Reeves, Jonathan

Summary

Father: probably John Reeves
Mother: probably Sarah MNU

Birth: 10 Oct 1788, North Carolina
Birth Source: 1810 Census of Pendleton, SC gives estimated age as 16-25

Death: 23 Mar 1844, DeKalb, Georgia
Death Source: Probate Records

Spouse1: Bethany Mayfield, married c1810

Narrative

Children of Jonathan Reeves and Bethany Mayfield:

1. Ephraim Reeves, b. 28 Apr 1810
2. Sarah Adaline Reeves, b. 30 Oct 1812
3. Dorcas Reeves, b. 4 Mar 1815
4. Joseph Reeves, b. 6 Oct 1817
5. Thompson Reeves, b. 1 Jun 1820
6. Nancy Reeves, b. 20 Jun 1823
7. John James Reeves, b. 7 Nov 1824
8. Malachi Reeves, b. 3 Sep 1827
9. Meeca Reeves, b. 30 Jun 1830
10. Louisa Adeline Reeves, b. 28 Mar 1833
11. Lucinda C. Reeves, b. 3 Oct 1836

Jonathan Reeves who married Bethany Mayfield is presumed by many to be the son of Jeremiah Reeves, who left North Carolina settling in Jasper County, Georgia, where he died in 1806. However, the Jonathan Reeves recorded as marrying Mary Clark on 23 Sep 1814 in Jasper County is more likely to be the son of Jeremiah. Bethany Mayfield was named as a legatee in the 1826 will of her father, Abraham Mayfield of Pendleton County, South Carolina. Other later probate documents of Abraham Mayfield's estate in Anderson County SC name her as the wife of Jonathan Reeves and indicate that they were no longer living in that state. It is much more reasonable to believe that Bethany married the Jonathan Reeves who was from Pendleton, South Carolina. The Jonathan Reeves, born in North Carolina in 1787, who was listed in the 1850 census of Macon County, Alabama with wife Mary (Clark?) is a more likely candidate to be Jeremiah's son.

Bethany Mayfield was born in December of 1793 in South Carolina and died in Paulding, Georgia on 27 October 1854.

Jonathan Reeves, Given's District, DeKalb County, drew lot 1137-2-2 in the 1832 Gold Lottery.

He is listed (as Reives) in DeKalb County, Georgia in the 1830 census as follows: Males 1 0-5, 1 5-9, 2 10-14 1 15-19, 1 40-49; Females 1 0-5, 2 0-15, 1 30-39.

One Jonathan Reeves, of Chambers County, Alabama in 1838, gave Malachi Reeves of Cobb County, Georgia power of attorney to sell some land in Cherokee County, Georgia (DB C, p420).

Widowed Bethany Reeves, age circa 55, is recorded in the 1850 census in Paulding County, Georgia with one child, Lucinda age 14. This verifies the child Lucinda for whom no other documentation has yet been located. Sons Joseph and Malachi are living in adjoining residences.

Research Notes

The parents of Jonathan Reeves are undocumented but they are very likely John Reeves and wife Sarah who are named as the parents of Frederick Reeves in his Bible. John is recorded in the 1790 census of Pendleton County, South Carolina with 1 male over 16, 5 males under 16 and 4 females. Descendants of this Jonathan Reeves who have participated in Y-DNA testing exhibit an anomaly on DYS456 and CDY which matches other descendants of John Reeves. That anomaly is consistent with children of John and Sarah Reeves of Pendleton County, South Carolina.

Most of the children's dates of births were published in the Reeves Review Book II Memorial Volume by Emma Barrett Reeves which stated their sources were family bibles; however, no particular family bibles, nor information regarding the current descendant in possession of the bibles was included. With the current available documentation online, these DOBs have been verified in gravestone inscriptions, death certificates and at the very least census records to confirm the correct year. The whereabouts of this elusive family bible may never be known or a transcription located but the dates match available records supporting confidence in them. .

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

John Reeves's wife is identified as Sarah in a Pendleton SC deed of 1804 which she signed relinquishing her dower right to land being sold by John Reeves to Benjamin Fuller. Sarah is also named in Frederick Reeves Bible as the wife of John Reeves and mother of Frederick Reeves who appears to be the brother of Jonathan.

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.

Sources

1826 Will of Abraham Mayfield, Pendleton District SC
1810 Census - Pendleton, South Carolina
1820 Census - Gwinnett County, Georgia
1830 Census - DeKalb County, Georgia (listed incorrectly as Reives)
1840 Census - Campbell County, Georgia
1850 Census - Militia District 951, Paulding County, Georgia (HOH Bethany Reeves, widow)
1832 Georgia Land Lottery
Dates of Birth from family bible
Cherokee County, Georgia Deed Book C, p420