Reeves, John

Summary

Father: John REEVES
Mother: Sarah JUDD

Birth: 1845
Birth Source: FreeBMD & Census

Death: 1914
Death Source: FreeBMD

Spouse1: Eliza Emma FLACK

Narrative

John Reeves is the fifth known child of John REEVES and his wife Sarah (nee JUDD). He was born in Abridge, Essex and his birth was registered during the third quarter of 1845 in the Ongar Registration District.

At the time of the 1851 census, on 30 March, John appears in his parents home in Abridge, Essex. He is six years old, a scholar and his place of birth is shown as Lambourne, Essex. He is the second youngest of five siblings in the household.

A decade later and the 1861 census shows John still living with his parents John and Sarah in Abridge, in tha parish of Lambourne, Essex. The family is enumerated under the surname REEVE (sic).   John is recorded as being 15 years old, with no occupation shown. He is now the eldest of three children in his parent's household and his widowed maternal grandmother completes the household.

The marriage of John REEVES and Eliza Emma FLACK is noted by FreeBMD as occurring during the fourth quarter of 1867 in the Ongar Registration District.
The known children of John Reeves and Eliza Emma (nee FLACK) are

1. Charles Henry Reeves, b.reg. 2q1872, Ongar
2. Thomas William Reeve, b.reg. 3q1878, Ongar

On the 1871 census, John and his wife Eliza are found living in the household of John's widowed father also a John Reeves in Lambourne, Essex. In addition to his father John and his elder brother James Reeves, there is a four year old Emma FLACK, whose relationship to the head of household is given as daughter. See Research Note 1 below.

At the time of the 1881 census, John is Head of Household on Silver Street, Abridge. The enumeration notes that John's age is 30, that he is married, that he is working as an Agricultural Labourer and that he was born in Abridge, Essex. However, there is no entry for John's wife Eliza and she has not been identified elsewhere on this census. It is strongly believed that Eliza had died the previous year, with FreeBMD noting the death of an Eliza Reeves, age 29, during the third quarter of 1880 in the Ongar Registration District who would strongly match John's wife.

Next listed on the 1881 census are his two sons Charles (7) and Thomas (2), both born Abridge, Essex. This corresponds well with the birth registrations for brothers Charles Reeves and Thomas Reeves, which shows their mother's maiden name to be FLACK.

Next enumerated are Maria Reeves (sister, unmarried, age 26) and Thomas Reeves (brother, also unmarried, age 28, a Fram Servant). Maria's occupation is shown as Housekeeper, which has been subsequently crossed through and "Nil" noted in its stead. Birth registrations for the Thomas and Maria Reeves on this 1881 census schedule have not been identified nor have these individuals been identified on the 1861 or 1871 census returns. It is strongly suspect these are actually Thomas and Maria FLACK, who were John's brother-in-law and sister-in-law. See Research Note 2 below.

The household is completed by Sarah DeFronde (boarder, unmarried, age 20) and Thomas DeFronde (boarder, age 6 months). See Research Note 3 below.

It is not believed John remarried, but he does seem to acknowledge a third son
The probable child of John Reeves and A N Other is

1. John Reeves

A birth registration in the name of John Reeves has not been identified and his possible identify is discussed in Research Note 6 on the page for this son John Reeves.

On the 1891 census, John again is Head of Household on Silver Street, Abridge (schedule 74). He is now 41 years old and a widower. He gives his place of birth as Lambourne, Essex and is working as a Farm Labourer. Listed with him are his sons Thomas Reeves (son, 13, a baker's boy) and John Reeves (son, age 7, a Scholar). The identity of this son John is the subject of further consideration as Research Note 6 on the page for John Reeves. Thomas Flack and his wife Sarah (nee De Fronde) are living nearby (schedule 78).

By the time of the 1901 census, John's circumstances are little changed. He is living on Silver Street in Abridge, where he is Head of Household. He now gives his age as 53 and his place of birth as Abridge, Essex. He is still a widower and working as a Horseman on (a) Farm. There are two additional people in his household.

• Jack Reeves, age 19 whose relationship is son and who is a Cowman on (a) Farm. It is strongly suspected this is John's son John; the name Jack being used to distinguish him from his father.
• Fred Reeves, also aged 19 and whose relationship is also given as son. He is a Brick Maker, an occupation he shares with John's eldest son Charles Reeves (age 27), who is enumerated elsewhere on the same page as head of his own household (schedule 75). It is possible this individual is Frederick Charles Reeves (b.reg.1893) who was John's great nephew and who has not been identified elsewhere on the 1901 census. Frederick's widowed mother Emma Reeves (nee Threader) heads the preceding household (schedule 72) and again Thomas & Sarah Flack are nearby (schedule 77).

In a role reversal of the 1881 census, on the 1911 census John is living as a boarder in the household of Thomas De Fronde at Maryons Terrace, Abridge, Essex. In addition to Thomas's wife Alice and their four children is Thomas Flack. Thomas Flack is Thomas De Fronde's step father and also brother of John's late wife Eliza Emma Reeves (nee Flack). John's age is shown as 56, although he was closer to 65; perhaps a simple arithmetic error or perhaps a deliberate deception. He is working as a Farm Labourer and again claims birth in Abridge, Essex.

John's youngest son John is killed during World War 1 and his two brothers are named as his beneficiaries, suggesting that our subject John had died prior to 1917. FreeBMD notes the death of John Reeves, aged 67, during the fourth quarter of 1914 in the Ongar Registration District, which is a good match for this individual.

Research Notes

(1) Emma FLACK's relationship on the 1871 census is given as daughter. Our subject John's wife Eliza Emma Reeves is correctly described as the daughter in law of the head of household. Emma Flack is next listed and it is strongly suspected she is the daughter of John's wife Eliza Emma (nee FLACK) and not the daughter of the HoH.

Emma has not been identified on subsequent census returns and it is suspected her's is the death registered as Emma REEVE(sic) in Ongar Reg. Dist. during September quarter of 1871.

(2) The absence of John's wife Eliza from the 1881 census household, although he claims he is married, along with his sister-in-law serving as housekeeper, supports the assumption that John's wife was deceased, perhaps recently so.

(3) Thomas DeFronde b.reg. 1880, December quarter, Ongar Reg. Dist. with mother's maiden name " - "
There is also a Eliza DeFronde b.reg. 1882, March quarter, Ongar Reg. Dist. again mmn " - "
Sarah DeFronde and Thomas Flack marry during June quarter of 1882 in Ongar Reg. Dist.

Sources

Birth:        FreeBMD     1845, September quarter, Ongar Registration District
Baptism:  
Marriage: FreeBMD     1867, December quarter, Ongar Registration District
Death:      FreeBMD     1914, December quarter, Ongar Registration District
                 
1851 Census: HO107, Piece 1771, Folio 386 reverse, Page 5, Schedule 17
1861 Census: RG9, Piece 1067, Folio 138 face, Page 31, Schedule 192
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 1643, Folio 135 face, Page 11, Schedule 58
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 1742, Folio 50 reverse, Page 16, Schedule 63
1891 Census: RG12, Piece 1366, Folio 107 face, Page 11 and continued Folio 107 reverse, Page 12, Schedule 74
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 1644, Folio 123 face, Page 13, Schedule 73
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 9820, Reg.Dist. 190 (Ongar), Sub Dist. 2 (Chipping Ongar), Enum.Dist. 6, Schedule 85

Death wife Eliza E Reeves: FreeBMD     1880, September quarter, Ongar Registration District