANTED: 3/9/1830
John was a head of household in Columbia County, Georgia, in 1830, at which time he and wife Allethea were both shown as 70-80 years old. Son-in-law Elias Baggett was eight households away, with his wife Susannah shown as aged 50-60 (consistent with a birthdate prior to 1780). Several members of the Drane family also lived nearby.
On the original copy of his 1832 will as well as the marriage bond (attached) from his 1795 marriage to Sarah McNeill Glover, his name is signed "Reeve". His son, John who was living in Amite, MS by around 1820 and died there in 1867, also used the Reeve variation of the name as did his younger son Thomas.
This page has the following file(s) attached:-
Sources
Birth: John Reeve Family BibleMarriage1: John Reeve Family Bible
Marriage2: John Reeve Family Bible
Marriage3: John Reeve Family Bible
Death: John Reeve Family Bible
1820 Census: Columbia County, Georgia
Georgia, Headright and Bounty Land Records, 1783-1909 at Family Search
FamilySearch - Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950
Will Book W, p. 304-306, Columbia County, Georgia
Probate Records Vol. 29-30, Amite, MS, Estate of John Reeve
Mirror of the Times, 1 Jun 1812