Reed, Matilda

Summary

Father: Reed, Edward
Mother:

Birth: c1857
Birth Source: 1881, 1891, 1901 & 1911 Census Returns

Death: 1924, December quarter
Death Source: FreeBMD

Spouse1: Samuel Reeves

Narrative

Nothing is know about the early life of Matilda REED, prior to her marriage to Samuel Reeves in May 1874. Her father's name comes from her marriage certificate. See Research Note 2 below.

It is likely she was born around 1857 based upon the consistent age of 24/34/44/54 from the census returns of 1881-1911. Her age on her marriage certificate was noted as 19, so was perhaps slightly over stated.

Known children of Samuel and Matilda REEVES are

1. Ellen Matilda Reeves (1874 HAM - 1874 HAM))
2. Mary Ann Reeves (1875 HAM - )
3. Fanny Louisa Reeves (c 1877 HAM - 1959 HAM)
4. Blanche Rosa Reeves (1879 HAM - 1956 HAM)
5. Annie Reeves (1881 HAM - 1977 LDN)
6. Alice Reeves (1883 HAM - fl 1954 )
7. Bertie Charles Samuel Reeves (1884 HAM - 1943 HAM)
8. Florence Emily Reeves (1886 HAM - fl 1915 DOR)
9. William Edward Reeves (c 1889 HAM - )
10. Ernest Henry Reeves ( 1891 HAM - 1917 at sea on HMHS Asturias)
11. Walter Harry Reeves (aka Harry Reeves) (1893 HAM - 1963 HAM)
12. Edith May Reeves (c1898 Ham - fl 1928 ?)
13. Samuel George Reeves (aka George S. Reeves)) (c1901 HAM - YKS)

Family tradition, confirmed by the 1911 census, indicates there was a thirteenth child, whose name is sadly not presently known. See Research Note 1 below.

Research Notes

(1) Oral family tradition, confirmed by the release of the 1911 census in 2012, indicated there was a thirteenth child, whose identity was unknown to family researchers prior to November 2016. With the release by the GRO of a new index to births, it was possible to establish the missing child as Ellen Matilda Reeves.

(2) The only reference to this Matilda REED and her father Edward REED comes from her marriage certificate to Samuel Reeves in 1874.

As the wife of Samuel Reeves, her age and place of birth remain highly consistent on all census returns, pointing to her birth in about 1857 in Southampton, Hampshire. However a Matilda Reed who might be this individual has not be identified on the 1861 or 1871 census returns. Nor is there a possible entry within FreeBMD's birth registration index.

There is significant information which suggest Matilda REED may actually be Matilda Reeves, the daughter of Edward REEVES and his wife Fanny (nee Crook).

• Based on age, place of birth and name of father, Matilda REEVES is a perfect match for Matilda REED on the 1861 & 1871 census returns from which Matilda REED is missing.
• On the birth certificate of her daughter Ellen Matilda Reeves in 1874, Matilda's maiden name is recorded as REEVES
• On the birth certificate of her daughter Annie Reeves in 1881, Matilda's maiden name is recorded as REEVES.
• On the birth certificate of her son Bertie Charles Samuel Reeves in 1884, Matilda's maiden name is again recorded as REEVES.
• On the birth certificate of her daughter Florence Emily Reeves in 1886, Matilda's maiden name is also recorded as REEVES.    Matilda was the informant on all four occasions.
• With the release by the GRO of a new index to births in November 2016, it was possible to establish that for all 13 children, their mother's maiden name is recorded as REEVES, not Reed.
• On the 1891 census, daughter Annie Reeves is not found in the family home at 21 Longcroft Street. Rather she is found in the neighbouring property at 23 Longcroft Street, where Edward REEVES is head of household.  Annie's relationship is given as grand-daughter, further pointing to Matilda being Edward Reeves' daughter.

Based on this preponderance of information, it is suspect by three descendants of Samuel & Matilda, that Matilda was born Matilda Reeves, the daughter of Edward REEVES and Fanny CROOK.

A number of possible explanations exist for this discrepancy including :-

• Edward REEVES is believed to be the illegitimate son of Elizabeth REEVES.   Elizabeth's husband Charles Reeves had died 1826, several years before Edward's birth (c1832). It could be this was the only recorded occasion when Edward & Matilda used the surname of Edward's biological father. However, this is felt to be unlikely since at his own marriage in 1854 he gave the (probably fictitious) name William REEVES for his father.
• The family deliberately choose used a fictional name, to disguise the fact that Samuel and Matilda were related. This is also felt to be unlikely, since we might expect to see such a falsehood perpetuated when their children's births were registered, particularly as the first birth (of Ellen Matilda) was registered less than a week after Samuel and Matilda's marriage.
• The fictional surname, along with the fact that the marriage took place at Christ Church, Northam, rather than the adjacent home parish of St Mary's, Southampton, might add weight to the subterfuge theory. However, the structure of St Mary's Church had deteriorated and it was condemned as unsafe in the early 1870's, so may not have been available for use or a preferred location for marriages. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary's_Church,_Southampton
• The minister failed to correctly hear the name given by Matilda at the time of her marriage, or that he simply wrote it down incorrectly.

On balance, the simplest explanation of the name being misheard/misspelt seems the most probable explanation.

Sources

Birth:       
Baptism:  
Marriage: GRO Marriage Certificate
                 FreeBMD     1874, June quarter, Southampton Registration District
                 FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NK85-G8S for place & date
                 FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N6ND-4NT for father's names
Death:      FreeBMD     1924, December quarter, Southampton Registration District

1861 Census:
1871 Census:
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 1207, Folio 87 face, Page 26 and continued on Folio 87 reverse, Page 27
1891 Census: RG12, Piece 919, Folio 60 face, Page 13
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 1055, Folio 157 face, Page 53
1911 Census : RG14, Piece 5955, Registration District 99 (Southampton), Sub District 1, Enumeration District 32, Schedule 291