Reeves, Josiah

Summary

Father: probably George Reeves
Mother: Mary MNU

Birth: 1785, probably the area of Franklin County that became Patrick County, Virginia
Birth Source: 1860 census

Death: after 1860, probably in Texas County, Missouri
Death Source: Recorded in household of son Robert B. Reeves in 1860 Census

Spouse1: Constandestion Brown, m. 21 Nov 1806 in Patrick County, Virginia, minister - Lewis Foster¹
Spouse2: Mary Harrison

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Narrative

Probable children of Josiah Reeves and Constandestion Brown:

1. George Washington Reeves, b. c1808 Virginia, m. Mary Reed on 18 Aug 1829 in Gasconade County, Missouri
2. Mary Reeves, b. 7 May 1811, m1. James Flynn, m2. Elias Matlock on 30 Mar 1833
3. Unknown daughter, b. 1816-1820
4. Milly Reeves, b. 1818, m. John Sanders on 24 Feb 1842
5. Robert B. Reeves, b. 1 Mar 1823, m. Margaret Mahaly Sanders on 14 Jan 1846
6. Nathaniel B. Reeves, b. 1 May 1827, m. Sarah Caroline Payne on 16 Dec 1849
7. John Reeves, b. 1831, m. Joanna Matlock on 8 Jan 1857

By the 1820 census, all of the presumed sons of George Reeves who had previously been living in Patrick County, Virginia disappear from the records of Patrick County as well as those of Virginia. In the last record found for Josiah in Patrick County, he and Constandestion sold the tract of land previously deeded to him by George Reeves to John Mize in 1816.

Curiously, in 1830 a Josiah Reeves and a Thomas Reeves of the same ages are found in the census of Franklin County, Missouri. Franklin County is just west of St. Louis to the south of the Missouri River. By the 1840 census Josiah Reeves is found in the Liberty district of Crawford County, Missouri which is a little farther southwest of Franklin County.

The State Historical Society of Missouri gives the following information regarding the Harrison-Reeves Bloomery in Crawford County:
Thicketty Creek, in the northeastern part of the county close to the Washington County line, three miles south of Bourbon. It is the second earliest record of the mining and smelting of iron ore in Missouri. It was probably erected in 1819 or 1820 by William Harrison, one of the earliest settlers of Crawford County, and Josiah Reeves, with Thomas Reeves as forgeman. Early bloomeries in Missouri usually consisted of a forge which resembled a smith's forge and a furnace. This crude furnace, known as Harrison's Furnace, Harrison's Forge, Harrison's Bloomery, or Harrison's Iron Works, continued in operation for several years. (Goodspeed (1888) 542; Swank (1892) 333; OZARK REGION (1917) I, 197-198

There is no way to positively determine whether these are the same individuals previously living in Patrick County, Virginia, but it is likely. New autosomal DNA results have matched descendants of Josiah Reeves to descendants of Jeremiah Turner Reeves and Ann Reeves Turner , both of whom are documented children of George Reeves of Patrick County, Virginia. In both the 1850 and 1860 census, Josiah Reeves gives his place of birth as Virginia.

Research Notes

Various family sources identify Josiah Reeves' wife as Mary Harrison. No records of the marriage in Missouri have been located but it would presumably have taken place after Josiah left Virginia. The 1816 Patrick County VA deed to John Mize documents that Constandestion was still alive in 1816. It is unknown when Constandestion Brown died but by the 1850 census neither she nor Mary are listed in Josiah's household.

Sources

¹Marriages of Patrick County, Virginia, 1791-1850, by Lela C. Adams
1816 Patrick County VA Deed, DB 4 Pg. 382
1830 Census - Franklin County, Missouri
1840 Census - Liberty, Crawford County, Missouri
1850 Census - District 24, Crawford County, Missouri
1860 Census - Texas County, Missouri (HOH R. B. Reeves)