Reeves, Stephen

Summary

Father: John Reeves
Mother:

Birth: c1734
Birth Source: Vital Records

Death: 13 Apr 1820, Palmyra, New York
Death Source: Vital Records

Spouse1: Mary

Narrative

Children of Stephen Reeves:

1. James Reeves

Probable Children:

1. Stephen Reeves Jr.

Stephen Reeves, Stephen Reeves Jr., and Stephen Reeves, 3d signed a covenant dated 30 Dec 1784 to pay Mr. Joshua Williams as pastor of the First Parish in Southampton. (Howell, p112).

We know from the above record there were three Stephen Reeves in Southampton in 1784. This Stephen died in 1820, age 86, according to his obituary, which places his birth around 1734. This would seem to indicate he was a grandson, rather than son, of John Reeves.

Palmyra Register, 26 Apr 1820
Died, In this town, on the 13th inst. Deacon Stephen Reeves, aged 86 years.

There was an older Stephen Reeves who wrote a will in 1789 who may be the son of John Reeves.

This Stephen Reeves would appear to be the Stephen referred to as Jr., given his age. He is referenced as such not only in the covenant from 1784, but also in the following entry from the Southampton town records:

• Stephen Reeves Jr, crop & slit in left, half penny over each.
• James Reeves, son of Stephen Jr, hollow crop on left, half penny over each. (Records (2nd), p264)

Stephen Jr. is also listed with 3 males and 5 females in the 1776 census. Stephen Jr. is listed next to John Reeves and David Reeves. (Records (2nd), p395). These are likely the nephew John and the David Reeves mentioned in the 1789 will of the older Stephen Reeves.

Stephen Reeves and wife Mary, sell to Nathan Herrick, "A certain tract of meadow lying at a place called Accobcgue, in Long Neck, bounded north by John Reeves east by upland and woods, south by meadow formerly Josiah Goodales, west by creek." April 16, 1792. (Records (6th), p254)

Research Notes

Posted to Findagrave. Couldn't trace source:
From the family records of the Reeves family of Palmyra and Syracuse:

"Stephen Reeves, son of John Reeves, born in Southampton, Long Island, in 1734. ... He was a physician. Sometime prior to 1793, he removed to Palmyra, NY where he and his wife Mary were among the original members of the First Presbyterian Church which was organized in 1793. He became an elder of this church and held this office for the remainder of his life. During the Revolutionary War, while Dr. Stephen Reeves was still living in Southampton, two soldiers called at the Doctor's home and asked for something to eat. Food was given them but while the Doctor's back was turned they stole two towels. Shortly after they left, the articles were missed, so the Doctor ran cross-lots to the Fort and complained to the commanding officer just before the two soldiers returned to the post. They were searched and the missing articles found, whereupon they were tried and flogged so unmercifully that the tender heart of Dr. Reeves was made sorry that he had entered the complaint.

Dr. Stephen Reeves died April 13, 1820, aged 86 years, 2 days."

Sources

Death:        Palmyra Register, 26 Apr 1820
                   10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850 (Ancestry)

1790 Census:  Southampton, Suffolk County, New York
1800 Census:  Palmyra, Ontario County, New York
1810 Census:  Palmyra, Ontario County, New York

1776 Census - Suffolk County, New York
Howell, George Rogers. The Early History of Southampton, L. I., New York (1887)
Southampton Town Records Liber B
The Sixth Volume of Record of Southampton L. I., N. Y. (1915)