Reeves, Rebecca (nee Phillips)

Summary

Father: James Phillips
Mother: Ann mnu (possibly nee Chambers and on remarriage became Mrs Ann Gawn)

Birth: c1825 at Portsea in Hampshire
Birth Source: census

Death: 1874
Death Source: GRO Index to Deaths

Spouse1: Charles Reeves

Narrative

Rebecca, the daughter of James Phillips and his wife Ann (possibly nee Chambers), was baptised at the Parish Church of St John, Portsea in August 1825. Her mother marries James GAWN in May 1835, at St Thomas, Portsmouth.

Rebecca Phillips and Charles Reeves were married at the Register Office in Newport on the Isle of Wight in 1851 (HGS Indices) and FreeBMD narrows this to the first quarter of 1851, which would fit with her appearing on the 1851 census as a married woman with the surname Reeves. It is probable Rebecca had returned to her mother's home for her confinement, since the birth of Rebecca Ann Reeves was registered during 2q1851 in the Newport Sub-District. The mother's maiden name is recorded as Philips (sic) in the IoW FHS indices.

Known children of Charles Reeves & Rebecca (nee Phillips)

1. Rebecca Ann Reeves, born 1851, Isle of Wight, bapt Jun 1854, died Oct 1854
2. Alice Reeves, born c 1855 at Portsea, Hampshire
3. Charles Reeves, born c 1857 at Portsea
4. Alfred John Reeves, born c1860 at Portsea
5. Elizabeth Reeves, born c 1862 at Portsea
6. Kate Reeves, born c 1869 at Portsea

On the 1841 census taken on 6 June, Rebecca was not living with her mother and step-father although her younger sister Martha Phillips is part of the GAWN family group. She has yet to be positively identified on this census, but is most probably the Rebecca Phillips living in the house of William Bayley on Broad Street in Portsmouth where she is described as a 16year old female servant who was born in county (Hampshire).

At the time of the 1851 census, on 30 March, Rebecca is living at the home of her mother and step father at Woodline Cottage in Wootton Bridge on the Isle of Wight. Her daughter, Rebecca Ann Reeves, was born a few days later on 9 April 1851.

A decade later and the 1861 census shows Rebecca and her husband Charles living together at 44 East Street in Portsea, Hampshire with children Alice, Charles & Alfred.

On the 1871 census, Rebecca along with husband Charles and children Alfred, Elizabeth and Kate are living at 9 Marlborough Row in Portsea. She is 45 years old and claims birth in Portsea.

At the time of the 1881 census, husband Charles is shown as a widow. Rebecca's is almost certainly the death registered during 2q1874 in the Portsea Registration District, where her age at death is given as 49.

Research Notes

Sources

Birth:        see census returns
Baptism:   FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JMYG-T4C
Marriage: FreeBMD 1q1851 Isle of Wight Registration District
                 and IoW FHS Marriage Indices
Death:      FreeBMD 1q1874 Portsea Registration District
                 
1841 Census: HO107, Piece 0412, Book 1, Folio 32 face, Page 6
1851 Census: HO107, Piece 1663, Folio 448 reverse, Page 13
1861 Census: RG9, Piece 0642, Folio 97 face, Page 7
1871 Census: RG10, Piece 1133, Folio 52 face, Page 3
1881 Census: RG11, Piece 1139, Folio 76 reverse, Page 32 {widow Charles Reeves}