Reeves, Malachi

Summary

Father: William Reeves
Mother: Unknown

Birth: c1720, probably North Carolina
Birth Source: Witnessed deed - John Span to William Reeves in Edgecombe County, NC 1738¹

Death: after 1788, probably South Carolina
Death Source: Last historical record is 1788 South Carolina court case

Spouse1: Elizabeth MNU

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Narrative

There is no positive identification of the children of Malachi Reeves available at the current time. Both William and Jonathan were listed as tithes of Malachi Reeves in the tax records of Granville County. The following appear to be Malachi's children.

Probable children of Malachi Reeves and Elizabeth MNU:

1. William Reeves, b. 1739 (tithe of Malachi 1755)
2. Jonathan Reeves, b. 1748-1753 (tithe of Malachi 1769), m. Nancy Hooker on 12 Oct 1769 in Granville, NC
3. Frederick Reeves, b. before 1756, m. Elizabeth Thompson on 27 Dec 1780 in Granville, NC
4. Abner Reeves, b. c1755, m. Sarah Wright
5. Allen Reeves , b. c1756, m. Nancy Whiten Ragland on 10 Aug 1780 in Granville, NC

Malachi may also be the father of John Reeves who was living in Granville County among the sons of Malachi Reeves and recorded as an adult from around 1780 until he migrated to South Carolina circa 1790.

Malachi is first listed in the records of Granville County when he received a grant from Lord Granville for 400 acres in St. John's Parish on both sides of the Fishing Creek on March 25, 1749. Chain Carriers were Jonathan White, George Morrice and Dan Weldon was the surveyor. The land was surveyed on February 24, 1748, but the deed not made until March 25, 1749. Malachi is listed on the 1749 Tax List of Jonathan White in Granville County.

May 29, 1753, William Rieves of Edgecombe County sold 522 acres to Malachi Reeves of Granville County on the north side of Fishing Creek. Witnesses were Jacob Perry and James Perry. This appears to be the same 522 acres on the north side of Fishing Creek that "Mallichy" Reeves sold to James Reeves on August 29, 1754.

Malachi along with his brother James and John Reeves (relationship is unknown) was on the muster roll of the Militia Regiment in Granville County, under the Command of Col. William Eaton, on 8 Oct 1754.

Malachi Reeves was listed in the North Carolina State Census for 1786 in the Fishing Creek District. The following year, on 1 Nov 1787, he and his wife, Elizabeth, executed a deed to Reuben Talley, recorded in Deed Book O, pg. 591. This was the last record of Malachi Reeves in Granville County.

Malachi was the defendant in four suits brought by Solomon Williams in 1788 for wrongful retention of goods ("five Negroes"). James Powell and Henry Creswell entered themselves as security for costs in the four suits, the plaintiff living out of state (from July Court 1788). The following year the case was dismissed on January 13, 1789. Based upon this York County, South Carolina court case in 1788 it appears that Malachi migrated there with his children and died prior to 1790 for he is not listed in the York County census with other family members.
(Source: Laurence K. Wells, York County, South Carolina, Minutes of the County Court, 1786-1797, Brent H. Holcomb, publisher, Columbia, SC (1981), p. 46, 54)

¹THE SOURCE - A GUIDE BOOK OF AMERICAN GENEALOGY, Edited by Arlene Eakle & Johni Cerny (Revised Edition 1997), Pg209: the age requirement to witness a deed was age 14 for a male, 12 for a female.

Sources

1751 Will of William Reeves, Granville County NC
Deed Records of Edgecombe County NC
Tax Records of colonial Granville County NC
Deed Records of Granville County NC
Muster Roll of the Militia Regiment of Granville County
York County, South Carolina, Minutes of the County Court, 1786-1797, Brent H. Holcomb, pub