Reeves, Sarah Jane

Summary

Father: James Brady Reeves, Jr.
Mother: Frances H. Sims

Birth: 22 Apr 1847, South Carolina
Birth Source: Reeves Family Bible

Death: Between 12 March 1894 and 17 January 1896
Death Source: Lancaster Common Pleas, Roll 7377

Spouse1: Henry J. Gardner

Narrative

Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas records state that James B Reeves died intestate on or about the 11th day of March 1894. His heirs were Thomas C Reeves, Elizabeth Ellis, J J Reeves, James C Reeves, William D Reeves, and Jane Gardner, who had since died intestate. It also states that Jane Gardner "left as her only heir-at-law and next of kin, her husband, Henry J. Gardner a defendant herein and the above named plaintiffs, her brothers and sister." This proves that as long suspected, Jane Gardner was the daughter of James Jr.

In two separate Lancaster County deeds, Henry J. Gardner was mentioned as an heir of James B. Reeves (See 1910 DB S p32; 1897 DB J p44). As the common pleas case shows, he was husband of James's daughter Sarah Jane Reeves. Jane, wife of Henry J. Gardner, is listed on the 1880 census, age 32. This fits with Sarah Jane Reeves's birth year. There is another deed where a Sarah Jane Gardner 101 acres to E. L. Hinson dated 12 March 1894. H. J. Gardner witnessed the deed. Notice that this is a day after the approximate date of death for her father. Further research is needed to determine if that land came from her father (1894, DB I, p. 54).

Given later census records and that her husband and siblings were the ones listed as her only heir-at-law, it doesn't appear that they had any children. Henry J. Gardner married Mrs. Cornelia Sowell, widow of the late C. C. Sowell, on April 15, 1900 at White Bluff. They were living in the Sowell household on the 1900 census. She is listed as Amelia. The census denoted Henry had two children by this second marriage: John E. b. abt 1902 and Nannie M. b. abt 1908. The 1910 census denoted this as his second marriage.

Research Notes

Sources

Birth:        Reeves Family Bible (see James Brady Reeves, Jr.)
Death:       Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Pleadings and Judgements, p521, Roll 7377
Census:      1850 Census - Lancaster County, SC
                   1860 Census - Lancaster County, SC
                   1870 Census - Lancaster County, SC
                   1880 Census - Lancaster County, SC
                   1900 Census - Lancaster County, SC
                   1910 Census - Lancaster County, SC
Gardner-Sowell Marriage: The Lancaster ledger, 18 April 1900