Reeves, John Charles

Summary

Father: John REEVES
Mother: Jane ELLIOTT

Birth: 1869
Birth Source: FreeBMD & Census

Death: 1940
Death Source: FreeBMD

Spouse1: Edith Esther PHILPOT

Narrative

John Charles Reeves is the third of four known children of John REEVES and his wife Jane (nee ELLIOTT). His birth is probably that noted by FreeBMD as simply John Reeves during the first quarter of 1869 in the Cuckfield Registration District.

On the 1871 census, John appears in his parents home in the hamlet of Blackstone in the Parish of Woodmancote. He is 1 year old and his place of birth is given as Hurst, Sussex. He is youngest of three children in the household.

At the time of the 1881 census, John again appears in his parent household now on Brighton Place in Burgess Hill, Sussex. He is 11 years old, claims birth in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex and is a Scholar. His younger brother Ernest completes the household.

On the 1891 census, John again appears in his parents household on Slimbridge Road in Burgess Hill, Sussex. His age is given as 20 years old and his place of birth is again given as Husrtpierpoint, Sussex. He is working as a Painter. In addition to his parents, the household is completed by John's bride to be, Edith Philpot whose relationship is given as Visitor.

The marriage between John Charles REEVES and Edith Esther PHILPOT is noted by FreeBMD as occurring during the second quarter of 1891 in the Cuckfield Registration District.
Identification of their children, without incurring the expense of acquiring birth certificates, is challenging since this family seem to have a tendency to adopt familiar given names. However, based primarily on census returns, the known children of John Charles Reeves and his wife Edith Esther (nee Philpot) most probably are

                                                       Birth    Age on Census
                                                         Place   1901   1911
 Edith E Reeves, born about 1892                   Brighton   9,    --
 Charles Ernest Reeves, b.reg 1892                 Cuckfield  8,    18
 William Thomas Reeves, b.reg 1894                 Brighton   7,    17
 Harold Albert Bertram Reeves, b.reg 1897          Brighton   4,    14
 Baden V Reeves, born March 1901,                  Brighton   1 month
 George Reeves, born about 1901,                   Brighton         10
 Ivy, perhaps Gladys Ivy M Reeves b.reg 1902       Brighton          9
 Ada, perhaps Dorothy Ada Reeves, b.ref 1904       Cuckfield         8
 Gertrude May Reeves, b.reg 1905                   Cuckfield         6
 Florrie, perhaps Florence May Reeves, b.reg 1907  Cuckfield         5
 Sydney Arthur Reeves, b.reg 1909                  Cuckfield         2
 Margery Reeves, b.reg 1910                        Cuckfield        10 (months)

It is strongly suspected that Baden V Reeves who was one month old at the time of the 1901 census is the same individual as George (aged 10 on the 1911 census). However a birth registration has not been found in either name.
On the 1911 census Margery is the last listed child, but her age is simply recorded as 10. It is strongly suspected this should read 10 months, in which case there is a very strongly matching birth registration during the third quarter of 1910 in Cuckfield Registration District, which includes Burgess Hill, her claimed place of birth.

On the 1911 census return it is noted that John's wife Edith has had 13 children, of whom only 11 were then surviving, two having died prior to that census.

By the time of the 1901 census John and his wife Edith have established their own home on Lewes Street in Brighton, Sussex. John claims he is 32 years old and was born in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex. His occupation appears to be Policeman, which is not consistent with the 1891 & 1911 census returns when he is a painter. In addition to John and his wife Edith, their five eldest children as noted above complete the household.

On the 1911 census John and Edith are now to be found on West Street in Burgess Hill, Sussex. John notes he is 44 years old and that he was born at Hurst Wickham, Hurstpierpoint. He gives his occupation s a House Painter and that he is a worker working for an employer. John notes that he and Edith have been married for 19 years and that she as born 13 children, of whom 11 are still then living. There are only ten children named on the census schedule. See Research Note 1 below.

John's sons Harold Albert and George both died during WW1. John is named as George's beneficiary in the "UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929". Both sons are commemorated on Brighton War Memorial, although only their mother "Mrs Reeves of 41 Gloucester Street, Brighton" is apparently named as next of kin on the Roll of Honour.

It is highly probable that John's death is that noted by FreeBMD as John C Reeves, aged 71, which occurred during the fourth quarter of 1940 and was registered in the Brighton Registration District.

Research Notes

(1) John & Edith's eldest daughter, also called Edith, has been tentatively identified in the 1911 census as a General Servant in the household of William and Ada PHILLPOT (sic). It is suspected that William is her mother Edith's younger brother.
RG14, Piece 5208, Reg.Dist. 080 (Steyning), Sub Dist 3 (Shoreham), Enum.Dist. 5, Schedule 156

Sources

Birth:        FreeBMD 1869, September quarter, Cuckfield Registration District
Baptism:  
Marriage: 1891, June quarter, Cuckfield Registration District
Death:      FreeBMD 1940, December quarter, Brighton Registration District
                 
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 1095, Folio 19 face, Page 11
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 1065, Folio 19 reverse, Page 18
1891 Census: RG12, Piece 0794, Folio (number not available) reverse, Page 20
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 0923, Folio 95 face, Page 31
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 5024, Reg.Dist. 076 (Cuckfield), Sub Dist. 2 (Hurstpierpoint), Enum.Dist. 5, Schedule 68