Reeves, Thompson

Summary

Father: Probably John Reeves
Mother: Probably Sarah MNU

Birth: 1799, South Carolina
Birth Source: Federal Census

Death: 13 Sep 1877, Clay County, Alabama
Death Source: Bible of daughter Alphalene Reeves Ingram and Clay County, Alabama Estate File

Spouse1: Lucinda Rilla MNU Lucendarilla Ragsdale

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Narrative

Children of Thompson Reeves and Lucendarilla Ragsdale :

1. Polly Reeves, b. c1815
2. Lucinda L Reeves, b. 6 Oct 1818
3. Frances Elizabeth Reeves, b. 12 May 1821
4. James Marion Reeves (see Research Notes below)
5. Sarah Ann Reeves, b. c1823
6. William Reeves, b. c1825
7. Loftin Reeves, b. 1826
8. Ellen Elizabeth Reeves, b. 1 Sep 1829
9. Andrew Jackson Reeves, b. 17 Nov 1832
10. Elijah W. Reeves, b. c1833
11. Nancy Reeves, b. 1836
12. Alphalene Paralee Reeves, b. 6 Mar 1839
13. David C. Reeves, b. c1840
14. Martha A. Reeves, b. 19 Dec 1843

The parents of Thompson Reeves are currently undocumented; however, they are probably John Reeves and his wife Sarah who were living in Pendleton District of South Carolina at the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th. The 1790 census of Pendleton County, South Carolina records John Reeves with 1 male over 16, 5 males under 16 and 4 females.

Again in Pendleton County, the census of 1800 lists John Reeves' household as: Males - 4 under 10; 2 10-15; 2 16-25; 1 over 45 (total of 8 sons); Females - 1 under 10; 1 10-15; 1 16-25; 1 26-44.

John Reeves's wife is identified as Sarah in a Pendleton SC deed of 1804 which she signed relinquishing her dower right to land being sold by John Reeves to Benjamin Fuller.

The family bible of Frederick Reeves who appears to be the brother of Thompson lists his father as John and mother as Sarah. A transcription of that bible is attached to Frederick Reeves page.

By the 1820 census in Gwinnett County, Georgia, eight Reeves male individuals are found - John Reeves, 26-44; Frederick Reeves, 26-44; Jonathan Reeves, 26-44; Loftin Reeves, 26-44; Malachi Reeves, 26-44; Isaac Reeves, 16-25; Burgess Reeves, 16-25; and Thompson Reeves, 16-25. After 1850 when census records include place of birth, the older of these individuals list their birth place as North Carolina while the younger list South Carolina.

The DNA of Thompson and his apparent siblings, i.e. Loftin, Burgess, etc. although closely matching that of the descendants of William Reeves who died in Granville, North Carolina in 1751 has one unique match. The individuals believed to descend from John Reeves share a matching result on one allele "CDY b" (35) where other DNA Group 3 participants descending from William Reeves do not match them.

Thompson Reeves (no known middle name) was born in 1799 according to later census records. He married one wife for life and referred to her as Cinderella. Legally her name was Lucinda Rilla. She was born in 1800. Many researchers feel her surname was Robinson but that is currently undocumented. They are found first as a married couple in 1820 in Gwinnett County, Georgia with two female children less than five years old. Thompson tended to live near several of the other Reeves' individuals listed above.

Thompson was listed as a Justice of the Peace in a Newton County deed for a slave sold to John E. Rives of Hall County.

In 1830 he is listed with family in Newton County, Georgia. He was a farmer. In 1831 he was in Chambers County, Alabama and was listed on a grand jury that was formed and served. In 1840 he and his family moved to Randolph County to an area later cut to make the new Clay County. Thompson was listed for the remainder of his life as a citizen of Clay County near Roanoke and Lineville Alabama.

Thompson died September 13, 1877 in Clay County, Alabama and Cinderella died there in 1885. They were active members of the Alders Spring Baptist Church near their home. The church is no longer there and the cemetery is on private property. It is believed that they are buried in unmarked graves in that cemetery.

Research Notes

Recently information has come to light thanks to Reeves' researcher Renee Newman that James Marion Reeves who was believed to the son of Thompson Reeves was more probably the child of his brother Loftin. Thompson Reeves left no will but there is a four (4) page administrator's petition filed in September of 1885 included in his estate file which lists all of his heirs including four who were deceased by the time of his death but James Marion Reeves is not listed as one of his heirs.

The probate documents of Loftin Reeves however, do list a son James M. Reeves whose age in various census documents is the same as that of the James Marion Reeves previously believed to be the son of Thompson. Probate documents for Loftin include his will written on the 30th of July 1878 which does not list all of his heirs, but a petition filed by his son Wiley Reeves who was administrator of his estate in December of 1879 gives a complete listing of them. Among Loftin's heirs is a son James M. Reeves who was living in Talledega County, Alabama at that time.

Tax Digests for Walton County, Georgia name James Marion Reeves, next to Loftin, Burgess and Wiley in Brantley's District. Some years he is J. M. Reeves, some years he is Marion Reeves. He is first named in 1849, is missing in 1850, but again listed in 1851, 1852, 1853 and 1857. The presumed son of Thompson, James M., was also believed to have lived in Talledega County, Alabama but only one James M. Reeves is recorded in census records there.

After viewing all of the records regarding this family, it appears to be evident that there was only one James M. Reeves and he was the son of Loftin Reeves, not Thompson.

Sources

Family Bible of Frederick Reeves attached
1800 Census - Pendleton District, South Carolina
1820 Census - Gwinnett County, Georgia
1830 Census - Newton County, Georgia
1840 Census - Randolph County, Alabama
1850 Census - Randolph County, Alabama
1860 Census - Randolph County, Alabama
1870 Census - Clay County, Alabama
1832 Deed - Thompson Reeves to Martin Bartlett Newton County, Georgia Deed Book D, p368
Tax Digests of Walton County, Georgia
Thompson Reeves Estate File, Clay County, Alabama
Loftin Reeves Estate File, Clay County, Alabama
1828 Sale - David Morrison to John E Rieves