Reeves, John

Summary

Father: Samuel REEVES
Mother: Mary JEFFERY

Birth: c 1855, Berkshire
Birth Source: FreeBMD & Census

Death: 1922, Hampshire
Death Source: FreeBMD

Spouse1: Mary Jane MAY

Narrative

John Reeves was the son of Samuel Reeves and his wife Mary (nee JEFFERY). His birth was recorded in the Newbury Registration District in the first quarter of 1855.

John appears on the 1861 census in the home of his parents Samuel & Mary Reeves at Middleton Court in Newbury, Berkshire. At six years of age, he is the eldest of three children. He was born in Newbury and is a scholar.

On the 1871 census, John is still living with his parents, now at Bartholomew Street in Newbury. He is 16 years of age, was born in Newbury, Berkshire and is employed as a Machinist. In addition to his parent, his younger brother and two youngest sisters complete the household.

The marriage of John Reeves and Mary Jane MAY was recorded in the fourth quarter of 1876 in the Reading Registration District.
The known children of John Reeves and Mary Jane (nee MAY) are

1. Oliver Jeffrey Reeves
2. Sidney George A Reeves
3. Brenda Reeves

Based on information contained in the 1911 census, there was a fourth child born prior to the date of the 1911 census whose identity is presently unknown.

At the time of the 1881 census, John is away from home. He is one of two lodgers in the household of George & Sarah BLASHILL at Hilderthorpe Terrace, Bridlington, Yorkshire. John is 26 years old, married and claims birth in Newbury Berkshire. He is employed as a Steam Tug Engineer.     John's wife Mary and his sons Oliver & Sidney are to be found in the hamlet of Speenhamland near Newbury, Berkshire. Mary is first listed in the household but rather than being described as "head" she recorded as "Wife".

On the 1891 census, John and his wife Mary are living at Shawfields in Thatcham, Berkshire. John is now 35 years old and again claims birth in Newbury. He is working as a Engineer (Steam Boiler Factory) and claims to be an Employer. In addition to their son Oliver (age 13), the household is completed by Ada MAY, aged 11 and born in Limehouse, London who is described as John's niece. (John & Mary's son Sidney is to be found in nearby Newbury in the household of George & Ann ALLUM.)

By the time of the 1901 census, John has moved to North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire. He now gives his age as 44, he is married and was born in Newbury. He is employed as an Engine Fitter. The census return shows John was the only person present in that household on census night.     His son Sidney, wife Mary and daughter Brenda (who is 4 years old and was born in Emsworth) are to be found in the household of George & Ann ALLUM. There may significance in the fact that Sidney is listed before John's wife and daughter. Perhaps Sidney was normally living with the ALLUM family but Mary & Brenda were just visiting.

At the time of the 1911 census John & Mary are living on Batts Road in Emsworth Hampshire. John is 56 years old, again claims birth in Newbury and is still employed as an Engine Fitter. He and Mary have been married 34 years and there have been four children born to the marriage, of whom 2 are still living at the time of the census. He listed both son Sidney and daughter Brenda on the schedule, but the details for Sidney were then crossed out. (Sidney was enumerated nearby in Landport, Portsmouth).

John's son Sidney died whilst on active service in 1921. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's site notes that Sidney was "Son of Mary Reeves, of Cambridge House, 10, High St., Emsworth Hants, and the late John Reeves". It is probable John's is the death recorded in the second quarter of 1922 in the Havant Registration District, age 67. See also Research Note 2

Research Notes

(1) From various census returns, there was some flexibility in John's date of birth. However, the attribution of his parents as Samuel & Mary seems well founded. Critically the use of Jeffrey (sic) as his son Oliver's second given name reflects his own mothers maiden name of Jeffery (sic). John also had a younger brother named Henry Jeffery Reeves.

There was a second John Reeves registered in 1q1857 in the Newbury Registration District. From the 1861 census, his parents were John & Maria. His father John was from Kingsclere Hampshire. On the 1861 census son John was 4 years old and born and still living in Thatcham, Berks. By 1871 this family were living in Mile End Old Town, London, where their son John is 14 years old (again pointing to birth in 1857) and born at Thatcham, Berks. Thatcham John has not been identified on subsequent census returns.

(2) The CWGC records were collated over a period of several years following the end of WW1 and CWGC commemoration covers the period 4th August 1914 to 31st August 1921, so it is feasible that John was alive when his son died, but had himself died by the time the records were finalised.

Sources

Birth:        FreeBMD 1855, March quarter, Newbury Registration District
Baptism:  
Marriage: FreeBMD 1876, December quarter, Reading Registration District
Death:      FreeBMD 1922, June quarter, Havant Registration District
                 
1861 Census: RG9, Piece 0720, Folio 137 face, Page 23
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 1250, Folio 53 face, Page 1
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 4799, Folio 52 reverse, Page 46
1891 Census: RG12, Piece 0968, Folio 92 reverse, Page 8
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 0977, Folio 111 face, Page 9
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 5471, Reg.Dist. 97 (Havant), Sub Dist. 1 (Havant), Enum.Dist. 8, Schedule 195

1881 Census: wife - RG11, Piece 1271, Folio 51 face, Page 45
1901 Census: wife - RG13, Piece 1121, Folio 117 face, Page 33