Reeves, Sarah

Summary

Father: William Reeves
Mother: Sarah MNU

Birth: circa 1804, probably Fleming County, Kentucky
Birth Source: Age estimates from census

Death: before 1830, possibly Ohio
Death Source: No record in 1830 or any subsequent census

Spouse1: Jesse Stephenson, m. 18 Dec 1823

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Narrative

Although no probate documents have currently been found for William Reeves, Sr., the following are the bases for believing that Sarah was the daughter of William Reeves:

• Sarah Reeves married Jesse Stephenson in Brown County OH on 18 Dec 1823, per FamilySearch, Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958.
• There were only two Reeves extended-families included in the 1820 census for Brown County OH: Eli Reeves (including his two sons Ila and Asa, who had established their own households) and Eli’s older brother, William.
• Eli had a daughter named Sarah, but she married James Steel(e). Although the marriage record has not been located, they likely married about 1818, given that their oldest known child (Margaret) was born in 1819. Sarah was still married to James Steel(e) when he died in 1839, and was still Sarah Steel(e) when she, herself, died. It seems unlikely that Eli had a second daughter named Sarah, thus leaving William Sr as Sarah’s likely father.
• William Reeves’ census listing for 1810 in Fleming County KY included a female <10 years old (so born between late 1800 and 1810). His census listing for 1820 in Brown Co OH included a female aged 10-15 (so, born between 1804 & 1810). This female was absent from his household in 1830. It seems reasonable to assume that she was the Sarah Reeves who married Jesse Stephenson in 1823.

Bases for believing that Sarah was the daughter of William’s first wife, rather than his second:

• Given the marriage in 1823, it seems likely that Sarah was not at the very bottom of the 10-15 age category in 1820.
• Given her name, it seems likely that her mother was Sarah [LNU], rather than Ellinor Wood.
• Although we do not know when Sarah [LNU] died, it was presumably before 9 Nov 1806, when William married Ellinor Wood.
• The daughter Sarah could have been born as early as 1804 and not have had her 16th birthday until after the 1820 census was enumerated, and she could have been born as late as Sarah [LNU]'s date of death. This would have made her between 17 and 19 when she was married in 1823 — a reasonable age range for a first marriage.

Estimated birth: 1804-1806 (thus in the correct age group in William’s 1820 census listing, born before William’s remarriage, and of an appropriate age for marriage in 1823)

Estimated death: between 18 Dec 1823 and the enumeration of the 1830 census. We have found neither Sarah Stephenson or Jesse Stephenson in the 1830 census, nor have we found record of a subsequent marriage of a Sarah Stephenson, thus leading to the supposition that both Sarah and Jesse died between their marriage and 1830.

Note: Research by TRP members Lois Downey and Anne McDonald.

Sources

1810 Census - Fleming County, Kentucky
1820 Census - Brown County, Ohio
FamilySearch database - Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958